The Original Ghost Rider Rides Again (1991) # 7

"Stained Glass and Shadows!"/"The End of the Ghost Rider!"

Cover Date: January 1992
On Sale Date: November 1991

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

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, unexplainably 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.

The Original Ghost Rider Rides Again (1991) # 6

"The Empire of Sleep!"/"Shades of Gray!"

Cover Date: December 1991
On Sale Date: October 1991

Writer: J.M. DeMatteis
Artist: Bob Budiansky
Inker: Kevin Dzubin
Letterer: Joe Rosen/Diana Albers
Colorist: Bob Sharen
Editor: Tom DeFalco
Editor In Chief: Jim Shooter/Tom DeFalco

From their position in Nightmare's dream dimension, the Lord of Dreams shows Zarathos, the Ghost Rider, an image from Earth. Johnny Blaze is strapped down and unconscious, ready to be operated on by Renaldo's surgeons. The Ghost Rider asks why Nightmare has agreed to help rid him of Blaze, to which the demon replies that he has come across several mortals that were driven to nightmare by Zarathos. If the Ghost Rider were to ride unfettered through Earth, then he would be able to cause enough terror to feed Nightmare for all time.

Meanwhile, though his body lay unconscious on the operating table, Johnny's mind is trapped in the dream dimension, riding a motorcycle across a winding road of unreality. He hears a voice calling his name and decides to seek it out, eventually finding his deceased step-mother, Mona Simpson. Mona rejects Johnny's attempt to hug her, saying that he has broken the promise he made to her on her deathbed, that he would never ride in a cycle show again. Before Johnny can reply, he is interrupted by Elliot, the criminal formerly known as the Clown, whose mind was destroyed by the Ghost Rider. In the dream realm, Elliot has returned to his rightful mental state, but says that in the real world, he may never recover from what the Rider did to him. Suddenly, the two are startled by Zarathos, who races by on his hellcycle and grabs Mona, riding away with her deeper into the Dream Dimension. Johnny and Elliot get on Blaze's cycle to follow, with the former Clown acting as a guide to the realm. He takes Johnny to a cemetery, where he encounters the ghost of his father, Barton Blaze. The two race off on their cycles, where Barton calls his son a whining wash-out. When Blaze lays the blame on the demon inside him, Barton simply laughs, his skin burning away to reveal the skeletal face of Zarathos, and zooms off on the hellcycle.

Elliot calms down the distraught Johnny, who is desperately trying to make himself wake up. He takes Blaze to the top of a large mountain, to three men that can possibly help him. Dr. Strange, Daimon Hellstrom, and Dr. Druid offer no help at all, going so far as to call Johnny a coward and a disappointment. Blaze then finds himself in the hospital room of Crash Simpson, who is dying from cancer. When Blaze protests that he saved Crash from the cancer, he is then forced to relive Simpson's fatal motorcycle crash. As Simpson dies in his arms, he tells Johnny that he would have preferred the cancer. Crash then transforms into the Ghost Rider, still holding the screaming Mona Simpson, and disappears in a flash of hellfire.

Johnny and Elliot once again chase after Zarathos, but are again stopped by a person from Blaze's past. Johnny finds Roxanne Simpson, who fails to recognize him as the man she fell in love with. Another Blaze then appears, one that's well-dressed and wealthy, to whom Roxanne runs. This second Blaze transforms into Mephisto, devours Roxanne, and fades away. Elliot then points out the Ghost Rider, who is frying Mona with his hellfire. Swirling around the two are the souls of every person that Zarathos has punished, which Elliot blames on Johnny, saying that the Ghost Rider is directed by his own guilt and failures. Johnny leaps at Zarathos, determined to save Mona, but is instead burned by the hellfire himself. Strangely, Blaze does not resist the hellfire, but instead embraces it as punishment for all the souls he's damned in his life. Elliot then transforms into Nightmare and tells Zarathos that the mental wall between he and Blaze is gone, broken down along with Johnny's own sense of self-worth. Zarathos races out of the Dream Dimension, leaving Johnny to fry in a never-ending cycle of hellfire.

On Earth, just as the surgeons prepare to cut into Blaze's body, the Ghost Rider emerges and breaks free. Zarathos, uninhibited by Johnny's will, quickly slaughters the medical crew and Renaldo's small band of freaks. The demon then finds Renaldo himself hiding in the corner, afraid that Zarathos will burn him with hellfire again. The demon approaches and says that tearing Renaldo limb from limb would be much more interesting. Back in the Dream Dimension, Johnny writhes in the hellfire, completely defeated. Suddenly, the true spirit of Mona Simpson rises from the flames and tells Johnny that his ability to keep the demon restrained all these years has saved countless numbers of people, and that if he gives up now then Zarathos will have a free reign on Earth. Unwilling to let that happen, Johnny regains his will and dives through the hellfire, making it back to his motorcycle. As he rides toward the exit of the Dream Dimension, Nightmare attempts to block his path, but is unsuccessful. Johnny escapes, determined to wrest back control over his body. At that moment, back on Earth, the Ghost Rider prepares to deal Renaldo the death blow. Before he can, however, Johnny manages to fight his way back into possession of their form, stopping Zarathos spree of terror. Renaldo cowers on the floor, saying that he knows the demon will come back. Johnny simply replies "Not if I can help it."

The Original Ghost Rider Rides Again (1991) # 5

"Half a Demon...Half a Man!"/"Ghost Rider...Unleashed?"

Cover Date: November 1991
On Sale Date: September 1991

Title: "Half A Demon...Half A Man!"
Writer: J.M. DeMatteis
Artist: Don Perlin/Bob Budiansky
Inker: Dave Simons
Letterer: Diana Albers
Colorist: Bob Sharen
Editor: Tom DeFalco
Editor In Chief: Jim Shooter/Tom DeFalco

Cover Artist: Bob Budiansky

In the nether-regions of Hell, the demon Asmodeus travels to the realm of Mephisto and offers the demon-lord a "suggestion" concerning Johnny Blaze and the Ghost Rider. Mephisto comments that the Ghost Rider's true name is Zarathos, but allows Asmodeus to continue. The lesser demon offers to lift the burden of Blaze from Mephisto, to which the Hell ruler replies that Zarathos would be crucial to Asmodeus' attempt to rule Earth. Mephisto decides to turn the "suggestion" into a contest, where Zarathos shall run a gauntlet in Hell, with his freedom as the goal. If he fails, he will belong to Asmodeus.

Meanwhile, on Earth, Johnny confronts Ralph Quentin about the incident with Steel Wind. During the argument, Blaze suddenly feels faint, so he excuses himself to go get some air. Riding on his motorcycle into a secluded area, Johnny is jumped by a pack of demons, who knock him unconscious and carry him through a shimmering gate. Blaze wakes up and is surprised to see both Mephisto and Asmodeus standing before him, as he is chained to an upright altar of sorts. Mephisto brings forth the Sword of Demonicus, which he uses to cleave the true form of Zarathos out of Blaze's body. Mephisto tells Zarathos that both he and Johnny must race through Hell to a mystic portal back to Earth. If both of them reach the portal together, they will forever be separated and free from one another.

Blaze and Zarathos begin their race through Hell, but Asmodeus immediately sends his minions out to stop them from reaching their destination. The two riders reach a bridge, where they encounter a giant named Saturnyne, a demon with an immense hatred toward the Ghost Rider. Blaze rescues Zarathos from the giant, and the two then trick Saturnyne into impaling himself on a piece of the broken bridge. The two continue down the Road of Lost Souls, where Johnny encounters what he believes to be the ghosts of his parents. Zarathos loses his temper and blasts the two shades with hellfire, forcing them to reveal their true demonic forms.

The two continue farther, but their path is soon blocked by a twisted mass of flesh called Mount Avarice. Zarathos explains that the Mount is made of the souls of men that were concerned only with themselves, and must spend eternity entwined with each other. If the souls sense a kinship with them, then they will drag them down among them. Blaze soon experiences a feeling of self-doubt, and begins to sink into the mass of limbs. Zarathos reluctantly turns back and saves Johnny from his fate, pulling him through the entwinement of souls. The two continue their journey on foot through a narrow tunnel, only to see two of Asmodeus' demons cut the rope tying down a large boulder that takes up the entire space of the corridor. Zarathos uses his hellfire to stop the boulder's descent toward them, but finds that their path is now blocked. Blaze turns, only to find that the souls of Mount Avarice are coming up the tunnel after them. Zarathos turns to the boulder and uses all the hellfire at his command to shatter the blockade, though it knocks him unconscious in the process. Blaze drags the Ghost Rider through the tunnel, but is unable to get away from Mount Avarice. Zarathos then awakens and blasts the souls with his hellfire, forcing them to retreat. The two run the rest of the way, finally coming to the portal that will take them back to Hell. Both of them then decide, however, that only one must step through the portal, in order to ensure that they will never be bonded together again. The two struggle, and during their fight they fall through the portal together.

Johnny awakens on Earth, at the place where he was attacked and taken. Realizing that Zarathos is inside him once again, Johnny pounds on the rock furiously, and in the process transforms into the Ghost Rider, who swears vengeance on Mephisto. Back in Hell, Mephisto explains to Asmodeus that had Blaze and Zarathos simply walked through the portal together, they truly would have been freed from each other and the curse of the Ghost Rider would have been lifted. Mephisto then decides to take his prize for besting Asmodeus, destroying the demon with a bolt of hellfire. As the netherruler watches the Ghost Rider through a scrying glass, he states that as long as he rules, the Ghost Rider will never be free.

The Original Ghost Rider Rides Again (1991) # 4

"Remnants!"/"Beware the Steel Wind!"

Cover Date: October 1991

On Sale Date: August 1991

Writer: J.M. DeMatteis
Artist: Bob Budiansky
Inker: Dave Simons
Letterer: Diana Albers/Joe Rosen
Colorist: Bob Sharen/George Roussos
Editor: Tom DeFalco
Editor In Chief: Jim Shooter

Cover Artist: Bob Budiansky

A distracted Johnny Blaze wrecks his motorcycle and barely survives the crash. After losing consciousness he and his bike are dragged into the woods by a mysterious figure. At the Quentin Carnival, still reeling from its destruction at the hands of the Circus of Crime, Red Fowler is told that Johnny left and heads out to find him and bring him back. Hours later, Johnny wakes up at a campsite with a man named Old Adam, who brought Johnny to the camp to help him after his crash. After a few hours of friendship, Adam is terrified at the sight of a man entering the camp enveloped in a cloud of mist. When Johnny tries to keep the man from taking Adam he is swatted aside and almost loses consciousness again. 

After he recovers, Johnny follows a trail of dead plant life to a decaying plantation house. Inside he discovers a dinner party of sorts, hosted by Centurious, who has placed Adam as his servant. The rest of the dinner guests, including Centurious’ “wife” Tara, are nothing but soulless husks animated by Centurious’ power. When Centurious attempts to take Johnny’s soul he unwittingly frees the Ghost Rider, who attacks Centurious. When Red appears, having followed Johnny’s trail, Centurious orders his soulless thralls to tear the man apart, which the Ghost Rider agrees would be a fine sight to witness. Ghost Rider attempts to fry Centurious with hellfire but finds that the man has no soul of his own and is overcome by the spirits trapped within the villain’s Soul Crystal, changing the demon back into Johnny. Adam sees one of those spirits is Tara, his sister who Centurious took as his bride, and realizes that he will never be able to free her. He sets the plantation house on fire and Centurious is buried beneath a collapsed ceiling. Johnny and Red escape, while Adam remains behind to perish with his sister. After Johnny and Red depart to return to the carnival, a path of dead foliage coming from the ashes of the home show that Centurious survived.

The Original Ghost Rider Rides Again (1991) # 2

"Freaks!"/"The Tears of Adam Henderson"

Cover Date: August 1991
On Sale Date: June 1991

Writer: Roger Stern/J.M. DeMatteis
Artist: Bob Budiansky/Don Perlin
Inker: Dave Simons/Danny Bulandi
Letterer: Diana Albers
Colorist: Bob Sharen/George Roussos
Editor: Tom DeFalco
Editor In Chief: Jim Shooter

Cover Artist: Bob Budiansky

At the Quentin Carnival, a misshapen man named Jeremy who works as the carnival's "monster man" works on a drawing of reporter Cynthia Randolph.  She is less than flattered by the artwork, mistaking his gesture as infatuation when its not.  She and Johnny Blaze are then introduced to Eliot, the son of carnival clown Corky, and Cynthia is again taken off guard when Eliot shuts down her advances after learning that she's a reporter.  The carnival troupe finish packing their trucks and move along to the next town, while during the drive Corky asks Eliot if he's going to actually go straight this time.  Meanwhile, at a mysterious island, an agent named Renaldo is given orders to retrieve Jeremy and bring him to the island by a man with a particular interest in "freaks".

Several days later, Renaldo attempts to strongarm carnival owner Ralph Quentin into "selling" Jeremy to him.  He's interrupted by Johnny Blaze, who forcefully throws Renaldo off the carnival lot.  Renaldo returns that night after the carnival has closed down and unleashes an army of his own freaks to exact his revenge.  While Johnny stuffs his familiar leathers into a bag with the intention of disposing of them, hoping to distance himself from the Ghost Rider, his friends' card game is interrupted by the attacking group of freaks.  Johnny is also attacked and knocked unconscious, and the freaks take both him and the captive Jeremy.  Blaze wakes up in a hotel room, tied and gagged before Renaldo and the freaks.  Realizing that Renaldo plans to beat him to death, Johnny transforms into the Ghost Rider and fights through the freaks, though Renaldo is able to escape.  He follows Renaldo and the remaining freaks, including the captive Jeremy, to the local airport where he halts their escape by melting the tires of their van before they can reach their plane.  He then pulls Renaldo out and fries his soul with hellfire, leaving him a quivering mess, before transforming back into Blaze.  The freaks are too frightened to do anything, and Jeremy tells Johnny that he's going to go to the island to be with his brothers, intending to stand up to Renaldo and his boss.  Johnny watches their plane fly off into the distance, wishing his friend good luck.

Ghost Rider (1973) # 81

"The End of the Ghost Rider!"

Cover Date: June 1983
On Sale Date: March 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

Johnny Blaze's soul has been trapped inside Centurious' Soul Crystal, leaving his body a mindless husk. Centurious, the Sin-Eater, and their zombie followers leave the church, allowing Roxanne Simpson to take Johnny back to her aunt's house in hopes of helping him. In the void, Zarathos realizes that Blaze's soul is gone, so the demon is able to take possession of the body. The Ghost Rider is free from Blaze's influence, so he creates a hellfire cycle and leaves Roxanne to gain his vengeance on Centurious. Meanwhile, Blaze finds his soul being devoured slowly by the Soul Crystal.

Zarathos finds Centurious and attacks, quickly overpowering his foe. Just as quickly, however, the Ghost Rider finds his power fading away and Centurious (who was feigning defeat) easily beats down on the demon. Centurious explains that without Blaze's soul, Zarathos will grow weaker and weaker until he finally dies - that is the revenge that Centurious has planned for his greatest enemy. Centurious buries Zarathos under the collapsed church, then explains to Roxanne that he will let her live out of remorse for her lost love. After the villain departs, Roxanne sees Zarathos painfully dig himself free from the wreckage. She tells him that they need to reunite him with Johnny, which Zarathos hates but ultimately accepts.

Elsewhere, in the cave that serves as Centurious' new headquarters, Pastor Domblue turns against his master now that he sees how evil he truly is. In response, Centurious mortally injures his Sin-Eater and declares that he will find another to wield the Soul Crystal. Roxanne and Zarathos arrive, only to be swarmed upon by the soulless townspeople of Holly. The Ghost Rider manages to crawl to his enemy, and with the last vestige of hellfire he can muster, Zarathos splits the Soul Crystal in half, sucking Centurious inside it and freeing all of the souls it had taken throughout the centuries. However, this means that Zarathos has been denied his vengeance on Centurious, and he no longer has the strength to split the Crystal again. The Sin-Eater, barely alive from his wounds, tells Zarathos that he can use his power to send him into the Soul Crystal to gain his revenge. However, Blaze has awoken in the void and begins to struggle for control of his body. Roxanne realizes the mistake that Johnny is making, and she begs him to relinquish control to the Ghost Rider. Blaze agrees, trusting in Roxanne's love for him, and gives up the fight - which allows the Sin-Eater to send Zarathos into the Soul Crystal after Centurious. Roxanne rushes to Johnny's side, and the two realize that the Ghost Rider is gone and their curse has finally ended.

Later, Johnny and Roxanne discuss their future now that the Ghost Rider curse has been broken. They're finally free after so many years, and they decide that they have all the time in the world to plan their future. However, the Soul Crystal still lays on the ground, which splits open and allows the Crystal to fall down into Hell - and into the clutches of a laughing Mephisto. Zarathos and Centurious are trapped within the Crystal for all eternity, their struggle never to end...

Some of the most powerful panels in Ghost Rider history.

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 and finally found them in the previous issue.

Centurious and the Soul Crystal first appeared in Ghost Rider (1973) # 74 and the history of Zarathos was told in Ghost Rider (1973) # 77.

The fact that being separated would eventually kill both Blaze and the Ghost Rider was revealed in Ghost Rider (1973) # 44.

Johnny and Roxanne appear next in The New Defenders (1972) # 145-146, Zarathos appears next in Amazing Spider-Man (1963) # 274 and Centurious returns in Ghost Rider (1990) # 18.

This was the last issue of the series until Ghost Rider (1990) # 1.

CHAIN REACTION

To read my review of Ghost Rider (1973) # 81 see my book Wheels On Fire: An Unofficial Guide to Marvel Comics' Ghost Rider: 1972-1983!

Wheels On Fire: An Unofficial Guide to Marvel Comics' Ghost Rider From 1972-1983: Munn, Chris, Ishizaki, James, DeMatteis, J.M.: 9798702991832: Amazon.com: Books

Love conquers all!

Ghost Rider (1973) # 80

"Stained Glass and Shadows!"

Cover Date: May 1983
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

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.

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!

Wheels On Fire: An Unofficial Guide to Marvel Comics' Ghost Rider From 1972-1983: Munn, Chris, Ishizaki, James, DeMatteis, J.M.: 9798702991832: Amazon.com: Books

BEHOLD!

Ghost Rider (1973) # 79

"Shades of Gray!"

Cover Date: April 1983
On Sale Date: January 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

Johnny returns to the Quentin Carnival with the rambling Vincenzo in tow. Immediately, the two go to Ralph Quentin's trailer to warn him of what Renaldo told them, that his boss was coming to the Carnival. When he enters, Ralph is already in the presence of Renaldo's master, a small little man named the Freakmaster. Blaze confronts the man, demanding to know why he had Renaldo experiment on Vincenzo. The Freakmaster expresses deep regret and concern for what's happened, saying that Renaldo was working on his own without consent. He tells Blaze his story, about how he was born from two freakish parents who were mistreated by the Carnival owner they worked for, eventually perishing from the abuse. Deciding nobody should go through the same treatment, he has set up an island retreat for the freakish, so they can experience love amongst their own kind. After sending Renaldo to "rescue" Jeremy, he learned of the Carnival's money problems. The agent he sent to help Quentin, Steel Wind, was discovered to be just as imbalanced as Renaldo. Blaze leaves, though still suspicious of the man.

The next night, Vincenzo has a nightmare about what's going on in the Freakmaster's new freak tent in the center of the Carnival. Blaze sneaks inside, only to find a large room with schematics detailing how the Freakmaster plans to turn all the Carnival workers into man-made freaks. The villain enters the room, saying that he's glad he has the chance to get rid of Blaze so soon after his arrival. Four motorcycles roar into the room, half-man/half-machines like Renaldo wanted to turn Blaze into. When they attack, the Ghost Rider manages to force himself into control of Blaze's body. After a brief battle, Zarathos defeats the cycle-men, and then turns his attention to the Freakmaster. Ralph Quentin enters, telling the demon to take him instead. He was the owner of the Carnival where the Freakmaster's parents died, and that he deserves to suffer for what he did. The Ghost Rider pauses, unsure of which men deserves punishment more. In this moment of doubt, Blaze manages to wrest control from the demon. Johnny tells the Freakmaster to take his people and leave immediately, before Zarathos again regains control. The Freakmaster agrees to leave, happy that he's finally broke Ralph Quentin into never knowing peace.

The next day, as the freaks depart, Johnny attempts to talk to Quentin, but is ignored by the man. Before Blaze can follow, a voice from the past interrupts him. He turns to find Roxanne Simpson, his former love, standing behind him.

Freakmaster offers a generous severance package.

THE ROADMAP

Vincenzo was kidnapped, and presumed murdered, by Steel Wind in Ghost Rider (1973) # 75. He was discovered alive by Johnny in Ghost Rider (1973) # 77.

The Freakmaster first appeared in shadow in Ghost Rider (1973) # 70, the same issue in which Renaldo "rescued" Jeremy from the Carnival.

Though her identity has been kept secret, Roxanne has been searching for Johnny since Ghost Rider (1973) # 74.

CHAIN REACTION

To read my review of Ghost Rider (1973) # 79 see my book Wheels On Fire: An Unofficial Guide to Marvel Comics' Ghost Rider: 1972-1983!

Wheels On Fire: An Unofficial Guide to Marvel Comics' Ghost Rider From 1972-1983: Munn, Chris, Ishizaki, James, DeMatteis, J.M.: 9798702991832: Amazon.com: Books

Decisions, decisions...

Ghost Rider (1973) # 78

"The Empire of Sleep!"

Cover Date: March 1983
On Sale Date: December 1982

Writer: J.M. DeMatteis
Artist: Bob Budiansky
Inker: Kevin Dzubin
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Colorist: Bob Sharen
Editor: Tom DeFalco
Editor In Chief: Jim Shooter

Cover Artist: Bob Budiansky

From their position in Nightmare's dream dimension, the Lord of Dreams shows Zarathos, the Ghost Rider, an image from Earth. Johnny Blaze is strapped down and unconscious, ready to be operated on by Renaldo's surgeons. The Ghost Rider asks why Nightmare has agreed to help rid him of Blaze, to which the demon replies that he has come across several mortals that were driven to nightmare by Zarathos. If the Ghost Rider were to ride unfettered through Earth, then he would be able to cause enough terror to feed Nightmare for all time.

Meanwhile, though his body lay unconscious on the operating table, Johnny's mind is trapped in the dream dimension, riding a motorcycle across a winding road of unreality. He hears a voice calling his name and decides to seek it out, eventually finding his deceased step-mother, Mona Simpson. Mona rejects Johnny's attempt to hug her, saying that he has broken the promise he made to her on her deathbed, that he would never ride in a cycle show again. Before Johnny can reply, he is interrupted by Elliot, the criminal formerly known as the Clown, whose mind was destroyed by the Ghost Rider. In the dream realm, Elliot has returned to his rightful mental state, but says that in the real world, he may never recover from what the Rider did to him. Suddenly, the two are startled by Zarathos, who races by on his hellcycle and grabs Mona, riding away with her deeper into the Dream Dimension. Johnny and Elliot get on Blaze's cycle to follow, with the former Clown acting as a guide to the realm. He takes Johnny to a cemetery, where he encounters the ghost of his father, Barton Blaze. The two race off on their cycles, where Barton calls his son a whining wash-out. When Blaze lays the blame on the demon inside him, Barton simply laughs, his skin burning away to reveal the skeletal face of Zarathos, and zooms off on the hellcycle.

Elliot calms down the distraught Johnny, who is desperately trying to make himself wake up. He takes Blaze to the top of a large mountain, to three men that can possibly help him. Dr. Strange, Daimon Hellstrom, and Dr. Druid offer no help at all, going so far as to call Johnny a coward and a disappointment. Blaze then finds himself in the hospital room of Crash Simpson, who is dying from cancer. When Blaze protests that he saved Crash from the cancer, he is then forced to relive Simpson's fatal motorcycle crash. As Simpson dies in his arms, he tells Johnny that he would have preferred the cancer. Crash then transforms into the Ghost Rider, still holding the screaming Mona Simpson, and disappears in a flash of hellfire.

Johnny and Elliot once again chase after Zarathos, but are again stopped by a person from Blaze's past. Johnny finds Roxanne Simpson, who fails to recognize him as the man she fell in love with. Another Blaze then appears, one that's well-dressed and wealthy, to whom Roxanne runs. This second Blaze transforms into Mephisto, devours Roxanne, and fades away. Elliot then points out the Ghost Rider, who is frying Mona with his hellfire. Swirling around the two are the souls of every person that Zarathos has punished, which Elliot blames on Johnny, saying that the Ghost Rider is directed by his own guilt and failures. Johnny leaps at Zarathos, determined to save Mona, but is instead burned by the hellfire himself. Strangely, Blaze does not resist the hellfire, but instead embraces it as punishment for all the souls he's damned in his life. Elliot then transforms into Nightmare and tells Zarathos that the mental wall between he and Blaze is gone, broken down along with Johnny's own sense of self-worth. Zarathos races out of the Dream Dimension, leaving Johnny to fry in a never-ending cycle of hellfire.

On Earth, just as the surgeons prepare to cut into Blaze's body, the Ghost Rider emerges and breaks free. Zarathos, uninhibited by Johnny's will, quickly slaughters the medical crew and Renaldo's small band of freaks. The demon then finds Renaldo himself hiding in the corner, afraid that Zarathos will burn him with hellfire again. The demon approaches and says that tearing Renaldo limb from limb would be much more interesting. Back in the Dream Dimension, Johnny writhes in the hellfire, completely defeated. Suddenly, the true spirit of Mona Simpson rises from the flames and tells Johnny that his ability to keep the demon restrained all these years has saved countless numbers of people, and that if he gives up now then Zarathos will have a free reign on Earth. Unwilling to let that happen, Johnny regains his will and dives through the hellfire, making it back to his motorcycle. As he rides toward the exit of the Dream Dimension, Nightmare attempts to block his path, but is unsuccessful. Johnny escapes, determined to wrest back control over his body. At that moment, back on Earth, the Ghost Rider prepares to deal Renaldo the death blow. Before he can, however, Johnny manages to fight his way back into possession of their form, stopping Zarathos spree of terror. Renaldo cowers on the floor, saying that he knows the demon will come back. Johnny simply replies "Not if I can help it."

Would his name change to Cancer Simpson?

THE ROADMAP

Zarathos was shown his true origin by Nightmare in Ghost Rider (1973) # 77.

Mona and Crash Simpson both died in Marvel Spotlight (1972) # 5.

Eliot Franklin, the Clown of the Circus of Crime and son to Johnny's friend Corky, was fried by hellfire in Ghost Rider (1973) # 73.

This issue identifies Johnny's mother as "Clara Blaze", who actually never existed. The Simpson family invented "Clara" so Johnny wouldn't know the true identity of his mother, which was revealed to be Naomi Kale in Ghost Rider (1990) # -1. It is shown in Ghost Rider (2006) # 5 that Naomi left while Johnny was very young, following the death of his father Barton, and that she took his siblings (Danny and Barbara) with her. Johnny repressed all of this in favor of the story told to him by Crash and Mona Simpson, that his mother was named Clara and died before he could remember. Johnny learned that Naomi was his mother in Ghost Rider: Finale.

CHAIN REACTION

To read my review of Ghost Rider (1973) # 78 see my book Wheels On Fire: An Unofficial Guide to Marvel Comics' Ghost Rider: 1972-1983!

Wheels On Fire: An Unofficial Guide to Marvel Comics' Ghost Rider From 1972-1983: Munn, Chris, Ishizaki, James, DeMatteis, J.M.: 9798702991832: Amazon.com: Books

Nightmare Alley!

Ghost Rider (1973) # 77

"Ghost Rider...Unleashed?"

Cover Date: February 1983
On Sale Date: November 1982

Writer: J.M. DeMatteis
Artist: Bob Budiansky
Inker: Dave Simons
Letterer: Diana Albers
Colorist: Bob Sharen
Editor: Tom DeFalco
Editor In Chief: Jim Shooter

Cover Artist: Bob Budiansky

Deep within the subconscious of Johnny Blaze, the Ghost Rider rages at his human host.  The demon has learned that his true name is Zarathos and is furious that he lost his chance to be free from Blaze during their recent race through Hell.  He is addressed by a mysterious voice who offers to return his lost memories and a vision of the ancient past appears for Zarathos to see.  A beleaguered tribe of nomads go deep within the caverns of the earth, led by their high priest K'Nutu to find the dormant stone body of Zarathos.  K'Nutu recites the spells to reanimate the demon, then offers up the tribe's chieftain to the demon as a sacrifice.  The tribe rally around Zarathos, whose hunger for souls is fed by the human sacrifice of their enemies, causing the power of both the demon and the tribe to grow.  This is eventually noticed by Mephisto, lord of Hell, who realizes that Zarathos is destroying souls that should rightly belong to him.  He enacts a plan involving a prince and princess of a neighboring tribe that is soon attacked by the Cult of Zarathos, the princess taken captive and the prince left for dead.  When the dying prince begs for the ability to rescue his beloved, Mephisto appears before him to make a deal.  Inside Blaze's mind Zarathos seethes with pain and newly awakened memories.

Johnny Blaze wakes up in a desert cave, having stopped to rest on his way back to the Quentin Carnival.  He receives a vision in his mind of his friend The Great Vincenzo, the Carnival's magician who had disappeared weeks before.  He follows Vincenzo's voice for hours, finally coming to a rundown house in the middle of nowhere.  He sneaks into the house and finds Vincenzo cowering in the corner of the attic.  His friend is barely able to speak, saying that things were done to his brain, which Blaze surmises must have given him telepathic abilities.  The lights of the attic come on and Blaze finds himself surrounded by an army of grotesque freaks, the same ones that had worked for Renaldo not long ago.  Johnny fights the freaks, refusing to let Zarathos out, but is quickly knocked unconscious.

Back in the mindscape, the mysterious voice resumes telling his story to Zarathos.  The prince makes his way to the City of Ten Thousand Souls, where the giant Zarathos is preparing to devour the soul of the princess.  The prince jumps between them and offers his own soul in her place, but when Zarathos grabs him he does not burn, instead it is the demon that bellows in pain.  This causes the cult members to feel doubt in their master, which allows Mephisto to appear on Earth to challenge his rival.  The prince and princess flee, but the prince explains that he cannot stay with her; in order to save her, he had to give Mephisto his soul, cursing him with emotionless immortality.  Mephisto swiftly defeats Zarathos and destroys the city, along with all of its inhabitants, then transforms Zarathos' body back into stone.  Mephisto then removes the living flame that was Zarathos' essence and power, enslaving it to his own will, and leaves the stone body to be covered by the desert sands.  Zarathos howls in pain, finally remembering his own past, and is led through the mindscape by the voice to the dimension of dreams.  There he meets his aide, the demon Nightmare.

Meanwhile, a young woman has stopped in a diner to ask about the Quentin Carnival, and is told she just missed them a few weeks before.  Johnny Blaze wakes up in an operating room surrounded by doctors, Renaldo and his freaks standing by.  Renaldo explains that the Ghost Rider's hellfire has given him unrelenting nightmares and now his master has decided to deal with him once and for all.  The doctors, having used drugs to hinder his ability to transform, will be transforming Blaze into a cybernetic half-man, half-motorcycle freak.  In the dream dimension, Nightmare finishes his story by revealing that Mephisto has used Zarathos as a pawn for centuries before erasing his memory and placing him within Blaze.  Nightmare offers Zarathos his freedom with a plan to forever trap Blaze in the dream dimension, giving the Ghost Rider full access to the mortal realm.  Zarathos agrees, then feels the call to transform; for the first time, Blaze is begging him to come out.  Nightmare, though, tells Zarathos to hold and resist the call so they can plan their trap.  Blaze frees himself from the operating table and lunges at Renaldo, but when he's grabbed by the freaks decides he needs to unleash the Ghost Rider.  To his surprise, the transformation doesn't happen, and he's soon knocked unconscious again.  He's strapped back onto the table, with a triumphant Renaldo gloating over him.

Oh Zarathos, your origin used to be so simple.

THE ROADMAP

The Ghost Rider's name, Zarathos, was revealed by Mephisto in Ghost Rider (1973) # 76.

Zarathos was defeated by the Spirits of Vengeance when he attempted to use the Medallion of Power for evil purposes, and while part of his essence was trapped within the Medallion his body was transformed into stone and left buried for the tribe to find here centuries later.  This was revealed in Ghost Rider (1990) # 43.

The Great Vincenzo was presumably killed by Steel Wind in Ghost Rider (1973) # 75.  He was instead taken and experimented on by Renaldo and the Freakmaster, who last appeared in Ghost Rider (1973) # 70.

The prince that sold his soul to Mephisto to stop Zarathos will be revealed as Centurious in Ghost Rider (1973) # 80.  Centurious made his first appearance only a few months before this issue in Ghost Rider (1973) # 74.

Nightmare will tell this origin story again to the Noble Kale and Danny Ketch in Ghost Rider (1990) # 11, believing that Ghost Rider to be the same entity as Zarathos.

The unknown woman has been searching for Johnny Blaze and the Quentin Carnival since Ghost Rider (1973) # 74.  She will be revealed to be Roxanne Simpson in Ghost Rider (1973) # 79.

CHAIN REACTION

To read my review of Ghost Rider (1973) # 77 see my book Wheels On Fire: An Unofficial Guide to Marvel Comics' Ghost Rider: 1972-1983!

Wheels On Fire: An Unofficial Guide to Marvel Comics' Ghost Rider From 1972-1983: Munn, Chris, Ishizaki, James, DeMatteis, J.M.: 9798702991832: Amazon.com: Books

Zarathos, did you buy a copy of Wheels on Fire?

Ghost Rider (1973) # 76

"Half a Demon...Half a Man!"

Cover Date: January 1983
On Sale Date: October 1982

Writer: J.M. DeMatteis
Artist: Don Perlin
Inker: Dave Simons
Letterer: Diana Albers
Colorist: Bob Sharen
Editor: Tom DeFalco
Editor In Chief: Jim Shooter

Cover Artist: Bob Budiansky

In the nether-regions of Hell, the demon Asmodeus travels to the realm of Mephisto and offers the demon-lord a "suggestion" concerning Johnny Blaze and the Ghost Rider. Mephisto comments that the Ghost Rider's true name is Zarathos, but allows Asmodeus to continue. The lesser demon offers to lift the burden of Blaze from Mephisto, to which the Hell ruler replies that Zarathos would be crucial to Asmodeus' attempt to rule Earth. Mephisto decides to turn the "suggestion" into a contest, where Zarathos shall run a gauntlet in Hell, with his freedom as the goal. If he fails, he will belong to Asmodeus.

Meanwhile, on Earth, Johnny confronts Ralph Quentin about the incident with Steel Wind. During the argument, Blaze suddenly feels faint, so he excuses himself to go get some air. Riding on his motorcycle into a secluded area, Johnny is jumped by a pack of demons, who knock him unconscious and carry him through a shimmering gate. Blaze wakes up and is surprised to see both Mephisto and Asmodeus standing before him, as he is chained to an upright altar of sorts. Mephisto brings forth the Sword of Demonicus, which he uses to cleave the true form of Zarathos out of Blaze's body. Mephisto tells Zarathos that both he and Johnny must race through Hell to a mystic portal back to Earth. If both of them reach the portal together, they will forever be separated and free from one another.

Blaze and Zarathos begin their race through Hell, but Asmodeus immediately sends his minions out to stop them from reaching their destination. The two riders reach a bridge, where they encounter a giant named Saturnyne, a demon with an immense hatred toward the Ghost Rider. Blaze rescues Zarathos from the giant, and the two then trick Saturnyne into impaling himself on a piece of the broken bridge. The two continue down the Road of Lost Souls, where Johnny encounters what he believes to be the ghosts of his parents. Zarathos loses his temper and blasts the two shades with hellfire, forcing them to reveal their true demonic forms.

The two continue farther, but their path is soon blocked by a twisted mass of flesh called Mount Avarice. Zarathos explains that the Mount is made of the souls of men that were concerned only with themselves, and must spend eternity entwined with each other. If the souls sense a kinship with them, then they will drag them down among them. Blaze soon experiences a feeling of self-doubt, and begins to sink into the mass of limbs. Zarathos reluctantly turns back and saves Johnny from his fate, pulling him through the entwinement of souls. The two continue their journey on foot through a narrow tunnel, only to see two of Asmodeus' demons cut the rope tying down a large boulder that takes up the entire space of the corridor. Zarathos uses his hellfire to stop the boulder's descent toward them, but finds that their path is now blocked. Blaze turns, only to find that the souls of Mount Avarice are coming up the tunnel after them. Zarathos turns to the boulder and uses all the hellfire at his command to shatter the blockade, though it knocks him unconscious in the process. Blaze drags the Ghost Rider through the tunnel, but is unable to get away from Mount Avarice. Zarathos then awakens and blasts the souls with his hellfire, forcing them to retreat. The two run the rest of the way, finally coming to the portal that will take them back to Hell. Both of them then decide, however, that only one must step through the portal, in order to ensure that they will never be bonded together again. The two struggle, and during their fight they fall through the portal together.

Johnny awakens on Earth, at the place where he was attacked and taken. Realizing that Zarathos is inside him once again, Johnny pounds on the rock furiously, and in the process transforms into the Ghost Rider, who swears vengeance on Mephisto. Back in Hell, Mephisto explains to Asmodeus that had Blaze and Zarathos simply walked through the portal together, they truly would have been freed from each other and the curse of the Ghost Rider would have been lifted. Mephisto then decides to take his prize for besting Asmodeus, destroying the demon with a bolt of hellfire. As the netherruler watches the Ghost Rider through a scrying glass, he states that as long as he rules, the Ghost Rider will never be free.

IN ALL HIS GLORY!

THE ROADMAP

Steel Wind attacked the Quentin Carnival in Ghost Rider (1973) # 75.

Asmodeus first appeared in Ghost Rider (1973) # 53, and again in Ghost Rider (1973) # 64.

Mephisto was revealed as the "Satan" responsible for Blaze's curse in Ghost Rider (1973) # 68.

This is the first mention of the Ghost Rider's true name, Zarathos, and several hints are offered at his origins. Zarathos' origin will be revealed to him by Nightmare in Ghost Rider (1973) # 77.

Believe it or not, the demon Saturnyne that appears in this issue makes a re-appearance decades later as the main villain of the X-Men: Pixie Strikes Back mini-series.  Talk about a deep cut!  Similarly, Asmodeus will re-appear alive and once again a ruler of Hell in the 2013 "Hell on Earth War" storyline in X-Factor.

CHAIN REACTION

To read my review of Ghost Rider (1973) # 76 see my book Wheels On Fire: An Unofficial Guide to Marvel Comics' Ghost Rider: 1972-1983!

Wheels On Fire: An Unofficial Guide to Marvel Comics' Ghost Rider From 1972-1983: Munn, Chris, Ishizaki, James, DeMatteis, J.M.: 9798702991832: Amazon.com: Books

Such a great transition!

Ghost Rider (1973) # 75

“Beware the Steel Wind!”

Cover Date: December 1982
On Sale Date: September 1982

Writer: J.M. DeMatteis
Artist: Bob Budiansky
Inker: Dave Simons
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Colorist: Bob Sharen
Editor: Tom DeFalco
Editor in Chief: Jim Shooter
Cover Artist: Bob Budiansky

A female stunt rider named Steel Wind appears at the Quentin Carnival, catching the attention of Johnny Blaze, Red Fowler, and carnival magician Vincenzo. Ralph Quentin tells them that Steel Wind is there at his request as a replacement for Blaze, who he fires from the carnival. Meanwhile, a mysterious young woman boards a bus with a picture of Johnny in her hand.

That night, the members of the carnival demand that Johnny be given a chance to prove himself against Steel Wind, and Ralph Quentin proposes a race between the two to decide who stays. The next morning, the two opponents ride through a hastily constructed obstacle course. Despite cheating by firing a laser into his gas tank, Steel Wind is about to lose to Johnny when his concentration is broken by a raging Ghost Rider, who demands to be set free to face the woman. Johnny loses and leaves in shame, taking reporter Cynthia Randolph with him after Quentin tells her she is no longer welcome.

Several nights later, Vincenzo goes to Steel Wind’s tent to try and talk with her and discovers her secret, that beneath her arm-length gloves are arms made of twisted flesh and cybernetic circuitry, a result of her being rebuilt after a boat explosion. She descends upon Vincenzo, who screams. Over the next few days, she begins a reign of terror at the carnival, telling them that if they don’t like her rules they can always leave, “as Vincenzo did”. One evening, Johnny and Cynthia reunite at the carnival, where the reporter explains what she’s dug up about Steel Wind, that her presence at a carnival inevitably leads to its financial ruin. They sneak in and join the rest of the carnival troupe in confronting Quentin and Steel Wind, who attacks Johnny on sight. After a motorcycle chase into the woods, the Ghost Rider manages to force the transformation and battles savagely with Steel Wind. When her motorcycle is destroyed and her ruined arms are exposed, she stops fighting and is fried by the Ghost Rider’s hellfire. A week later, the news of Steel Wind’s failure reaches her employer, the Freakmaster, who states that they will have to deal with Blaze before their plans for the Quentin Carnival can reach fruition.

Maybe she just wants a hug?

THE ROADMAP
Steel Wind's sister, Steel Vengeance, appears in Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 2 as an agent of Centurious, seeking revenge on John Blaze for what happened to her sister. Steel Wind herself reappears in Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 7 alongside her sister to destroy the Quentin Carnival.

The Freakmaster first appeared in shadow in Ghost Rider (1973) # 70, as did his aide Renaldo. Ralph Quentin's history with the Freakmaster is revealed in Ghost Rider (1973) # 79.

CHAIN REACTION
To read my review of Ghost Rider (1973) # 75 see my book Wheels On Fire: An Unofficial Guide to Marvel Comics' Ghost Rider: 1972-1983!

Wheels On Fire: An Unofficial Guide to Marvel Comics' Ghost Rider From 1972-1983: Munn, Chris, Ishizaki, James, DeMatteis, J.M.: 9798702991832: Amazon.com: Books

Beautiful horror!

Ghost Rider (1973) # 74

“Remnants!”

Cover Date: November 1982
On Sale Date: August 1982

Writer: J.M. DeMatteis
Artist: Bob Budiansky
Inker: Dave Simons
Letterer: Diana Albers
Colorist: Bob Sharen
Editor: Tom DeFalco
Editor in Chief: Jim Shooter
Cover Artist: Bob Budiansky

A distracted Johnny Blaze wrecks his motorcycle and barely survives the crash. After losing consciousness he and his bike are dragged into the woods by a mysterious figure. At the Quentin Carnival, still reeling from its destruction at the hands of the Circus of Crime, Red Fowler is told that Johnny left and heads out to find him and bring him back. Hours later, Johnny wakes up at a campsite with a man named Old Adam, who brought Johnny to the camp to help him after his crash. After a few hours of friendship, Adam is terrified at the sight of a man entering the camp enveloped in a cloud of mist. When Johnny tries to keep the man from taking Adam he is swatted aside and almost loses consciousness again. 

After he recovers, Johnny follows a trail of dead plant life to a decaying plantation house. Inside he discovers a dinner party of sorts, hosted by Centurious, who has placed Adam as his servant. The rest of the dinner guests, including Centurious’ “wife” Tara, are nothing but soulless husks animated by Centurious’ power. When Centurious attempts to take Johnny’s soul he unwittingly frees the Ghost Rider, who attacks Centurious. When Red appears, having followed Johnny’s trail, Centurious orders his soulless thralls to tear the man apart, which the Ghost Rider agrees would be a fine sight to witness. Ghost Rider attempts to fry Centurious with hellfire but finds that the man has no soul of his own and is overcome by the spirits trapped within the villain’s Soul Crystal, changing the demon back into Johnny. Adam sees one of those spirits is Tara, his sister who Centurious took as his bride, and realizes that he will never be able to free her. He sets the plantation house on fire and Centurious is buried beneath a collapsed ceiling. Johnny and Red escape, while Adam remains behind to perish with his sister. After Johnny and Red depart to return to the carnival, a path of dead foliage coming from the ashes of the home show that Centurious survived.

What's a party without dancing zombies?

THE ROADMAP
Centurious returns in Ghost Rider (1973) # 80.

CHAIN REACTION

To read my review of Ghost Rider (1973) # 74 see my book Wheels On Fire: An Unofficial Guide to Marvel Comics' Ghost Rider: 1972-1983!

Wheels On Fire: An Unofficial Guide to Marvel Comics' Ghost Rider From 1972-1983: Munn, Chris, Ishizaki, James, DeMatteis, J.M.: 9798702991832: Amazon.com: Books

"You got a friend in me!"

Ghost Rider (1973) # 71

"The Tears of Adam Henderson"

Cover Date: August 1982
On Sale Date: May 1982

Writer: J.M. DeMatteis
Artist: Don Perlin
Inker: Danny Bulandi
Letterer: Diana Albers
Colorist: George Roussos
Editor: Tom DeFalco
Editor In Chief: Jim Shooter\

Cover Artist: Bob Budiansky

In a two-story Illinois household, Adam and Maureen Henderson are having an argument. Adam, sick of his worthless life, has decided to quit his job as a music teacher, ignoring his wife's reasoning that they can't afford for him to quit. Upset, Adam walks out of the house, leaving Maureen in tears. Later, he finds himself on the outskirts of town at a large gorge. Still fuming at what he's allowed his life to become, he doesn't notice the large shadow looming over him until it's too late. He turns around, and all he can manage to think is "Oh, my good lord..."

Elsewhere in the town, the Quentin Carnival is in full swing, and all eyes are glued on the motorcycle stunt show performed by Red Fowler and Johnny Blaze. After the show, Johnny and Red are out on the carnival grounds, talking about how the innocence of small towns is all in people's heads, and that the same demons in our souls are always waiting to spring out. Their discussion is interrupted by Cynthia Randolph, who sarcastically states that she didn't know a macho cyclejock could think so deeply. In return, Johnny says that all he likes to do is dress up in leather and ride a big chopper in order to prove his manhood. While Cynthia stands aghast, Johnny excuses himself and his partner by saying that they're going somewhere to lift weights and compare the size of their muscles.

Meanwhile, Adam Henderson walks through a neighborhood, a strange blue flame crackling around his body. Coming to a house that's host to a loud party, he decides he doesn't like seeing other people happy. Pointing his hand and yelling "Out!", the house suddenly goes black and quiet. Adam moves on, and is interrupted by a barking dog that's fenced into a yard. Adam's power flares again, and the dog simply falls to the ground, dead. He continues walking, eventually coming to the carnival. Moving through the crowds, he bumps into Johnny and Red, nearly knocking them over. Red wants to go say something to him, but the cyclists are distracted by two young women seeking autographs. Moving on, Adam comes to the tent of Madame Olga, the carnival's psychic. Entering the tent, he chooses a psychic reading from her crystal ball. Olga is a fraud, pretending to be psychic, but she is shocked to see images actually begin to form in her fake crystal ball upon touching Adam's hand. Adam speaks, telling of a race of beings called the S'Raphh, who had evolved into a state of grace, angelic beings that had a goal...to find the reason of being, the Ultimate Truth. Unfortunately, they never found what they were looking for, and this drove them insane. As one, their entire race hurled themselves into an ocean of fire, committing racial suicide. From their death, however, the collective unconscious of the S'Raphh demanded revenge, and centuries later Null, the Living Darkness arose from the depths. Null came to the world seeking to destroy all life, but the creature was defeated by the Defenders. Realizing that he had much to learn about the world, Null wandered the earth, searching for the one bitter human heart with which he could merge. He found that heart in Adam Henderson, who at the end of his tail has broken down into black tears. Raising his hand to Olga, he tells her that Null now has a living weapon to destroy all life, not understanding why people won't see what he sees.

On the carnival grounds, Johnny and Red are playing games with the two girls they met. Suddenly, an explosion rocks the area from Olga's tent, causing the two bikers to race to her aid. Finding Olga alive, though in a deep state of shock, the carnival workers are confused as to what happened. Suddenly, Adam appears floating in the air, the shadow of Null coalesced around him. Pointing into the crowd, Adam focuses on an elderly man, a pastor named Oliver Matheson, and lifts him into the air with his power. Calling him a deceiver and a fraud, Adam flies the two of them away, accusing Matheson of "promising a non-existent Heaven to creatures already in Hell." Realizing that the monster needs to be stopped, Johnny runs off. When safely away from his friends, he calls forth his demonic second self, the Ghost Rider, who creates a hellfire cycle and rides off in the direction of Adam.

Back at the Henderson home, Maureen wakes up to find Adam standing in their bedroom. He tells her that he's brought a gift, revealing the pastor, shrunken down the size of a doll. Maureen screams, which Adam interprets to her not liking the gift. So, he throws the tiny man out the second story window, the Pastor growing to his normal size as he falls, losing consciousness when he hits the ground. The Ghost Rider sees this and ramps his bike off of a car, crashing into the Henderson's bedroom. Adam fires a blast of energy into the demon's chest, which the Rider angrily answers with a blast of hellfire. Both combatants still standing after their attacks, Adam/Null tackles the Rider and carries them both back outside. Maureen runs outside, but is stopped by the awakened Pastor Matheson, who tells her that they have no power against creatures such as these. Adam and the Ghost Rider battle furiously, with Adam/Null attempting to shrink the demon down. Immediately, the Rider regrows by the force of his will alone. Blasting him with hellfire, Adam screams, regaining control of his body for a moment. Null returns, however, causing Adam to telekinetically lift a car and throw it. The Rider dodges, chasing the man/monster into the town square, followed by Maureen and Matheson. In a last, desperate move, Adam/Null blasts a large stone statue and topples it over. The Ghost Rider easily jumps out of the way, but Maureen, who has run forward to stop Adam, finds herself directly beneath it. Seeing what he's done, Adam regains control of his body, though still finds himself unable to act. At the last moment, Pastor Matheson leaps forward, pushing Maureen and himself out of the way of the large statue. Taking advantage of his weakness, the Ghost Rider blasts Adam with his hellfire, using the man's soul to drive Null out of his body. When Null exits into his true form, the Ghost Rider continues blasting with his hellfire, eventually destroying the creature.

Afterward, Maureen races to Adam's side, comforting him after what he's went through. Similarly, Pastor Matheson is comforted by his wife, who expresses her love for her husband. Meanwhile, however, the Ghost Rider relinquishes control back to Blaze, who has no such person to comfort him in his time of need.

Not the dog!

THE ROADMAP

Null first appeared and was defeated in Defenders # 103, and it makes a re-appearance in Defenders # 113 following this issue.

CHAIN REACTION

To read my review of Ghost Rider (1973) # 71 see my book Wheels On Fire: An Unofficial Guide to Marvel Comics' Ghost Rider: 1972-1983!

Wheels On Fire: An Unofficial Guide to Marvel Comics' Ghost Rider From 1972-1983: Munn, Chris, Ishizaki, James, DeMatteis, J.M.: 9798702991832: Amazon.com: Books

Ghost Rider has an ouchie.