Origin

Sal Romero was a member of the 101st Airborne. While flying over Nazi-occupied France, his unit was attacked by demonic energies. He managed to jump from his exploding plane and pull his parachute. He was caught up in a row of trees and approached by six Nazi soldiers, enhanced by a demon pact. They attacked him, leaving him for dead. Sal was than offered his own demon pact by a rival demon, transforming him into a Ghost Rider.

Creation

Uncle Sal was first in Incredible Hulk (2023) #1 by Philip Kennedy Johnson and Nic Klein.

Major Story Arc

Hellhunter

As soon as Sal was transformed, he was found by Nick Fury and invited to join a small troop of Hellhunters, including Peggy Carter and the Soldier Supreme. They were also tracking the six demonic Nazi soldiers that attacked Sal. Worried about putting a flaming skull inside their jeep, Fury loans him his Harley-Davidson. Sal is mentored by Szardos in ways to master his new supernatural power. Szardos also uses Sal's passenger to track the Nazis, believing they are connected. It leads them to another sole survivor of the demonic Nazis: Canadian solider named Logan. After a detour to Camp Twenty Grand, these Hellhunters check in with Colonel Phillips, who refuse to give them any backup. Bucky volunteers anyway.

Sal and the team were tracking the lead demonic Nazi, Bruckner, when they were attacked by the rest, combined into a single entity. They were sent to stall the heroes so that Bruckner could get a foothold in London. When they finally defeated the Nazi golem, Szardos used the Eye of Agamotto to view London, writing it off as a lost cause. This angered Zarathos, the demon possessing Sal. He demanded the posse continue forward and offered them hellfire upgrades to do it. Sal got to fly a hellfire Bomber into London.

While his hellfire troops took care of the demonic ground troops, Sal targeted yet another giant made from possessed Nazis. He crashed his bomber into the giant, toppling them into the English Channel, where he would drag them to the bottom of the ocean, ending the demonic plague. His team presumed him dead, but Sal eventually walked out of the water.

The Incredible Hulk

When Bruce Banner went on the run from The Eldest, with his new traveling companion Charlie, they came across a kind trailer park community in rural Texas. Among this community was Leo, who Sal would occasionally rise to protect from the monsters that attacked. Mistaking Hulk for one of those monsters, Sal rose to fight. However, he ultimately helped Hulk protect the community from the War Devil and his minions.

When the dust settled, Sal admitted to Hulk that he heard the call of the Eldest to attack Hulk, but Ghost Riders are known for their disobedience. He said he was brought back specifically to protect Leo and advised Hulk should do the same with Charlie.

One World Under Doom

After Doctor Doom established himself as the world emperor, Sal was recruited to his old pal Bucky's Thunderbolts operation. Their target was a trackless AI-operated train with a cache of vibranium. Setting a trap in the Texas desert after a storm changed the terrain, Sal snagged the train with his chain and pulled it off course. The Thunderbolts secured the cache but were attacked by Doom's countermeasure, a new Citizen V, Contessa. Sal tried to keep her busy, but he was smashed to pieces by her vibranium sword.

His bike and its pieces were returned to his Texas community, where Leo worked on the bike until it was in working condition again. Before he was finished, Leo was approached by Black Widow, who was trying to regroup the Thunderbolts to rescue Bucky from Castle Doom. Leo ensured Widow that Sal would return once the bike was fixed and that he would give him the message. Once resurrected, Sal joined Widow's Latverian siege to free Bucky.

Right before Bucky and his Thunderbolts took on the original Thunderbolts, Bucky instructed Sal to burn as much of Castle Doom as he could.

Powers and Abilities

Solider: Sal has been trained as a WWII-era US Army paratrooper.

Spirit of Vengeance: As a Ghost Rider, Sal can control hellfire, using it to manipulate metal objects like a motorcycle or a chain.

• Resurrection: If Sal takes a mortal wound, he will return if his bike was fixed to working condition.