Caretaker

2018

Marvel

Carter Slade, a Marvel Comics character, is primarily known as the Phantom Rider, though he also used the names Night Rider and Ghost Rider (before that moniker was definitively associated with Johnny Blaze). He first appeared in Ghost Rider #1 (1967).

Slade was a Western hero active in the late 19th century. He was originally a schoolteacher who adopted the persona of the Phantom Rider to fight injustice in the West. He wore a white costume that glowed in the dark and rode a white horse named Beauty. He used a variety of trick ropes and pistols to subdue criminals.

Unlike later versions of the Ghost Rider, Slade's powers were not supernatural in origin. His skills and equipment were purely technological and theatrical. However, later retcons would imply some connection to the spirit world.

Various characters have taken up the mantle of Phantom Rider after Carter Slade, including his descendants. He represents an earlier, more grounded take on the fiery Ghost Rider concept.