On Sale Date: October 1991
Writer: Howard Mackie
Artist: John Romita Jr.
Inker: Klaus Janson
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Colorist: John Wellington
Assistant Editor: Chris Cooper
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco
Cover Artist: John Romita Jr.
Some time later, Dan Ketch arrives in Christ's Crown and rents a room at a boarding house owned by Flo Crumm and Lucy, her young daughter. Lucy immediately takes to Dan, who is also introduced to the two other guests at the house, Frank and Logan. Later that night, Dan sits in his room and reads the mysterious letter that brought him to Christ's Crown, which says the secrets of the Ghost Rider and the Soul Crystal are there for him to learn. Elsewhere in the house, Wolverine and Punisher meet up and compare notes - Wolverine's letter claimed to have knowledge of his missing memories and how adamantium was attached to his skeleton, while Punisher's letter claimed to have the whereabouts of the men who killed Castle's family. Neither hero care about what the letters promise, but they still both want to know how the mysterious sender was able to contact them.
Later, each man is visited in their rooms simultaneously by Blackheart, who speaks of the gray area that the three vigilantes routinely cross. Blackheart offers to give the men power in exchange for killing his father, Mephisto. All three refuse the offer, enraging Blackheart, who disappears from their rooms. Then they hear Lucy Crumm yelling for her mother, and outside they find that the entire town has been mesmerized by Blackheart and are being drawn to the center of town. Only Lucy remains outside of Blackheart's power, and she is kidnapped by Blackheart while the heroes try to fight through the crowd of enslaved people. Dan sees that Blackheart has also taken possession of the Ghost Rider's motorcycle, and as the demon demands that they submit to him and kill his father he holds Lucy into the air, claiming her to be the one innocent soul in the town. Blackheart rides away on the mystical motorcycle, spilling Lucy's blood with a scratch on her arm, blood which splashes on Danny's face. Punisher and Wolverine climb into Castle's van to follow the demon, while Danny breaks into an auto shop to take a motorcycle. Suddenly, the design of the Ghost Rider's gas cap appears on Danny's hands, prompting him to wonder if the transformation comes from inside him and not from the motorcycle. His thoughts are confirmed when he transforms into Ghost Rider, complete with a new mystical motorcycle.
Punisher and Wolverine follow Blackheart to the sacrificial hilltop, which is now surrounded by a thick field of thorns. Frank and Logan start cutting their through the thorns, being cut and torn as they progress, but they're soon given a clear path by Ghost Rider, who burns his way through the thorns while riding to the top of the hill. Blackheart again attempts to sway the vigilantes over to his cause, tempting them with answers to the questions they each have about their lives. All three again refuse and attack Blackheart, who calls forth an army of green spirits to assist him. Blackheart escapes through a portal to Hell with the captive Lucy, but Ghost Rider follows and destroys the demons protecting his enemy. Ghost Rider removes his gloves and beats Blackheart into submission with his hellfire skeleton fists, while the demon finally realizes that this Rider cannot be the same as Zarathos. Blackheart makes a final attempt to kill Lucy, but he is stopped by Wolverine, who cuts off the demon's arm. Punisher then blows Blackheart apart with a grenade launcher, telling him that the "edge" he speaks of them crossing doesn't exist; any soul Castle once had is long gone, and now there is just right, wrong, and punishment. Blackheart attempts to pull his body back together while Wolverine and Punisher take Lucy back through the portal to Earth, leaving Ghost Rider behind to finish off their foe. But the battle is halted by Mephisto, who appears as giant to collect his son and remove the Ghost Rider from Hell, though he promises that they will encounter one another again very soon. Back on the hilltop above Christ's Crown, the heroes see that the town has been freed from Blackheart's control. Punisher wonders if the "edge" Blackheart spoke of really exists within them, to which Ghost Rider answers that it doesn't matter what lines they may cross as long as they protect the innocent from harm. While Lucy takes Ghost Rider's hand in hers, a bloody rose is seen at their feet.
Blackheart first appeared in Daredevil # 270, created by decades of ceremonial human sacrifice atop the hill in Christ's Crown.
Ghost Rider first met Wolverine in Marvel Comics Presents (1988) # 65 and the Punisher in Ghost Rider (1990) # 5. Not surprisingly, he encountered them both as enemies before he came to regard them as allies. He shares appearances with the two vigilantes next in Ghost Rider (1990) # 29 and The Punisher War Journal (1988) # 57, respectively.
Blackheart promises Danny the secrets of the Ghost Rider's origin and the Soul Crystal, which is what imprisoned Zarathos and Centurious in Ghost Rider (1973) # 81. The Soul Crystal was first mentioned to Danny by Nightmare in Ghost Rider (1990) # 11, and it was shown to still be in Mephisto's possession in The Mighty Thor (1964) # 430.
Ghost Rider's new motorcycle is taken back to New York and is given to John Blaze in Ghost Rider (1990) # 28. This is the first appearance of Danny's "brand" on the palm of his hand and this is the first instance of Ghost Rider being able to transform a regular bike into his "hell-cycle".
This story is given a sequel years later, called Ghost Rider/Wolverine/Punisher: The Dark Design, wherein the three heroes once again battle Blackheart for the soul of Christ's Crown.
While readers today may roll their eyes at the idea of a bookshelf format crossover between Ghost Rider, Wolverine, and the Punisher, dismissing it as another of Marvel's shameless cash-ins of their most popular (at the time) characters, there's actually a lot more to this book than a simple cash grab. Of course, in 1991 this book was essentially just an excuse for Marvel to make money hand over fist, this thing sold like crazy, but for a lot of Ghost Rider fans it holds up as one of the premier stories of the era. I'm one of those fans, I love "Hearts of Darkness".
Ghost Rider was at the height of his early 90s popularity, Wolverine was still a hot commodity, and though he was starting to lose the high sales he'd enjoyed the late 1980s the Punisher was still a sales-draw. So it was pretty ingenious to do this story not as a crossover but as a special with a five dollar cover price. This comic, while it certainly has its fair share of flaws, is worth every penny of that price. Not only was the special written by Howard Mackie (who wisely had tight control over Ghost Rider's appearances this early on), assuring it a close connection to the ongoing series, but it also featured the hugely-popular John Romita Jr. on art, fresh off his stint on Daredevil. While he's still a high-profile creator today, Romita Jr. was one of Marvel's best assets in the early 1990s, particularly because he was the only high-profile artist that didn't depart the company for Image a year after this book was published. Romita had experience with illustrating both Wolverine and Punisher, but this was his first shot at Ghost Rider, and I am really quite fond of his approach to the character. I love that he draws the Rider's jacket as an actual leather jacket instead of spandex, and he gives the character a sense of weight that hadn't been seen in contemporary renditions. It was also pretty exciting to see Ghost Rider riding a motorcycle that was completely aflame, which I have to assume was a deliberate homage to the Johnny Blaze incarnation. Romita's design for the new bike is awesome, and I was a bit disappointed when Adam Kubert changed its design when it was passed off to Blaze during "Rise of the Midnight Sons". A lot of people dislike Romita's style, and I admit that you either love his work or hate it, and while I'm not much of a fan of his current work I thought his art from this period to be fantastic.
Thankfully, Mackie gives Romita a quality story to draw instead of letting the book be dominated by pretty pictures and a vapid crossover attempt. Blackheart was an obviously natural enemy for Ghost Rider, and the demon's attempt to gain favor with the three heroes by appealing to their darker natures is a nice touch. Blackheart is aiming a bit low by choosing these three to assassinate freaking Mephisto, but I can forgive the suspension of disbelief it takes. However, there are some issues with the story that I have to address. First, the themes of "dark sides to the soul" and "the line between good and evil" are absolutely hammered over our heads; Mackie was never a subtle writer, but this is so heavy-handed it skirts close to actually insulting the reader. The Punisher doesn't come off as very bright either, and its obvious that his role was a stretch for Mackie to make believable. Frank isn't stupid nor is he this unwilling to accept what's happening right in front of his face, though I do like his speech at the end while he's shooting Blackheart with a grenade launcher (ridiculous as that sounds, I know).
Finally, and this was a problem with every crossover Mackie did with Ghost Rider, he allowed his own pet character to dominate the story. This book would have been no different had Wolverine and Punisher been left out, and while that's wonderful for Ghost Rider fans I imagine it was frustrating for fans of the other characters. Mackie tries to give Frank and Logan some spotlights, but its obvious which character is the undeniable main attraction in the writer's eyes. It's Ghost Rider that receives both double-page art spreads, and by the end I found myself wondering what was the point of having the other two there considering it was Ghost Rider who eventually beats Blackheart.
I love this comic despite its flaws, and as strictly a Ghost Rider story guest-starring two other guys it works very well. I'm sure I'm looking at this comic through nostalgia-tinted-glasses, but ask any Ghost Rider fan from the early 90s what their favorite stories were and I guarantee this one will be mentioned by a majority of them.
On a hilltop outside of the town named Christ's Crown, a satanic cult sacrifice a young girl on an altar, which calls forth Blackheart - the demonic son of Mephisto! Blackheart kills the worshippers for their impudence, cursing his father for the hellish life he must endure. He plans to murder Mephisto by corrupting the souls of three men to be his assassins.
Some time later, Dan Ketch arrives in Christ's Crown and rents a room at a boarding house owned by Flo Crumm and Lucy, her young daughter. Lucy immediately takes to Dan, who is also introduced to the two other guests at the house, Frank and Logan. Later that night, Dan sits in his room and reads the mysterious letter that brought him to Christ's Crown, which says the secrets of the Ghost Rider and the Soul Crystal are there for him to learn. Elsewhere in the house, Wolverine and Punisher meet up and compare notes - Wolverine's letter claimed to have knowledge of his missing memories and how adamantium was attached to his skeleton, while Punisher's letter claimed to have the whereabouts of the men who killed Castle's family. Neither hero care about what the letters promise, but they still both want to know how the mysterious sender was able to contact them.
Later, each man is visited in their rooms simultaneously by Blackheart, who speaks of the gray area that the three vigilantes routinely cross. Blackheart offers to give the men power in exchange for killing his father, Mephisto. All three refuse the offer, enraging Blackheart, who disappears from their rooms. Then they hear Lucy Crumm yelling for her mother, and outside they find that the entire town has been mesmerized by Blackheart and are being drawn to the center of town. Only Lucy remains outside of Blackheart's power, and she is kidnapped by Blackheart while the heroes try to fight through the crowd of enslaved people. Dan sees that Blackheart has also taken possession of the Ghost Rider's motorcycle, and as the demon demands that they submit to him and kill his father he holds Lucy into the air, claiming her to be the one innocent soul in the town. Blackheart rides away on the mystical motorcycle, spilling Lucy's blood with a scratch on her arm, blood which splashes on Danny's face. Punisher and Wolverine climb into Castle's van to follow the demon, while Danny breaks into an auto shop to take a motorcycle. Suddenly, the design of the Ghost Rider's gas cap appears on Danny's hands, prompting him to wonder if the transformation comes from inside him and not from the motorcycle. His thoughts are confirmed when he transforms into Ghost Rider, complete with a new mystical motorcycle.
Punisher and Wolverine follow Blackheart to the sacrificial hilltop, which is now surrounded by a thick field of thorns. Frank and Logan start cutting their through the thorns, being cut and torn as they progress, but they're soon given a clear path by Ghost Rider, who burns his way through the thorns while riding to the top of the hill. Blackheart again attempts to sway the vigilantes over to his cause, tempting them with answers to the questions they each have about their lives. All three again refuse and attack Blackheart, who calls forth an army of green spirits to assist him. Blackheart escapes through a portal to Hell with the captive Lucy, but Ghost Rider follows and destroys the demons protecting his enemy. Ghost Rider removes his gloves and beats Blackheart into submission with his hellfire skeleton fists, while the demon finally realizes that this Rider cannot be the same as Zarathos. Blackheart makes a final attempt to kill Lucy, but he is stopped by Wolverine, who cuts off the demon's arm. Punisher then blows Blackheart apart with a grenade launcher, telling him that the "edge" he speaks of them crossing doesn't exist; any soul Castle once had is long gone, and now there is just right, wrong, and punishment. Blackheart attempts to pull his body back together while Wolverine and Punisher take Lucy back through the portal to Earth, leaving Ghost Rider behind to finish off their foe. But the battle is halted by Mephisto, who appears as giant to collect his son and remove the Ghost Rider from Hell, though he promises that they will encounter one another again very soon. Back on the hilltop above Christ's Crown, the heroes see that the town has been freed from Blackheart's control. Punisher wonders if the "edge" Blackheart spoke of really exists within them, to which Ghost Rider answers that it doesn't matter what lines they may cross as long as they protect the innocent from harm. While Lucy takes Ghost Rider's hand in hers, a bloody rose is seen at their feet.
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| His skin IS barbed wire, right? |
THE ROADMAP
Ghost Rider last appeared in Marvel Comics Presents (1988) # 97 and appears next in Ghost Rider (1990) # 19.
Blackheart first appeared in Daredevil # 270, created by decades of ceremonial human sacrifice atop the hill in Christ's Crown.
Ghost Rider first met Wolverine in Marvel Comics Presents (1988) # 65 and the Punisher in Ghost Rider (1990) # 5. Not surprisingly, he encountered them both as enemies before he came to regard them as allies. He shares appearances with the two vigilantes next in Ghost Rider (1990) # 29 and The Punisher War Journal (1988) # 57, respectively.
Blackheart promises Danny the secrets of the Ghost Rider's origin and the Soul Crystal, which is what imprisoned Zarathos and Centurious in Ghost Rider (1973) # 81. The Soul Crystal was first mentioned to Danny by Nightmare in Ghost Rider (1990) # 11, and it was shown to still be in Mephisto's possession in The Mighty Thor (1964) # 430.
Ghost Rider's new motorcycle is taken back to New York and is given to John Blaze in Ghost Rider (1990) # 28. This is the first appearance of Danny's "brand" on the palm of his hand and this is the first instance of Ghost Rider being able to transform a regular bike into his "hell-cycle".
This story is given a sequel years later, called Ghost Rider/Wolverine/Punisher: The Dark Design, wherein the three heroes once again battle Blackheart for the soul of Christ's Crown.
CHAIN REACTION
The perfect storm of 1990s popularity, "Hearts of Darkness" manages to succeed as a story despite the hype and overexposure of the characters.
While readers today may roll their eyes at the idea of a bookshelf format crossover between Ghost Rider, Wolverine, and the Punisher, dismissing it as another of Marvel's shameless cash-ins of their most popular (at the time) characters, there's actually a lot more to this book than a simple cash grab. Of course, in 1991 this book was essentially just an excuse for Marvel to make money hand over fist, this thing sold like crazy, but for a lot of Ghost Rider fans it holds up as one of the premier stories of the era. I'm one of those fans, I love "Hearts of Darkness".
Ghost Rider was at the height of his early 90s popularity, Wolverine was still a hot commodity, and though he was starting to lose the high sales he'd enjoyed the late 1980s the Punisher was still a sales-draw. So it was pretty ingenious to do this story not as a crossover but as a special with a five dollar cover price. This comic, while it certainly has its fair share of flaws, is worth every penny of that price. Not only was the special written by Howard Mackie (who wisely had tight control over Ghost Rider's appearances this early on), assuring it a close connection to the ongoing series, but it also featured the hugely-popular John Romita Jr. on art, fresh off his stint on Daredevil. While he's still a high-profile creator today, Romita Jr. was one of Marvel's best assets in the early 1990s, particularly because he was the only high-profile artist that didn't depart the company for Image a year after this book was published. Romita had experience with illustrating both Wolverine and Punisher, but this was his first shot at Ghost Rider, and I am really quite fond of his approach to the character. I love that he draws the Rider's jacket as an actual leather jacket instead of spandex, and he gives the character a sense of weight that hadn't been seen in contemporary renditions. It was also pretty exciting to see Ghost Rider riding a motorcycle that was completely aflame, which I have to assume was a deliberate homage to the Johnny Blaze incarnation. Romita's design for the new bike is awesome, and I was a bit disappointed when Adam Kubert changed its design when it was passed off to Blaze during "Rise of the Midnight Sons". A lot of people dislike Romita's style, and I admit that you either love his work or hate it, and while I'm not much of a fan of his current work I thought his art from this period to be fantastic.
Thankfully, Mackie gives Romita a quality story to draw instead of letting the book be dominated by pretty pictures and a vapid crossover attempt. Blackheart was an obviously natural enemy for Ghost Rider, and the demon's attempt to gain favor with the three heroes by appealing to their darker natures is a nice touch. Blackheart is aiming a bit low by choosing these three to assassinate freaking Mephisto, but I can forgive the suspension of disbelief it takes. However, there are some issues with the story that I have to address. First, the themes of "dark sides to the soul" and "the line between good and evil" are absolutely hammered over our heads; Mackie was never a subtle writer, but this is so heavy-handed it skirts close to actually insulting the reader. The Punisher doesn't come off as very bright either, and its obvious that his role was a stretch for Mackie to make believable. Frank isn't stupid nor is he this unwilling to accept what's happening right in front of his face, though I do like his speech at the end while he's shooting Blackheart with a grenade launcher (ridiculous as that sounds, I know).
Finally, and this was a problem with every crossover Mackie did with Ghost Rider, he allowed his own pet character to dominate the story. This book would have been no different had Wolverine and Punisher been left out, and while that's wonderful for Ghost Rider fans I imagine it was frustrating for fans of the other characters. Mackie tries to give Frank and Logan some spotlights, but its obvious which character is the undeniable main attraction in the writer's eyes. It's Ghost Rider that receives both double-page art spreads, and by the end I found myself wondering what was the point of having the other two there considering it was Ghost Rider who eventually beats Blackheart.
I love this comic despite its flaws, and as strictly a Ghost Rider story guest-starring two other guys it works very well. I'm sure I'm looking at this comic through nostalgia-tinted-glasses, but ask any Ghost Rider fan from the early 90s what their favorite stories were and I guarantee this one will be mentioned by a majority of them.
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| The real holy trinity of comics! |
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