Ghost Rider vs. Thanos: Can the Spirit of Vengeance Beat the Mad Titan?

Thanos is famous for being one of the most iconic villains in the Marvel Universe, and due to that, he is often pitted with other equally powerful characters from the same universe. Ghost Rider is often underestimated in terms of what he can do, considering that he has one extremely overpowered ability and is practically unkillable. What would happen if the Mad Titan and Spirit of Vengeance got into a fight? This is what we aim to answer today. So, when it comes to a battle between Ghost Rider and Thanos, who is more powerful, and who wins? 

Thanos is more powerful than Ghost Rider and would easily win in a battle. Thanos is stronger, faster, and more durable than Ghost Rider and has more varied powers and abilities, and with them, he can easily counter everything Ghost Rider can throw at him. On the other hand, Ghost Rider’s most powerful weapon, his penance stare, doesn’t work on Thanos. With everything taken into account, Thanos wins. 

Now that we’ve covered that Thanos is more powerful and would take this round, it’s time to analyze the powers and abilities of both characters so you can see why we came to our conclusion. If you’re interested in more, stay with us!

Powers & abilities 

Thanos is not a regular superpowered being. He is an Eternal with Deviant syndrome with vast powers at his disposal. Thanos can utilize, absorb, project, and manipulate vast energy reserves in both offensive and defensive ways. He can create blasts of elemental energy and powerful force fields if the situation calls for it.

He has plenty of mystical abilities at his disposal, capable of enhancing his already quite potent powers and abilities. He can utilize size-alteration powers to make himself almost as giant as his master. He can utilize Astral Projection and, most importantly, the weapon he likes the most; Thanos can manipulate souls and, to an extent, the insanity of a certain individual. A fight against Thanos means that you are fighting against something evil capable of worming his way into your head. 

Ghost Rider can do many things, but his most famous abilities are Hellfire manipulation and Penance Stare. Hellfire is elemental magic so potent is capable of burning through souls and the most known materials. Hellfire produces flame so hot it is reminiscent of hell. Still, Ghost Rider’s most famous ability remains Penance Stare. Though Penance Stare, Ghost Rider can reflect the sins and regrets of certain individuals back at them, wounding them greatly.

The rules for Ghost Rider’s Penance Stare have changed over the years. Still, if the individual on the receiving end of the Penance Stare doesn’t feel regret for his past actions or is a straight-up psychopath like Thanos is, Penance Stare won’t work. Penance Stare doesn’t work on Thanos because he enjoys the pain that is reflected back to him.

Ghost Rider’s most powerful ability is completely void when it comes to Thanos, so Mad Titan takes this point. 

Points: Ghost Rider (0:1) Thanos 

Strength and stamina 

Thanos can lift well over 100 tons, and in that sense, his strength is almost limitless. This is due to his Eternal / Deviant physiology, which makes him more powerful than a regular Eternal and vastly more powerful than a regular human being. Regarding stamina, Thanos can fight for a very long time at maximum performance since his body almost doesn’t create fatigue toxins. He can perform at 100 % potential for weeks on end, mentally and physically exerting himself. 

Ghost Rider is capable of lifting anywhere between 5 and 25 tons. He can likewise use further empowerment from Zarathos to push the limits. Due to the fact that he is a divine being without a human form (unless you count the burning skeleton as form), Ghost Rider requires no sustenance and sleeping. His stamina levels are limitless, and he can continue fighting for as long as the Spirit of Vengeance is with him. 

Both Ghost Rider and Thanos have insane strength since Thanos is capable of dealing more damage with his strength. Due to this, the point goes to him. 

Points: Ghost Rider (0:2) Thanos 

Speed

Thanos is known for occasionally reaching speeds beyond the speed of light. He can fly as well, but his regular cruising speed is up to 700 miles per hour. However, traveling speeds differ from combat speeds, and this is where Thanos excels due to his fast reflexes and lightning-fast reaction times. 

Ghost Rider, by himself, is nowhere near the fastest character in Marvel Comics. Still, his average speed is somewhat enhanced, but not by much. His Hellcycle is where he excels, as the vehicle is capable of moving above and beyond the speed of light. Ghost Rider is also objectively faster in combat. Like Thanos, Ghost Rider can fly and teleport at will. Still, this won’t do much for him in combat. 

Both Thanos and Ghost Rider can traverse cosmic distances with little to no effort, but Thanos appears to be faster when it comes to combat. 

Points: Ghost Rider (0:3) Thanos 

Durability

Thanos is known to be among the most durable characters in Marvel comics. He can tank extreme amounts of damage and recover from fights that would have otherwise killed superpowered characters easily. Besides having extremely tough skin, Thanos also has a rapid healing factor capable of repairing damage in mere moments. Even if someone manages to injure him to the point of dying, Thanos might be unable to since Death barred him from dying. 

Ghost Rider is imbued by the divine Spirit of Vengeance, and while in that state, the only being that can kill him is god. The transformation causes all tissues from the vessel’s body to melt down, leaving only the immortal skeleton. Ghost Rider is highly immune to most types of damage, including magic damage. 

In terms of durability, both Ghost Rider and Thanos would have a hard time due to his opponent being unable to die. Due to this, the point goes to both of them. 

Points: Ghost Rider (1:4) Thanos 

Intelligence 

One thing that Thanos is famous for is his incredible intelligence. He is super-genius, cold, and calculating, and this is what makes him extremely dangerous. Thanos excels at exploiting the weaknesses of others. He is a careful planner and someone who doesn’t use morals to get what he wants.

He is a master strategist with much real-world warfare and fighting experience. He is also behind notable inventions, such as an army of clones called Thanosi. Thanos excels at manipulation, and this is what truly makes him deadly.

Ghost Rider is not a super genius. Still, he has some real-world experience and knowledge regarding the occult. This, however, can’t counter Thanos’ knowledge of technology, strategies, and sciences, so he wins this point. 

Points: Ghost Rider (1:5) Thanos 

Combat Skills

Thanos knows the importance of being skilled in warfare, and he truly excels in most forms of fighting, be it unarmed or with his signature double-bladed weapon. He can be considered to be the best brawler in Marvel Comics. This is due to the fact that he started training at a really early age and has millennia of experience fighting. 

Ghost Rider is a skilled and experienced fighter, especially when it comes to utilizing his mystic chain. However, he mostly relies on Penance Stare and Hellfire in combat, and his skills are not that up to par when compared to Thanos. 

Points: Ghost Rider (1:6) Thanos 

Ghost Rider vs. Thanos: Who wins? 

As you can see by our analysis, Thanos is vastly more powerful than Ghost Rider and would easily “deal with him” in a fight. Don’t get me wrong, Thanos is incapable of killing Ghost Rider, but he can outsmart, outrun, and overpower him in a direct confrontation. As we’ve mentioned, the only thing that Ghost Rider has going for him is his Penance Stare, which sadly doesn’t work on Thanos.