Summary
- Ghost Rider has been called upon by a higher power to protect a specific child, as his death would have dire consequences for the world.
- The child is being targeted by creatures under the influence of an eldritch entity known as the Eldest, who has commanded all monsters on Earth to capture the Hulk.
- Ghost Rider's purpose has shifted from solely protecting the innocent to safeguarding this child, as he has been given the task by a supernatural force that seemingly holds the fate of the world in its hands.
Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Incredible Hulk #8! Marvel Comics plays host to more than a few humans who are considered to be important on a cosmic level, but seemingly none of them can compare to the child Ghost Rider has just been charged with protecting. Apparently, “If he dies, everything goes wrong”, so Ghost Rider is taking his job as one little boy’s protector very seriously - as should the rest of the Marvel Universe.
In The Incredible Hulk #8 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Nic Klein, the Hulk and his new sidekick Charlie ed the community of migrant workers the child and his family were a part of. However, it’s not the Hulk who is the danger, but the creatures that followed him to this community.
The Hulk is public enemy number one for the legion of monsters that reside on Earth, all of them under the influence of an eldritch entity known only as the Eldest. This creature has commanded all monsters on the planet to find and capture the Hulk. So, when Hulk was taken in by this community, he unwittingly brought death to the one place in the world he should have been trying to protect - or, at the very least avoid. Thankfully, Ghost Rider was there to ensure the child’s safety.
Hulk & Ghost Rider Combine Powers for an Outrageously R-Rated Kill
Hulk & Ghost Rider team up to fight an eldritch beast, pulling off an outrageously R-rated kill as a result - hopefully teasing more team-ups to come!
Who is This Mysterious Child Ghost Rider is Protecting?
Marvel Comics teases a vastly important character for future stories!
The only thing Ghost Rider says about his mysterious purpose to protect this totally random child is that he was called upon by a higher power of some sort to do so. When the Hulk came into this community, Ghost Rider felt the call of the Eldest to capture him. However, Ghost Rider refused, as he was already listening to another voice telling him to protect this child at all cost.
Something else brought me back. Something that needs that kid safe. That’s all it cares about. It says that in the world where he dies, everything goes wrong. So I won’t let him.
That’s all Ghost Rider says about his mission, the boy, or the entity that brought him back to life for the sole purpose of protecting this child. One thing that can be ascertained, however, is that the ‘higher being’-in-question seemingly exists outside the natural flow of time. Obviously, it knows what happens in worlds where this child dies, and it has a vested interest in keeping the child alive. However, these are just theories and assumptions, because the truth is that no one knows the full story, making it little more than a tease for future storylines.
Marvel’s Most Important Human Completely Redefines Ghost Rider’s Purpose
Ghost Rider isn’t protecting the child just because he’s innocent!
Ghost Rider’s entire purpose on Earth is and has always been to protect the innocent and enact brutal vengeance upon those who would spill innocent blood. That’s why Ghost Rider’s iconic Penance Stare is so terrifying, as it burns the souls of those who are guilty by making them feel the pain they inflicted upon the innocent. There’s no one person Ghost Rider needs to watch over, anyone who isn’t an evildoer falls under his protection. However, that purpose that’s been the driving force behind the actions of every Ghost Rider since the character's inception has suddenly changed.
Ghost Rider isn’t protecting this child just because he's an innocent, he’s doing so because he’s been told by a mysterious supernatural/otherworldly/all-powerful force that if he doesn’t, the world will fall. If the fate of the entire planet does rest on the shoulders of this boy and the Ghost Rider charged with protecting him, then this kid really is Marvel’s most important human. But for now, fans will just have to take Ghost Rider’s word for it.
The Incredible Hulk #8 by Marvel Comics is available now.
