Everything You Need to Remember About Marvel’s Ghost Before Thunderbolts*

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Comics and Marvel Cinematic Universe fans alike should buckle up and brace themselves for Ghost to phase into the mainstream. Part of the major One World Under Doom event in comics and poised for robust MCU screentime in Thunderbolts* and Avengers: Doomsday, the character’s unlikely journey from Iron Man antagonist to featured Marvel player featured in multiple projects and mediums deserves examination. Whether it be Hannah John-Kamen’s reimagined take on the character or the mysterious-but-male comic book counterpart, Ghost has steadily evolved into one of Marvel’s most intriguing character evolutions—and did so across different media platforms.

A Cold War-era debut and ambiguous origins kept Ghost as B-level fodder for Tony Stark and others before a Thunderbolts stint situated the character firmly into anti-hero territory, just in time for the MCU spotlight to completely reimagine the character as not only female but tragic and worthy of audience empathy. In January 2025, the comics introduced a female Ghost as part of Doctor Doom’s Superior Avengers. Marvel’s strategic approach to property synergy is amplified here, with Ghost now established as a recurring female character in both comic and film canon. Dive deep into the complicated history below.

Ghost’s Complex Comic Book Counterpart And His Power Set

Not The Phasing Daughter of Egghead, Like In MCU

Ghost first materialized in Iron Man #219, fully formed in the minds of creators David Michelinie and Bob Layton. Rolled out in 1987, Ghost’s debut came amid Iron Man’s corporate espionage era in the heat of the Cold War.

The character was crafted as a phantom-like antagonist whose technological prowess proved to nearly match Stark’s. The issue saw Ghost, true alias unknown, hired by Carrington Pax of Roxxon Oil as part of a sabotage effort against rival company Accutech Research and Development.

Though separate from later Marvel Cinematic Universe depictions, this Ghost’s deployment as an ideologically driven mercenary would echo somewhat in Ant-Man and the Wasp​​​​​’s iteration. Michelinie and Layton quickly established Ghost as formidable, with matter-phasing and invisibility powers like his MCU successor, albeit with more command than the live-action version.

As opposed to a curse he bears as a result of experimentation, this Ghost’s abilities are something he harnesses through advanced technology. After Tony Stark purchased Accutech, Ghost swore vengeance against both Stark personally and his corporate empire, setting up the vendetta against the hero that would go on to define many of his comic book appearances for decades.

Ghost Hid His History Until 2010

The Comic Book Villain Stayed Mum Until Thunderbolts #151

Ghost’s identity and backstory would be kept under wraps until nearly 40 years after he first glitched into Marvel Comics. Was it one of Marvel’s best-kept secrets? It was more likely an oversight, considering the character’s mid-tier status in the Marvel rogues gallery.

Still, only hints and fragments were revealed throughout his appearances, before those culminated in Thunderbolts #151 in 2010. It was there that Ghost finally peeled back the curtain on his origin story, confiding in his teammate, Moonstone, during an uncharacteristically vulnerable sequence.

According to his account, Ghost was a programmer at tech giant Omnisapient. He developed revolutionary adaptive technology capable of reacting to environments in real time. But the company manipulated Ghost, using blackmail and manipulation to keep him humble, before the corrupt courtship ended in his lover’s murder.

After the tragic loss, Ghost would infuse his body with “GhostTech” — the aforementioned reactive nanotech, which, once imbued with, he used to discover the corporate espionage behind the loss of his partner. He would go on a vengeful killing spree, honing his skills and villainy along the way.

Norman Osborn’s Clashes And Mental Health Struggles Rounded Out Ghost

In the mid-to-late 2000s, Norman Osborn took control of the Thunderbolts during the iconic Dark Reign arc, paving the way for new stories surrounding villains and antiheroes within the Marvel Comics universe.

The arc saw Ghost vow to serve as a self-professed “virus” within Osborn’s corporate empire, hoping to dismantle it from within. Despite his consistent motivation in previous stories, this arc would be the one to finally peel back Ghost’s complex backstory and his carefully guarded persona, driven to the surface by his extreme paranoia and declining mental health.

Throughout this Thunderbolts era, Ghost’s condition worsened significantly. Once weighing 175 pounds, his weight plummeted to a frail 120 pounds, contributing to his already gaunt and skeletal appearance. The character became increasingly reclusive, seldom removing his suit. With his battles with mental health given the necessary attention, Ghost was given a humanizing dimension without compromising his fierce anti-corporate beliefs.

MCU Reinvention Created a Sympathetic New Version

Breakthrough Casting Anchors New Character Direction

Hannah John-Kamen fundamentally reimagines Ghost for Ant-Man and the Wasp, transforming the traditionally male saboteur into a complex female antagonist with compelling motivations. Director Peyton Reed’s gender-swapped casting, influenced by Steven Spielberg’s personal endorsement, allowed Marvel to preserve the character’s visual identity through quantum phasing while completely revising her origins.

“S.H.I.E.L.D. saw an opportunity in my affliction. They built me a containment suit so I could control my phasing and trained me to be a stealth operative. They weaponized me. I stole for them. Spied for them. I killed for them. And in exchange for my soul… they were going to cure me. They lied.” — Ghost in Ant-Man and The Wasp

The film establishes Ava Starr as Elihas Starr’s daughter, retroactively and simultaneously connecting her to the comic villain Egghead (with a cameo appearance by Michael Cerveris as the character) and tethering her to Pym Industries and the world of MCU tech giants.

While entirely different from the comic character, touches like Ava’s being Bill Foster’s (Laurence Fishburne) surrogate daughter role add immediate connective tissue for audiences to wrap their head around, and emotional weight to Ghost’s desperate search for a cure to her quantum-inflicted instabilities.

Marvel’s Multiplatform Approach Expands Ghost’s Reach

Josh-Kamen’s Thunderbolts* Role Coincides With Comic Book Gender Swap

The MCU’s reimagining of Ghost has influenced the comics, albeit years after Ava Starr’s Ant-Man and The Wasp debut. Despite the delay, it’s a rare example of a film-to-comic creative feedback loop—usually, it’s the opposite.

It’s the first official female incarnation of the character in mainline Marvel Comics, and one that serves as the perfect amuse-bouche before Josh-Kamen returns as the character in both Thunderbolts* and Avengers: Doomsday.

Luca Maresca, who designed the Superior Avengers team, including the female Ghost, noted in the official press release announcing that “In designing these characters, I tried to keep as many elements of their classic versions as possible”. In clothing or equipment, they always have some reference to their source character.” The character designs blend clear inspirations from John-Kamen’s MCU portrayal and the preceding comic book iterations.

“}]] Ghost in the comics is almost nothing like the MCU version, though they have impacted and inspired each other in different ways over the years.  Read More