On Sale Date: February 1983
Writer: J.M. DeMatteis
Artist: Bob Budiansky
Inker: Kevin Dzubin
Letterer: Diana Albers
Colorist: Bob Sharen
Editor: Tom DeFalco
Editor In Chief: Jim Shooter
Cover Artist: Bob Budiansky
During their cross-country trip, Johnny and Roxanne stop to make camp for a night. After Roxanne gives Johnny the cold shoulder and retires to her tent, Blaze notices a strange fog rolling toward them. Out of the fog comes a pack of wolves, who hungrily attack the couple. Afraid that they'll kill Roxanne, Johnny allows the Ghost Rider to emerge and the demon quickly causes the animals to retreat back into the forest. Roxanne recoils in horror as she sees for herself just how much the Ghost Rider has changed since she last encountered him, but offers no words of solace to Johnny as he regains control over his body.
When the two arrive in Holly, Roxanne's family invites Domblue for dinner, in order for him to meet Johnny. While Roxanne's aunt and uncle appear afflicted by the Sin-Eater, her cousin Charlie is not. During the dinner, he calls the pastor out as evil, and that the two need to have a talk. The two leave, and later that night Charlie comes into Johnny's room. His face is devoid of all emotion as he speaks of how wonderful Domblue is.
The next day, Johnny and Roxanne attend the pastor's church service. After his fiery speech, he calls out for those who have yet to receive his touch to come forward. Johnny gets up, deciding to find out if he's truly a fraud or not. Blaze lays upon the alter, not noticing several green tendrils that emerge from the floor beside him. Johnny's soul begins to rise out of him, but instead of submitting, he shrieks and triggers the transformation into the Ghost Rider. The demon smacks the Sin-Eater away, only to have another man step from behind a curtain: Centurious, the Soulless Man. The two battle, but soon the Rider tires, giving Blaze a chance to regain control. Centurious shows him the source of his power, the Soul Crystal, which is where the Sin-Eater has deposited the souls of Holly. He then tells Blaze his story; he was a prince that had been alive during Zarathos reign on Earth, used by Mephisto to lay the demon low. He wandered for centuries, eventually coming across the Soul Crystal. His chance meeting with the Ghost Rider weeks before had stirred his memories and hatred of the demon, and in a search for anything to use against him, came across Roxanne. Centurious then offers Blaze a choice: either submit to the Soul Crystal, or have the same fate bestowed on Roxanne. Blaze rushes forward as the tendrils of the Crystal extend, ripping the soul from his body.
Centurious and the Soul Crystal first appeared in Ghost Rider (1973) # 74. The history of Zarathos was told in Ghost Rider (1973) # 77, but the fact that Centurious and the soulless prince were one and the same was left as a surprise.
Johnny stands in shock when he sees Roxanne Simpson standing in front of him. The two walk into a tent to talk in private, where she tells him that after he left Los Angeles, she went to live with her mom's sister in a small Midwestern town named Holly. The pastor of the town, Ethan Domblue, inexplicably began calling himself the Sin-Eater, swearing that he could devour all the sins from the human soul. One by one, the people of Holly began to submit to the Sin-Eater for absolution. After this, the people changed into vapid, almost zombie-like husks that followed the pastor blindly. She came to the Quentin Carnival to ask the Ghost Rider for help. Johnny tries to tell her that the demon is uncontrollable now, but agrees to come anyway. Blaze says his goodbyes to his friends in the Carnival, and then he and Roxanne ride off.
During their cross-country trip, Johnny and Roxanne stop to make camp for a night. After Roxanne gives Johnny the cold shoulder and retires to her tent, Blaze notices a strange fog rolling toward them. Out of the fog comes a pack of wolves, who hungrily attack the couple. Afraid that they'll kill Roxanne, Johnny allows the Ghost Rider to emerge and the demon quickly causes the animals to retreat back into the forest. Roxanne recoils in horror as she sees for herself just how much the Ghost Rider has changed since she last encountered him, but offers no words of solace to Johnny as he regains control over his body.
When the two arrive in Holly, Roxanne's family invites Domblue for dinner, in order for him to meet Johnny. While Roxanne's aunt and uncle appear afflicted by the Sin-Eater, her cousin Charlie is not. During the dinner, he calls the pastor out as evil, and that the two need to have a talk. The two leave, and later that night Charlie comes into Johnny's room. His face is devoid of all emotion as he speaks of how wonderful Domblue is.
The next day, Johnny and Roxanne attend the pastor's church service. After his fiery speech, he calls out for those who have yet to receive his touch to come forward. Johnny gets up, deciding to find out if he's truly a fraud or not. Blaze lays upon the alter, not noticing several green tendrils that emerge from the floor beside him. Johnny's soul begins to rise out of him, but instead of submitting, he shrieks and triggers the transformation into the Ghost Rider. The demon smacks the Sin-Eater away, only to have another man step from behind a curtain: Centurious, the Soulless Man. The two battle, but soon the Rider tires, giving Blaze a chance to regain control. Centurious shows him the source of his power, the Soul Crystal, which is where the Sin-Eater has deposited the souls of Holly. He then tells Blaze his story; he was a prince that had been alive during Zarathos reign on Earth, used by Mephisto to lay the demon low. He wandered for centuries, eventually coming across the Soul Crystal. His chance meeting with the Ghost Rider weeks before had stirred his memories and hatred of the demon, and in a search for anything to use against him, came across Roxanne. Centurious then offers Blaze a choice: either submit to the Soul Crystal, or have the same fate bestowed on Roxanne. Blaze rushes forward as the tendrils of the Crystal extend, ripping the soul from his body.
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| What's the matter, Roxy? |
THE ROADMAP
Roxanne Simpson last appeared in Ghost Rider (1973) # 28, when she was given amnesia by the Orb. She's been tracking Johnny and the Quentin Carnival since Ghost Rider (1973) # 74.
Centurious and the Soul Crystal first appeared in Ghost Rider (1973) # 74. The history of Zarathos was told in Ghost Rider (1973) # 77, but the fact that Centurious and the soulless prince were one and the same was left as a surprise.
CHAIN REACTION
To read my review of Ghost Rider (1973) # 80 see my book Wheels On Fire: An Unofficial Guide to Marvel Comics' Ghost Rider: 1972-1983!
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