Ghost Rider's Ultimate Attack Is Totally Broken (& It's Marvel's Fault)
The all-powerful ability of Marvel's terrifying Ghost Rider has lost its edge. When confronted with the Penance Stare, those the Rider judges as guilty are meant to feel the full brunt of the suffering they've brought onto others. It's an ability that is meant to be able to destroy some of Marvel's most powerful beings. However, the number of heroes and villains that have survived confrontations with Ghost Rider has been steadily increasing, putting into question how effective the Spirit of Vengeance actually is.
The first use of the Penance Stare belongs to the Danny Ketch version of Ghost Rider, who used it on Mr. Hyde inGhost Rider #4. Traditionally, when Ghost Rider locks eyes with the guilty, they are overwhelmed with the anguish they've wrought, inducing catatonia, and in some cases, complete immolation. Aside from common criminals, Ghost Rider has proved the Stare works against foes as powerful as Doctor Strange, as seen when he nearly killed Strange in Ghost Rider #3.
Related: Ghost Rider's New Forever Penance Power Is His Most Brutal Yet
However, many recent stories have shown heroes and villains overcome the Penance Stare. While it's a move that can underline a character's willpower or lack of empathy, this trick has been used so frequently by Marvel's creators that now basically no-one is susceptible to Ghost Rider's ultimate attack. In Thunderbolts #29, Ghost Rider attempts to use his fabled attack on the Punisher, only for Frank to survive, telling the Spirit that he "regrets nothing." The Mad Titan Thanos was confronted with the Penance Stare in Thanos #15, but his reliving of the torment he's inflicted brought him joy instead of suffering. The stare did cause the Venom symbiote pain in Ghost Rider & Blaze:
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