Ghost (Dark Horse Comics)

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caption = Cover for issue 17 of the second series of Ghost
comic_color = background:#80ffff
character_name = Ghost
real_name = Elisa Cameron
publisher = Dark Horse Comics
debut = "Comics' Greatest World: Arcadia" Week 3
creators = Team CGW
alliance_color = background:#ffc0c0
status =
alliances = Barb Wire, X
previous_alliances = The Furies
aliases =
relatives = Earl Cameron (step-father, deceased), Margo Cameron (sister), Dan Deerlane (father, deceased), June Deerlane-Cameron (mother, deceased)
powers = Intangibility, Teleportation

Ghost is a fictional character, a comic book superhero published by Dark Horse Comics. The character appeared in specials and monthly titles detailing the "afterlife" of Elisa Cameron and her search for the truth surrounding her apparent death.

Ghost first appeared in "Comics Greatest World" Week 3 in (1993). After a popular special in 1994, a monthly title devoted to the character began publication in 1995 and ran for 36 issues, followed by a six-month break and a second series running for 22 issues. The second series was a continuation of the first but with many changes, including new details concerning Ghost's origin. The stories in both series were based in and around the city of Arcadia, firmly entrenched in a self-contained fictional universe outlined in Dark Horse's "Comics Greatest World".

The characters of "Comics Greatest World" were initially conceived and created in the late 1980's. Ghost, however, continued appearing in her own titles and others into the 2000s, including several crossovers not related to "Comics' Greatest World". Most notable among these were a two-issue crossover with Dark Horse's Hellboy ("Ghost/Hellboy Special"), and a four-issue crossover with DC Comics' Batgirl, "".

List of appearances

*"Comics' Greatest World" Week 3 ("Arcadia: Ghost") (released in 1993)
*"Ghost Special" (released in 1994)
*Series 1: Issues 1-36 (ran from 1995-98)
*"Ghost Special 2" ("Immortal Coil") (1998)
*Series 2: Issues 1-4
*"Ghost Special 3" ("Scary Monsters") (1998)
*Series 2: Issues 5-22
*"Ghost Handbook"
*"X" # 8, written by Steven Grant, pencils by Matt Haley, inks by Tom Simmons.

Team-ups

*"Ghost & The Shadow" (Doug Moench, writer/H.M.Baker, pencils/Bernard Kolle, inks/Matt Haley & Tom Simmons, cover. One-issue special, 1995)
*"Ghost/Hellboy" (Mike Mignola, writer & cover art/Scott Benefiel, pencils/Jason Rodriguez, inks. Two issues, 1996)
*"" Issues 1-4

Characters

*Elisa Cameron, a.k.a. Ghost

Family

*Earl Cameron (first appeared in Ghost Special)
*Margo Cameron (first appeared in Ghost Special)
*Dan Deerlane (first appears in volume two)
*June Deerlane-Cameron (first appeared in Ghost Special)

Friends and allies

*The Furies (an all-female group. First appeared in #11, volume one)
**Focus (one of the Furies, first appeared in # 11, volume one)
**Frenzy (one of the Furies, first appeared in #11, volume one)
**Kinetic (one of the Furies, first appeared in # 11, volume one)
**Mindgame (one of the Furies, first appeared in #11, volume one)
*The Goblins (first hinted at in #1 & 23 of volume one)
*Hob (first appeared in #28, volume one. He is a Goblin)
*Concordia Leveche (first appears in volume two)
*Peter Neville (first appeared in #1, volume one)
*Nicola Provenzano (first appeared in volume two)
*Jennifer Reading (First appeared in #28, volume one)

Cross-over characters

*The Shadow
*X (in first series, appeared in issues #9, #15, #'s 20-27, # 32)
*Barb Wire (in first series, appeared in issues #5, #17-19) Also appeared in Special # 2.
*King Tiger (in first series, appeared in issues #2-3, #11, #22-23, #25-27)
*Vortex (volume two, although introduced in CGW week 16)
*Cassandra Cain: Batgirl
*Hellboy

Villains

*Crux (first appeared in #10, volume one)
*Fear Demons
*Ghosthunters (first appear in volume two)
*Ghostkillers
*Hunger (first appeared in #6, volume one)
*The Incubi (first appeared in #28, volume one)
*Krasher
*James MacCready (appears in Ghost Special)
*Miasma (first appeared in #13, volume one)
*Cameron Nemo (first hinted at in #1, volume one, first appeared # 2, volume one)
*Doctor October (first appeared in #6, volume one)
*Mr. Borazzon (Special 2)
*Mr. Park (first appeared in #29, volume one)
*Archibald Scythe (first appeared in #4, volume one)
*Shades (first hinted at in #8, volume one)
*Silhouette (first hinted at in #12, volume one, first appeared in #33, volume one)
*Snake (first appeared in #1, Volume one)
*Szothstromael Family (first appears in #7, volume two)
*The Trio
**Towering Chris
**Malcolm Greymaster
**Coral "Trixie" King
*Trouvaille (first major appearance in #30, volume one)
*Joe Yimbo (a play on words on the Japanese "Yojimbo", first appeared in 1994's Ghost Special)

Volume One

Creators

The first special and the first series (1995-1998) were written by Eric Luke, who had scripted the film "Explorers". He gave the series an intelligent punch uncommon to many contemporary female superheroes. The artwork was by a revolving door of talent, although to the credit of the editors, the series maintained high visual standards. The setting of Arcadia was intended to be grim yet Art Deco, something particularly reflected in the artwork of the early issues. Below is a list of the issues and the art teams which were responsible for them. If a team or individual repeats, only last names will be used:

*Special: Matt Haley, pencils/Tom Simmons, inks. Adam Hughes, cover. (1994)
*1-3: Adam Hughes, pencils/Mark Farmer, inks. (April-June 1995)
*4: Haley & Simmons. (July 1995)
*5: Terry Dodson & Lee Moder, pencils/Gary Martin & Ande Parks, inks. (August 1995)
*6-7: Scott Benefiel, pencils/Jasen Rodriguez, inks. (September-October, 1995)
*8: George Dove, pencils/Bernard Kolle, inks. (November 1995)
*9: H.M. Baker, pencils/Bob Wiacek, inks. (December 1995)
*10: Baker/Kolle. (January 1996)
*11: David Bullock, pencils/Gary Martin, inks.(February 1996)
*12-13: Bullock/Randy Emberlin, inks. (March-April 1996)
*14: Steve Yeowell, pencils/Emberlin, inks. (May 1996)
*15-16: Doug Braithwaite, pencils/Emberlin, inks. (June-July 1996)
*17: Ivan Reis, pencils/ Barbara Kaalberg, inks. (August 1996)
*18-25: Ivan Reis, pencils/Emberlin.(September 1996-April 1997)
*26: Benefiel & Rodriguez. (May 1997)
*27: John Cassaday, pencils/Martin. (June 1997)
*28-31: Reis & Emberlin. (July-October 1997)
*32: Baker & Kolle. (November 1997)
*33-36: Reis & Emberlin. (December 1997-March 1998)

Covers for the series were rarely by the same artist as the issue itself. The following is a list of who did which covers and as before, names used above will be repeated here unless new.
*1-3, 5-7: Hughes.
*4: Haley & Simmons.
*8: Baker.
*9, 11, 17: Brian Apthorp & Martin.
*10, 12-14: Stan Manoukian & Vince Roucher.
*15: Benefiel & Rodriguez.
*16, 18: Braithwaite & Cam Smith.
*19: Jason Pearson.
*20-24: Cassady & Emberlin.
*25, 32: Imagemakers & David Stewart with Yvonne Epstein as model(photo cover)
*26-27: Denis Beauvais.
*28-31: Chris Warner.
*33-36: Tony Harris.

The series adopted a mostly 2 and 4 issue arc for its final year.

Plot

Special, X 8, V1 #1-12: Elisa Cameron is dead. She has a sister, Margo, with whom she slowly reconciles and moves in with, as well as two recently sober parents, who are eventually murdered by a shadowy psionic that seems to know something about her past as a reporter, apparently slain over a story she was covering. Her natural weakness is jade, which keeps her from "ghosting" out and being able to pass through objects. She discovers she has the ability to "jump", but must cross a sort of "Hell" in order to do so. Elisa faces a series of psionics, led by Dr. October, a woman who wanted to eliminate Elisa for being beautiful even in death. Elisa also must deal with a demon, Cameron Nemo, which escapes from her "hell", causing much destruction, before the aid of King Tiger helps her defeat the demon. Elisa also learns that her jumps, her Hell, even Nemo, are all a construct of her own imagination. Elisa begins a slow introduction to Peter, a man she sees visiting the graveyard. Elisa's teamup with Barb Wire, a bounty hunter from Steel Harbor, results in Elisa receiving a warning that Archibald Scythe, a psionic from her past, is coming for her. Margo falls under Scythe's spell while an all-female paranormal team, the Furies, combines with Elisa to take him down. Margo, driven by rage, summons up strange "shade-like" tears, which defeat Scythe but cost Margo her life.

*V1, #13-25: Crux, the man responsible for the deaths of Elisa's parents, unleashes the shapeshifting Miasma on Elisa. This creates a panic in the underworld. On a personal note, Miasma, before being dispatched, seriously injures Peter, whom Elisa had begun caring about. Cameron Nemo escapes from Hell and takes over Scythe's body, always lurking around the corner for Elisa. Aided by X, King Tiger and Focus, the leader of the Furies, Elisa discovers a tape exists with evidence of her death. Elisa traces the tape to Crux, who is planning to invade a secret city beneath Arcadia and recover a key which will give him immense power. With the help of her three companions, Elisa aids the "Goblins" who live in the secret city and defeats Crux, who, just prior to his death, admits he has been behind everything from her parents' murders, to the psionic hunters and Elisa's own slaying. Elisa then assumes the mantle of the Sentinel of Arcadia.

*V1, #26-36: Dr. October resurfaces, but is quickly defeated. Peter and Elisa begin to slowly move towards a relationship, while Elisa, aided by the Goblins, tries to protect the city. Elisa encounters Dr. Trouvaille, who experiments with the spirits of his victims and calls her "the failed one" hinting he knows secrets Crux didn't reveal. Margo, somehow alive and possessed by a being known as Silhouette, attempts to destroy Arcadia, but is saved by Elisa.

Volume Two

Creators

The series was relaunched in the fall of 1998 with a new creative staff. A conscious attempt was made to make the artwork sleeker, sexier and more beautiful than the previous series, a task which fans considered daunting indeed. Like the first series, this one also adapted a mini-series approach. The following is a list of the staff. When repeated, only the last name will be used.

*1-6: Chris Warner, writer/Christian Zanier, pencils/Steve Moncuse, inks/Ryan Benjamin, covers.
*7-10(Shifter): Warner & Mike Kennedy, writers/Zanier, pencils/Moncuse, inks/Benjamin, covers.
*11-15(12-15, Red Shadows): Warner, writer/Benjamin, art.
*16-17(When the Devil Daydreams): Kennedy, writer/Francisco Ruiz Valesco & Benjamin, art.
*18-19: Kennedy, writer/Benjamin, art/Denis Beauvais, cover.
*20: Kennedy, writer/Benjamin, art.
*21: Kennedy, writer/Benjamin, art/Beauvais, cover.
*22: Kennedy, writer/Benjamin & Lucas Marangnon, pencils/Moncuse & Mike Henry, inks/Benjamin, cover.

Plot

*V2, #1-6: Elisa discovers from the mysterious Concordia Leveche, that she is not really dead. Instead, her "death" is linked to Scythe and Trouvaille, who have been running experiments where souls are stripped from bodies, the souls "rendered" and then replaced with beings from another dimension. Trouvaille captures Elisa and shows her the tape. From the tape, she learns that she was a killer for Crux, that Trouvaille, aided by Scythe, tried ripping "her" soul from her body, but in the middle of the procedure, Cameron Nemo briefly appeared. Then, Elisa vanished. Silhouette is shown to be back in control of Margo's body while Margo's soul awaits rendering. Elisa escapes and fights Silhouette, who escapes, still in control of Margo's body. Elisa then kills Trouvaille. Elisa also has learned that Focus was in league with Trouvaille and soon discovers the same about Peter. She suggests Peter kill himself, while Focus informs Elisa that she used to be one of the Furies. Soon, Elisa finds Cameron Scythe. Nemo, who reveals that as a part of Elisa's subconscious, he has always known her, is sent back to Elisa's hell. Margo, now a being like Elisa, appears and shoots Scythe through the skull, killing him.

*V2, #7-15: Elisa, Concordia and Margo go to Hoyo Grande to ask King Tiger for help. Instead, they end up helping a very down and out Tiger regain his mojo and battle the shapeshfiting "Szothstromael" clan. Elisa also has a revelatory encounter with the Man From the Vortex, who "reboots" her brain. This allows Elisa to recall that her real father, Dan Deerlane, was shot down by her adoptive father, in front of her eyes, when she was very young and that the pain of this deadened her to that of others, leading to her living the life of a Fury assassin. Silhouette returns, having used Trouvaile's technology to transfer more beings into the bodies of Scythe's remaining followers. Sent as ghost-hunters, they attack Elisa and her friends. Upon Failing, Trouvaille, whose body is dead yet whose essence now exists within his armor, joins them to take down Elisa and fulfill his experiments. They take Margo and Concordia, but Peter returns to aid Elisa in her battle. Margo's body is recovered, Silhouette is defeated and Trouvaille, along with the hunters, appear to be disposed of. Giving Peter a solid "get lost" Elisa leaves with her newly "re-alive" sister.

Special issues

There were 2 special issues published after Eric Luke's series ended, & written by writers who did not contribute to the regular series.

*Ghost Special 2 (Immortal Coil) (1998) Written by Martin Lodewyk, pencils by H.M. Baker, Inks by Bernard Kolle. Cover by Dave Stewart, featuring model Yvonne Epstein.Story:Set sometime after Silhouette appears, the Goblins have yet to return to Arcadia and a worried Elisa must rescue Barb Wire from a South American businessman, Mr. Borazzon.
*Ghost Special 3 (Scary Monsters) (1998) "Mayfly" written by Tom Sneigoski/"Secrets" written by Lee Swank. Both parts have pencils by H.M.Baker, inks by Bernard Kolle. Cover by Baker & Kolle.Story:In "Mayfly", Elisa battles large insect-like creatures controlled by a woman who wants revenge for an accident in her youth.

In "Secrets", Elisa reflects on the secrets of people in Arcadia. One is a man she calls "Bookworm" who while seeming to be innocent in breaking into the library to read ancient books every evening, is in fact planning to raise a demon.