Cover Date: June 1993; Publication Date: April 1993
Writer: Gary Friedrich; Artist: Jim Mooney; Inker: Vince Colletta; Letterer: Tom Orzechowski; Colorist: P. Goldberg; Editor: Roy Thomas; Cover Artist: Chris Bachalo
On a deserted stretch of
Nevada highway, the Ghost Rider is pursued by a fleet of police
officers. Thinking he can lose the patrol cars, Johnny takes his
hell-cycle off road, into the desert, but the police are one step ahead
of him as they follow in a modified dune buggy. Riding onto a dead end
at the top of a plateau, Blaze is forced to give himself up when the sun
rises and he returns to his injured, human form. Meanwhile in Carson
City, the Attorney General of the state talks to the sheriff that
captured Blaze, telling him to make sure he gets the best of care.
Roxanne Simpson is in the office with the A.G., and he offers to pardon
Johnny for his crimes, as long as he accepts the deal he's laid out.
Roxanne tells him that they'll do anything to make sure Blaze's name is
cleared.
In Vegas, the bed-ridden Johnny is physically
abused by the sheriff that arrested him, but is stopped by the famous
stock car promoter, Dude Jensen. Dude offers Blaze a job for when he
regains his help, promising to take care of his troubles with the law.
The next day, Roxanne visits Johnny in the hospital, where he tells her
that Dude Jensen got the charges against him dropped, and that he's
going to go to work for him once he's better. Though she says nothing,
Roxanne thinks to herself that Jensen is the man the Attorney General is
after, but decides to remain silent until she talks to the A.G. first.
As the two lovers talk, however, a jealous Linda Littletrees watches
from the hallway, wishing she had Blaze for herself.
Two months later, a recovered Blaze is set to
debut as the star of the Dude Jensen Demolition Derby in Las Vegas.
Roxanne talks with the Attorney General, who tells her that they can't
do anything against Jensen until they have evidence. Roxanne goes to
Johnny's dressing room, where she finds him talking closely with Linda.
Roxanne storms out, slapping Johnny for his effort. Linda then tries to
move in, but Johnny tells her to get lost. As she leaves, he notices the
sun setting, and undergoes the painful transformation into the Ghost
Rider. Blaze creates his hellcycle and rides into the arena, joining the
cars, and the demolition derby immediately begins.
Meanwhile, outside, a distraught Roxanne overhears
Jensen telling a lackey to shoot the driver Red Thompson, due to the
fact that Thompson is an independent driver that's costing his show a
fortune. Before she can get to a phone to tell the Attorney General what
she's learned, Roxanne is caught by the lackey. Back in the arena,
Johnny has managed to survive the derby, but he soon finds himself in
the sights of a car that's prepared to run him over. Before the car can
hit him, however, Jensen's lackey fires a bullet into the driver's
brain, causing him to swerve away and crash. The Ghost Rider chases down
the sniper, and promptly fries him with hellfire. In his trailer,
however, Jensen has Roxanne tied to a chair. She tells him that she's
working for the Attorney General, to which Jensen replies by shoving a
pistol in her face.
"Ghost Story, Part 2"
Writer: Dan Slott; Artist: Dick Ayers; Letterer: Dave Sharpe; Colorist: Mike Worely; Editor: Evan Skolnick
"He Who Rides the Night Winds" finishes the story of how he became the Phantom Rider.
THE ROADMAP
This issue is a reprint of Ghost Rider (1973) # 4.
This issue also included an all-new back-up story
featuring the old western Ghost Rider, Carter Slade, now re-named the
Phantom Rider as of West Coast Avengers # 19.
The synopsis for the Phantom Rider story comes from Ghost Rider: The Official Index to the Marvel Universe.
The Phantom Rider back-up story is a retelling of the events of The Ghost Rider (1967) # 1.
CHAIN REACTION
Not much to say about this one. Slott and Ayers continue to use the "ghost dance" ritual as an effective framing sequence for the origin retelling. The creative team uses the truncated page count to their fullest, giving a solid demonstration of the Phantom Rider's "ghost gimmicks" and ability to strike fear in the hearts of evil-doers. Ayers ' work doesn't look as polished as it did in earlier installments of the back-up serial, but it's still completely in touch with the aesthetic of the 1960s series. All in all, still a good addendum to this reprint series, even if it's certainly not the main selling point.
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