Marvel Multiverse Battle of the Bands

With real-world musicians teaming up with Ghost Rider Robbie Reyes in the new WHAT IF? GHOST RIDER #1, it’s about time to rally some of the Super Musicians already rocking the stages across Marvel’s multiverse for the ultimate Battle of the Bands. Here are the contenders!

Lila Cheney

Representing Earth-616—Lila Cheney. Though famous for her talent as a rock singer and guitarist, Lila is also affiliated with the New Mutants and a gifted thief. She once put on a show in the Savage Lands with real-world band Cats Laughing and fellow mutant musician Dazzler to entertain the entire Marvel Universe. Her ability is teleportation field generation, which allows her to transport herself and others light-years away. She uses this power at the end of sets to teleport herself and her bandmates away, literally stealing the show.

Metalhead

This Super Musician hails from Earth-928, year 2099. Formerly a member of the Armageddon Choir, Metalhead AKA Edward van Beethoven-Osako is a mutant and a syntho-percussionist who uses his metal mimesis ability to create music. As he moves through webs of sound waves, he changes his form into different metals in order to create different tones. When he joins Xi’an Chi Xan’s X-Men, he gives all of that up and maintains an adamantium form.

Dazzler

Earth-1610 is home to singer and shredder Alison Blaire. Unlike her Earth-616 counterpart pop entertainer of the same name, Dazzler of the punk rock band “Dazzler” does not need to convert sound in order to put on a light show. She produces lasers, strobes, and photon blasts by splitting molecules. Eventually, she quits the band to join the X-Men, where she continues in her wild punk rock ways, much to the annoyance of Professor X, Iceman, Rogue, Shadowcat, Angel… pretty much the rest of the team.

Spider-Punk

Hobart Brown or Spider-Punk of Earth-138 first appeared in 2014’s Spider-Verse storyline (the prequel to Spider-Geddon), where TL;DR the multiverse's Spiders team up to stop Spider hunting. While he doesn’t play a major role in Spider-Verse, he does play a breakout role in his own universe. As the front man of punk band the Spider Slayers, he rallies against President Norman “Ozzy” Osborn’s oppressive regime and the censorship of Osborn’s evil record companies with the support of his fanbase, the Spider-Army. Spider-Punk idolizes the Gwen Stacy of Earth-138 as “the most influential musician—the greatest artist—of our generation,” which is likely a reference to…

The Mary Janes

In another realm of the Spider-Verse, Earth-65’s Gwen Stacy, Mary “Em Jay” Watson, Elizabeth “Betty” Brant, and Gloria “Glory” Grant team up to form a band called The Mary Janes. Gwen plays drums, Em Jay is on vocals, Betty plays lead guitar, and Glory is on keyboard (and drums when Gwen is off Spidering). The band becomes famous when their show is interrupted by a “rando dork” of a Super Villain who was hired to assassinate Gwen’s father before Spider-Woman intervenes. The band members eventually go their separate ways due to Em Jay’s diva antics.

Doctor Bong

So Earth-616 isn’t far out of this world and we already have one rock star from there on this list—but, hear me out. Lester Verde is a Super Villain who first appeared in a 1976 issue of Howard the Duck and from there, the mad doctor went on to appear alongside Fourth Wall breakers She-Hulk and Deadpool! He did battle against She-Hulk and attempted to give Deadpool therapy. It’s hard to say which is the most daring feat. He is a provocateur who once performed in a bunny suit with Mildred Horowitz’s band, and he published as a rock music critic under salacious headlines. Although his powers don’t directly relate to sound or music, he has the devil-may-care attitude of a true rock star.

WHAT IF? GHOST RIDER #1, written by Sebastian Girner with art by Caspar Wijngaard, goes on sale Wednesday, October 17! Pre-order your copy online or contact your local comic shop to reserve your copy!