Killing Thanos Isn’t Even the Full Extent of Cosmic Ghost Rider’s Power Before
Cosmic Ghost Rider delivers the killing blow, he explains to Thanos his power level is near incomprehensible, and that he actively has to hold himself back at all times. Killing Thanos in an instant is truly a wild example of Cosmic Ghost Rider’s power on a level seemingly akin to God King Doom (at least, in terms of how easy it was for both of them to kill Thanos), but as Cosmic Ghost Rider reveals, his true power is a far-stretch more impressive than that.
“Do you have any idea how much I hold back?! To not destroy worlds as I walk?!”, that’s what Cosmic Ghost Rider screams at Thanos before killing him, and it’s incredibly telling. Just by merely existing on any given world, Cosmic Ghost Rider could bring about its ultimate destruction. That’s a level of power not many Marvel characters can boast, and it’s a direct result of Cosmic Ghost Rider’s unprecedented origin.
How Cosmic Ghost Rider is So Unbelievably Powerful
The idea that anyone has the strength to destroy a planet just by walking on it is, indeed, striking, but in Cosmic Ghost Rider’s case, it makes total sense given his origin. After Thanos kills everyone on Earth in Thanos Wins, Frank Castle sells his soul to Mephisto to become a new Ghost Rider. But, the Earth was vacant, leaving Castle alone. Then, an injured Galactus arrived, and Castle told him he could consume Earth if Galactus made him his Herald. And so, Cosmic Ghost Rider was born - a being with the power of Ghost Rider and the Power Cosmic.
Either one of the two sources of Cosmic Ghost Rider’s power is enough to make anyone immensely powerful on a cosmic scale, which is why Cosmic Ghost Rider is in a class all his own. Therefore, while it may seem shocking that anyone can make Thanos look like an insect, Cosmic Ghost Rider is living proof that such power can and does exist in the Marvel Universe - despite being a shamefully underrated character.
Cosmic Ghost Rider Obliterates Thanos With Penance Stare
Thanos is easily one of the greatest cosmic threats in the entire Marvel Universe, both due to his inherent power as a mutant Eternal and his regular utilization of cosmic artifacts. However, despite Thanos’ proven god-tier strength, there’s one other character in particular who makes the Mad Titan look like an insect by comparison (despite being shamefully underrated), and they confirmed that when they reduced Thanos to bones and dust like it was nothing.
In Cosmic Ghost Rider #5 by Donny Cates and Dylan Burnett, Thanos has conquered Earth in the future of an alternate timeline where he was raised by Frank Castle aka Cosmic Ghost Rider. This world is under Thanos’ totalitarian rule, with Punisher iconography everywhere, as Thanos adopted the original moniker of his adoptive father. When Thanos asks Cosmic Ghost Rider to join him, Castle is disgusted by the man the child he raised became, and obliterates him with a brutal blast.
The Penance Stare Doesn’t Work On Thanos, That’s Why Cosmic Ghost Rider Had To Develop ‘Penance’
The attack Cosmic Ghost Rider uses is a version of the Penance Stare that’s simply referred to as ‘Penance’, and it reduces its victims to lifeless skeletons. In fact, the evolution of the classic Penance Stare power is one that was necessary to defeat Thanos, as the original Penance Stare doesn’t work on the Mad Titan given that he’s actively proud of every atrocity he’s ever committed, and enjoys having his mind flooded with the horrors of his past sins. Penance, however, wasn’t something Thanos could endure - and Cosmic Ghost Rider delivered it with brutal ease.
So, while Thanos is a mighty force in the Marvel Universe, Cosmic Ghost Rider is clearly on another level. Cosmic Ghost Rider's power is absolutely insane, and it's no surprise that he could easily take down Thanos. But just because he’s a powerful character doesn’t mean he has to be a good guy.
