Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Hellhunters #1 & Thunderbolts: Doomstrike #2! Thunderbolts debut.

In Hellhunters #1 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Adam Gorham, readers are thrown into Russia in December 1943, where a troop of badly injured Nazi soldiers are fighting for survival. The Russian soldiers don’t even bother chasing them deep into the woods, as the Nazis are dead men anyway. That is, until they stumble upon a horrific demon chained to a post, desperately clinging to the mutilated animal it possessed to stay on Earth. This demon makes a deal with the Nazis, offering them immortality if they agree to be its collective host - and they accept.

Six months later, the demon-possessed Nazis take down an American aircraft, where Sergeant Sal Romero is sitting with his fellow soldiers, readying himself for battle. The aircraft goes down, and everyone on the plane dies except for Romero. The demon notices him and decides to kill Romero itself, though it doesn’t stick. Romero’s lifeless corpse is awakened by the Spirit of Vengeance, who offers Sal another chance at life as Ghost Rider, with his first mission being to kill the demon-possessed Nazis. Romero accepts, and with that, Ghost Rider ‘44 is born.

Ghost Rider ‘44 Has a More Challenging Mission Ahead of Him in the Present Day

Ghost Rider ‘44 will Try to Take Down Doctor Doom in Thunderbolts: Doomstrike

Sal Romero aka Ghost Rider is working toward killing the demon-possessed Nazis in Hellhunters (alongside Wolverine, Bucky Barnes, and the Howling Commandos), but he has another, far more challenging mission ahead of him in an entirely different comic series. Thunderbolts: Doomstrike will feature an entirely new Thunderbolts team, and their one and only mission is to take down Doctor Doom now that Victor has taken over the world as the new Sorcerer Supreme. And in Thunderbolts: Doomstrike #2, Ghost Rider ‘44 will be a part of that Thunderbolts lineup.

What’s interesting is that Thunderbolts: Doomstrike will be something of a sequel to Hellhunters, as the person who is putting together the new Thunderbolts team is the Winter Soldier aka Bucky Barnes, who knows Ghost Rider from their time fighting together during WWII in Hellhunters. While fans haven’t seen them interact quite yet in Hellhunters, it will be fascinating to see the dynamic between Ghost Rider and Bucky as the series progresses, answering the questions of how and why Bucky recruits Ghost Rider ‘44 on the Thunderbolts before the first issue of Thunderbots: Doomstrike even hits the shelves.

Hellhunters & Thunderbolts Have the Chance to Answer 1 of Marvel’s Most Pressing Questions

Ghost Rider ‘44’s First Appearance Presented a Mystery Marvel Has Yet to Elaborate On

Sal Romero’s Ghost Rider debuted in The Incredible Hulk Vol. 4, where he fought and ultimately teamed up with the Hulk for one reason: to protect a little boy named Leo. Ghost Rider its to the Hulk that Leo is the most important person in the universe, and that if something happens to him, all reality will come apart. After that, fans never saw Ghost Rider ‘44 or Leo again. But, now that Ghost Rider ‘44 is appearing in two separate series (one of which is set in the present day), Marvel can finally elaborate on this massive lore-drop.

The origin story of this new Ghost Rider is as interesting as it is brutal, but the most fascinating aspect of the character is what his origin story sets up. Ghost Rider ‘44 will have to kill a vicious demon before ing the Thunderbolts and challenging arguably the most powerful person on Earth, Doctor Doom, while still staying true to his mission in The Incredible Hulk: protecting Leo. In other words, fans are in for one epic ride as Marvel Comics continues the story of this all-new Ghost Rider.

Marvel Comics’ Thunderbolts: Doomstrike #2 is available March 26, 2025, Hellhunters #1 is available now.