The Grim Ghost

The Grim Ghost
Recently hanged Revolutionary War highwayman Matthew Dunsinane is going to suffer the tortures of perdition, thanks to his new found buddy Satan... unless, of course, they can make a "deal". Lucifer wants Matthew to keep him supplied with souls for his domain since evil people deserve to die! Armed with a few parlor tricks supplied by Satan, the Grim Ghost is sent into the 20th Century to harvest his crop of evil-doers. He rides mounted atop a jet black steed laughing like a demon from the darkest pits of hell only to battle evil in our time. Check out the custom made Grim Ghost Action figure - click here

Publication History
{| style="border-collapse:collapse;padding:0px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;font-size:16px;" width="960" An explosion rocks the luxury liner Varonia. Aboard the ship is precious cargo, the priceless Moonstone Buddha, locked away in the Purser's vault.
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 * class="titleBlue" colspan="2" style="font-weight:bold;font-size:18px;margin-bottom:10px;color:rgb(0,102,255);"|The Grim Ghost #3
 * class="titleBlue" colspan="2" style="font-weight:bold;font-size:18px;margin-bottom:10px;color:rgb(0,102,255);"|March 1975
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 * class="titleBold" colspan="2" style="font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:10px;"|Cover - Ernie Colon
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 * class="titleBlue" colspan="2" style="font-weight:bold;font-size:18px;margin-bottom:10px;color:rgb(0,102,255);"|The Grim Ghost Returns...
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 * class="titleBold" colspan="2" style="font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:10px;"|Story - Mike Fleisher
 * class="titleBold" colspan="2" style="font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:10px;"|Art - Ernie Colon
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 * class="titleBold" colspan="2" style="font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:10px;"|Editor - Jeff Rovin
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 * class="titleBlue" colspan="2" style="font-weight:bold;font-size:18px;margin-bottom:10px;color:rgb(0,102,255);"|The Grim Ghost Returns...
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 * class="titleBold" colspan="2" style="font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:10px;"|Story - Mike Fleisher
 * class="titleBold" colspan="2" style="font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:10px;"|Art - Ernie Colon
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 * class="titleBold" colspan="2" style="font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:10px;"|Editor - Jeff Rovin
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 * class="titleBold" colspan="2" style="font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:10px;"|Art - Ernie Colon
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 * class="titleBold" colspan="2" style="font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:10px;"|Editor - Jeff Rovin
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Seconds later, a helicopter arrives, as the criminals attempt to leave the ship with the prized Buddha. Before they can make their escape, the Grim Ghost arrives on the scene, riding his black steed. He toys with the criminals before dispatching them to Hell.

Days later, Matthew Dunsinane holds a party at his Colonial home. Among the guests are the Police Commissioner, Harrison Marten and his wife, as well as his daughter Jackie.

The Commissioner is soon called away as he is informed that the Magruder boys are cornered on a city rooftop. An interested Matthew Dunsinane overhears the conversation and also makes a hasty exit, much to the dismay of Jackie.

The Ghost arrives on the rooftop and confronts the Magruder boys. Their souls are quickly dispatched to Satan and the Grim Ghost takes his leave. The Commissioner soon arrives at the rooftop, only to find that the Magruder boys have disappeared.

Note - The cover of this issue was sneaked through production in order to avoid it being seen by Publisher Martin Goodman, who would have rejected it because it did not follow his formula.

 {| style="border-collapse:collapse;padding:0px;" width="960" While attempting to halt a mugging by two thugs, the Grim Ghost is attacked by the demon Brimstone. His goal - to topple Satan and rule in Hell. Brimstone gives the Ghost a choice, side with him or perish.
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 * class="titleBlue" colspan="2" style="font-weight:bold;font-size:18px;margin-bottom:10px;color:rgb(0,102,255);"|The Grim Ghost #3
 * class="titleBlue" colspan="2" style="font-weight:bold;font-size:18px;margin-bottom:10px;color:rgb(0,102,255);"|July 1975
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 * class="titleBold" colspan="2" style="font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:10px;"|Cover - Ernie Colon
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 * class="titleBlue" colspan="2" style="font-weight:bold;font-size:18px;margin-bottom:10px;color:rgb(0,102,255);"|He is... The Grim Ghost
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 * class="titleBold" colspan="2" style="font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:10px;"|Story - Tony Isabella
 * class="titleBold" colspan="2" style="font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:10px;"|Art - Ernie Colon
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 * class="titleBold" colspan="2" style="font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:10px;"|Editor - Jeff Rovin
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 * class="titleBlue" colspan="2" style="font-weight:bold;font-size:18px;margin-bottom:10px;color:rgb(0,102,255);"|He is... The Grim Ghost
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 * class="titleBold" colspan="2" style="font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:10px;"|Story - Tony Isabella
 * class="titleBold" colspan="2" style="font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:10px;"|Art - Ernie Colon
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 * class="titleBold" colspan="2" style="font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:10px;"|Editor - Jeff Rovin
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 * class="titleBold" colspan="2" style="font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:10px;"|Art - Ernie Colon
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 * class="titleBold" colspan="2" style="font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:10px;"|Editor - Jeff Rovin
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When he recovers, the Grim Ghost seeks out Satan for answers. He finds not only Hell, but Armageddon, a battlefield littered with corpses.

Satan, unable to battle Brimstone on earth, appoints the Grim Ghost to do battle with him. He endows him with additional powers and provides him with assistance in the form of Lady Sarah Braddock, the woman who betrayed him and turned him over to the authorities to hang. Much to his dismay, he is forced to accept her help.

The unlikely duo soon encounter Brimstone. The demon is too powerful however, and he soon overpowers both the Ghost and Lady Braddock. In a last ditch attempt to defeat Brimstone, he pierces the demon's mind. Brimstone cries out in anguish as he realizes that he will cease to exist the moment that he strikes down Satan, a precaution that Satan also took with the Grim Ghost.

Knowing that he can never rule in Hell, Brimstone simply ceases to exist.

Reception
The Grim Ghost was not much other than a mixture of the Spectre and the Ghost Rider Atlas/Seaboard was a comicbook company founded in 1974 by former Marvel (Timely, Atlas, and all) publisher, Martin Goodman. Goodman's intent was to compete with Marvel and DC. Some say, he wanted to crush Marvel into the ground. (For more great info on Atlas/Seaboard's background, check out the awesome  Atlas Archives.) The main thing Ol' Groove wants you to keep in mind is that Mischievous Marty was the same old flood-the-market-with-knockoffs-of-whatever's-popular publisher he'd always been. Atlas/Seaboard had tons of fantastic talent but very few original ideas. Goodman wasn't interest in original. He wanted formulas that would sell. In this case, Goodman probably wanted a Ghost Rider knock-off. Editor Jeff Rovin, however, seemed to crave originality in spite of Goodman. He'd follow Goodman's orders, but give 'em a twist. Like when he happened to hire Michael Fleisher, yep, writer of the Spectre revival, to write the series. With Fleisher at the helm, Goodman got his "deal-with-the-devil" Ghost Rider type character, but he also got that Spectre attitude added into the formula. See, the Grim Ghost didn't fight evil; he worked for Satan, himself. It was the Grim Ghost's mission to send evildoers to Hell--so he wouldn't have to go there, himself. Twisted, ain't it? If you think that's twisted, dig this: Rovin hired Richie Rich (!) artist supreme Ernie Colon to draw the series!

The Grim Ghost only hung (oops, bad word choice since our "hero" was a colonial highwayman hung for his crimes!) around for three issues. About par for the course for an Atlas/Seaboard title, actually. But it was so cool, twisted, and so-bad-it's-good that the mag has become sort of a legend. So, without further ado, from (fittingly) October, 1974, here is the kitschy, creepy origin of the Grim Ghost by Fleisher and Colon!
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