Warning: contains spoilers for Legion of X #9!Vox Ignis, the Stare is one of Ghost Rider’s most formidable weapons, a soul-searing gaze that forces the victim to confront the evil they have committed, but in Legion of X #9, Ignis introduces a new twist on the Stare, one more befitting his mission as well as the power set of its host–Banshee.
The issue, written by Si Spurrier, illustrated by Netho Diaz, inked by Sean Parsons and Alvaro Lopez, colored by Java Tartaglia and lettered by Clayton Cowles, opens with the Technarch attempting to gain a foothold on the astral plane–and Douglas Ramsey (Cypher) is key to their plans, thanks to his bond to Warlock. Nightcrawler’s Legionnaires, including Forgetmenot, Juggernaut and driving force behind the other Ghost Riders, only led to stagnation; it instead exulted “adaptation…rebirth...variation.” In honor of those values, it has created “The Scream of Change,” which it uses to look deep into Ramsey’s soul and psyche. Narration likens the scream to the “birth pangs of an angel, like the laughter of a genderless god, like the electric howl of a gene disobeying its rules.” Sure enough, Vox’s method works, and the Legionnaires are able to discover the Technarch’s plans.
Vox Ignis is the newest addition to the Ghost Rider mythos. Bonded to Banshee, Vox Ignis is the “Spirit of Variation,” a powerful and enigmatic force that was once a Spirit of Vengeance; thousands of years prior, this particular Spirit saw the path of vengeance as being a perpetuating cycle–one it no longer wished to be a part of. A text piece in Legion of X #8, revealed that the other Spirits of Vengeance saw Vox Ignis as a threat and banished it, suppressing all knowledge of its existence. Recently, Vox returned, bonding with the mutant Banshee. The Spirit of Variation remains an enigma; indeed, the aforementioned text piece stated that no one knows exactly how powerful Vox Ignis truly is.
Vox Ignis' Scream of Change Inverts Ghost Rider's Mission.
If Vox Ignis’ Scream of Change is any indication, then it is an extremely powerful entity–one that perfectly flips the script on Ghost Rider’s purpose and mission. Ghost Rider’s Penance Stare is a horrifying and intense experience; Vox Ignis realizes the Stare only feeds the cycle of violence and retribution that drives its brethren–and decides to do something about it. While the Scream is described as an intense experience as well, it is one of rebirth and cleansing, as seen in this issue. It is able to accomplish more than the Penance Stare could ever hope to.
Vox Ignis’ Scream of Change is also a neat twist on the sonic powers of its host, Banshee; it takes an already formidable power and makes it even more so–Banshee’s powers can now pierce a person’s soul. Vox Ignis’ ability to adapt Banshee’s powers to its own end raises the question: can it do the same to other heroes? If it were to bond with them, would it gain their powers as well? If so, this could lead to some truly powerful combinations. Vox Ignis, the X-Men’s new Ghost Rider is immensely powerful, and it flips the script on the Penance Stare.
Legion of X #9 is on sale now from Marvel Comics!
