As the spirit of vengeance, Ghost Rider is one of the least forgiving heroes in Marvel's roster of heroes. Though many are familiar with the origin of Johnny Blaze’s due to the 2007 film adaptation, that film left out the darkest part of Ghost Rider's origin. The biggest difference between the version that has reached most audiences and the original storyline is the father figure Ghost Rider sells his soul to save turns out to be one of the worst villains he has ever faced.
In Marvel Spotlight on Ghost Rider #5-8 by Gary Friedrich with art by Mike Ploog and Frank Monte, Ghost Rider outlines the details of how he was cursed with the Spirit of Vengeance. After being taken in by the Simpson family in the fallout of his father's tragic death, Blaze joins their troop of motorcycle stunt people. Before long, his adopted father, Crash Simpson, develops a terminal illness. Blaze sells his soul in order to save Crash, only for Simpson to die during a stunt show performance during the very next event. Hoodwinked and heartbroken, Ghost Rider angrily confronts Mephisto when he next calls upon him, only to learn the truth that he is now the Ghost Rider until Blaze’s soul is taken entirely by Mephisto.
The reason Mephisto could not claim Johnny’s soul the very moment Crash died was because of the late stuntman’s daughter, Roxanne Simpson, a woman who is also the love of Johnny’s life. When Blaze confronted the devil after Crash was killed, Roxanne interrupted the ritual, and her love for Johnny protected him from Mephisto’s clutches. While Roxanne lives, Blaze can use the power of the Ghost Rider to defy Satan at any given point, unable to die and unable to be taken down to hell. So, Mephisto comes up with an appropriately sinister idea as to how to eliminate Roxy from the picture and claim the prize of Johnny Blaze's soul, one that involves a soul he recently acquired.
Mephisto came in possession of Crash Simpson’s soul after he died, and he told the dead biker that if he went back to Earth and successfully sacrificed his own daughter on the shrine of the devil, then Mephisto would return him to life permanently. Crash decided his life was worth more than that of his daughter’s so he took Mephisto up on the offer. Disguised as a gang member named Curly, Crash kidnaps his daughter and brings her to the sight of a twisted black mass where she is to be sacrificially killed. Ghost Rider, having tangled with Curly an issue before while unaware it was actually his adopted dad, followed the two to the sight of the unholy deed, where Curly’s identity is revealed and Ghost Rider learns the terrible truth.
Not only is Johnny Blaze shocked that Crash Simpson is back from the dead, but an overwhelming sense of betrayal sweeps over him the moment he learns who Curly truly is. Blaze sacrificed his eternal soul to save the man he loved, who he thought loved him as a father would, but it was all for nothing. Crash was willing to kill his own daughter that would in turn mean the eternal damnation of his adopted son just to save himself. Crash’s unspeakably cowardly act of evil upon his own family easily makes him Ghost Rider’s worst enemy. While the 2007 Ghost Rider film gets a lot of the Spirit of Vengeance’s origin story right, what they leave out is how corrupted Johnny’s father figure becomes after the despicable deal is done. Ghost Rider sacrificed his life and eternal soul to save the man he considered to be his father, while simultaneously creating his own worst enemy.