Frank Castle, the Punisher, as the Herald of Galactus, with the Spirit of Vengeance
MCOC Community Guest Author: SlayerMCOC
Editor: Other MCOC Gabe
SPOILER ALERT: This section contains spoilers for Thanos Wins and Cosmic Ghost Rider comic book volumes.
Frank Castle was among the heroes who battled Thanos on Earth. But Thanos won. The Punisher was killed along with everyone else, and his soul was sent to Hell. Desperate to exact punishment on Thanos, Frank signed a demonic deal with Mephisto to become the new Ghost Rider. He roamed the desolate Earth for countless years.
One day, a wounded Galactus arrived. Frank made his second deal, this time with Galactus, offering his destroyed Earth for the World-Eater to devour, and in exchange becoming his Herald.
Frank Castle used his new Cosmic powers to seek Vengeance on Thanos, and all who deserved to be punished, as the Cosmic Ghost Rider.
Probable MCOC Champion Class: Cosmic
At first glance, it would be debatable whether Cosmic Ghost Rider is Mystic or Cosmic. He was simply a Ghost Rider* like any other. The only thing that separated him from the rest: he's the Punisher.** But Galactus*** arrived and endowed Frank with the Power Cosmic, immediately granting him far more power than any other being who possessed the Spirit of Vengeance. The Power Cosmic drastically enhanced his abilities, setting him apart from the other Riders and defining Cosmic Ghost Rider as a Cosmic Champion.
Editor’s notes: *Ghost Rider is a title that most commonly refers to Johnny Blaze and his super powers as reflected on your Marvel Contest of Champions roster in the Mystic-classed Ghost Rider champ. But a ghost rider, generically, is a Marvel universe individual who has been imbued with judgment powers and appearance similar to Johnny’s. These are given by means of an indwelling or symbiotic being or spirit, usually a “Spirit of Vengeance.” Implicitly God at some point made the justice-driven decision to allow the ruler of Hell to decide punishment of the damned. So yes, that ruler, such as Mephisto, is usually evil, but the intent of the role is to dispense deserved retribution against the bodies and souls of the guilty. So ghost riders are usually heroes, albeit rather grimdark. There is no clear delineation between a Cosmic entity and a #dimensionalbeing, and it’s unclear whether only Mystic-classed champs can be #dimensionalbeing. But the hashtag does not exist outside of the Mystic class yet, and the hellacious or demonic usually carries that hashtag. So Ghost Rider is an inherently Mystical title.
**The Ghost Rider’s “vengeance” modus operandi is fitting for Frank Castle. In Marvel comics and other media, Castle has famously operated outside of the law as the vigilante hero The Punisher. As the name implies, his adventures are fueled by his vengeful desire for just punishment. In Marvel Contest of Champions, the Punisher is a Skill class champion, presumably because Frank’s efficacy as a hero lies in natural human talent and training, special ops in military service experience, and grit and abandon derived not from any superhuman invulnerability, but from his outlook, having little to lose after his family was murdered. It stands to reason that, if imbued with superhuman abilities, he would no longer be merely Skill-based.
***Galactus was an ancient humanoid named Galan. In his own tragic backstory, he became a “devourer of worlds:” a being who needs immense energy to sustain his existence. So he is in constant search for worlds to drain of all life-energy. He nearly always has a scout, who is tasked with searching out suitable worlds for Galactus’ consumption. Due to relatively high turnover in this “Herald of Galactus” role, storylines frequently see Galactus appointing a new Herald, so called because the appointee typically will announce Galactus’ approach. Galactus empowers his heralds with the “Power Cosmic,” which gives the grantee extensive cosmic superhuman power, such as to manipulate the electromagnetic spectrum. It is almost certain that Galactus, and anyone he empowers, would be Cosmic. True to this theory, all of his Heralds in the game so far (Silver Surfer, Terrax the Tamer, and Air-Walker) have been Cosmic class.
Good Fit for Marvel Games and MCOC?
Editor’s Notes: typically, Marvel Contest of Champions seems to select its characters by their classic iconic status in Marvel, or their niche nostalgia value. We can guess who these characters might be based on their number of comic-book appearances, how mainstreamed they have been by television and film, and whether they have frequently appeared in other Marvel games, particular fighting games. Another driving factor sometimes is recent currency: if Marvel is marketing this character because the character sells—if the character is a hot commodity—then the lack of history and nostalgia might not matter.
Literary Popularity & Relevance
He's a bizarre character. There was a little backlash (one example and another) on the concept of his character when he first came out. But it is hard finding most of that now. As the hype grew, most people accepted it. It seems the dissent has been buried in the positive.
Editor’s Notes: Cosmic Ghost Rider is the epitome of a recent popularity phenomenon.
True, the Marvel universes are replete with mashup characters. They lack the cachet of the original characters from which they were concocted. Many end up as old, forgotten, one-shot curiosities with cool art, a “What If?” feel, and little prospect for energetic frequent future publication.
But the surrealistic psychedelic art and absurdist writing associated with this particular mashup, along with the conceptual cleverness of the alignment between three separate characters, has been very well received by readers and critics.
This might be fueled by the tendency of CGR, as a concept, to celebrate all three of its constituent mantles, rather than detracting from them. In other words, the new mashup rides nostalgia for Ghost Rider, Punisher, and Galactus. The result might be greater than the sum of its parts.
Sufficient Caliber for Marvel Games
Cosmic Ghost Rider has been featured in the games Marvel Avengers Academy and Marvel Future Fight, which could indicate his fitness for the Battlerealm.
Gabriel Frizzera, the Creative Director of MCOC and MROC, as well as Kabam Sphinx have both alluded to the possibility of his being added to the game, perhaps even soon.
Popularity Among Summoners
Still a relatively new character, created by Donny Cates in 2017, Cosmic Ghost Rider has a cult following backing his ride into The Contest. Many Summoners have speculated his arrival since his debut in Marvel Comics and especially after his transition to Earth-616.
Editor’s notes: the term “Cosmic Ghost Rider” has been raised 215 times on the MCOC message boards, including some threads (like this, this, this, and this) dedicated entirely to the possibility. So his candidacy for the Battlerealm is a popular topic there.
He has made a rush upward on the MCOC Wishlist Poll as more Content Creators have drawn people’s attention to far-undervoted popular characters at the back of the rankings. He was rank 474 in March 2020 and as of September 2020 he has vaulted to rank 175 with nearly 100 Summoners having thrown their weight behind his name.
Many have speculated his impending arrival to the Battlerealm throughout the entire breadth of social media, including many YouTubers and influencers in the MCOC community. Rich the Man, Unofficial Kabam Mike, Kalantak, ImagineJim, Moo00se/The MC Lounge, as well as Rich the Man again and Other MCOC Gabe have all predicted Cosmic Ghost Rider for 2020.
“That seems to be the pick right now,” says Dan of Frontline: MCOC. “Everyone wants to see this dude.”
Unique Aspects for Champ Design
Unlike most champs, Cosmic Ghost Rider has the potential for quadruple Immunities. (Editorial: that’s a strong start already.)
Furthermore, Power Cosmic is a force that enhances a character’s existing abilities. Since Castle has the Spirit of Vengeance, to add the Power Cosmic on top of that would put him on an entirely different scale from the other Heralds in the game. Hellfire is no regular ol' Incinerate. It burns the soul. Maybe each Champion that lacks its own soul would be immune. But Cosmic Ghost Rider also has his Penance Stare, which thanks to the Power Cosmic is enhanced to the point where it is irrelevant whether the victim feels remorse for their sins.
This means he could even bring a brand new Power Cosmic Buff or Hellfire Debuffs to which no champ is Immune. He would also be a good candidate to be the first Champion immune to Nova Flame. Riders have immunity to all fire, and since Cosmic Ghost Rider has been enhanced with the Power Cosmic, it stands to reason that he possesses immunity over other forms of heat, including Nova Flame.
He could also use his fragment of the Time Stone to add extra duration to fight timers in-game or reverse damage done to himself.
Particularly if he gets those Hellfire debuffs, all of this could make him a force with whom to be reckoned.
Cosmic Ghost Rider is among the strongest characters ever, able to defeat the Hulk, Thanos, Galactus, Thor, Silver Surfer, the Avengers, Phoenix, and nearly every being that exists. He has tons of abilities, and the potential that comes with them could make him one of the strongest Champions yet. This could lead him to become a counter for many encounters Summoners face within the Battlerealm, including a lot of end game content, without making him a struggle to face as a defender. You want Cosmic Ghost Rider on your attack team.
Summoners have noted that Punisher has been missing for a long time. He does not appear on the State of the Battlerealm map and has been absent from Event Quest dialog and plot. Some have speculated he might reappear with a new variant like Cosmic Ghost Rider.
Mephisto has been shown to be pulling strings with Galactus in the 5 Year Anniversary Trailer and in recent Event Quests. (Editorial: the connection would be that since Mephisto gives CGR his Spirit of Vengeance, and Galactus gives CGR his Power Cosmic, their collusion could imply The Rider’s impending addition to the contest.)
Editor’s note: even if this is a good candidate for the game, what would that champ be like for Summoners who roster him? This section seeks to answer that question more fully.
CGR could have a Synergy that finally gives Ghost Rider the Incinerate Immunity he deserves!
He could also provide Buffs to fellow Heralds who deserve them, like Silver Surfer and Terrax, as well as Buff the Mad Titan Thanos himself.
This version of Frank Castle could also have a Synergy with Punisher to bring him into the meta, as well as possibly Mephisto, the patron of his Spirit of Vengeance, and Punisher 2099.
He could also have Synergies with Mystery Champions, like the Ghost Riders still missing from the game, such as Robbie Reyes, Danny Ketch (the blue one), and others.
Expect lots of Mystic and Cosmic Synergies!
Editor’s note: these are some synergies I see with various champs currently on the MCOC Wishlist Poll.
Fellow polling Ghost Riders include the Circle of Four, Danny Ketch, Phantom Rider, Carter "Satan Stomper" Slade, and Robbie Reyes versions.
Besides Heralds of Galactus already in the game (Surfer, Terrax, and Air-Walker), future synergies could include the Asgardian Destroyer Armor, Firelord, Stardust, and Nova (Frankie Raye).
Other polling champs who wield the Power Cosmic include Galactus, Hiro-Kala, and Korvac.
CGR’s teammates on the Guardians of the Galaxy have included Moondragon, Phyla-Vell, Beta Ray Bill, and Gladiator (Kallark).
Other Frank Castle variants include Frankencastle and Punisher (War Machine), and another Punisher is Outlaw (Nigel Higgins), who of course was very involved in the plot of the Marvel Contest of Champions Vol. 1 comic in 2015.
Cosmic Ghost Rider has a lot of abilities in the comics that could be directly reflected in his kit should he join The Contest. Here is a list of abilities that he could have:
Coldsnap/Frostbite Immunity or reduction
Shock Immunity or reduction
Hellfire (a different kind of fire debuff)
Indestructible/Immortality (think Luke Cage or Corvus)
Penance Stare that inflicts Damnation but with stronger effects
His chains are formed from the bones of Cyttorak that can inflict Bleed. He bears a piece of the Time Stone which, as mentioned previously, could undo damage (editor’s note: perhaps like Limbo) or add extra time to fight timers in AQ and AW (editor’s note: this is a possible effect of time manipulation or super-speed frequently discussed in the community).
His Power Cosmic could grant a myriad of Buffs. His Power Cosmic (at least in my build) should be a Persistent Effect where he can gain benefits based on Charges. It should enhance his existing Rider abilities. In the comics he carries Cosmic firearms, and deals tons of Energy damage, all on top of the abilities a Ghost Rider already gains from the Spirit of Vengeance.
Champ Builds by Summoners
Check out the author’s fully-developed champion build here.
The above concludes SlayerMCOC’s Guest Author feature on Cosmic Ghost Rider. The remainder is news to round out the MCOC Wishlist Blog Character Spotlight’s usual sections. SlayerMCOC didn’t write the following, but he was extremely helpful in gathering some of it.
October 7, 2020 ► Cosmic Ghost Rider is one of the champs who will be released for the October 2020 update as part of the Mephisto’s Invasion event. Here is CGR’s Champion Spotlight.
September 28, 2020 ► MCOC Trucos and MCOC Journal claim to have leak information to the effect that one of the October 2020 champs will be Cosmic Ghost Rider, and that he will be Mystic class.
September 28, 2020 ► An apparent in-app bug or error caused a synergy to appear in the champion profile for Wolverine (Weapon X) that referred to Cosmic Ghost rider by name, in-game.
August 30, 2020 ► Otriux wants to see CGR in-game.
August 23, 2020 ► KatyCandy theorizes CGR won’t be next among the next one or two Heralds of Galactus to enter MCOC.
August 22, 2020 KatyCandy polled Summoners on Twitter, asking which Herald they think is coming next. Out of 224 votes, CGR took the vote in a landslide.
August 3, 2020 ► KatyCandy thinks Summoners should upvote Cosmic Ghost Rider on the MCOC Wishlist Poll.
August 1, 2020 ► MetalSonicDude expects CGR.
July 30, 2020 ► Rich the Man still predicts Cosmic Ghost Rider.
July 28, 2020 ► a question by SlayerMCOC elicited this cryptic response from Kabam Sphinx on the official MCOC Twitter account.
July 18, 2020 ► Kabam’s Gabriel Frizzera gives us permission to hope CGR will come to the game, in response to CosmicMarlin. Rich the Man reports.
July 18, 2020 ► one Summoner’s expression of disappointment that Air-Walker was the next Herald, not CGR, prompted this odd “you never know” response from Kabam Sphinx.
April 18, 2020 ► Rich the Man predicts Cosmic Ghost Rider could be one of the Heralds of Galactus yet to come, in agreement with Cosmic Marlin’s prediction map.
April 13, 2020 ► CosmicMarlin’s new prediction map places CGR in the bottom right of the State of the Battlerealm.
March 4, 2020 ► the in-game dialog by Terrax strongly hinted more Heralds of Galactus would come to the Battlerealm, as read by IlacSkills.
February 12, 3030 ► CGR appeared in the original #JimGrid.
December 5, 2019 ► the Silver Surfer synergies show a mystery herald who has yet to have been revealed. Some hope for CGR.
