Ghost Rider (2016) # 5

"Four on the Floor, Part 5"

Cover Date: May 2017; Publication Date: March 2017

Writer: Felipe Smith; Artist: Danilo S. Beyruth; Letterer: VC's Joe Caramagna; Colorist: Val Staples & Jesus Aburtov; Editor: Mark Paniccia; Editor In Chief: Axel Alonso; Cover Artist: Felipe Smith

Robbie Reyes, as Ghost Rider, fights a gang of thugs outside of his ex-con co-worker Ramon's house.  Ramon gets a phone call telling him about a situation, and he hops on motorcycle to leave.  Robbie, goaded by Eli in his head, follows Ramon to Canelo's Auto Body, where he finds the purple alien monster, the Agents of SHIELD, and the three assembled superheroes (Totally Awesome Hulk, Silk, and All-New Wolverine).  They tell Robbie that the alien absorbs DNA by biting, so he needs to be careful; if the alien were to acquire his powers it would be unstoppable.  The creature mutates as it fights the heroes, having taken on the attributes of SHIELD agents Coulson and May, and Ramon decides to take matters into his own hands.  He grabs a drum of gasoline and stuffs a rag into the top, which he lights on fire and drives toward the monster.  Robbie grabs Ramon and drives the drum into the alien himself, causing it to explode.  But when Ghost Rider walks out of the fire, the alien jumps him and bites him on the shoulder.  Instead of the alien mutating, though, it's Robbie who changes into a more bestial, powerful form of the Ghost Rider.  With Eli's guidance, Robbie blasts the alien with hellfire, which it cannot adapt against.  The alien reverts back into a small hunk of rock, leaving the heroes stunned by Ghost Rider's transformation.

The next day, Amadeus Cho explains that the alien reverted to his dormant state when it couldn't adapt to Ghost Rider's power.  Agent Coulson remarks that it was lucky that Ghost Rider's power wasn't intrinsic to his biology, and all the alien got was Robbie's DNA.

Ghost Rider (2016) # 4

"Four on the Floor, Part 4"

Cover Date: April 2017; Publication Date: February 2017

Writer: Felipe Smith; Artist: Danilo S. Beyruth; Letterer: VC's Joe Caramagna; Colorist: Val Staples & Jesus Aburtov; Editor: Mark Paniccia; Editor In Chief: Axel Alonso; Cover Artist: Felipe Smith

Late at night in East Los Angeles, Ghost Rider has tracked down the group of kidnappers that he had last encountered in Hillrock Heights.  Despite Eli pushing him to murder the criminals, Robbie lets them go after scaring them.  Robbie's refusal to give in to his rage is making him sick, and Eli tells him that if he doesn't unleash his wrath soon then Eli will take over their body again. 

The next morning, the heroes that are tracking down the alien monster (Totally Awesome Hulk, All-New Wolverine, and Silk) have joined forces with Agents Coulson and May of SHIELD.  They track the alien's energy signature back to Hillrock Heights, directly beneath Canelo's Auto & Body repair shop.  Inside, Robbie watches Ramon Cordova interact with gangsters, and Eli tries to talk him into destroying the ex-convict.  Outside, Ramon tells the gangsters to leave, breaking one's nose and threatening to kill the other.  When Ramon goes back inside, he yells at Robbie's little brother Gabe, who had taken Ramon's tools and put them away without permission.  Robbie, meanwhile, has been confronted by Wolverine and Hulk in their civilian identities, and while Robbie says he can repair Wolverine's car he's not interested in teaming up with them to find the alien. 

Later, while the team of heroes and SHIELD agents stake out the repair shop, Robbie drives to Cordova's house to talk to him about what happened with Gabe.  Cordova tells Robbie to back off, saying he's not cut out for street life, but before Robbie can reply the gang members that Ramon chased off arrive and start shooting.  Ramon saves Robbie, telling him to stay down while he takes care of the thugs.  Robbie is able to transform into Ghost Rider without Ramon seeing and takes out the gangsters, possibly killing one of them.  Back at the auto shop, the alien arrives and is engaged by SHIELD.  When the heroes attack as well, the alien grabs Agents Coulson and May, biting them both on their necks. 

Ghost Rider (2016) # 3

"Four on the Floor, Part 3"

Cover Date: March 2017; Publication Date: January 2017

Writer: Felipe Smith; Artist: Danilo S. Beyruth; Letterer: VC's Joe Caramagna; Colorist: Val Staples & Jesus Aburtov; Editor: Mark Paniccia; Editor In Chief: Axel Alonso; Cover Artist: Felipe Smith

In the Hillrock Heights neighborhood of East Los Angeles, the Totally Awesome Hulk and All-New Wolverine are confronted by Ghost Rider, who sees the Hulk and thinks he's another by-product of Mr. Hyde's strength-enhancing pills.  He drives his car into the Hulk, who barely manages to hold the vehicle back, and a ring of fire opens up beneath them.  At the same time, the pink alien monster erupts from the ground and attacks Wolverine, just as Ghost Rider and Hulk disappear, teleported by Robbie to the Arizona Desert.  Hulk and Ghost Rider fight to a stale-mate, but Robbie starts to lose control and transforms briefly into a more demonic form.  Robbie is able to regain control and turns back to his human self, telling Eli that Hulk has a "pure soul".  Robbie tells Hulk that he thought he was threatening his neighborhood and needed to be stopped somewhere away from innocent people.  Realizing their misunderstanding, Robbie teleports them back to Hillrock Heights, where they find Wolverine hanging out with "El Perro Ribioso", who Eli recognizes as the ex-convict working at Canelo's Auto Shop.  The alien monster left as soon as Ghost Rider and Hulk disappeared, as if it was disinterested in staying in the area.  Hulk and Wolverine invite Ghost Rider to help them find the monster, but he simply drives away without saying a word.

The next morning, Robbie complains to Mr. Canelo about "Mad Dog", but Canelo tells him that before he complains about other employees he should consider leaving his little brother Gabe with a babysitter instead of bringing him to work.  Meanwhile, Hulk and Wolverine have used their flying truck to track the monster to a casino in Las Vegas, where it has mutated once again and is now able to shoot webbing.  They are again unable to defeat the alien, which again escapes, and in the rubble of the casino they find the spider-powered hero Silk, who has been vacationing and attacked out of nowhere.  Silk agrees to join them in finding the alien and tells them that she has some friends that can help.  In the Mojave Desert, the three heroes are joined by Agents Coulson and May of SHIELD.

Ghost Rider (2016) # 2

"Four on the Floor, Part 2"

Cover Date: February 2017; Publication Date: December 2016

Writer: Felipe Smith; Artist: Danilo S. Beyruth; Letterer: VC's Joe Caramagna; Colorist: Val Staples & Jesus Aburtov; Editor: Mark Paniccia; Editor In Chief: Axel Alonso; Cover Artist: Marco Chechetto

In Los Angeles, Laura Kinney (the All-New Wolverine) is attacked by the alien creature that escaped from the beach.  She discovers that its skin is impervious even to her adamantium claws, which cannot cut through it.  The "Totally Awesome" Hulk arrives and punches the monster into a glass window, causing shrapnel to fly at them.  He explains that the monster is a power-mimic that has already copied his abilities, including the impenetrable skin.  He sees that the shrapnel had cut Wolverine to shreds, and the alien makes contact with her blood, mutating it yet again. 

Meanwhile, Robbie and Gabe arrive at Canelo's Auto Shop while their boss, Mr. Canelo, conducts an interview with a new employee named Ramon who has just got out of prison.  Robbie goes to the bathroom and vomits, asking Eli what happened the night before.  Eli explains that they "leveled up", that every time he uses his power as the Ghost Rider it makes them more powerful.  Ramon leaves, and the other employees tell Robbie that the man was Ramon "Mad Dog" Cordova, a.k.a. El Perro Rabioso, who was a psychotic gangster that went to prison over a decade ago.

Back at the fight, the monster uses Wolverine as a "human dagger" and impales her claws through the Hulk's chest.  While the two heroes heal from their massive wounds, the monster escapes.  Hulk explains to Wolverine that he put a tracking device on it and asks her to help him find and stop it before it hurts more people.

That night in Hillrock Heights, Ramon Cordova's old gang attempts to get him to join back up with them to go to war with another gang.  Ramon refuses, saying that prison changed him and he has turned away from his murderous past.  Amadeus Cho and Wolverine pull up in a van and ask to be let through, and when the gang leader threatens them Cho steps out and turns into the Hulk.  The gang attacks, forcing Hulk and Wolverine to defend themselves, but the sound of an engine interrupts the fight.  The gang backs off, leaving Hulk and Wolverine in the street as a howling mad Ghost Rider arrives.

Ghost Rider (2016) # 1

"Four on the Floor, Part 1"

Cover Date: January 2017; Publication Date: November 2016

Writer: Felipe Smith; Artist: Danilo S. Beyruth; Letterer: VC's Joe Caramagna; Colorist: Val Staples & Jesus Aburtov; Editor: Mark Paniccia; Editor In Chief: Axel Alonso; Cover Artist: Marco Chechetto

At Canelo's Auto Shop, Robbie Reyes is spending time with his younger, disabled brother, Gabe, bonding with him over cars.  Elsewhere, on the Santa Monica Coastline, a group of archaeologists have made an interesting discovery of an unknown chemical element, which has attracted the attention of Amadeus Cho.  Inside their trailer, the scientists see the chemical goo attack and absorb a lab rat, which causes them to flee.  Cho transforms into the Totally Awesome Hulk and goes into the trailer.  Meanwhile, on their way home, Robbie's route is blocked by a moving truck on their street.  When he asks them to move, the driver of the van shows a gun in his belt and tells them to keep moving before he shoots them.  Back on the coastline, Cho discovers that whatever the creature bites causes it to transform into a mutated copy.  It attempts to bite him, but as the Hulk he has impenetrable skin.

After arriving home, Robbie drops Gabe off and says he needs to run an errand.  Robbie transforms into Ghost Rider and tracks down the moving van on the road.  He attacks the driver and stops the van, cutting it open to free a family that had been taken captive before driving away in the Hell Charger.  Cho, meanwhile, catches the small creature in his hands and sticks his tongue out at it, which the monster promptly bites.  The monster grows to the Hulk's size and immediately starts attacking, but when Cho gets the upper hand the creature burrows into the sand and disappears.  The next day, Robbie and Gabe enjoy a taco from a sidewalk stand and then leave.  Also at the stand is Laura Kinney, the All-New Wolverine, and her companion Gabby.  Wolverine senses the creature in the sewer grate behind them and pops her claws, saying "things are about to get messy".

"Pyston Nitro Strikes!"

Writer: Felipe Smith; Artist: Tradd Moore; Letterer: VC's Joe Sabino; Colorist: Val Staples; Editor: Mark Paniccia; Editor In Chief: Axel Alonso 

Canelo's Auto Shop is visited by Rhonda Reubens, a fitness guru famous for her work with celebrities.  While the other employees fawn over her, Rhonda is immediately attracted to Robbie's Dodge Charger.  As she leaves the shop, she removes her wig to reveal the words "Pyston Nitro" tattooed on her forehead, swearing that Robbie's car will soon be hers.

That night, Reubens arrives at Robbie's house on a skateboard, strapped with Uzis and a crowbar.  When she attempts to break into the car, Robbie wakes up and transforms into the Ghost Rider, teleporting from his bed to the interior of the car.  When he attacks the car thief, who introduces herself as Pyston Nitro, she steps on her skateboard and zips away at super speed.  Robbie jumps in the car and attempts to follow her, unable to believe that he's being outrun by a skateboard.  Eli chimes in and teleports the car right to her, which results in them being trapped in a field of "slow time".  Nitro attempts to gun Robbie down, but realizes he's bullet proof.  She rides away, and once gone the car returns to its normal speed.  Eli explains to Robbie that she wasn't faster than them, she's able to slow time down in her immediate vicinity while she moves normally.  Later that night, Robbie lies awake in bed staring at Rhonda's business card, while Rhonda lays in bed looking at pictures of Robbie on social media.