Cover Date: August 1993; On Sale Date: June 1993
Writer: Howard Mackie; Artist: Adam Kubert; Inkers: Joe Kubert, Dan Green, Klaus Janson, & Frank Spinks; Letterer: Bill Oakley; Colorist: Gregory Wright; Editor: Bobbie Chase; Editor-In-Chief: Tom DeFalco; Cover Artist: Adam Kubert
At the Sanctum Sanctorum, home of Dr. Strange, the remaining members of the Midnight Sons arrive to find another of their number, Morbius, dead and the possessed Switchblade attempting to gain access to the building. Blade blasts his way inside and begins his search for the Darkhold, realizing that Strange is not home. Ghost Rider attempts to enter the Sanctum but is unable to get past the protective magical barrier. Blade finds the Darkhold but when he tries to grab it a spell is activated that drags him and the book outside amidst a teleportation vortex. Louise Hastings realizes that Strange’s spell is sending the Darkhold to another dimension and tells Ghost Rider to anchor the book so they can use it to stop Blade. Ghost Rider rushes forward to fight Blade, but is almost immediately overpowered and killed. Upon dying, Ghost Rider’s powers are absorbed by Blade, including the Penance Stare, which causes agony for Blade. Elsewhere, at a mysterious bar called the Nightclub, a member of the Blood named Seer who previously escaped Blade realizes that the Caretaker was right and the Blood need to gather once again.
While he lay dying Ghost Rider experiences visions of the future that involve him, Blaze, and Vengeance working together against Centurious. Louise Hastings reaches the Darkhold and reads aloud the spell that reverses Blade’s transformation and resurrects all of his victims. Ghost Rider stops Modred from killing Blade and the Midnight Sons go their separate ways. They are unaware that the dimensional walls have started to fall, potentially unleashing terrible evil into the world.
THE ROADMAP
This issue is the conclusion to the "Midnight Massacre" crossover, continuing from Morbius: The Living Vampire (1992) # 12. John Blaze died in the first chapter of the crossover, Nightstalkers (1992) # 10.
Ghost Rider and Blaze appear next in Midnight Sons Unlimited (1993) # 3.
CHAIN REACTION
“Midnight Massacre” comes to a predictable conclusion, with Ghost Rider making a last stand against Switchblade.
I remember readers being particularly disenchanted with the conclusion of this story, and I can understand why. At the end of the day nothing of consequence happens, all of the shocking deaths are reversed, and Blade gets to walk back to his status quo. I can see why some would find that ending hollow and frustrating, I truly can.
However, I would argue that in many cases the journey is more important than the destination, and that certainly applies here. Sure, it ends with a magic reset that undoes the entirety of the crossover, but that’s beside the point. Everyone reading this in 1993 knew these characters were not going to stay dead and the writers were certainly aware of that. It reminds me of another 90’s Marvel event that killed loads of characters and then reset everything at the end, Infinity Gauntlet.
As a concluding chapter, this issue delivers on the Blade/Ghost Rider showdown in a truly unexpected way. Just like in the previous Ghost Rider chapter, the heavy of the Midnight Sons doesn’t immediately take charge and defeat the bad guy, he in fact dies pretty quickly into the fight. Mackie gives Ghost Rider’s sacrifice just enough pathos to convincingly sell it, especially when he delivers the line about seeking vengeance for the death of his friend, John Blaze. It’s also a very nice touch to have the human Louise Hastings be the ultimate hero of the story, proving that she could do what her comrades could not despite having no supernatural powers.
While this issue brings the crossover to an end, it is also the swan song for series artist Adam Kubert. For my money no artist aside from the Saltares/Texeira duo was as visually exciting and dynamic as Kubert was on this title. The amount of personality he gave to a flaming skull was always impressive, and when I think about Blaze in the 1990s his is the version I picture in my mind. Kubert departing is a blow this series never recovers from. I do wish he’d gone out on a stronger note, though maybe deadlines and the necessity of four inkers might be responsible for what is certainly the artist’s weakest showing. A distinct lack of backgrounds is a problem, resulting in the characters taking up a nondescript space. He does nail the Ghost Rider’s death scene, though, which is beautiful in it’s brutality.
“Midnight Massacre” works for me and is easily the best of the three Midnight Sons crossovers.
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