From the introduction: Long ago, a Spirit of Justice- an angel of God, named Zarathos- was tricked by the Devil into entering Hell, where he was imprisoned and driven to madness; his original purpose of protecting the innocent corrupted into punishing the guilty. The Devil used the angel - now a Spirit of Vengeance, not Justice - as his collector on deals, sending him to Earth by binding the Spirit to some other cursed soul, transforming that damned person into the Ghost Rider.