Since the debut of Ghost Rider in 1972's Marvel Spotlight #5 by Gary Friedrich and Mike Ploog, the spirit of vengeance has inhabited many different people. Ghost Rider is most often associated with Johnny Blaze, the leather jacket-wearing motorcyclist who protects the innocent with the power of the spirit of vengeance. However, the original Ghost Rider was Noble Kale, a pastor's son in the 1700s. While he may have been one of the first chronological Ghost Riders, real-world events left his story unfinished for over a decade before it finally came to a close in 2007.
Noble, who is first mentioned in 1990's Ghost Rider #1 by Howard Mackie, Javier Saltares, Mark Texeira, Michael Heisler and Gregory Wright, becomes the Ghost Rider after his father gives his soul to Mephisto. Mephisto fills Kale with the spirit of vengeance and the devilish hero is born. In addition to selling his son's soul, Pastor Kale also has Noble's wife burned at the stake and kills their young child. This series of increasingly painful events is too much for Noble, and he tries to kill himself, but Mephisto and the archangel Uriel stop him. Mephisto isn't being altruistic. He just wants control over Noble and his soul; whereas Uriel believes that Noble should be spared. The two eventually agree that Noble's soul should be banished to a void that is neither Heaven nor Hell until it is time for his spirit to possess his descendants.
Kale possesses the firstborn of every generation starting with Naomi Kale and then her son Danny Ketch. Eventually, Blackheart, Mephisto's son, gives Noble Kale his body back but keeps him trapped in Hell. As the Ghost Rider series continues, Danny Ketch investigates his family history and the history of the Spirit of Vengeance while Noble fights for his freedom. In 1996's Ghost Rider #93 by Ivan Velez JR, Javier Saltares, Mark Texeira and Brian Buccellato, Noble Kale marries two demon women, one of whom is Roxanne Blaze, the deceased wife of Johnny Blaze. Blackheart convinces Roxanne to kill Kale after the ceremony, but when she tries Kale's other new wife, Pao Fu, stops her. Kale tries to stop the altercation peacefully, but Blackheart arrives and a battle ensues. Kale kills Blackheart and tells both of his brides that they are free to go wherever and do whatever they want to. Before he can leave hell, a demon tells him that since he killed Blackheart he is the new King of Hell.
Unfortunately, Marvel declared bankruptcy in 1996 and had to cut several titles. Ghost Rider was canceled before releasing Issue #94, which would have been the conclusion to the saga of Noble Kale and Dan Ketch. In 2001, Marvel published a six-issue Ghost Rider series by Devin Grayson, Trent Kaniuga, Danny Miki and Jerome Cox, but it followed the adventures of Johnny Blaze exclusively and made no mention of Noble Kale.
Luckily, the creative team who had been wrapping up the series in 1996 were able to reunite in 2007 to finally release Ghost Rider #94, the conclusion to Kale's story. It picks up right where issue #93 leaves off. Kale's first order of business as king of Hell is to free all of Hell's inhabitants. He gathers all the demons and tells them that they are free as long as they follow one law: don't do anything evil.
After literally getting rid of his demons, Kale and Roxanne Blaze ride out of Hell together. Kale helps Roxanne reconnect with Johnny who is overjoyed to see her again, and then rides away happily, free for the first time in hundreds of years. It took almost ten years, but at last, the final chapter of the story of Noble Kale was told.
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