Exclusive: Marvel Introduces A New (Old) Ghost Rider

Ghost Rider already has a long legacy in the Marvel Comics universe. Ghost Rider is also having a particularly big year in 2016 by making his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD.

Now there’s a new Marvel Comics character joining that legacy, and she’s already made her debut. First appearing in Doctor Strange and the Sorcerer Supremes #1, Kushala has thus far only been referred to as the Demon Rider. It turns out that’s kind of just an old-fashioned way of calling someone a Ghost Rider.

“She is the Ghost Rider of the 1880s,” Marvel editor Nick Lowe told ComicBook.com in an interview. “She is a Native American woman and she gets really terrifying in Doctor Strange and the Sorcerers Supreme when she turns into her Ghost Rider, so we wanted to make sure she had her own unique name as well, so Demon Rider is what we ended up coming up with for that.”

That Native American heritage was infused in the character’s design, as artist Javier Rodriguez told ComicBook.com when his designs were first revealed.

“She is a new character of Apache descent,” Rodriguez explained. “My inspiration comes from the tribes of New Mexico. They have a dance that is very powerful on every visual level. That ‘Devil Dance’ aesthetic and the geometric symbols mix perfectly with Kushala’s flaming skull and horse.”

It looks like Kushala’s origins will be explored sooner rather than later. In the exclusive preview of Doctor Strange and the Sorcerers Supreme seen in the gallery below, Kushala certainly seems to be letting her full Ghost Rider abilities show.

Kushala is appearing in Doctor Strange and the Sorcerers Supreme with Doctor Strange and his other allies thanks to the time-travel magic of Merlin. Meanwhile, Robbie Reyes is back in a new Ghost Rider series, the first issue of which is on sale now. Johnny Blaze is also still riding around as the modern day Spirit of Vengeance after his team up with Robbie.

Take a look at the preview in the gallery below, and check back later today for ComicBook.com’s full interview with Nick Lowe on Doctor Strange and Doctor Strange and the Sorcerers Supreme later today.

Doctor Strange and the Sorcerers Supreme #3 goes on sale Dec. 28.

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