Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s run on Incredible Hulk has introduced all sorts of new monstrous characters into the Marvel universe, with one of them being a World War II era Ghost Rider — Sergeant Sal Romero, who fought the Nazis alongside several other Marvel characters you might recognize. Now Sergeant Ghost Rider is getting an origin story, courtesy of Johnson and artist Adam Gorham.
“Ghost Rider ’44 is definitely my favorite guest star that’s appeared in our Incredible Hulk series so far,” Kennedy Johnson said. “I had a fully-realized origin story for Sergeant Sal Romero in my head before my partner Nic Klein brought him to life with his art, and the character turned out so unbelievably cool and fun, we knew the ‘War Devil’ arc wouldn’t be his last appearance.”
The five-issue miniseries will feature appearances by Wolverine, Nick Fury, Peggy Carter, Bucky Barnes, and, from the pages of Jason Aaron’s Avengers, Soldier Supreme.
Romero’s story is tied to a possessed Nazi named Felix Bruckner:
1944: As U.S. Sergeant Sal Romero is parachuting into Nazi-occupied Europe, young Nazi officer Felix Bruckner becomes the host for an unspeakable evil. In the aftermath of their violent meeting, Romero is reborn as Ghost Rider ’44, who sets out not only to take revenge on Bruckner and the Nazis, but to save mankind from annihilation!
“Hellhunters is shaping up to be a dream book for me,” Gorham shared. “Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s scripts blend horror, super heroics, and two-fisted pulp into one gritty adventure. On this title, I am pushing myself harder than ever to deliver visceral and gruesome action that I hope leaves readers blown away and wanting more.”
Taurin Clarke provides a variant cover for the first issue:
Look for it to arrive in stores on Dec. 15.