Ghost Rider 2099

Ghost Rider 2099
Cover to Ghost Rider 2099 #2 (June 1994). Art by Mark Buckingham.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
Schedule	Monthly
Format	Ongoing series
Publication date	May 1994 – May 1996
Number of issues	25
Creative team
Writer(s)	Len Kaminski
Artist(s)	Chris Bachalo Mark Buckingham Ashley Wood Kyle Hotz
Inker(s)	Jim Daly

Ghost Rider 2099 is a comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics, under the Marvel 2099 imprint, from 1994 to 1996.

The series is set in the year 2099, in a dystopian possible future of the Marvel Universe, and features Kenshiro "Zero" Cochrane, a hacker who was killed but resurrected as the Ghost Rider — his mind controlling a powerful and well-armed robot. As with most of the Marvel 2099 titles, the protagonist was a futuristic version of a commercially successful Marvel Universe character. The series was heavily influenced by cyberpunk science fiction.

The Ghost Rider 2099 series was not one of the initial titles launched for the 2099 imprint and contained few direct crossovers with the other titles. The series ran for 25 issues, ending in May 1996. The title character's story was concluded in the final issue, but Zero Cochrane did reappear as an important character in the final 2099 story in the one-shot 2099: Manifest Destiny.

Hacker Kenshiro "Zero" Cochrane was shot and facing death in Transverse City after being hunted down for stealing information from the D/Monix corporation. As the poison from a flechette coursed through his body, Zero downloaded his mind into cyberspace, thus blocking access to the knowledge he had stolen from his enemies.

Cochrane's mind is discovered by the artificial intelligences dwelling in a hidden section of cyberspace known as the Ghostworks. The Ghostworks ask Zero to be their avatar to the real world, feeling his brash and rebellious attitude will make him the ideal candidate. Cochrane accepts and is downloaded into a robotic Cybertek 101 body. Due to his similarity to the 20th century superhero, the robot becomes known as the Ghost Rider.

The Ghost Rider proceeds to avenge his own death and struggles against the plans of the D/Monix corporation, which leads to a confrontation with Zero's father, Harrison Cochrane. A loyal corporate servant, Harrison indirectly (but intentionally) caused his son's death.