Cover Date: April 1973; On Sale Date: January 1973
Writer: Gary Friedrich; Artist: Tom Sutton; Inker: Chic Stone; Letterer: Shelly Leferman; Editor: Roy Thomas; Cover Artist: Mike Ploog
After fleeing from the Apache known as Snake Dance by attempting
to jump over a gorge, Johnny Blaze finds that his bike has been
sabotaged when it explodes in mid-air, leaving him to fall to his death
in the canyon. The Ghost Rider hits the rocks at the canyon base, and
Snake Dance revels in his triumph, believing Blaze to be dead.
Meanwhile, back at the rodeo where Johnny is to perform his cycle act,
the foreman comments that Blaze has disappeared. Roxanne believes that
he must have ridden out the canyon, so the foreman tells Sam Silvercloud
to give her a ride there as well. On the way to the canyon, Silvercloud
(the one responsible for sabotaging Johnny's bike) tells Roxanne that
the land is rightfully owned by the Apaches, and that they will soon
reclaim it from the white man. They arrive at Copperhead Canyon, where
Silvercloud tells Roxanne that Blaze is dead. He then kidnaps the young
woman and takes her to the nearby Indian reservation.
The next morning, the rodeo manager is upset
because both Johnny and Roxanne are now nowhere to be found. At that
moment, Bart Slade, the cycle show's road manager, enters the room
dressed in cycle leathers and says that if Blaze doesn't show, he's more
than ready to fill in for him. Hours later, Johnny, now in his human
form, awakens on the canyon floor, astonished that he's still alive
after the fall. Suddenly, Satan appears before the stunt rider and tells
him that he's responsible for Johnny surviving the crash. He tells
Blaze that if he died by the hand of another mortal, he would be unable
to capture his soul. Therefore, whenever Blaze's life is in danger,
Satan will extend protection over him, until he himself has a chance to
take his life. The devil disappears, leaving Johnny alone on the canyon
floor. Luckily, a helicopter passes overhead and airlifts Johnny out.
Meanwhile, at the Indian reservation, Silvercloud presents Roxanne to
Snake Dance, who decides that they shall sacrifice her to the Snake-God
as a bride. The witch doctor then returns to his home, where he states
to himself that the entire snake ceremony and belief system is a
charade, perpetrated to save his people from starvation and poverty.
Blaze arrives at the rodeo just in time, barely
making it to his dressing room before nightfall triggers his
transformation into the Ghost Rider. He runs out to do his act, and is
surprised to find Slade ready to do the stunts himself. Because Bart is a
cripple with a bum leg, Johnny stops him from doing the act, but only
manages to anger his former friend even more. Blaze continues and starts
the stunt show, stunning the audience with his cycle mastery. During
one stunt, however, he loses his concentration and crashes his bike into
a wall. The Ghost Rider emerges unscathed, but quickly spots Sam
Silvercloud standing on the sidelines. He chases the saboteur down and
forces him to give up Roxanne's location.
At the reservation, Snake Dance and his men
perform the Snake-God ritual, with Roxanne tied to a serpent-shaped
stake. Snake Dance tells her that she must prove herself worthy by
enduring deadly snake venom, and that only ones who are chosen by the
Snake-God can survive. Two snakes shoot out from the shaman's arms,
biting Roxanne on each wrist. Snake Dance, knowing all too well that the
venom will kill Roxanne, continues his sham by saying that the gods are
angry with the Apaches, and that the only way to appease them is to rise
up against the white man as an army. At that moment, the Ghost Rider
roars onto the scene, quickly dispatching Snake Dance's followers with
his hellfire. He unties Roxanne from the stake, but realizes that he
must get her to a hospital before she dies. He turns to the Apaches one
last time and tells them that Snake Dance is a charlatan, and that they
shall never again threaten innocent people. He rides off on his
motorcycle, vowing that if Roxanne dies, he shall return to exact
vengeance.
 |
| The greatest stunt biker alive, everyone! |
CHAIN REACTION
To read my review of Marvel Spotlight (1972) # 9 see my book Wheels On Fire: An Unofficial Guide to Marvel Comics' Ghost Rider: 1972-1983!
 |
| Roxanne in danger AGAIN? |
No comments:
Post a Comment