Crash Simpson

Crash Simpson is a stunt motorcyclist and father figure to Johnny Blaze, the man who would become Ghost Rider. A daredevil rider himself, Crash raises Johnny after the boy is orphaned, setting the stage for the demonic bargain that defines the Ghost Rider mythos.

Crash Simpson roared onto the scene in Marvel Spotlight #5 in 1972, a Bronze Age debut courtesy of Gary Friedrich, Roy Thomas, and Mike Ploog that planted him at the very ground floor of one of Marvel's most electrifying mythologies. Appearing across titles like Marvel Spotlight and Ghost Rider, he keeps combustible company — sharing pages with Ghost Rider, Johnny Blaze, Roxanne Simpson, and even Satan himself — which tells you everything about the high-stakes, hellfire-tinged world he inhabits. Though his catalog footprint is modest, his presence in that landmark first issue gives him genuine key-issue status, making him a meaningful piece of Marvel's Bronze Age history for any serious collector. If you're tracing the origins of Ghost Rider's legend, Crash Simpson is a name you'll want to know.