RANTER

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Human variant (the Blood), magic user

Occupation: agent of Zarathos

Affiliations: The Blood, the Fallen, Zarathos; formerly the Spirits of Vengeance

Enemies: The Blood; Midnight Sons (Blade, John Blaze, Frank Drake, Dr. Strange, Ghost Rider/Dan Ketch/Noble Kale, Hannibal King, Morbius, Vengeance); Patriarch (unwittingly)

Known Relatives: possibly the Blood

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: currently unknown; the catacombs below Cypress Hills Cemetery; the ruins of a former Tibetan monastery; an unnamed dimension

First Appearance: (shadows) Spirits of Vengeance#17, (seen) Nightstalkers#15, (named) Ghost Rider III#45 (January, 1994)

Powers: Ranter could fly and project bursts of energy from his hands. His abilities may have been amplified by Zarathos.
He is presumably immune to the effects of aging and conventional disease.

History: BTS-Long ago, Ranter was one of the Blood, who fought against the evil of Zarathos. He may even date back as far as 20, 000 BC.
At some point, Ranter turned from the Blood, and became one of the Fallen, who instead worshipped and served Zarathos.
The Fallen were banished to an unnamed dimension in the distant past, and Ranter presumably was among them.

(Midnight Sons Unlimited#4) - Centuries, or perhaps millennia ago, the Fallen assaulted a South American tribe (Incan? Aztec? Mayan?).

BTS - The Fallen regained access to Earth via the machinations of their own sorcerous ally, Salome'.

(SoV#17) - Several of the Fallen, including Ranter, appeared in Cypress Hill Cemetery, rescuing Zarathos from defeat at the hands of the Midnight Sons.

(Ns15) - Zarathos and the Fallen attacked the Midnight Sons briefly, then abducted Caretaker and invaded and took over Caretaker's former base below the cemetery. The Nightstalkers (Blade, Frank Drake, and Hannibal King) followed them, but Drake was trapped and the others for forced to temporarily flee.

(Ghost Rider III#45-BTS) - Ranter was sent to convert Patriarch to the Fallen or, failing that, to slay him. Ranter attacked Patriarch, but at the same time, Ghost Rider, Vengeance, and Seer showed up, hoping to form an alliance with Patriarch as well. The two spirits of vengeance attacked Ranter, and Ghost Rider punched a hole in his chest. Ranter told them they had no chance against Zarathos and then fled into the air, leaking energy behind him.

Ranter was not seen to actually die, but he was conspicuously absent from the remainder of the Fallen's gatherings and activities.

Comments: Created by Howard Mackie and...it's hard to tell...everyone who wrote and drew the "Siege of Darkness" had a part, I guess.

CLARIFICATIONS: None

Last updated: 08/01/02

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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