The Avenger's lineup is usually open to superheroes of all types, including the likes of the brutal Ghost Rider, which challenged the anti-hero to adapt to a very different context from that of his usual supernatural or horror-tinged adventures. The welcoming environment of the Avengers allows for both new and old heroes to grow into their own and get a chance to practice going up against villains they might otherwise never fight. Robbie Reyes was presented with the opportunity to develop his powers and his life as the new Ghost Rider, and so far his time with the Avengers has proved very beneficial.
Robbie isn't the only person to take on the role of the Ghost Rider, with Johnny Blaze being the most popular and the first to come to print and introduce the character to readers. Both Robbie and Johnny are popular as the Ghost Rider, but neither has fully pushed the limits of their abilities. In fact, the shortest-term rider, Alejandra Jones, had all new abilities that every rider could use but never thought of.
Her dark and twisted backstory set Alejandra up to be a complicated, yet incredibly impactful iteration of the Ghost Rider. While Johnny and other riders were given the title without preparation, she had trained her whole life to become the next Ghost Rider. While her specific training prepared her for the abilities she would gain, that wasn't the reason she was the most powerful Ghost Rider, but rather Alejandra's incredible imagination. The Ghost Rider's powers are only limited by the imagination of the , and Alejandra was a rider who was able to think of a lot more abilities to use in order to accomplish her goal.
Ghost Rider Benefits From The Avengers
Alejandra had a short run and quickly left the role of Ghost Rider, but she made a mark on Johnny Blaze and expanded what was possible for the character in the future. Now that the Avengers are working with Robbie Reyes, they have already challenged him to become an even better version of himself. While in the Avengers, he is faced with new challenges that he wouldn't typically face as a Ghost Rider. For example, in Avengers #25 (by Jason Aaron, Stefano Caselli, Erick Arciniega, and Jason Keith) Robbie is confronted with the idea that he might be the worst Ghost Rider ever, but he's able to overcome that because he knows he's doing great things with the Avengers. Robbie Reyes' time in the Earth's Mightiest Heroes shows that any version of the Ghost Rider could become a team member and their teammates would bring out the best in them.
Alejandra deserves another chance, especially with her unique set of powers that allow her to even create lightning to strike her enemies down from the sky. In Ghost Rider #1 (by Rob Williams, Matthew Clark, and Sean Parsons), her unique Penance Stare ability is revealed. She is literally shown to burn away the sin from someone, leaving them a sinless husk of their former selves. This ability was so powerful that she became known for it and was brainwashed into nearly burning away the sin of everyone on Earth. If she worked with the Avengers, they could help her develop her skills and expand her imagination to incorporate a more humane and just way of getting rid of people's sins. If given the chance, she could really flourish and become the ultimate Ghost Rider.
The Avengers have already accepted Robbie and would accept Alejandra in a heartbeat. With new teammates, she would be able to become a team player instead of a solo hero. Working with the team would present her with unusual situations that would give her more ideas on how to expand her imagination. If Alejandra works on her own as the Ghost Rider, she would fall into a familiar pattern as all her predecessors, but with the Avengers she would see a whole new world of possibilities every day.
