Ghost Rider and Iron Fist have their final battle with the Legion of Vengeance, now aware of D'Kay's plan to have the Legion supplant the heroes of Earth and then lead humanity to extinction. Ghost Rider and Iron Fist manage to defeat the Legion by turning their powers against one another, and while they are under the fever dream of contagion they are able to convince the Legion that they must use their abilities for good and not destruction. D'Kay appears and strips the Legion of their powers, returning them to their mundane lives in order to keep them from becoming true heroes. Ghost Rider and Iron Fist leave the crypt, satisfied in their victory, but are unaware that the Legion still retain a vestige of their powers. D'Kay, stating that the lust for power will always be there, swears that one day the Legion of Vengeance will return.
THE ROADMAP
Ghost Rider makes his next appearance in Marvel Collector's Edition # 1.
D'Kay doesn't appear again until Iron Fist (2017) # 79, which was part of the "Damnation" crossover event. He is later killed by Lilith in Ghost Rider (2019) # 1.
This issue of Marvel Comics Presents also contained stories featuring Wolverine/Venom, Giant-Man, and Doom 2099.
CHAIN REACTION
"Legion of Vengeance" concludes with an abrupt ending that leads to a pat and unsatisfying conclusion.
For all that this story has hyped up the Legion of Vengeance as the harbingers of humanity's doom, they sure are defeated awful easily in this issue. While turning their abilities against one another is a fairly novel approach to defeating opponents whose egos run as rampant as theirs, having Ghost Rider chain up Bacillus' hands so he touches everyone, including himself, is a little ridiculous. Is he so contagious that he can't turn his power off at all? Then there's the bit where the heroes use the Legion's fever state to induce "fever dreams" of themselves as heroes and villains. Ghost Rider and Iron Fist apparently missed their true callings as motivational speakers because they throw down some elementary philosophy at their enemies that immediately makes D'Kay throw his whole plan down the tubes.
Shawn McManus' artwork is still solid enough, I think his work improved as the serial went on. He draws a good Ghost Rider, his figures aren't as distorted as in previous chapters, and he handles the disgusting bits of Bacillus' power with apparent glee. The Legion of Vengeance did have some strong character designs, Strontium 90's spandex get-up notwithstanding, and the visuals this issue are fairly good.
As much as I can't believe I'm saying this, I think this serial needed at least another chapter or two to sell this conclusion. I don't particularly want to read more of this story, it's easily the worst Ghost Rider team-up in the series so far, but the ending is rushed through so quickly in this one in such an abrupt manner that it doesn't feel like an ending, just a stopping point.
D'Kay doesn't appear again until Iron Fist (2017) # 79, which was part of the "Damnation" crossover event. He is later killed by Lilith in Ghost Rider (2019) # 1.
This issue of Marvel Comics Presents also contained stories featuring Wolverine/Venom, Giant-Man, and Doom 2099.
CHAIN REACTION
"Legion of Vengeance" concludes with an abrupt ending that leads to a pat and unsatisfying conclusion.
For all that this story has hyped up the Legion of Vengeance as the harbingers of humanity's doom, they sure are defeated awful easily in this issue. While turning their abilities against one another is a fairly novel approach to defeating opponents whose egos run as rampant as theirs, having Ghost Rider chain up Bacillus' hands so he touches everyone, including himself, is a little ridiculous. Is he so contagious that he can't turn his power off at all? Then there's the bit where the heroes use the Legion's fever state to induce "fever dreams" of themselves as heroes and villains. Ghost Rider and Iron Fist apparently missed their true callings as motivational speakers because they throw down some elementary philosophy at their enemies that immediately makes D'Kay throw his whole plan down the tubes.
Shawn McManus' artwork is still solid enough, I think his work improved as the serial went on. He draws a good Ghost Rider, his figures aren't as distorted as in previous chapters, and he handles the disgusting bits of Bacillus' power with apparent glee. The Legion of Vengeance did have some strong character designs, Strontium 90's spandex get-up notwithstanding, and the visuals this issue are fairly good.
As much as I can't believe I'm saying this, I think this serial needed at least another chapter or two to sell this conclusion. I don't particularly want to read more of this story, it's easily the worst Ghost Rider team-up in the series so far, but the ending is rushed through so quickly in this one in such an abrupt manner that it doesn't feel like an ending, just a stopping point.
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