HOST RIDER
Earth-53912

Real Name: Robbie Reyes

Identity/Class: Alternate reality (Earth-53912) human merged with demonic Spirit of Vengeance and bonded to extraterrestrial (Klyntar) symbiote

Occupation: Spirit of Vengeance;
    former mechanic

Group Membership: The Resistance (Agent Venom of Earth-16348, Ant-Venom/Scott Lang of Earth-12240, Black Panther/T'Challa of Earth-21673, Captain Venom/Steve Rogers of Earth-17084, Carnage/Cletus Kasady of Earth-32231, Deadpool/Wade Wilson of Earth-41715, Doctor Strange of Earth-22249, Mania/Andrea Benton of Earth-616, Old Man Venom/Logan of Earth-17673, Spider-Man/Peter of Earth-28242, Spinneret/Mary Jane Watson-Parker of Earth-18119, Venom/Eddie Brock of Earth-616, Venom Rocket/Rocket of Earth-18197, Wolverine/X-23 of Earth-24398)

Affiliations: Eli, Gabe, the Resistance, S.H.I.E.L.D.

Enemies: Crossbones, "eggplant mutates," "jetpack chimps," Mr. Hyde (Calvin Zabo), Octosquatchpool, the Poisons of Reality-17952 (Poison Bullseye, Poison Captain Venom, Poison Green Goblin, Poison Hulk, Poison Iron Fist, Poison Rhino, numerous others)

Known Relatives: Gabe (brother), Eli (uncle)

Aliases: Ghost Rider;
    "Captain Creepy," "Pal," "Soldier"

Base of Operations: Our Lady of Saints Church, Earth-22249;
    formerly mobile throughout Earth-22249's New York City, New York, USA; mobile throughout Earth-53912

First Appearance: Edge of Venomverse I#3 (September, 2017)

Powers/Abilities: Host Rider was a composite being consisting of a human, a ghostly Spirit of Vengeance and an alien symbiote. As a Spirit of Vengeance, Host Rider was capable of generating intense hellfire and he could devour the sins of other beings in energy form using a technique he dubbed the Penance Kiss. He was also able to sense the sins in other beings or lack thereof. Host Rider's bonding to the alien symbiote boosted his strength to an undefined superhuman level and he was able to project symbiotic chains from his body.

    Due to his dual nature as a Spirit of Vengeance and a symbiote host, Host Rider did not have a weakness to fire like most symbiotes.

Height: Unrevealed (approximately 6'2")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 225 lbs.)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Dark brown with white streak

History:
(Edge of Venomverse I#3 (fb) - BTS) - In an effort to win enough money to buy his younger brother Gabe a better future, teenage mechanic Robbie Reyes entered an illegal street race using a demonic muscle car that bonded the evil spirit of Robbie's Uncle Eli to Robbie. Ultimately making a pact with Eli's spirit to only punish the worst criminals, Robbie became the Ghost Rider. Regarding the Ghost Rider as a hero, the S.H.I.E.L.D. organization created a file on him.

(Edge of Venomverse I#3 (fb)) - An alien symbiote soon found its way to Robbie and bonded with him despite Robbie's attempts to fight off the bonding. Once the symbiote had fully bonded to him, Robbie struggled to maintain a sense of identity amidst the conflicting symbiote and Spirit of Vengeance personalities within him. The personality that emerged in control of Robbie's body dubbed itself the Host Rider. Having heard of an upcoming prisoner transfer for the sadistic Mr. Hyde, the Host Rider tracked down the criminal assassin Crossbones and forced him to reveal that he was hired to rescue Mr. Hyde from incarceration during the transfer. Allowing his Hell Charger to devour Crossbones, the Host Rider set out to confront Mr. Hyde.

(Edge of Venomverse I#3) - During Mr. Hyde's prisoner transfer, the transport carrying Hyde was attacked by numerous combatants and just as the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents doing the transfer began to get overwhelmed, the Host Rider sped onto the scene in his demonic, symbiotic Hell Charger. Noticing something different about the Ghost Rider, S.H.I.E.L.D. tried to determine whether the Rider was with them or against them, especially after the Host Rider used chained, innocent S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to beat the assassin Octosquatchpool. S.H.I.E.L.D. recognized the black goop on the Host Rider as being similar to reports on a spider-themed adventurer who had died in the 1980s and they questioned how the Host Rider could be wearing the goop since it was vulnerable to fire. Once Octosquatchpool had been defeated, the Host Rider ventured over to handcuffed Mr. Hyde and he used his abilities to sense the justice and goodness on the S.H.I.E.L.D. guard. Determining such goodness to be disgusting, the Ghost Rider hurled the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent away, severing the chain that had cuffed her to Mr. Hyde. Hyde asked what the Host Rider and after he explained his origins, the Host Rider wondered why Mr. Hyde seemed unfazed. Hyde began gloating that the Host Rider was about to die, the Host Rider asked if Hyde was referring to his deal with Crossbones. When Hyde appeared shocked at the Host Rider's knowledge of Crossbones, the Host Rider had his Charger expel Crossbones' corpse and revealed that Crossbones was how the Host Rider knew where to find Hyde in the first place.



    The Host Rider then began talking about his Charger as the ultimate expression of his various identities and how efficient he had become after his Spirit of Vengeance and symbiotic parts united against Robbie's own personality. Gloating that his symbiote no longer had a weakness to flame after it had become fire, the Host Rider expressed sarcastic sympathy for the loss of Robbie's personality, admitting that the other personalities barely needed Robbie anymore. To prove Robbie was still inside their combined intelligence, the Host Rider pulled back part of his symbiote to reveal the human Robbie Reyes inside. Briefly in control of his body once more, a panicked Robbie begged for the lives of any innocents who might have potentially harmed by the Host Rider before the Host Rider resumed control. Remarking that Robbie barely provided any sustenance for his symbiote, the Host Rider revealed to Mr. Hyde that he actually sought out Hyde to devour Hyde's sins. Host Rider then picked up Hyde and devoured all of the sins within the criminal, leaving Hyde a lifeless husk that the Host Rider proceeded to feed to his Hell Charger. Moments later, the Host Rider experienced an intense bewildering feeling before disappearing from the scene. Teleported to Earth-22249, Host Rider was met by Earth-17084's Captain Venom, who asked Host Rider what he could do for his symbiote.

(Venomverse I#1 (fb) - BTS) - Host Rider joined the Multiversal Resistance against Reality-17952's extraterrestrial Poison creatures that fed on those bonded to symbiotes.

(Venomverse I#1) - Host Rider was present with the rest of the Resistance when Captain Venom brought Earth-616's Venom into the group. As the group filled Venom in on what the alien Poisons were, Host Rider chimed in that his concern was more the form the Poisons took once they consumed a symbiote host. The Resistance then explained to Venom-616 how the Poisons' consumption of a symbiote host transformed them into a more powerful form and, as if on cue, the Poison Hulk busted through the wall of the Resistance's headquarters, having followed Venom-616 there. Host Rider quickly got back on his feet and worked to hold off the Poison Hulk as Venom-616 and Spider-Man-28242 escaped to regroup with the Resistance elsewhere.

(Venomverse I#2) - The Resistance's Old Man Venom, Spinneret and Deadpool retrieved Venom and returned to Host Rider and the other Resistance members. Knowing that the Poisons would soon track them down, the Resistance opted to depart towards a safe house and Host Rider subsequent drove his Hell Charger to Our Lady of Saints Church followed by the rest of the Resistance.




(Venomverse I#3) - Host Rider and Earth-616's Mania stood guard at the top of Our Lady of Saints Church, where Mania asked Host Rider his opinion on whether the Poisons had captured or consumed the missing Resistance fighter Deadpool. Host Rider admitted it was possible Deadpool had been compromised and when Mania joked that Deadpool might've just left the Resistance to die while he wandered off in search of chimichangas, Host Rider commented that Mania did not truly believe her statement, noting that Deadpool reeked of sin but not of evil. Mania then resigned herself to the idea that Deadpool had likely been consumed and that the Poisons would soon consume them all. Host Rider reminded Mania that Resistance leader Doctor Strange had a secret weapon but Mania warned that Venom-616 had come up with the weapon idea and he wasn't known as an expert strategist. Host Rider and Mania soon spotted trouble and when they went inside to warn the others, they found the Resistance battling their own secret weapon: Earth-32231's Carnage. A group of Poisons soon burst into the Church and Carnage immediately jumped into killing them. During the battle, Host Rider suggested they all retreat while the Poisons were distracted but one of them snuck up behind Host Rider and consumed him, assimilating his form as the Poison Host Rider.

Comments: Created by Simon Spurrier and Tigh Walker.

    Except where noted, all characters in this profile are the Earth-53912 counterparts.

Profile by Proto-Man.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Earth-53912's Host Rider should be distinguished from:

"eggplant mutates"

The "eggplant mutates" were purple, zombie-like genetic creations born from one of the criminal Mr. Hyde's lab accidents circa 2008 involving embryonic stem cells and eggplants. Considering the "eggplant mutates" too messy, Mr. Hyde apparently abandoned the mutates after being arrested but the mutates, seeing Hyde as some of god, attacked the prison transfer convoy taking Mr. Hyde to a new location. Most of the mutates were destroyed by the arrival of the demonic Host Rider.

--Edge of Venomverse I#3d (#3 (fb) - BTS, #3d,
Eli

Eli was the evil uncle of Robbie Reyes whose spirit was merged with Robbie after used a demonic Hell Charger vehicle in an illegal street race. As part of their merger, Robbie made a pact with Eli to only punish the worst criminals as the Ghost Rider. When Robbie became bonded to an alien symbiote, Eli, the symbiote and Robbie all fought for dominance of Robbie's physical form and ultimately, Eli and the symbiote worked together to dominate Robbie's consciousness and they became the Host Rider. After confronting the criminal Mr. Hyde, Host Rider explained how all three personalities were vying for dominance inside him and as he discussed the concept, he thought about Eli pushing him to punish the wicked.

--Edge of Venomverse I#3 (#3 (fb) - BTS, #3
Gabe

Gabe was the younger brother of Robbie Reyes. In an effort to provide Gabe with a better future, Robbie participated in an illegal street race in which he used a demonic Hell Charger that bonded him to the spirit of his deceased Uncle Eli.

--Edge of Venomverse I#3 (fb) - BTS
"jetpack chimps"

The "jetpack chimps" were laboratory chimps turned into drones and sent by rivals of the criminal Mr. Hyde to steal his secrets. During their attack on Mr. Hyde's prison transfer transport, nearly all of the "jetpack chimps" were killed by the arrival of the demonic Host Rider.

Each of the "jetpack chimps" were, of course, equipped with a jetpack capable of flight and sought possessed sophisticated gun weapons.

--Edge of Venomverse I#3d
Octosquatchpool

Octosquatchpool was an assassin with an extremely implausible backstory and a name that most people found disgusting-sounding. When the criminal Mr. Hyde was set to be transported to a new location, Octosquatchpool was hired by the families of Mr. Hyde's victims to get revenge on Mr. Hyde on behalf of those families. During the transfer, Octosquatchpool attacked the convoy, demanding that Mr. Hyde come taste his "manhugs of doom." When the demonic Host Rider appeared on the scene, Octosquatchpool readied himself to battle Host Rider as well but he was knocked aside by two chained S.H.I.E.L.D. agents that Host Rider flung into the assassin. Host Rider then tackled Octosquatchpool and bound him in symbiotic chains. Octosquatchpool attempted and failed to shoot his way free and he was tossed aside as Host Rider went after Mr. Hyde himself.

Octosquatchpool had the superhuman strength and durability of a yeti creature. In battle, Octosquatchpool was equipped with a set of four mechanical octopus-like arms and he carried conventional firearms.

--Edge of Venomverse I#3
Poison Host Rider (of Earth-17952)

The Poison Host Rider began as a small alien Poison, one of many that traveled to Earth-22249 to devour the Resistance there. When several powered Poisons busted into the Resistance's Our Lady of Saints Church headquarters, the Poison took advantage of the distracted Host Rider of Earth-53912 to latch onto and devour the Host Rider. Absorbing some of the Host Rider's characteristics and powers, the Poison was transformed into the humanoid Poison Host Rider. Announcing that it had become so much more than he ever was, the Poison Host Rider was immediately impaled by Earth-32231's Carnage. As the Poison Host Rider died, it expelled hellfire from its mouth directly into Carnage's face. Carnage recoiled in pain and the Poison Host Rider fell to the ground, dead.

The Poison Host Rider had the same powers as Earth-53912's Host Rider, including superhuman strength and the ability to generate hellfire.

--Venomverse I#3d
images: (without ads)
Venomverse I#1, p12-13, pan2 (Host Rider, main image)
Edge of Venomverse I#3, p14, pan3 (Host Rider, headshot as Robbie Reyes)
Edge of Venomverse I#3, p14, pan6 (as Ghost Rider trying to fight off symbiote bonding)
Edge of Venomverse I#3, front cover (Host Rider, waist up image)
Edge of Venomverse I#3, Ron Lim variant, front cover (Host Rider with chains and fiery brick)
Edge of Venomverse I#3, p8, pan3 (Host Rider aboard his Hell Charger)
Venomverse I#3, p13, pan2 (Host Rider being consumed by a Poison)
Edge of Venomverse I#3, p7, pan3 ("eggplant mutates")
Edge of Venomverse I#3, p17, pan3 (Eli)
Edge of Venomverse I#3, p4, pan1 ("jetpack chimps")
Edge of Venomverse I#3, p5, pan1 (Octosquatchpool)
Venomverse I#3, p13, pan4 (Poison Host Rider)

Appearances:
Edge of Venomverse I#3 (September, 2017) - Simon Spurrier (writer), Tigh Walker (art), Devin Lewis (editor)
Venomverse I#1 (November, 2017) - Cullen Bunn (writer), Iban Coello (art), Devin Lewis (editor)
Venomverse I#2 (November, 2017) - Cullen Bunn (writer), Iban Coello (art), Devin Lewis (editor)
Venomverse I#3 (November, 2017) - Cullen Bunn (writer), Iban Coello (art), Devin Lewis (editor)

First posted: 10/30/2024
Last updated: 10/30/2024

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™  and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com

Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!

Back to Characters