SPOILER WARNING: This article contains major spoilers for Thanos #15 by Donny Cates, Geoff Shaw, Antonio Fabela and Clayton Cowles, on sale now.


Since taking over the creative reigns of Marvel Comics' Thanos in November, writer Donny Cates and artist Geoff Shawn have infused the title with a slew of mysteries, starting with a future where the Mad Titan stands tall as a conquering king. But every king must have a loyal servant, and for Future Thanos that role falls to the Cosmic Ghost Rider.

This isn't your typical, run of the mill Ghost Rider, however. The cosmic lackey finds himself a mix between the Spirit of Vengeance and herald of Galactus, making for a unique figure in the Marvel Universe. While readers have certainly wondered why and how he became aligned with King Thanos in the first place, the most prevailing question that has loomed large over the "Thanos Wins" story arc is a simple one: Who the heck is this slick-talking, flame-headed lunatic?

We've had our own theories on just who this Galactus-powered Ghost Rider is, but Thanos #15 reveals his true identity, and while we'd love to say we nailed it, well -- we couldn't have been more wrong.

Stare Into My Eyes

Before we get to the big reveal, we'd be remiss if we didn't take the time to discuss a "personal" moment between the Cosmic Ghost Rider and current-day Thanos. One of the more effective weapons in a Ghost Rider's arsenal is his Penance Stare, which renders his victims motionless and forces them to experience every moment of torture and pain they've ever inflicted on the innocent. The Penance Stare is so powerful that it can cause its prey to end their own life. But when the Mad Titan stares into the Ghost Rider's eyes, he only sees his fondest memories of murder and mayhem.

While some people prefer a hot cup of coffee before breakfast, King Thanos opts for something more demonic. This , of course, leads to dog-feeding time, as the Ghost Rider takes Thanos down to a dungeon to feed Thanos' pet Hulk. During their walk down a spiral staircase, modern day Thanos comments that since a Rider only punishes the wicked, their companionship should make for an awkward pairing. The Ghost Rider responds that he used to only punish bad guys, but hanging around Thanos can change a man.

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While feeding the pet Hulk (presumably an aged Bruce Banner) who begs to be put out of its misery, the Cosmic Ghost Rider begins offering up details on his backstory. Apparently, the now-chatty Ghost Rider used to have a totally different personality than what we see before us today. Imagine more dark and brooding than wise-cracking jokester. Also, time spent in Hell, along with a few hundred years as a herald of Galactus and another million years as a servant of King Thanos can make a person go pretty insane.

RELATED: Thanos: Marvel's Mad Titan's Intended Birth Name is Revealed

So who, exactly, is the Cosmic Ghost Rider? Once we go back and dissect his earlier clues, his identity makes perfect sense. The Rider mentioned he used to be dark and brooding, and would normally never associate with a psychopath like Thanos. But the biggest clue comes from his previous tendency to punish bad guys. There's only one man in the Marvel Universe who lives to punish his enemies, and that's Frank Castle, the Punisher.

Of course, since Thanos doesn't concern himself with simple street vigilantes, the name Frank Castle holds no significance to him. All signs originally pointed to Deadpool being the Cosmic Ghost Rider, but looking at the character now, Frank Castle is the perfect choice. After his many years on a one-man crusade against criminals and evil, there's only one place he's destined to go in the afterlife. From there, Frank probably continued his campaign against every demon and devil he could get his hands on, until he caught the eye of Galactus. Once King Thanos toppled the mighty Galactus, the Mad Titan took possession of his herald. Now, Ghost Rider does King Thanos' bidding, which included using the Time Stone to kidnap his younger self in the past.

RELATED: Marvel Legacy: Where Are The Infinity Stones?

Before the issue ends, King Thanos reveals to his counterpart the enemy he recruited his younger self to help defeat. While that's a big reveal unto itself, it still stands at number two behind the Ghost Rider's identity. So how did Frank Castle become the Cosmic Ghost Rider? Thanos #16 -- arriving on February 28 -- will provide those answers, while presumably raising all new questions in the process.