Ghost Rider (1990) # 52

“A Trail of Flames”

Cover Date: August 1994; On Sale Date: June 1994

Writer: Howard Mackie; Artist: Ron Garney; Inker: Klaus Janson & Al Williamson; Letterer: Janice Chiang; Colorist: Glynis Oliver; Editor: Bobbie Chase; Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco; Cover Artist: Ron Garney

Michael Badilino is tortured by Hellgate and is trapped halfway through his transformation into Vengeance. Dan Ketch wakes up in his mother’s house with Badilino and Hellgate on his mind, then finds his mother burning breakfast due to her early morning drinking. That evening, Dan attempts to dump his motorcycle in the river, but finds himself unable to stop obsessing over Hellgate. He reads through Badilino’s journal, transforms into Ghost Rider, and spends the evening disrupting Hellgate’s criminal activities outlined in the journal. Meanwhile, at his Westchester home, Hellgate tells Badilino that he has him scheduled for dissection. 

Ghost Rider arrives in Westchester just as Hellgate is departing via helicopter and realizes that the villain has lured him into a trap. Ghost Rider is joined by a mysterious ninja named Shriker, who helps him fight off Hellgate’s men. Shriker departs and Ghost Rider rescues Badilino, who tells Ghost Rider that he’s leaving New York immediately. The next day, Dan says goodbye to his mother and leaves to resume his life in the city.

“Taking it to the Road”

Writer: Howard Mackie; Artist: Salvador Larroca; Inker: Sergio Melia; Letterer: Janice Chiang; Colorist: Kevin Somers; Editor: Bobbie Chase; Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco

Weeks later, one of Hellgate’s safehouses is raided by government soldiers, with Vengeance having beaten them there to interrogate one of Hellgate’s men. Vengeance escapes conflict with the soldiers and their commander, a woman named Agent Uno. Later, Uno confronts Badilino, who has been given control over the Hellgate case. He tells Uno to clean up and take the credit for the safehouse while he heads to the West Coast to dig up more information on Hellgate.

THE ROADMAP

Michael Badilino/Vengeance was kidnapped by Hellgate in Ghost Rider (1990) # 50.

Vengeance will go on appearing in the lead story in Marvel Comics Presents until its cancellation with Marvel Comics Presents (1988) # 175. He will appear again in this series in Ghost Rider (1990) # 73.

The Shriker appears next in Ghost Rider (1996) # 56 and his identity is revealed in Ghost Rider (1990) # 60.

CHAIN REACTION

Ghost Rider and Vengeance both launch into new status quos in this housekeeping issue.

This issue is a transition for several different reasons. Vengeance officially passes the torch back to Ghost Rider as the star of the series and moves on to greener pastures (or, well, a Venom mini-series at least), Howard Mackie doubles down on introducing the new status quo for Danny Ketch and Ghost Rider, and the artistic chores are split between outgoing artist Ron Garney and incoming artist Salvador Larroca. If anything, it makes this issue seem like less than it should be.

Garney was an artist who had been around for the worst of the title’s excesses, the majority of his issues being devoted to crossovers. He never really got to craft an identity for himself as the series’ artist until Vengeance took over the role as the central character. So having him depart the same time Vengeance leaves the cast is suitably appropriate. Garney goes on to have a stellar comic career after this, as does his replacement. Larroca is one of those artists, like Henry Martinez on Blaze, who starts off with an amateur quality and improves with great bounds as each new issue was released. Comparing Larroca’s work here with what he produced in the last issue is already a huge shift in quality, with less of the Jim Lee imitation being evident.

The other big event of the issue is the introduction of the new character, Shriker, who essentially takes over the Vengeance role as “side character who helps Ghost Rider on occasion”. Unlike many of the characters introduced in the last year of the title, Shriker is one that Mackie seemed to have had a plan for that actually gets realized after months of build-up. In hindsight, Shriker’s real identity is fairly obvious, but at the time it was a genuine mystery. I mean, he’s really nothing more than a purple ninja, but he’s so much better than Seer or Suicide in the ranks of supporting cast members.

This is a bridge issue and, honestly, is only there to tie up loose ends so Mackie and Larroca can get the book back on track as a more traditional dark superhero series. Bye Vengeance, don’t let the door hit you on the way out.