Ghost (Earth-616)

The Ghost is a supervillain that appears in the comics and is an enemy of Iron Man.

Virtually nothing is known as of yet about the true identity of the Ghost. He claims to have been a business executive at one time, and that businessmen made him what he is. The Ghost works as a freelance industrial saboteur and seeks to destroy various corporations through sabotage, and is apparently most interested in attacking those dealing in electronics and high technology. Thus, the reason being a enemy of Iron Man. He is willing to do this without financial re-compensation, but often hires himself out to corporations that wish to destroy rival companies, having developed a pathological hatred for high technology businesses and business executives.

Origin
As told to Moonstone, before becoming The Ghost, he was working at a technological firm called Omnisapient, a job which he enjoyed as the high ups appreciated his work. He quickly rose up the ranks, impressing all with his technological prowess and ability. He was given an assignment to work on an experimental project, something he devoted himself so strongly to, he would go stay overnight, using the company showers. This project was "Ghost Tech", a processor that could physically change in reaction to its environment. For example, it would go intangible before overheating (Page 10). It was also noted that he was the kind of man who would trash 2 months worth of work if he found a flaw. Due to his work, the company's stock skyrocketed, however, he received no credit. Eventually, the three board members (The two Kolmen Brothers and Dana) grew distrustful of each other, and one of them planned to assassinate the other two, as well as the man who would become Ghost, and any other company members who stood in his way. This man would bomb various locales. At the same time, the future Ghost would be working on his Ghost Tech, and integrating it into himself. That is when the bomb hit him, and, due to the unique properties of GT, it allowed the now Ghost to become intangible and travel through data lines at will. Ghost then went to the final living board member and assassinated him for what he had done to Ghost.[1]

The Accutech Merger
Sometime after this, The Ghost was initially hired by Carrington Pax, a leading executive of the Roxxon Oil Corporation, to destroy Accutech Research and Development. Accutech was trying to develop a beta particle generator and when they refused to sell it to Roxxon, the Ghost was hired to drive Accutech into bankruptcy. Tony Stark was interested in acquiring Accutech's technology and bought the company. Investigating a disturbance at the new facility as Iron Man, he first met the Ghost. Iron Man managed to drive the Ghost from Accutech, but the Ghost swore that he would have his revenge on Iron Man's employer, Tony Stark.[volume & issue needed]

For the next few weeks, Tony Stark spent all his free time modifying his armor. Sometimes, for extra security, he would sleep in his armor, too. When Pax and the other executives at Roxxon heard that the Ghost had gone rogue, they feared his actions would make the company look bad, so they called in Spymaster to take care of him. After a fierce battle at Stark Enterprises, the Ghost killed Spymaster. Using a modified version of his intangibility circuits, the Ghost made Spymaster materialize in a wall. The shock caused Spymaster's whole body to shut down, and he was believed dead.[2] It was shown years later in Dark Reign that the Spymaster had faked his death.[3]

Tony finally took the offensive against the Ghost. He set up a trap and the Ghost walked right into it. After a short battle between Iron Man and the Ghost, Iron Man cornered the Ghost in the room with the beta particle generator. He had it turned on so he could see the cloaked Ghost better, since radiation from the generator would cause interference in the Ghost's sophisticated tech-suit. However, prolonged exposure to the generator was fatal, and Iron Man didn't want to stay in the room for too long. But the Ghost had sworn to bring down Stark Enterprises and nothing, not even the chance of dying, would stop him. As he tried to reach the generator to destroy it, the intense heat from his overloading costume caused the floor to melt and the Ghost fell through. As Iron Man searched for him, all he found of the Ghost was his burnt costume. Still, Tony didn't believe that the Ghost was dead.[4]

Unholy Ghost
Indeed, fairly soon after, the Ghost reappeared - this time plaguing a company in Italy, owned by none other than Justin Hammer. The shrewd industrialist intended to sell the company, Electronica Fabbrizi, to Tony Stark, ridding him of a dangerous enemy and a useless asset, as well as sticking a business rival with a nasty problem. However, after Tony Stark discovered the true ownership of the floundering company, a compromise was reached: Hammer's forces and Iron Man would cooperate in taking out the Ghost. Hammer sent his operatives Blacklash, Blizzard, and Boomerang to help Iron Man fight the Ghost. However, Hammer's team betrayed Iron Man, planning to get rid of both their enemies.

Ghost attempted to kill Iron Man by rendering him intangible. While Iron Man managed to save the lives of everybody involved, Electronica Fabbrizi was irrevocably destroyed and the Ghost escaped. However, when the mysterious villain confronted Hammer, it was revealed the ruthless business man had defenses developed against the Ghost's intangibility powers, and made his own escape, leaving his assailant trapped. Blasting his way out, the saboteur vowed to continue his crusade against Hammer and all companies anywhere.[5]

Ghost was next hired by the Kingpin to steal the new Roxxon process to create synthetic vibranium, and battled Spider-Man and the Black Panther.[6]

The Ghost was then defeated by Sunturion, but escaped and was then defeated by Ultron.[7]

The Big Bang Theory
Much later, several companies were suddenly and violently destroyed when bombs, apparently installed in personal computers, went off in inner-city offices. Tony Stark, who at the time was undercover as a common employee at one of the companies that went under, managed to track down the source of the attacks: the "Advanced Corp", a cover for AIM. It was then revealed that AIM, not usually operating in common business circles, on this occasion had employed a special agent to eliminate the competition: the Ghost. Nearly defeating Iron Man in their first fight and escaping without a hitch, he hit a nasty snag during their second fight when he attempted to phase his costumed hand into Iron Man's chest, and Tony Stark's then-artificial heart defended itself, knocking him unconscious. He was subsequently arrested, but his identity appears to have remained unknown.[volume & issue needed]

Inevitable
Later still, having apparently escaped, the Ghost (In a new, more streamlined outfit) was employed by the third Spymaster to help free the Living Laser, who was "held captive" by Stark Industries at the time. He attempted to kill Iron Man, and believed to have succeeded. In the end, he proved too unreliable and quirky, and was abandoned by his employer.[volume & issue needed] He remains at large. The Ghost was mentioned by Gauntlet as the one who attacked him and left a NW mark on him (when it was actually the seemingly light-hearted recruit Slapstick).[8]

"Dark Reign"
Ghost as seen on a cover for Thunderbolts.During the "Dark Reign" storyline, seems to have become more unhinged and reclusive, however, as Ms. Marvel mentions that "He smells... Badly." and The Ghost himself shows signs of increasing obsessiveness. With the Thunderbolts officially disbanded, Norman Osborn recruits Ghost for his new Thunderbolts, now a black ops team under Osborn's direct control.[9] Ghost helps Osborn take control of Air Force One with the Goblin (actually new Thunderbolts member Headsman), Doc Samson, and the new President aboard.[10] As part of Osborn's plan, the Ghost phases Samson out of the plane, and drops him from the sky.[11] Osborn calls for the Ghost to come to Stark Tower, where he unlocks a vault containing Iron Man's old armors.[12] Ghost later reveals to the Black Widow that when Osborn is king of the corporate world, he'll act as "a virus" to bring it down from the inside. He explains he wants to inform Yelena's real boss, Nick Fury.[13] Widow was eventually exposed as Natalia Romanova, who was in fact Nick Fury's undercover agent, and who was attempting to make sure Songbird stayed alive. Paladin, Ghost and Headsman purposely turned on the other Thunderbolts in order for the two heroines to escape. However, Ghost insisted that they stay in the Thunderbolts, for they all have their own agendas. He uses electro-convulsive shock in order to make Scourge and Mr. X forget about the betrayal.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-13">[14]

"Stark Disassembled"
Because Tony Stark had purposely lobotomized himself into a vegetative state, and had his power of attorney transferred over to Donald Blake, Madame Masque hired Ghost to kill Stark. She provided him a phone made by the Tinkerer, which he could use to execute his phase abilities to reach any place in the world. Ghost managed to track Stark to Broxton, Oklahoma, where he twice attempted to assassinate Stark. All the while, Stark's comrades were attempting to reboot his brain. By then, Stark had regained consciousness and used the Ghost's own phone against him, sending him to a facility in Seoul.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-14">[15]

Thunderbolts Post-"Siege"
Ghost is a member of the new Thunderbolts team formed in the aftermath of Siege.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-15">[16] Ghost is the first team member that Cage meets with as he arrives at the Raft.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-16">[17] During Shadowland, he would witness Crossbones assassinate a police officer the Thunderbolts were meant to save.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-17">[18] Ghost would also prove instrumental in the attempted Thunderbolt break out, but in doing so, managed to go to an alternate dimension where the true self is revealed, and he came face to face with Iron Man again. In order to beat Ghost, Iron Man transmitted into Ghost's network a confirmation that all Stark Industries divisions were being shut down effective immediately. Ghost therefore resigned from plans to kill Stark, because he is no longer a tech monopolist.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-18">[19] After coming back to The Raft, Ghost confided in Moonstone about his origin.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-19">[20]

Powers and abilities
The Ghost wears a battlesuit that he designed, and that contains various devices powered by electricity. Cybernetic circuitry in the Ghost's hood enables him to control the devices in his costume by mental command. The Ghost's costume, due to the Ghost Tech, allows him to become invisible and to turn other objects invisible as long as he is touching them. The Ghost's costume also enables him to become intangible by placing him out of phase with this dimensional plane, granting him the ability to phase through objects. The battle-suit does not allow him to be both invisible and intangible simultaneously; it also does not allow him to pass through an unknown synthetic material developed by Justin Hammer's scientists. Circuitry in the battle-suit enables him to control and reprogram computers by touching the computers or equipment containing computers. His battle-suit renders the Ghost undetectable by most scanning devices.

The Ghost also invented guns that fire bursts of electricity, and guns that fire concussive force blasts. He uses various explosive devices, including self-targeting Anson grenades and bombs activated by sound, and a large arsenal of high-tech weaponry.

The Ghost has a gifted intellect, and is a brilliant inventor, technician, engineer, demolitions expert, and computer scientist. He is mostly gifted in technology, being a smart and wicked villain of Iron Man.

Trivia

 * There are no current trivia available on this topic.