Johnny first appeared as the Ghost Rider in Marvel Spotlight vol. 1, #5 (Aug. 1972). He was created by Roy Thomas, Gary Friedrich and artist Mike Ploog. He received his own series in 1973, with penciller Jim Mooney handling most of the first nine issues. Several different creative teams mixed-and-matched until penciller Don Perlin began a long stint with #26, eventually joined by writer Michael Fleisherthrough #58. This Ghost Rider's career ended when Zarathos fledJohnny's body in issue #81 (June 1983), the finale. Johnny occasionallyappeared in the subsequent, 1990-1998 series Ghost Rider, which starred a related character, Daniel Ketch.

Johnny returned in a six-issue miniseries in 2001 written by Devon Grayson, a second miniseries by Garth Ennis in 2005, and an ongoing monthly that began publication in July 2006.