DESTIN KALE

Real Name: Destin Kale

Identity/Class: Human mutate (17th century to modern era)

Occupation: Former pastor

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Mephisto, Caleb Quentin, Wolf

Enemies: The Furies (Dark Lady the Matriarch, Ember the Maiden, Lady Ash the Crone), Magdelena Kale, Naomi Kale, Noble Kale, Stan Lee (though Stan didn't actively try to stop Destin & Destin did not even notice Stan), Uriel

Known Relatives: Noble Kale (Ghost Rider, son), Dante Kale (son, deceased), Magdelena Kale (daughter-in-law, deceased), unidentified grandson (presumed deceased), Illyana Kale (ancestor, deceased), Joshua Kale (descendant, deceased), Naomi Kale (Ghost Rider, descendant, deceased), John Blaze (Ghost Rider, descendant), Daniel Ketch (Ghost Rider, descendant), Barbara Ketch (descendant, deceased), Andrew Jackson Kale (descendant, deceased), Jennifer Kale (descendant), Craig Blaze (descendant), Emma Blaze (descendant)

Aliases: "Father," "Monstruo," "the Noble Pastor," "Poppa"

Base of Operations: Presumably mobile; formerly Patience, USA

First Appearance: (unidentified, part of a crowd scene): Ghost Rider III#77 (September, 1996); (identified as Pastor Kale): Ghost Rider III#80 (December, 1996)

Powers/Abilities: Destin Kale was immortal as long as his bloodline continued and as long as he continued to ensure that each of his succeeding generations became the human host for the spirit of Noble Kale. Destin also possessed mystic knowledge sufficient enough to allow to manipulate the souls of others, bartering them to demons in exchange for favors or transferring souls from one body to another. When performing his mystic rites, he carried a red-colored dagger and was known to use a leather strap to whip those who defied him. After becoming immortal, Destin could also mark objects with the Medallion of Power, which would bond those of his bloodline to the spirit of Destin's son Noble as the Ghost Rider.

Height: 5'10" (by approximation)
Weight: 170 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Brown; originally blonde (later black with bald top & graying sideburns)

History: (Ghost Rider III#78 (fb) - BTS) - At some point in his past, Destin Kale became a fanatical Christian pastor.

(Ghost Rider III#92 (fb) - BTS) - A son was born in the town of Patience to Pastor Destin Kale, whom Destin named Noble. Destin became known as strict and unflinching, which Noble attributed to what the Bible had taught Destin. Everyone in town thought Destin a good man for without him, their wheat would not grow as well, the weather wouldn't be as good and the townspeople would not be as prosperous and healthy. These good signs were attributed to Noble apparently mediating on behalf of their Lord.

(Ghost Rider III#92 (fb) - BTS) - In order to keep Patience prosperous, Pastor Kale became a warlock and a broker of souls, secretly serving the demon Mephisto in exchange for Patience's good fortunes.

(Ghost Rider III#78 (fb)/Ghost Rider III#92 (fb)) - When the traveling caravan housing the Quentin Carnival fell during a terrible snowstorm, Pastor Destin Kale and his son Noble happened upon the collapsed caravan. Suggesting that only fools in caravans would travel in such hellish weather, Pastor Kale nonetheless stopped and got to work helping the caravan, soon finding that the owner, Caleb Quentin, was ill and needed warmth quickly.

(Ghost Rider III#80 (fb)) - Pastor Kale gave soothing words at the funeral of Caleb Quentin.

(Ghost Rider III#92 (fb)) - After the caravan's survivor Magdelena was abandoned by the other survivor Wolf, Destin allowed Magdelena to stay in Patience as a servant who cleaned the church floors.

(Ghost Rider III#80 (fb)) - Pastor Kale later caught his son Noble embracing Magdelena.

(Ghost Rider III#92 (fb) - BTS) - Destin told Noble that Magdelena was of savage stock and the mingling together of their blood would be against all that was good and proper, forcing Noble to hide his love for Magdelena from Destin.

(Ghost Rider III#92 (fb)) - After Noble informed Destin that Magdelena was pregnant with his child, hoping that Destin would take Magdelena in as his own daughter, Destin severely whipped Noble with a leather strap, accusing Noble of laying down with beasts and insisting that Noble deserved to be punished as a beast.

(Ghost Rider III#80 (fb)) - When Magdelena later bore Noble a son, Pastor Kale began treating Noble like a sinner and slave, causing Magdelena to suspect that she would never be allowed to marry Noble due to her racial and spiritual differences. Unaware that Magdelena had been helping the townspeople in secret, Pastor Kale began to persecute Magdelena.

(Ghost Rider III#92 (fb)) - Despite his persecution of both Noble and Magdelena, Pastor Kale did agree to marry Magdelena to Noble but never intended for them to be together. He kept Noble working long hours and separated from Magdelena, and had Noble's son taken away, claiming that it would be raised in a Christian home despite its ignoble heritage. Destin's continued treatment of Noble and his family generated an intense hatred of him from Noble.

(Ghost Rider III#92 (fb)/Ghost Rider III#80 (fb)) - Months after Destin's rescue of her in the snowstorm, Magdelena discovered Destin Kale's secret deals with Mephisto and Destin had her brought to the town square and denounced as a witch.

(Ghost Rider III#77-78 (fb)/Ghost Rider III#92 (fb)) - Destin led the Patience townsfolk in tying Magdelena to a stake and preparing to burn Magdelena.

(Ghost Rider III#92 (fb)) - Destin's son Noble fought back against Destin, punching him in the back of the head before being overwhelmed by the easily led townspeople, who brought Noble to a nearby barn where he was drugged and tortured into unconsciousness.


(Ghost Rider III#92 (fb)) - Before the fire could be lit, Magdelena begged Destin not to burn her and asked to see Noble once more before her death. To further hurt Magdelena, Destin falsely informed Magdelena that Noble would not be coming and that he was in the church begging for forgiveness for his dalliance with such a "savage witch." He then informed her that her child would serve the community by toiling like any slave, prompting Magdelena to call Destin a monster. Pastor Kale continued, claiming that Noble had never loved Magdelena and had only been infatuated by her animal lust. Before lighting the fire, Destin announced that Noble would be cleansed of Magdelena forever. As she died, Magdelena cursed the town of Patience and the Kale family specifically. The curse summoned the Olympian Furies, who ravaged Patience for days, killing Destin's youngest son Dante as their first victim. Pastor Kale once more turned to Mephisto for assistance, bartering Noble's soul to Mephisto in exchange for a warrior capable of fighting off the Furies. Instructed to obtain a skeleton, Pastor Kale ordered the townsfolk to the graveyard, where they dug up a skeleton and Destin mystically transferred Noble's soul into the skeleton, transforming Noble into the Ghost Rider. After Ghost Rider drove off the Furies, Destin Kale offered Noble's son for Noble to feed upon but, refusing to take the life of his own son, Noble killed himself rather than commit such an act. Gloating that Noble could not die so easily, Destin was surprised when Mephisto himself appeared to collect Noble's soul. Mephisto was halted by the angel Uriel and Destin watched as Uriel and Mephisto agreed that neither side would obtain Noble's soul and that he would serve both sides as the Ghost Rider. Once Uriel had departed, Mephisto ordered Destin to bring forth Noble's son. Despite protective enchantments from Uriel preventing Mephisto from harming succeeding generations of the Kale family, Mephisto cursed the Kale bloodline so that each generation would serve as the human host for Noble to become active on Earth as Ghost Rider. In order to ensure future generations, Mephisto granted Pastor Kale immortality so long as his bloodline continued and as long as Destin continued to ensure that each generation would become the Ghost Rider. As he was granted his immortality, the Medallion of Power symbol appeared on Destin Kale's hand.

(Ghost Rider III#-1) - Centuries later, when his descendant and Noble Kale's human host Naomi Kale fell to the ground dying in Cypress Hills Cemetary, Destin Kale appeared and announced that Naomi could never escape her duty to Mephisto. As he dug Naomi a grave, Destin monologued that Naomi had escaped Mephisto's influence for a good long while despite being an ex-junkie and that Naomi's protective spells had indeed spared her son Johnny from hosting Noble Kale in the future as the Ghost Rider. He then grimly commented that her spells would not keep Johnny from becoming A Ghost Rider, causing a tear to fall from Naomi's eye. As he threw Naomi into the grave he had been digging, he mentioned that Mephisto had renegotiated Noble's contract so that if the first born son was unavailable, the curse would fall to the next child in order of age. Explaining how Barbara Ketch was next in line, Destin branded Naomi's motorcycle with the Medallion of Power then tossed it into the grave as well, unaware that he was witnessed by Marvel Comics writer Stan Lee.

(Ghost Rider III#80 - BTS) - Years after Destin buried Naomi Kale, when Magdelena's spirit was summoned and she released the Olympian Furies from their duty to punish Noble Kale, she warned Noble Kale (who was in the form of Dan Ketch as the Ghost Rider) not to let his darkness consume him. Noble asked how Magdelena could know so much about Noble's destiny, Magdelena suggested that Noble seek out his father, Destin Kale. Shocked at the possibility that his father could still be alive after so many centuries, Noble did not receive any further information from Magdelena, who gave him one last kiss before her spirit departed.

Comments: Created by Ivan Velez, Jr., Salvador Larroca and Sergio Melia.

The image of Pastor Destin Kale appeared in Ghost Rider III#79 as one of the forms assumed by Dante Kale's spirit in an effort to get Noble Kale to recall his lost memories.

Destin Kale's hair color changed with each appearance. In the flashback in Ghost Rider III#78, his hair was shown to be white (although it could have been a miscoloring). In Ghost Rider III#80, his hair was shown to be black on the sides and bald on top although the coloring of the flashback could have attributed to the way his hair was colored in that issue. In Ghost Rider III#-1, which was his most recent chronological physical appearance, his hair was brown and in the flashback in Ghost Rider III#92, his hair was blonde at times and brown at times. My best guess is that in his younger days, his hair was blonde before turning darker as he aged. As time continued to pass, he lost his hair on top leaving it black on the sides. He is not seen without a hat in Ghost Rider III#78 so perhaps he was bald under the hat and his hair was black, with the white hair seen in that issue being the natural graying that comes with age. Since he was made immortal later on, perhaps his hair became brown due to his revitalized youth that came with the immortality. Either that or it's just an art/coloring error.

Pastor Kale's first name was revealed in Ghost Rider III#92 (1998).

Profile by Proto-Man.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Destin Kale has no KNOWN connections to:


images: (without ads)
Ghost Rider III#-1, p19, pan9 (Destin Kale, main image)
Ghost Rider III#80, p11, p4 (Pastor Destin Kale, headshot)
Ghost Rider III#78, p15, pan2 (Destin Kale in early American days)
Ghost Rider III#80, p10, pan4 (Destin Kale in pastor robes)
Ghost Rider III#92, p15, pan4 (Destin Kale in warlock robes)


Appearances:
Ghost Rider III#77 (September, 1996) - Ivan Velez, Jr. (writer), Salvador Larroca (pencils), Sergio Melia (inks), James Felder (editor)
Ghost Rider III#78 (October, 1996) - Ivan Velez, Jr. (writer), Salvador Larroca (pencils), Sergio Melia (inks), James Felder (editor)
Ghost Rider III#80 (December, 1996) - Ivan Velez, Jr. (writer), Salvador Larroca (pencils), Bob McLeod (inks), James Felder (editor)
Ghost Rider III#-1 (July, 1997) - Ivan Velez, Jr. (writer), Javier Saltares (pencils), Keith Aiken (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Ghost Rider III#92 (January, 1998) - Ivan Velez, Jr. (writer), Javier Saltares (pencils), Mark Texeira (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)


Last updated: 05/08/15

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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