Ghoul (Malibu Comics)
Ghoul was a fictional character from Malibu Comics' Ultraverse. This character was a member of the short-lived Exiles (not to be confused with Marvel Comics' later dimension-travelling Exiles) and would go on to join Ultraforce. Ghoul first appeared in Exiles #1, created by Steve Gerber, Dave Olbrich, Tom Mason and Chris Ulm. Since the Ultraverse and all its characters were discontinued shortly after Malibu was bought out by Marvel Comics, Ghoul is currently in comics limbo, and will likely remain so.
Biography
Jonathon Martin was an engineering student who became infected with the Theta Virus, a disease which granted its victims superhuman abilities, but if left untreated was ultimately fatal. In Jonathon's case, both outcomes happened; he became a zombie-like creature, seemingly neither dead nor fully living.
Ghoul became a member of the Exiles, a group organized by Dr. Rachel Demming, a scientist who had devised a treatment for the Theta Virus. The Exiles rounded up several victims of the virus whose powers had gone out of control. However, after only a few days, nearly the entire group was wiped out by an explosion caused by Amber Hunt.
Ghoul rose from his grave, having re-formed his body with a slightly different appearance. He now joined the Ultraforce, at the urging of Hardcase. He attempted to befriend the group's youngest member, Pixx (Ghoul had sensed that her death was near, and wanted to make her last days happy ones) but she was repulsed by his appearance and shunned him.
Ghoul was unable to commune with the spirits of his dead Exile companions, which greatly frustrated him. He was also unable to convince Pixx to leave the Ultraforce, and thus avoid her imminent death. In fact, his attempts to dissuade her angered their teammate Topaz, who thought his advice was motivated by sexism-- she literally blasted his arms off (only a temporary setback for a zombie).
When Atalon, leader of the underground-dwelling offshoot of humanity called the Fire People discovered that Ghoul could communicate with the spirits of the dead, he captured Ghoul to use him to speak to the spirits of his ancestors. While he was imprisoned, with his limbs (again) removed, Pixx decided to use her own technical abilities to disable the large number of nuclear missiles that the Fire People had stolen and were using to threaten the Surface World.
Ghoul watched helplessly as Pixx, her radiation suit damaged, leaped from missile to missile, her body deteriorating with radiation sickness with every passing moment. She succeeded in disabling the last missile just as she took her last breath of life. The enraged Atalon used his gravity powers to collapse the cavern with Ghoul still inside, but he was recovered by Prime.
Ghoul was involved in several other missions with Ultraforce before their breakup and later reform. In between these incarnations he got a job as a taxi driver, at which he was notoriously unsuccessful. However, he eventually came into possession of a magic ring given to him by Mantra, which gave him the appearance (and smell) of a normal, living human being.
Personality
Ghoul is constantly making wisecracks, jokes and sarcastic remarks. He does this to try to hide the emotional pain of his grotesque condition and the tragedies he's seen. He deliberately distances himself, while at the same time he is saddened by the fact that he seems to get along better with the dead than the living.
Powers and Abilities
Ghoul is immune to pain or shock from conventional injury, and to disease or poison. His limbs, if torn off, can be reattached or, in time, regrown. Since he is essentially already dead, only the total destruction of his body can truly kill him.
Ghoul also has the ability to (in some cases) sense impending death. He can summon and communicate with the spirits of the deceased, even those who died tens of thousands of years ago.
Appearances in other media
Ghoul was a character in the short-lived Ultraforce cartoon TV series.