"RUSSIAN BEAR GHOST RIDER"

Real Name: Unrevealed 

Identity/Class: Human possessed by a Spirit of Vengeance, Russian citizen (see comments)

Occupation: Unrevealed 

Group Membership: Spirits of Vengeance / Ghost Riders

Affiliations: His bear

Enemies: Zadkiel, demons, Kid Blackheart

Known Relatives: None 

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Russia (see comments)

First Appearance: Ghost Rider VI#31 (March, 2009)

Powers/Abilities: The "Russian Bear Ghost Rider" presumably possessed superhuman strength and durability, as well as immunity to conventional small arms, and could generate fire. He wielded a large axe enhanced with hellfire, and rode a gigantic hellfire-enhanced Asiatic brown bear.

History: (Ghost Rider VI#31 (fb)) - The Russian Bear Ghost Rider was one of dozens of Ghost Riders who operated in different countries across the world. At some point he was destroyed or died of natural causes (see comments).

(Ghost Rider: Heaven's on Fire#6) - Like all past Ghost Riders, the "Russian Bear Ghost Rider" was revived to take part in defending Heaven from first Zadkiel and then Kid Blackheart's demon army, standing alongside 'Khrag-Thung, the Undead G-Man, the Texas Ranger Ghost Rider and Devil Rig when the Spirits of Vengeance assembled prior to the second battle commencing. When battle commenced, he charged the demons, apparently on foot, with his axe engulfed with hellfire. After the battle, Heaven lit up as God returned, and the resurrected Ghost Riders returned to their eternal rest.

Comments: Created by Jason Aaron and Tan Eng Huat.

The "Russian Bear Ghost Rider" appears in Ghost Rider VI#31 as part of a montage image of international Ghost Riders that Caretaker (Sara) sees in her mind. Arguably it is a vision rather than a flashback, and certainly it provides no non-visual information about him or his history, so the Ghost Rider Index neither listed it as a flashback nor included it in the chronologies of the characters depicted. However, for Appendix purposes, I've listed it in the history, if only because it counts as his first appearance.

With so few appearances, there's little to go from in the comics when it comes to defining details about this Ghost Rider. Luckily the script for Ghost Rider VI#31 provided a tiny amount of extra information, albeit not that much - he's a Russian Ghost Rider who rides a giant bear (hence the profile title, a descriptor rather than name). Seen only in Caretaker (Sara's vision) after she states that she now has six thousand years of Ghost Rider history crammed into her head, it isn't even clear if the Russian Ghost Rider operated in the present day or distant past - the red star on his hat would suggest a Soviet-era Ghost Rider, but it might also simply be a fashion statement harkening back to that era. Sara's statements that they are "all gone now" at least confirms he is no longer active. Since at least two others in the same vision were present day Ghost Riders (Yokai-Raida and Shoba Mirza), it might be the case that all those seen were recently active, in which case the Russian Bear Ghost Rider might be one of the victims of Dan Ketch's Ghost Rider pogrom that took place between Ghost Rider: Dan Ketch#3 and Ghost Rider VI#30.

Profile by Loki.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The "Russian Bear Ghost Rider" is definitely connected to, but should not be confused with

• all the other Spirit of Vengeance-empowered Ghost Riders

but has no known connections to

• Phantom Riders - luminous lawmen of the Old West also known as Ghost Riders @ Ghost Rider I#1 - though some of them were apparently Spirit of Vengeance-empowered too, if Heaven's on Fire#6 is to be believed
• Ghost Wind Rider - Comanche Indian and former lover of Red Wolf @ Blaze of Glory#2
• Any other ghostly characters or characters who ride things
• any other Russian characters

"Russian Bear Ghost Rider's" bear

The "Russian Bear Ghost Rider's" steed was a gigantic bear empowered by the Spirit of Vengeance.

--Ghost Rider VI#31, (Ghost Rider: Heaven's On Fire#6

images: (without ads)
Ghost Rider VI#31, p13, pan1 (main image)
Ghost Rider: Heaven's On Fire#6, p12, pan5 (charging with axe raised)
Ghost Rider: Heaven's On Fire#6, p10, pan1 (in Heaven)
Ghost Rider VI#31, p13, pan1 (bear)

Other Appearances:
Ghost Rider: Heaven's On Fire#6 (February, 2010) - Jason Aaron (writer), Roland Boschi (art), Sebastian Girner (editor)

Last updated: 03/21/14

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
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