The incredibly powerful Children of the Vault may be longtime foes of Marvel Comics’ Ghost Rider. Having first debuted in X-Men #188 by Mike Carey and Chris Bachalo, these post-human lifeforms represent a separate evolutionary branch from both humans and mutants, seeing it as their birthright to replace both as the dominant species on the planet. With these mysterious menaces poised to take over the world in their new self-titled series, the heroes of the Marvel Universe are hopelessly outmatched against the group. Each Child is a world-class threat in their own right, with just one of them able to murder the Ghost Rider in single combat.
X-Men #16 by Gerry Duggan, Joshua Cassara, and GURU-eFX sees the Children trapped within a simulation by the X-Men in order to keep them contained as they’re too powerful to stop should they ever get free. Within the simulation, the Children live out the reality of what should happen if they ever break free, leaving no single hero standing from Earth to Asgard. And when the heat-and-light absorbing Fuego comes into with the Ghost Rider, he steals every last photon from the Spirit of Vengeance’s mystical flames before shattering his skull.
The Replacement X-Men Are More Dangerous Than Any Hero
Though frequently overlooked, the Ghost Rider is actually one of the most dangerous beings on Earth. With his access to the demonic forces of the Marvel Universe, his iconic Penance Stare, and his mastery of Hellfire, on top of his considerable strength and durability, there are few beings that can go toe-to-toe with the Spirit of Vengeance and walk away unscathed. But Fuego, just one of the hundreds of thousands of post-humans locked in the Vault, absolutely decimates the Rider with hardly any effort.
The Ghost Rider’s death may not have actually happened in reality, but the Children’s simulation – invented by Forge at the behest of Professor Xavier and the Quiet Council – was designed to be totally immersive and indistinguishable from reality in order to prevent the Vault’s denizens from venturing any further. Throughout the issue, Forge makes it clear that whatever occurs in the simulation reflects the reality of the situation should the X-Men’s enemies ever deign to launch a full assault on Earth. So even though the Ghost Rider that fans know and love is still quite active, Fuego is the last foe he should want to face when the Children of the Vault manage to break free.
The Children of the Vault Can’t Be Contained
The Children of the Vault are a major threat not just to the X-Men but to the Marvel Universe as a whole. Just the handful that fans have already encountered are more than capable of wiping out any foe that gets in their way, and there are nearly a million more back where they came from. If the Children of the Vault are truly serious about replacing the X-Men, hardly anybody, not even Marvel’s Ghost Rider, will be able to stop them.
