Ghost Rider (1973) # 25

"Menace Is a Man Called Malice!"

Cover Date: August 1977

On Sale Date: May 1977

Writer: Jim Shooter
Artist: Don Heck
Inker: Tony DeZuniga
Letterer: Denise Wohl
Colorist: Dan Warfield
Editor: Archie Goodwin

Cover Artist: Gil Kane

Johnny Blaze, in his form of the Ghost Rider, conjures his motorcycle from pure hellfire in a darkened alleyway in Los Angeles. Despite the dizzying effect the effort of forming his bike causes him, Blaze knows that if he wastes any time than several lives may possibly be at stake. He rides out of the alley, startling the people on the street, and races toward the Hollywood Wax Museum, which is engulfed with an inferno of flames. Realizing that the fire department are fighting a losing battle with the blaze, the Ghost Rider races up the side of the building across the street and then jumps from its roof straight into the burning museum. Finding a woman trapped inside, the sight of the demon biker causes her to faint. When the fire fighters have given up all hope of any survivors, Blaze blasts through the wall and sets the woman down in front of them. He then jumps on his bike and races through the crowd, away from the building. As he leaves the scene, he spots a modified sports car racing away as well. Johnny doesn't give much thought to the car other than a hope that the cops will chase it instead of him.

Back in the same alley where he formed his cycle, Johnny returns to his human form and returns to his normal bike. Later, at Delazny Studios, Johnny notices that things are unusually quiet. When he enters the studio, he finds Karen Page, who leads him to a dressing room that contains the rest of the crew. On the television is a live news report from a local power plant that is surrounded by the police. The police spotlights land on a costumed figure atop the plant, a figure that identifies himself as Malice. When the cops begin to move closer to the building, the villain fires at the ground with a gun that causes an earthquake below their feet. Before they can regain their footing, he employs another device that causes their guns to fall to pieces and their cars to explode. As the cops run away, Malice tells the cameras to remember his name and to tell the newspapers that he was the one who burned down the wax museum as well. As everyone flees, Malice turns and fires his weapon at the power plant, causing it to explode and subsequently throws much of the city into darkness.

Later, after the Delazny crew have parted ways for the evening, Johnny rides home on his bike, lost in thoughts of Karen Page and Roxanne Simpson. Suddenly, a car runs a stop sign and barrels at him, not slowing down an inch. Only with the use of his skills as a stunt-rider does Blaze manage to keep from being hit. He gives chase to the car, but then suddenly realizes that its the same one he saw after the wax museum fire. Naturally, when he catches up to the car, he sees that the driver is none other than Malice, who is using his weaponry to rob a bank. The criminal robs the bank while Johnny stares, awestruck. Only after Malice has again sped off in his car does Blaze realize that he should have stopped him. Transforming into the Ghost Rider and hopping upon his flame cycle easily catches up to Malice's car. Blaze goes into his spook act, saying that the villain will "feel the aching horror of Hell", but then realizes that there's no possible way Malice could hear him. Pushing aside the thoughts of why he lapsed so easily into his hellspawn act, Blaze finds himself assailed by a barrage of missiles from the back of the villain's car. When all miss, Malice drives across a bridge and then blows it in two, with the Ghost Rider stuck on the opposite side. Thinking himself home free, Malice drives on.

Some time later, Malice finds that the Ghost Rider is somehow now standing in the road in front of him. With the car going at a speed of 80 MPH, Blaze stands stock-still and allows the vehicle to hit him head on, not fazing him in the slightest. When Malice crawls from the wreckage, the Ghost Rider tells him that his thirst for vengeance will not be denied and then fries him with a blast of hellfire. The flame burns deep into the villain's soul. The Ghost Rider then rides away, leaving the broken Malice stuck to the road in a pool of molten tar. 

Ghost Rider's actually starting to scare people!

THE ROADMAP

Ghost Rider last appeared in Marvel Team-Up (1972) # 58 and makes his next appearance in The Human Fly (1977) # 2.

This is the first issue in which the personality of the demon Zarathos begins to assert itself, though not through full control of the Ghost Rider. The name Zarathos is revealed in Ghost Rider (1973) # 76 and his origin is told in Ghost Rider (1973) # 77.

CHAIN REACTION

To read my review of Ghost Rider (1973) # 25 see my book Wheels On Fire: An Unofficial Guide to Marvel Comics' Ghost Rider: 1972-1983!

Wheels On Fire: An Unofficial Guide to Marvel Comics' Ghost Rider From 1972-1983: Munn, Chris, Ishizaki, James, DeMatteis, J.M.: 9798702991832: Amazon.com: Books

Shooter defines the effect of hellfire on the soul.