Warning! Spoilers to Savage Avengers #21 below!
The Ghost Rider's latest battle seems to have revealed his weirdest power yet. In his confrontation with Conan the Barbarian in Savage Avengers #21, the confrontation over their mutual enemy, the ancient sorcerer Kulan Gath, seems to end when Conan's blows manage to crack the Rider's skull. Bombarded with unstable and powerful magical energies, Conan suddenly finds himself back in the past, specifically his former kingdom of Aquilonia.
When Conan was reintroduced to the Marvel universe, he was in pursuit of his old enemy Kulan Gath whose evil influence continues to infect the Marvel universe, both in its past and current timeline. Despite Conan and his allies' efforts, the famous Cimmerian found stuck himself in modern-day New York, bonded to an alien symbiote that shared his desire for revenge against Kulan Gath, and temporarily living in the Hellfire Club's former mansion. Plagued by vivid nightmares, Conan's search for adventure saw him come across an apartment building full of people compelled by similar nightmares to commit wicked acts. Believing it to be the work of Gath, Conan ascends only to be confronted by Johnny Blaze, the former King of Hell who was similarly drawn to the scene of the crime. Also plagued by nightmares, the Spirit of Vengeance accuses Conan of being in allegiance with the sorcerer and threatens him to give up Gath's location or suffer his infamous Penance Stare.
In Savage Avengers #21 by Gerry Duggan and Patrick Zircher, Ghost Rider's presence does not frighten or intimidate Conan as he recalls his own experience with the Rider's predecessor thousands of years ago. Despite Conan's declaration that they are not enemies, Blaze's desire to end his nightmares mean more than the truth prompting a fight. When Conan's symbiote sword has little effect impaling his opponent, Ghost Rider's Penance Stare has similar results as Conan appears to resist what is usually the anti-hero's finishing move. While Blaze's nightmares and visions continue to disorient him, Conan relentlessly attacks him and when Blaze tries it again, Conan is strong enough to plug his fingers into the Rider's skull, the suppressed energy being strong enough to crack it and cause something unexpected to happen.
Conan states that Kulan Gath's claimed to have poisoned the original Savage Avengers with a spell that would force them into compliance one day although it is unclear if that means the current line-up or possibly their prehistoric ancestors which included Johnny's Spirit of Vengeance. Although Ghost Rider has occasionally been manipulated by other forces in the past, Johnny Blaze's behavior seems less like the original Ghost Rider and more like a fresh rookie still unaware and scared of his new powers and their potential. It may not be the first time someone has resisted the Penance Stare but the way Conan fought back broke the Ghost Rider in a new and unexpected way. With that demonic energy spilling out, it is unclear if Conan's return to his former city is time travel, mental chronal displacement, or some sort of powerful memory retrieval.
With this new power happening, it proves that despite Johnny Blaze's time as Ghost Rider, there are still things he can learn about what the Spirit of Vengeance is capable of. With Conan the Barbarian back in his old stomping grounds, it presents the perfect opportunity for revisiting old Conan storylines and hopefully allowing Ghost Rider to realize his mistake and travel back, or within Conan's memories depending on the situation, to help the warrior battle Kulan Gath and the dangerous threat he represents to the Marvel universe overall.