Ghost Rider (1990) # 94

"Acabado"

Cover Date: January 2007; On Sale Date: March 2007

Writer: Ivan Velez Jr.; Artist: Javier Saltares; Inkers: Mark Texeira, Javier Saltares, & Klaus Janson; Letterer: Rus Wooton; Colorist: Tom Chu; Editor: Jeff Youngquist' Editor In Chief: Joe Quesada; Cover Artist: Javier Saltares

Dan Ketch sits on his bed and stares at his hand - it has been 33 days and counting since the brand of vengeance disappeared, 33 days and counting since he was freed from the curse of the Ghost Rider. He hears a knock on his door and answers it, finding his brother, John Blaze, standing outside his apartment. John invites himself inside and tells Dan that despite the months of searching with Jennifer Kale - who went home as well - he was unable to locate his missing children. Dan agrees to let John stay with him for a while, and the two decide to go to a bar and talk.

In Hell, Noble Kale sits on the throne and is flanked by his two brides, Pao Fu and Roxanne Simpson-Blaze/Black Rose. They are visited by three other Hell-Lords - Hela of Asgard, Pluto of Hades, and Belasco - who tell Kale that they are the only three to officially recognize him as the rightful ruler of this realm. Ghost Rider questions their offer of friendship, but Hela corrects him by saying that no friendship is offered; they just simply won't take part in the eventual destruction by the other realms. The three demons then disappear, leaving Kale, his brides, and the advisor Skritch. After Skritch explains that Satannish and Dormammu may very well attempt to overthrow him, Kale orders him to assemble the masses so he may speak to his subjects.

Back on Earth, Stacy Dolan stares at a pregnancy test in her bathroom. She shatters her mirror and collapses in tears at the realization that she's going to have a baby. At a local bar, Dan and John talk about Blaze's missing children and how he and Jennifer ran out of money. To get bus tickets home, John had to sell his motorcycle, but that doesn't mean he's given up the search. He stops suddenly and notices that the brand is missing from Dan's hand, and the younger brother happily tells John that he's free of the curse. And not only that, but he also got to speak to their mother.

In Hell's Tower, the spirit of Naomi Kale observes the gathering mass of demons below before being approached by the Ghost Rider. Transforming back into his human form, Noble speaks to Naomi about what she'll do now that her children have been freed from the curse. They're interrupted by Dante, the deceased younger brother of Noble, who tells them that he's come to take Naomi to her final resting place. Dante warns Noble to watch the darkness inside him as they fade away, leaving the Ghost Rider to ask the newly-arrived Vengeance and Doghead about their present choices. Meanwhile, on Earth, Stacy visits Dan's apartment and leaves him a letter and her set of keys - in the letter, she explains to him that she's marrying Ski and begs Dan to forgive her before writing goodbye.

In Hell, Ghost Rider and his lieutenants address the assembled masses of Hell. Noble announces himself as King, their ruler, and then grants them their freedom from Hell. All imprisoned souls will be freed to live as they please, wherever they please, with only one condition and law: do no more evil. After this is said, the angel Uriel appears and condemns Noble's actions, telling him that he cannot allow such a thing. Ghost Rider explains to Uriel that when Mephisto returns, which is inevitable, he will find his kingdom turned into a democracy where evil is outweighed by the good of its denizens' souls...and what better vengeance could he ever conceive. Uriel attempts to force Noble to rescind his decree, but the angel finds himself at the Rider's mercy. Uriel is banished from Hell from this day forward, to the cheering of the masses, and the angel disappears after being humbled. Noble then says that it's time for him leave, handing over the throne to Vengeance to rule by proxy. Doghead, Verminous Rex, and Wallow he leaves as governors to enforce the first law of doing no evil. He promises to return and then asks Roxanne to join him for unfinished business. Noble kisses Pao Fu, then he and Roxanne ride through the portal back to Earth.

In front of their apartment building, Dan helps an obviously intoxicated John down the street. Blaze is upset that he spent so much time hating their mother for leaving and has now found out that she freed them from the curse. Missing his children and wife, John says that he's totally alone now - only to see Roxanne waiting for them at the front of the building. She asks if he is John Blaze and if they are really married with children. John disbelieves this at first, claiming that Roxanne is dead, but quickly realizes that she is truly alive once again. Hearing familiar laughter, Dan looks to a rooftop and sees Noble astride his bike. Transforming into the Ghost Rider, Noble rides into the city, finally able to make a choice concerning his destiny. He is Noble Kale, the Spirit of Vengeance and the King of Hell. He is the Ghost Rider. Back on the street, Dan wonders to himself if this is the happy ending they all deserved, and catches a glimpse of Dante and Naomi waving to them before they fade away.

Midnight Sons Unlimited (1993) # 3

"Sins of Spider-X"

Cover Date: October 1993; Publication Date: August 1993

Writer: Mort Todd; Artists: Mort Todd, Javier Saltares, John Czop, Ken Meyer Jr., Dougie Braithwaite, and Vince Giarrano; Inkers: Pat Redding, Mike Witherby, Mark Pennington, and Cam Smith; Letterer: Steve Dutro; Colorists: John Kalisz, Tom Smith, Joe Caponsacco, Ken Meyer Jr., and Kevin Somers; Editor: Hildy Mesnik; Group Editor: Bobbie Chase; Editor In Chief: Tom DeFalco; Cover Artist: John Romita Jr.

In a deserted alley in New York City, Spider-Man is ambushed by an evil mutant called the Paralyzer, who was just passing by and decided to attack the hero. Spider-Man recovers after the villain has left and returns home, depressed at the state of his life. He's welcomed by the Dwarf, who is there to offer him a page of the Darkhold.

 

Later, Ghost Rider and John Blaze are riding through the city streets when they are caught in a giant web that has also trapped several other people. A demonic creature wearing a ripped Spider-Man costume appears, calling himself Spider-X, and the Spirits of Vengeance assume that Spider-Man has become corrupted by the Darkhold and is now killing criminals. Ghost Rider frees himself from Spider-X's web, but Blaze remains trapped. Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, two of the Darkhold Redeemers (Victoria Montesi and Jinx) sense the use of a Darkhold page in New York City and prepare to leave. Blaze is able to retrieve his shotgun and he blasts Spider-X away long enough for Ghost Rider to free him. Blaze and Ghost Rider fight with Spider-X over his victims, and Ghost Rider attempts to give the creature his Penance Stare. Spider-X breaks free and escapes, leaving the two heroes to free the people caught in the web.

 

Meanwhile, the Nightstalkers are in New York to meet with a client that had written them a letter about rising crime rates being attributed to the occult. They go to visit the letter writer, Brian Kornfeld, and meet the young man's mother. She tells them that Brian idolizes superheroes, and when she was brutally mugged last month he took it personally that none of the heroes helped her. She shows him a picture of Brian, who is wearing a Spider-Man costume. Suddenly, Spider-X breaks through the window, carrying a dead man wrapped in webbing. He kidnaps Mrs. Kornfeld and the Nightstalkers give chase through the city. Spider-X is blasted by Frank Drake into an electronics store, where he hears a news report about the Paralyzer having taken control of a power station in the city. Spider-X escapes, and when the Nightstalkers recover Mrs. Kornfeld she tells them that the body the creature had with him was the man who had mugged her.

 

At Grand Central Station, Vicki Montesi and Jinx arrive in the city and immediately encounter Spider-X. He webs Jinx to a wall and carries Montesi up the side of a building, but the demon is stopped by Ghost Rider, who has finally caught up to his foe. Montesi falls, but is caught by Blaze, who also rescued Jinx. They follow Spider-X through the city, but the creature again escapes them.

 

Morbius, the living vampire, sees Spider-X swinging through the city and flies to investigate, but is stopped by Spider-Man, who wants to apprehend Morbius. Spider-Man thinks about the strange dwarf in his apartment and how upset he was that the hero wouldn't take his envelope, saying he would "just have to find another Spider-Man". The fight between Morbius and Spider-Man takes them toward the power station, where they find another web with victims trapped inside it. Spider-X attacks them both, but he is stopped by the assembled Midnight Sons. Inside the power planet, Paralyzer finishes his work and recreates the energy being Zzzax, who he sends to fight the heroes. Morbius hypnotizes Spider-X into attacking Zzzax, and with the help of the Midnight Sons and Spider-Man the electrical monster is destroyed, killing Spider-X in the process. Spider-Man attempts to capture Morbius, but is held back by Hannibal King while Morbius escapes. The Paralyzer, though, gives up when he sees Spider-Man and the Midnight Sons surrounding him. Spider-Man returns home to his wife, Mary Jane, and he relaxes, comforted by the thought that there are heroes like the Midnight Sons out there to fight the beings outside his ability to defeat.

Peter Parker: Spider-Man (1990) # 93

"Reborn Again"

Cover Date: July 1998; Publication Date: May 1998

Writer: Howard Mackie; Artist: Javier Saltares; Inker: Scott Hanna; Letterer: Richard Starkings; Colorist: Gregory Wright; Editor: Ralph Macchio; Editor In Chief: Bob Harras; Cover Artist: John Romita Jr.

In Cypress Hills Cemetery, local firefighters attempt to douse a mysterious flame that has started - flames burning in the pattern of the Medallion of Power. From the flames emerges the Ghost Rider, who - before jumping on his motorcycle - simply says "It begins anew. I ride again...for vengeance!"

Elsewhere in the city, Spider-Man swings over the rooftops, jubilant that his recent troubles with the law are over. Spider-Man spends his evening stopping muggers and rescuing people from a burning building, but discovers that his reputation is still ruined due to Norman Osborn's allegations of the wall-crawler being a criminal. Spider-Man then visits Arthur Stacy, a friend, and finds that even he is having trouble trusting the hero. Outside the Stacy house, Mary Jane Watson-Parker talks to Jill Stacy before starting home. A few moments later, Mary Jane is startled by her husband, Peter Parker, jumping out of the trees. Peter scoops his wife up and swings them to a nearby rooftop. Peter tells her that things are finally starting to look up and asks "what could go wrong?". Just as Mary Jane says that she wishes he hadn't said that, Parker's spider-sense goes off, causing him to grab his wife and cover them with a web shield just in time to keep them from being burned by a flash of fire. The Ghost Rider rides past them on the street below, melting cars and street lamps as he passes. Parker changes back into Spider-Man and kisses Mary Jane before swinging off after the Rider.

A short time later, Spider-Man wonders what's causing Ghost Rider's flames to burn out of control. He stumbles across an abandoned building caught on fire by Ghost Rider's flames and sees a kid trapped on one of the floors. Spider-Man saves the boy just in time and returns him to his parents, winning back the trust of some of the public. Spider-Man picks the Ghost Rider's trail back up, following the trail of fire left by his motorcycle, and finds the Spirit of Vengeance in the middle of Times Square. Fallen on his knees, the Ghost Rider yells for everyone to stay away from him, that he's lost control of his hellfire. Ghost Rider is confused and disoriented by "so many truths and lies mixed together". "Noble Kale, the Lord of the Dark Realm, Mephisto, Blackheart", he says, "lies within lies within lies!" Spider-Man jumps down to the street, but is immediately attacked by Ghost Rider, who tells the hero to leave - that the lives of innocents are at stake and if he doesn't act soon the streets will run with blood. Spider-Man attempts to stop the Ghost Rider, but the demon smashes the ground beneath them, blowing a huge crater in the street. Severely weakened, Ghost Rider falls next to the hole - and when Spider-Man investigates, he finds a group of terrorists planting a bomb under the street. Spider-Man makes quick work of the terrorists, but sees that the bomb has just over five minutes before it detonates. Ghost Rider says he's too weak to help, but then out of the crowd steps Daniel Ketch, the Rider's descendant and former host. Dan asks the Rider - addressing him as Noble Kale - how he escaped Mephisto's realm and if he remembers him. Ghost Rider claims not to be this Noble Kale, and that Mephisto and Blackheart are the lords of the lie...the truth is not yet known. Spider-Man brings their attention back to the bomb, and Ghost Rider asks Dan to merge with him once again to make him stronger. Realizing that if he doesn't thousands of people will die, Dan agrees - and the two merge, restoring the Ghost Rider to his full strength. Whole once again, Ghost Rider takes the bomb and asks Spider-Man to contain him with as much webbing as he can generate. Within the giant dome of webbing, Ghost Rider stands with the bomb until it explodes, barely contained by Spider-Man's web. Immediately after the explosion, Ghost Rider rides out of the fire and out into the city. Spider-Man thinks to himself that this should finally prove to the city that he's a hero again...but the next day reads an editorial by J. Jonah Jameson that claims both Spider-Man and Ghost Rider to be part of the terrorist plot.

Ghost Rider (1990) Annual # 2

"Wish For Pain"

Cover Date: 1994; On Sale Date: August 1994

Writer: Warren Ellis; Artist: Javier Saltares; Inker: Mike Witherby; Letterer: Lorina Mapa; Colorist: Kevin Somers; Editor: Chris Cooper; Group Editor: Bobbie Chase; Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco; Cover Artist: Javier Saltares

High atop a building, the Scarecrow and his flock of crows watch his next potential victim on the street below. Scarecrow jumps down and knocks the innocent man unconscious but is interrupted by the police as he's dragging him away. The two officers attempt to arrest the villain, but the Scarecrow's fear-inducing power causes them to hesitate in fright - resulting in the male officer's death and the female officer's abduction. He takes his two victims back to his home, an abandoned reservoir beneath a toxic waste dump that would kill a normal man simply by breathing the air. The Scarecrow, however, has been changed by doctors, who gave him both the gift of fear and the ability to heal in the presence of fear - fear makes him immortal, he cannot die. In his new home, the Scarecrow thinks back to his hatred of the Ghost Rider and his childhood as the victim of his abusive mother. 

Four nights later, the Scarecrow watches the Ghost Rider from the window of an abandoned building, in which he holds several more kidnapped people. At the door to the building, the Scarecrow throws his pitchfork across the street - with the intestines of a victim attached, knocking the Ghost Rider off his bike as he drives by. The Rider releases his chain and strikes the Scarecrow in the heart, a blow that would've killed a normal man. Ghost Rider follows the villain into the building, where he's attacked by a healed Scarecrow and knocked through the window.

Scarecrow returns to the reservoir and dumps off his newest batch of living victims, beginning his long night of unloading and building. He thinks back again, this time to when the doctors were operating on him. One of the doctors had severed his vocal cords, making him unable to scream...trapping his fear, something that he swears won't happen again. Later, Scarecrow listens through the window of the 15th Police Precinct as Captain Dolan and his men discuss the rash of kidnappings. Back in the reservoir, Scarecrow attempts to sleep, but instead has a nightmare of the Ghost Rider. 

Later, in Brooklyn, Captain Dolan rides with two uniformed officers as they patrol the streets. Scarecrow lands atop their car, pulling the driver out of the car as his next captive. The second officer is stabbed by the pitchfork, forcing Dolan to reach onto the car's floorboard and press the gas pedal. The car crashes into a light post, and after he pulls himself from the wreck Dolan is approached by the Ghost Rider, who tells him that the Scarecrow is his. Back at the reservoir, the Scarecrow has completed his work - he has built a house where he cannot die or even be made to suffer. He stands triumphant outside, confident that this time he'll finally get to win.

Scarecrow tracks Ghost Rider down and sets a trap, causing the Rider to collide with the hanging bodies of unconscious innocents in a blind alley. Ghost Rider takes chase after the killer, the Scarecrow merrily keeping a few steps ahead...until they finally reach the reservoir. The Rider falls into the dark pit, landing in ankle deep water that's mixed with blood. He looks around and sees walls built into a maze, with live victims tied to them - a house of fear that the Scarecrow has sealed himself into with the Ghost Rider. Ghost Rider moves through the large room and is attacked by the Scarecrow in a series of hit-and-run strikes, while the Rider's attempts at retaliation result in the innocent victims strapped to the walls being hurt. Ghost Rider follows Scarecrow into another room and the door slams shut behind him, trapping him with the Scarecrow. The villain tells him that he will let him kill him - if the Rider refuses, Scarecrow will stab into the walls of the room, killing innocent people, and any attempt to stop him may result in some fatal accidents. Ghost Rider answers this by asking when all the innocents have been killed, what will then prevent him from exacting vengeance a thousand times heavier? Scarecrow hesitates, taken back by the Rider's grim statement, and is caught off guard by a strike of the demon's chain. Ghost Rider grabs Scarecrow and tells him that while he will not take his life, he can ensure that he never wriggles out of anyone's grasp ever again. 

Later, after the Ghost Rider has left, the police arrive and start the rescue of the dozens of innocent people in the reservoir. Captain Dolan enters and, instead of fearing the Scarecrow, now pities him. The police stand over the broken and disfigured Scarecrow...the Ghost Rider broke every bone in his body and held them so that they healed crooked. He will never walk again, and his fear is once again trapped inside him.

"Raising Cain"

Writer: Ian Edginton; Artist: Reggie Jones; Letterer: Lorina Mapa; Colorist: Tom Zuiko

Vengeance is fighting a monster made out of garbage, which was created via magic by an old woman named Ruby Avedon. She summoned the "Gris-Gris Man" to take revenge on the young punks who had been threatening the elderly people in her building, but the thirst for vengeance corrupted her. She killed several of her neighbors, and when policeman Michael Badilino came to check on them, she tried to kill him as well. Badilino transformed into Vengeance and fought the garbage creature, which is connected to Ruby's own life-force - so when Vengeance destroys the creature, Ruby dies as well

"Truck Stop"

Writer: Frank Lovece; Artist: Kevin Kobasic; Inker: Phillip Moy; Letterer: Steve Dutro; Colorist: Joe Andrea

John Blaze is riding ahead of his carnival on an interstate highway, and when he stops at a diner, he's nearly run over by a truck driver with a little boy in his cab. Blaze enters the diner and finds a woman crying...and to his surprise, the woman is Linda Littletrees, the Witch Woman! She and Blaze sit down to talk, and she tells him that the trucker was her husband Sam who has become crazy and violent. When Linda comes on to John, he excuses himself and goes outside. The truck then crashes through the diner, destroying it and injuring Linda. John jumps on his bike and rides after the truck, disabling it with his hellfire shotgun. When Blaze is threatened by the crashing truck, Linda wakes up and uses her satanic power to rescue him. John saves Sam from the wreck and he tells her that Linda is again worshiping Satan and threatened to kill him if he didn't stay away from their son. Realizing his mistake, Blaze confronts Linda, who becomes enraged that he's rejecting her. John blasts her with hellfire, which knocks her unconscious. Later, the Caretaker arrives to take her away, promising to help Linda as much as possible.

Ghost Rider (1990) # 12

"Strange Tales, Part 1"

Cover Date: April 1991

On Sale Date: February 1991

Writer: Howard Mackie

Artist: Javier Saltares
Inker: Mark Texeira & James Palmiotti
Letterer: Janice Chiang
Colorist: Gregory Wright
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Editor In Chief: Tom DeFalco

Cover Artist: Javier Saltares

After fighting his way free of Nightmare's realm, the Ghost Rider is in a New York City alleyway, trapped in a containment bubble by Dr. Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme. Strange, along with his companions Rintrah and Topaz, believe the Rider to be Zarathos, just as Nightmare did. Mentally controlling his motorcycle, Ghost Rider uses the vehicle to break Strange's concentration, freeing him from the spell. Rintrah attempts to defend his mentor, but the Rider easily dispatches him, throwing him against a wall. Before riding off, the vigilante feels a strange connection with the woman, Topaz, but ignores it in favor of riding after his target, Zodiak. Strange and his fellows recover their senses, stating that the hellfire from Zarathos (along with the talon of a vampire bat and the fur from a werewolf) are needed to exorcise the demon living within Topaz's body. Taking to the air, the three continue their search for the Ghost Rider, following the flame trail made by his motorcycle.

Meanwhile, in Hoboken, a mysterious individual stares off into the night sky, thinking about how he's come a long way to kill the Ghost Rider. Two men come from behind him, brandishing guns, demanding any money the biker may have. The man easily takes down one of the attackers, and when the other comes at him with a knife he pulls a shotgun from his trenchcoat (revealing a very familiar set of racing leathers). Holding the hoodlum at gunpoint, he considers shooting him, but decides instead to just ride off and let him live.

Elsewhere, sitting in a car, Zodiak's personal chauffeur complains that he's twice the hitman his boss his. However, when he sees the Ghost Rider approaching in his rear-view mirror, he runs inside for help. The Rider descends into the basement of the building, taking out guards along the way (including the frightened driver). The biker busts through a steel door, determined to finally catch Zodiak, but instead finds a group of cloaked men sitting under a huge machine, a device that has captured several young children in a mystical prison. This enrages the Rider, who turns around to find Zodiak and several men standing behind him. The murderer states that his employers would be very upset if he allowed the hero to interfere with their "crossing over", and orders his men to fire their weapons. To the Ghost Rider's surprise, the weapons actually cause him pain, as they're powered by magic. Luckily, Dr. Strange and his followers arrive, rescuing the Rider and giving him assistance against the men. Zodiak uses the opportunity to fly away, but mentions as he escapes that the battle has disturbed the cloaked men's concentration. The mystical prison holding the children explodes, and a group of fearsome demons emerge from the disrupted portal. Strange and the Rider both attack the demons, rescuing the children that Zodiak had imprisoned. Eventually, using his mystical knowledge, Strange is able to force the demons back through to their own dimension. Determined to never let this happen again, the Rider wraps his chain around the machines that powered the gateway, destroying them with one downward pull. Before the heroes leave, the Rider looks into a dark corner, then snaps his chain wrapping it around the hiding Zodiak. The killer just smiles, saying that he's yet another mechanical doppelganger. Enraged, the Ghost Rider destroys the robot's head with one punch. Strange then places his hand on the Rider's shoulder, telling him that he needs his assistance to help save the innocent life of his friend.

Ghost Rider (1990) # 10

"Stars of Blood"

Published: Feb. 1991

Original Price: $1.50

Writer: Howard Mackie

Artist: Javier Saltares
Inker: Mark Texeira
Letterer: Janice Chiang
Colorist: Gregory Wright
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Editor In Chief: Tom DeFalco

Cover Artist: Javier Saltares

Police rope off a brutal crime scene, the latest victims of a killer known as the Zodiak, due to the astrological signs he paints with the victim's blood. From a nearby rooftop, the Ghost Rider watches, vowing that the killer must pay. The next day, Dan has dinner with Stacy and Jack. The three talk about the Zodiak slayings, and Stacy finds that Dan's attitude is changing drastically. Meanwhile, in New Mexico, a mysterious man watches a news report on Ghost Rider. He pulls a knife and tosses it at the wall, where it stabs through a newspaper photo of the Rider.

That night, Dan rides through New York, hoping to find any sign of Zodiak. He witnesses a street fight, which involuntarily transforms him into the Ghost Rider. The demon stops the fight, dragging one of the men away with his chain. After he tells him where to find Zodiak, he drops the man on top of a police car. Meanwhile, in the headquarters of the bounty hunting organization H.E.A.R.T., the group's leader, Tyler Meagher, accepts a contract from Deathwatch.

Elsewhere, the Ghost Rider confronts Zodiak, who starts a brief fight with the spirit of vengeance. He tells the Rider that he's a hired killer, and he figured the astrological signs would be a good way to cover up his assassinations by posing as a serial killer. The Rider attempts to give the penance stare, but finds that Zodiak is really a mechanical doppelganger. Ghost Rider destroys the robot while the real killer flies off from a nearby rooftop.

Traveling through the west, the mysterious man from New Mexico rides toward New York, his only concern being the death of the Ghost Rider.

Ghost Rider (1990) # 9

"Pursuit"

Cover Date: January 1991

On Sale Date: November 1990

Writer: Howard Mackie

Artist: Javier Saltares
Inkers: Mark Texeira & James Palmiotti
Letterer: Janice Chiang
Colorist: Gregory Wright
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Editor In Chief: Tom DeFalco

Cover Artist: Javier Saltares

Dan Ketch rides his motorcycle through Cypress Hills Cemetery, unaware that he's being hunted by Blackout. Danny's motorcycle startles a homeless man, who runs deeper into the cemetery. He comes across Blackout, who rips the man's throat out. Upon hearing the screams, Danny transforms into the Ghost Rider. This catches the attention of H.E.A.R.T., the mercenaries hired to killed the Rider who are watching the cemetery. The Rider confronts Blackout, but is blown into one of the mausoleums by the female soldiers. A person in the dark crypt tells the Ghost Rider to come with him, that he can take him to the missing children. Blackout overhears this, while H.E.A.R.T. search the now-empty tomb. Beneath the cemetery, the Ghost Rider speaks with the disfigured people that live underground. They tell the Rider that they took the children to keep them safe, to protect them. Because the night is almost over, the Ghost Rider takes his leave, but vows to return. Meanwhile, in their giant living ship, the mutant team known as X-Factor watch a newscast about the disappearance of children throughout Brooklyn. Thinking that it could perhaps be the result of demons left behind after the Inferno incident, they decide it should be investigated.

The next night, Ghost Rider returns to cemetery, followed closely by a helicopter that houses the women of H.E.A.R.T. Despite their tracking equipment, they lose track of the Rider when he descends into the underground tunnels. The Ghost Rider is taken into a large cavern, where he meets a mutant named Pixie. She's responsible for the children disappearances, saying she's keeping them safe from the Morlock leader, Masque. Suddenly, H.E.A.R.T. bursts into the cavern, firing on the Rider. Immediately after, X-Factor make their way into the tunnels and proceed to help the children escape, forcing H.E.A.R.T. to withdraw. Blackout, who followed the Rider, gets his hands on Pixie and rips her throat out. As the cavern begins to collapse, Ghost Rider calls for his motorcycle, which busts through the ground and returns to his side. He places the remaining children upon it and sends them to safety, but then turns his attention toward Blackout. The two battle fiercely as the tunnels collapse. On the surface, X-Factor help the children onto their aircraft, thinking the Rider to be dead. Suddenly, the Ghost Rider erupts from the ground and makes his way to his motorcycle, quickly riding off into the night.

Ghost Rider (1990) # 8

"Living Nightmare"

Cover Date: December 1990

On Sale Date: October 1990

Writer: Howard Mackie

Artist: Javier Saltares
Inker: Mark Texeira
Letterer: Janice Chiang
Colorist: Gregory Wright
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Editor In Chief: Tom DeFalco

Cover Artist: Javier Saltares

Dan Ketch experiences a frighteningly vivid nightmare, in which he shares a Hamlet-inspired conversation with the Ghost Rider. In the dream, Daniel sees visions of Blackout, Deathwatch, and his sister. He agrees to join with the Ghost Rider in order to stop Blackout, but are unable to reach him atop his mountain of victims. They can never stop the killings, because according to Blackout, they are responsible for them. Danny awakens from the nightmare, and leaves the house to go pick up Stacy.

Meanwhile, at the Cypress Hills Community Action Group, several of the residents hold a meeting with a woman named Tyler Meagher, who represents the bounty hunting group H.E.A.R.T. The parents have contacted her in response to the increasing disappearances of the neighborhood's children, which they feel is being perpetrated by the Ghost Rider. After their conversation, Meagher goes outside to the van that houses the rest of her organization, and tells them that they will start the hunt for the Ghost Rider that night.

Elsewhere, Danny and Stacy are on a walk, upon which he runs into both a blind street vendor named Mr. Larsen, and the priest of his mother's church. Later that night, both men are brutally murdered by Blackout, who is continuing his revenge against Dan. The next evening, Dan sees reports on the murders on the local news, and decides to find out what's happening. As he rides around, he hears a scream from Cypress Hills Cemetery, triggering his transformation into the Ghost Rider. The demon encounters a monstrous creature that's trying to abduct a young girl. The girl runs away, but is immediately caught and killed by Blackout. The Rider fights the giant monster, but is taken down long enough for it to escape. Tyler Meagher, unaware to the Ghost Rider, has watched the battle through surveillance cameras. The other H.E.A.R.T. members ask about the course of action, to which Meagher responds they will, of course, kill the Rider.

Ghost Rider (1990) # 3

"Deathwatch"

Cover Date: July, 1990

On Sale Date: May 1990

Writer: Howard Mackie
Artist: Javier Saltares
Inker: Mark Texeira
Letterer: Michael Heisler
Colorist: Gregory Wright
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Editor In Chief: Tom DeFalco

Cover Artist: Javier Saltares

At a Brooklyn police station, Paulie Stratton, one of the Cypress Pool Jokers, is interrogated on the whereabouts of the last canister. The police have recovered two of the three, but Paulie honestly doesn't remember where she hid the third one. Suddenly, all the lights inexplicably go out, and the cops are murdered by several ninjas. Deathwatch, Blackout, and their men have come for Paulie, certain that she will lead them to the last canister. The next morning, at the hospital, Dan sits in the room with his comatose sister. Captain Dolan bursts in and orders several uniformed policeman to stand guard on both the inside and outside of the room. Dan asks what's going on, and Dolan tells him that somebody broke into a local precinct, murdered over a dozen policeman, and took the two recovered canisters. If Barbara wakes up, she can identify Deathwatch, which is why he ordered the extra police protection. Dan runs out of the hospital, saying he won't sit by and watch more people be killed.

That night, in their cemetery hangout, the rest of the Cypress Pool Jokers argue about what they should do about Paulie being kidnapped. Before they can reach a decision, the doors to the mausoleum break open, revealing Deathwatch and Blackout, holding the kidnapped Paulie. Meanwhile, at the Fisk building, the Kingpin tells his aide to personally make sure that the canisters are returned to him, and that the girl they kidnapped is released. She can identify Deathwatch, and the Kingpin wants to take care of him himself.

Back at the cemetery, Dan watches as Deathwatches men search for the last canister. When Paulie still claims not to remember where she hid it, Blackout murders one of her friends. Immediately after, Dan notices the gas cap on his motorcycle start to glow. Deathwatch explains to Paulie why the canisters are so important: when all three are opened simultaneously, a mutated biotoxin will be released into the air, killing and maiming everybody in the country within weeks. With his unique sensitivity to death, Deathwatch will be in ecstasy over the mass murder. Suddenly, the Kingpin's aide arrives, demanding that Deathwatch hand the canisters and the girl over to him. When Deathwatch refuses to comply, a virtual army of armed men emerge from the shadows, completely surrounding the ninjas. Not willing to experience death himself, Deathwatch orders Blackout to hand over the canisters. Not sticking around to see the end of the confrontation, Deathwatch and several of his men back away and leave the cemetery. Blackout, on the other hand, murders the Kingpin's aide and runs into the cemetery, determined to keep and release the canisters himself. Suddenly, as they walk past a crypt, Paulie remembers that that is where she hid the last canister. Blackout finds it, but before he can release it, the Ghost Rider appears and tackles him. As Paulie watches on, she is grabbed from behind and dragged into one of the mausoleums.

Still holding onto the canisters during their struggle, Blackout manages to get free of the Ghost Rider's hold. He manages to open one of the canisters, but is again tackled by the demon biker. Blackout digs his mechanical fangs into the Ghost Rider's neck, but is immediately set aflame by mystical hellfire, which also fuses the three canisters together, making them worthless. His face hideously scarred, Blackout escapes into the darkness of the cemetery, vowing revenge on the Ghost Rider for what has happened to him.

At dawn, the Kingpin says that he has saved the city from terrorists, and that his enemies the Punisher and Daredevil would be amused by that thought. Having learned of the Ghost Rider's involvement in stopping the plot, the Kingpin decides that he should keep an eye on the vigilante. Meanwhile, at the hospital, Dan tells his unconscious sister that he's beginning to believe the Ghost Rider to be a force of good, and asks who is he to deprive the innocents of justice.

Ghost Rider (1990) # 4

"You Can Run, But You Can't Hyde!"

Cover Date: August 1990

On Sale Date: June 1990

Writer: Howard Mackie
Artist: Javier Saltares
Inker: Mark Texeira
Letterer: Michael Heisler
Colorist: Gregory Wright
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Editor In Chief: Tom DeFalco

Cover Artist: Javier Saltares

On a deserted side-street in Brooklyn, three white men attack an African-American couple and their child with baseball bats. The men blame the blacks for the disappearances of several neighborhood children, despite the fact that it's more than just white kids who are disappearing. Before the three punks can harm the couple, the sound of a motorcycle engine stops them in their tracks. The Ghost Rider busts through some crates, wraps his chain around one of the men's necks, and drags the main into the night, disappearing at the end of the street. Seconds later, the demon returns for the second man, dragging him off as well. The third man, who goes by the moniker S.B., jumps a fence and heads into a factory yard, hoping to lose his spectral pursuer. He finds, however, that the Ghost Rider is waiting for him in the yard, and he gives the young man his penance stare.

Later that night, in a bar on Manhattan's lower east side, Dr. Calvin Zabo hits on a waitress. The waitress rejects his advances, and when he doesn't take the hint, she lands a punch to his jaw. Enraged, Zabo states that he is not to be treated in such a way, as he is Mr. Hyde, a ruthless super-villain. He raises his hand to strike her, but is stopped by Fraser, a large biker that frequents the bar. When Zabo threatens the biker, Fraser promptly laughs in his face and tosses him out the bar. Zabo picks himself up, thinking that if the head injury he'd recently received in battle with the Hulk wasn't keeping him from transforming into Hyde, he would make them all regret being born. Instead, he re-enters the bar and hits Fraser over the head with a bottle. When the bikers try to grab him, Zabo jumps through the window and runs away.

Meanwhile, in Cypress Hills Cemetery, the Ghost Rider reverts to the form of his human host, Dan Ketch. After a moment of contemplation, Dan decides that no one deserves what the Ghost Rider does to his victims, and decides to get rid of the mystical bike. Elsewhere, Zabo, still on the run from Fraser and his gang, attempts once again to transform into Hyde, but finds the pain too great to continue. Seeing a parking garage across the street, he slips through a gate and hides inside. A few moments later, Dan arrives at the same parking garage, where his friend Jack D'Auria is the night attendant. He asks Jack if he'd be able to store his bike in the garage for a while, and his friend takes him to the basement level of the garage. The two lock the motorcycle inside a storage cage and lock it up, where Jack assures it will be safe. They return to the gate, where they find Fraser and his gang, who want to go in to look for Zabo. Jack, a black belt in karate, attempts to fight the bikers off, but is overpowered by the massive Fraser. The bikers lock Jack and Dan in the pay booth and continue in their search for Zabo. A few minutes later, the bikers are on the third level of the garage, where Zabo is hiding behind a car. He strains again to trigger the transformation, feeling Hyde wanting to emerge.

Back at the booth, four teenagers pull up in a car and honk their horn. When Jack doesn't appear, the teens decide to go park the car themselves, not hearing Dan's yells for them to stop and unlock the door. The teenagers come across the bikers, who surround the car. At that moment, Zabo finally forces the transformation into Mr. Hyde, while the motorcycle in the basement undergoes a different transformation. Dan looks outside the booth's window, and is surprised to see the bike sitting outside the door. He strains his arm through the booth's window, and upon touch the gas cap transforms into the Ghost Rider.

On the third floor, Mr. Hyde prepares to kill Fraser by crushing him with a car. The biker attempts to escape by taking the wheel of the teenagers' car, putting their lives in danger as well. The Ghost Rider intervenes, wrapping his chain around Hyde and dragging him away from the others. Hyde breaks free and gets into a fist fight with the demon, but quickly realizes that even his strength is useless. The Rider unleashes his penance stare on the villain, which somehow begins to trigger Hyde's change back into Zabo. The killer attempts to escape, but the Ghost Rider rams him with his bike, crashing both of them through the wall of the garage to the street below. The police are waiting outside, and both Hyde and the Rider flee, vowing to meet again. Later on, while the police are interrogating Jack, Dan rides up and tells him that he managed to get away while his friend was unconscious. Jack offers to lock the bike back up, but Dan has decided to keep it for now.

Elsewhere, a young mother pushes her baby in a stroller on a dark, deserted street. Suddenly, two men approach from behind and knock her down. As she screams for help, the two men run off with her baby.

Ghost Rider (1990) # 5

"Getting Paid!"

Cover Date: September 1990

On Sale Date: July 1990

Writer: Howard Mackie
Artist: Javier Saltares
Inker: Mark Texeira
Letterer: Michael Heisler
Colorist: Gregory Wright
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Editor In Chief: Tom DeFalco

Cover Artist: Jim Lee

In Forest Park, Queens, the Ghost Rider punishes six young men for their brutal rape and attempted murder of a young girl. He holds the last two men in his hands, and gives them both his penance stare. He is then interrupted by the police, who try to apprehend him. He jumps over their car and makes it back to his bike, promptly racing out of the park. On his way out, he crosses paths with television reporter Linda Wei and her cameraman. As they watch the vigilante leave the scene, Wei comments that the Ghost Rider will be her hottest story ever. The next day, in Washington Square Park, a car load of punks with high tech weaponry open fire on the innocent bystanders. Frank Castle, the Punisher, intervenes, killing all but one of the young men. Noting that their weapons are too advanced to get on the street, the Punisher threatens the remaining punk into giving him information.

A day later, Dan Ketch and Stacy Dolan watch the news, where Linda Wei reports on both the Ghost Rider and the Punisher's actions over the past several days. She makes the comments that perhaps the two vigilantes are actually the same person, and that both are dangers to the society and must be stopped. Dan quickly dismisses the reporter's statements, laughing off her theory. Meanwhile, sitting in front of a warehouse that the punk he questioned led him to, the Punisher watches the newscast as well. Later that evening, Dan sits on the steps of his house while a young black kid runs by. Dan calls out to the kid, who he knows from coaching little league, and asks where he's going in such a hurry. The kid tells Dan that there's a warehouse where people are giving away guns for free, and the kid wants one so he won't disappear like some of the other kids in the neighborhood have over the past weeks. Danny yells at the kid and tells him to go home, then opens his garage and gets his bike.

At the warehouse, the Punisher watches from a nearby rooftop. Kids are floating into the building in large numbers, and he notices sentries guarding the surrounding buildings. He spies another kid coming to the warehouse on a motorcycle...Dan, who stops and tries to bluff his way into the building by asking if he's in the right place to get some free hardware. The door guards respond by shoving a knife in his face, saying that if he's gotta ask then he doesn't belong. The Punisher, glad to see that he was wrong about at least one of the kids, aims his rifle. The guards then let Dan go, realizing that they don't need to draw attention to their meeting. They let Dan go, telling him if he brings the cops then he's dead meat.

A little while later, at sunset, Danny sits alone on the bike, thinking that the Ghost Rider has finally abandoned him. To his surprise, the gas cap then begins to glow. Back at the warehouse, the Punisher watches the doors as the last of the kids enter the building. He then sees the Ghost Rider, who looks straight at the Punisher as if he can see him. The demon biker rides straight up the wall of the building, and confronts the Punisher. The two both believe that the other is responsible for putting the guns in the hands of children, so the Punisher opens fire with his handgun. To his astonishment, the Ghost Rider keeps walking toward him, despite taking four hits to the chest. The demon smacks the gun away, forcing Castle to resort to a fistfight. The Ghost Rider smacks Castle around, quickly showing the man that he's way out of his league. Meanwhile, inside the warehouse, a caped man whose identity is shadowed by the bright light behind him addresses the crowd. He tells them the US government has been oppressing and holding them down for long enough. Today, they will be given both weapons and a plan, which will give them the opportunity to strike back corporate America, plunging the world into anarchy. Back on the rooftop, the Punisher manages to get hold of an assault rifle, which he uses to open fire on the now bike-mounted Ghost Rider. The biker rams the vigilante with the bike, sending them both off the roof and through the warehouse's skylight. The two quickly realize that they were wrong about each other, as the criminal anarchist known as Flag-Smasher orders his men to surround and kill them.

Ghost Rider (1990) # 6

"Do or Die!"

Cover Date: October 1990

On Sale Date: August 1990

Writer: Howard Mackie
Artist: Javier Saltares
Inker: Mark Texeira
Letterer: Janice Chiang
Colorist: Gregory Wright
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Editor In Chief: Tom DeFalco

Cover Artist: Mark Texeira

Ghost Rider and the Punisher are surrounded in a warehouse full of the Flag-Smasher's followers, the terrorists called Ultimatum. The Rider manages to disarm a few of the goons, but the fight is called off by the Flag-Smasher, who doesn't want to see his men get hurt in a pointless battle. The building clears out, and the Flag-Smasher escapes in a helicopter. As he escapes, he tells the two vigilantes that the warehouse is rigged with explosives, and in twenty seconds the entire building will be destroyed. The building begins to explode around them, but the two manage to escape on the Ghost Rider's bike. While on their way out, the Punisher sees one of the kids from the warehouse running down an alley. The Ghost Rider scares the kid into telling him the Flag-Smasher's plan, which is that he's going to provide the neighborhood kids with guns so they can hit Wall Street on the next night.

At daybreak, the Ghost Rider transforms back to Dan Ketch, who realizes he's almost late for work at his messenger service job. When he gets there, his co-workers are watching news footage of the warehouse fire from the previous night, which reporter Linda Wei suggests was caused by the Punisher and Ghost Rider. Dan calls his mother, who tells him that his sister has stabilized, but that she's still no closer to coming out of her coma.

Later that night, Danny is riding on his bike, thinking about the effect the Ghost Rider is having on his life. Without warning, the transformation is triggered and Danny is turned into his demon alter-ego. At Wall Street, the Punisher watches the Ultimatum troops hand out weapons to the their teenage followers, and decides not to wait on the Ghost Rider any longer. At that moment, in New York Bay, ten men on flying rocket sleds shoot out of the water, the Flag-Smasher in the lead. He explains to his men that while his teenage army wreak havoc on Wall Street, he and his men will release an electro magnetic pulse in order to erase the computers of the Federal Reserve Bank, therefore taking them in the first steps of political anarchy in the country. Back on Wall Street, a large group of gun-toting kids are confronted by the Ghost Rider, who disarms them with his chain. The Punisher arrives and takes captive an Ultimatum soldier, who tells them all about the Flag-Smasher's plan after he is threatened.

While the police round up the kids on Wall Street, the two vigilantes make their way to the Flag-Smasher. Using a grenade launcher, the Punisher manages to shoot down three of the sleds, leaving the Ghost Rider to chase down the rest on his bike. The demon manages to destroy all of the sleds, while a well-placed shot by the Punisher knocks the Flag-Smasher out of the sky. The Rider grabs the anarchist and applies the penance stare, leaving him a whimpering wreck. The Punisher, however, believes that nothing will stop the madman from killing again, unless he's killed first. The Ghost Rider grabs the Punisher and breaks his gun, telling him that he serves vengeance, not death. The police arrive on the scene, but are unable to apprehend the two heroes, as they speed over the water of New York Bay on the Ghost Rider's motorcycle.

Ghost Rider (1990) # 1

"Life's Blood"

Cover Date: May 1990

On Sale Date: March 1990

Writer: Howard Mackie

Artist: Javier Saltares
Inker: Mark Texeira
Letterer: Michael Heisler
Colorist: Gregory Wright
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Editor In Chief: Tom DeFalco

Cover Artist: Javier Saltares

Late at night, Dan and Barbara Ketch are taking a walk through Brooklyn's Cypress Hills Cemetery. The two hear gunshots nearby, and go to investigate. They witness a man named Deathwatch, dressed in a ninja's outfit, kill another man over a briefcase. Barbara screams when Deathwatch snaps a man's neck, which gives away their position. An arrow is shot, piercing Barbara in the heart. Deathwatch orders his men to track the two down and kill them. During the confusion, Pauline, a member of a gang called the Cypress Pool Jokers, steals the case. Dan manages to drag his sister into a nearby auto-yard, where he stumbles across a strange looking motorcycle. As the ninjas close in, the bike's gascap begins to glow. Dan touches it and is engulfed in hellfire. Moments later, the Ghost Rider explodes from Dan's hiding spot, holding the wounded Barbara. He makes short work of the ninjas, but is then attacked by the police, who believe him responsible for what's happened. After a lengthy chase, the Rider loses his pursuers and transforms into Danny, who runs away from the motorcycle in a panic.

Later that night, the ninjas return to Deathwatch, who is actually a wealthy businessman. Using his psychic powers, he learns of the Ghost Rider. He then kills one of the ninjas for their failure. Elsewhere, the Kingpin is informed that his briefcase has been stolen. He tells his aide that the contents are dangerous and it must not fall into the wrong hands. Back at the cemetery, Pauline and the rest of the Jokers open the briefcase, only to find three locked canisters inside. They decide to hide them, so whoever wants them can't find them. Danny, meanwhile, staggers into the nearest hospital, where he collapses in front of his mother, his girlfriend Stacy, and her father, police captain Dolan. The next day, Dan awakens and is told that the police brought Barbara to the hospital, and that she's in a coma.

A few hours later, Dan returns to where he left the motorcycle, hoping that the magic within it will somehow help him heal his sister. Half a mile away, the Jokers are caught by the Kingpin's men, who demand to be taken to the briefcase. During the conversation, one of the kids is stabbed in the chest by a throwing knife. Deathwatch's ninjas descend onto the street, and a firefight immediately begins between the two groups. Danny hears the gunfire, and then sees the bike's gascap begin to glow. He places his hand upon it, and is transformed into the Ghost Rider. The demon attacks the assassins, defeating them easily, until one hits him with a rocket launcher. He then tells Pauline to take him to the canisters, and she tells him that they're hidden in three different mausoleums in the cemetery, and that she doesn't remember which ones. Before she can say anything else, the Ghost Rider knocks the man out with his chain. He then takes the boy that was stabbed to the nearest hospital. The next day, Dan overhears Captain Dolan blaming the Ghost Rider for hurting Barbara. Dan visits his comatose sister, the only person that knows his secret.

Ghost Rider (1990) # 2

"Do Be Afraid of the Dark!"

Cover Date: June 1990

On Sale Date: April 1990

Writer: Howard Mackie
Artist: Javier Saltares
Inker: Mark Texeira
Letterer: Michael Heisler
Colorist: Gregory Wright
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Editor In Chief: Tom DeFalco

Cover Artist: Javier Saltares

The teenage members of the Cypress Pool Jokers run through a back alley of Brooklyn, but are finally surrounded by several men with guns. The men work for the Kingpin, who is still looking for the missing canisters that were stolen from him by Deathwatch. The thugs demand that the Jokers take them to the canisters, which they had hidden in the cemetery. Suddenly, the Ghost Rider bursts forth from a park across the street and quickly defeats the Kingpin's men. As the last one attempts to run, the demon's chain wraps around his legs, and the mind finds himself being dragged behind the Ghost Rider's mystical motorcycle. Seconds later, GR holds the criminal from the top of a high building, demanding to know what's in the Kingpin's canisters. The thug swears that he doesn't know, and the Ghost Rider gives him the penance stare, which reflects every act of violence he'd ever perpetrated back onto himself, burning him with the mental anguish of his victims. Later that night, in Cypress Hills, the Ghost Rider transforms back into Dan Ketch, who is still terrified by what he's become.

Elsewhere in the city, a cop named Frank Lorretti watches television in his home. Suddenly, the lights and the television blink off, and the detective senses an intruder in the house. The cop is attacked by a large man, who demands information in exchange for the lives of his wife and children. Lorretti cooperates, writing down information on the Cypress Pool Jokers, but is then killed by the intruder, who is a vampire. The next night, the killer, whose name is Blackout, holds a meeting with Deathwatch. Blackout possesses light-dampening abilities, forcing Deathwatch into turning on infrared lights in order to see. Deathwatch reads the assassin's mind, and learns that two of the three canisters are in police custody, while the last one is still missing.

At midnight, Ralphie D'Amato plays video games in his house, having been the member of the Jokers that was injured the week before. Suddenly, all the lights in the house flicker off. The teen lights a match, which doesn't light, yet still burns. Ralphie is then attacked by Blackout, who demands to know the location of the third canister. Ralphie manages to break free, but when he runs into his parents' bedroom he finds them both dead. Blackout enters the room, and accidentally pushes the young boy out of the second story window. Waiting outside is the Ghost Rider, who catches him before he hits the ground. Blackout then jumps through the window and attacks the Ghost Rider, but quickly finds that the demon is much stronger than him. He tosses the Rider against a wall, and then disappears into the darkness, leaving Ralphie and the Ghost Rider alone in the yard.

Ghost Rider: Danny Ketch (2008) # 5

"Addict, Part 5: Chase the Dragon"

Cover Date: April 2009
On Sale Date: February 2009

Title: Addict, Part 5: "Chase the Dragon"
Writer: Simon Spurrier
Artist: Javier Saltares
Inker: Tom Palmer
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Colorist: Dan Brown
Editor: Daniel Ketchum
Executive Editor: Axel Alonso
Editor In Chief: Joe Quesada

Cover Artist: Clint Langly

While Danny Ketch, as the newly re-powered Ghost Rider, battles Verminous Rex, the crow named Mister Eleven that has acted as Danny's guide is beheaded by Rex's son, the rat-creature Albinus. Ketch sees Eleven die, which sends him into a murderous rage. Meanwhile, Albinus leaves the nest and arrives on Earth, where he goes to the apartment of Danny's friend Mary LeBow. Albinus attacks Mary, and while fighting him she puts on her spirit-goggles, which reveals that Mister Eleven is possessing Albinus' body. Mister Eleven can jump from body to body, a fact he neglected to tell Dan. Eleven explains that he's a free agent who is working for Zadkiel to spare his own life. But what Zadkiel wants is Dan, and he doesn't want Mary to interfere - so Eleven is there to kill her.

Back at the nest, Ketch manages to gravely wound Verminous Rex; and while he lays dying, Rex taunts Danny into absorbing the power that Verminous stole from the other Spirits of Vengeance that he murdered. Unable to take the taunts, Dan leeches all of the power from Verminous Rex, which immediately sends him into an overdose. He returns to Earth and rides to Mary's apartment, pleading for her to exorcise him again before the power destroys him. But he finds Mary dead in her home, which pushes Ketch over the edge.

In the spirit realm, the ghosts of Eleven and Mary watch as Danny overdoses. Eleven tells Mary that he'll show her how to find a new body; he may have killed her, but he's not going to make her go to Heaven. Back on Earth, Danny is finally approached by Zadkiel himself, who tells him that the only way to save his soul is to give it up to the angel. He offers to save Dan's soul and keep it pure while, in return, Dan will hunt down the remaining Spirits of Vengeance to take their power and save their souls from destruction.

In the spirit realm, Eleven explains to Mary how he and Zadkiel set Danny up from the very beginning by restricting the amount of power he received with each "dose", stringing him along like a junkie. He tells Mary that Zadkiel is trying to overthrow the throne of Heaven for himself, and the power of the Ghost Riders is the only thing that will end the stalemate. Suddenly, the ghost of Verminous Rex appears in the spirit realm to demand his reward for helping Zadkiel. Eleven answers that the reward has already been given when Rex's race was rebuilt. Verminous refuses to accept this, but when he tries to attack Eleven and Mary the rat-creature is dropped down into Hell. Eleven and Mary depart the spirit realm, with Eleven warning her that people like them need to prepare for the fallout of Danny's actions.

Back on Earth, Danny has accepted Zadkiel's offer. The archangel informs Ketch that he can now "medicate" at will with his full power while he searches for the other Spirits of Vengeance. Zadkiel tells Danny that his ultimate goal is to liberate his brother from his curse. Ketch transforms into the Ghost Rider, now with blue flame, and he rides off to find Johnny Blaze in the name of Zadkiel and the Black Host.

Ghost Rider: Danny Ketch (2008) # 4

"Addict, Part 4: The Jones"

Cover Date: March 2009
On Sale Date: January 2009

Writer: Simon Spurrier
Artist: Javier Saltares
Inker: Tom Palmer
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Colorist: Dan Brown
Editor: Daniel Ketchum
Executive Editor: Axel Alonso
Editor In Chief: Joe Quesada

Cover Artist: Clint Langly

Night after night, Danny Ketch and the crow Mister Eleven search the tunnels beneath a parking garage for any sign of Verminous Rex. Despite slaying numerous rat-creatures, Danny is unable to find any trace of Rex. While they hunt at night, Eleven leaves Dan to rest during the day; but when Mary LeBow tracks Dan to the parking garage she finds him going through withdrawals while waiting for his next "fix". Despite his protests, Mary drags Danny to a diner where she tries to talk to him about Eleven. When Dan says that he knows he's working for Heaven, Mary replies that she's learned that Heaven is under siege. At that moment, Eleven crashes through the window and tells Danny that they have to leave right then. Dan apologizes to Mary and leaves with the crow.

Danny and Eleven arrive at his apartment, where they find Shoba Mirza - the Hindu woman that was also a Spirit of Vengeance - convulsing on the floor while her hellfire blazes out of control. Eleven explains that Shoba escaped from Verminous Rex but now her power is overwhelming her, causing her to overdose. The only way to keep her soul from being devoured is for Dan to leech her power away, which Shoba begs him to do. Dan absorbs Mirza's power, which kills her, but he is only able to hold it in with the help of Zadkiel restricting the power's flow. When the ordeal is over, Eleven congratulates Danny on his new career for life, which prompts Ketch to demand answers about who he's really working for. Eleven explains that Zadkiel was there when the Spirits were first sent out and was there when the first overdose happened. The war in Heaven doesn't matter to them, what's important is the Ghost Rider hosts who need to be saved from themselves before their souls are destroyed forever. This job has now fallen to Danny, who realizes that by accepting the job he'd have access to as many free doses of power that he wants.

Dan and Eleven re-enter the dimensional tunnels, with Shoba's memories telling them where to find Verminous. They enter the nest and find Verminous Rex transformed into a giant-sized Spirit of Vengeance, surrounded by his rat-creatures. Ketch attacks Rex, but finds that he doesn't have enough power to defeat him. Dan loses his power before Rex can drain it from him, causing Verminous to toss him aside as worthless. Danny tells Eleven that he doesn't need another dose, he needs full control of the power if he's to have any hope of beating Rex. Eleven contacts his boss, who agrees to the conditions - Danny explodes with hellfire, transforming him into a vastly more powerful Ghost Rider.

Ghost Rider: Danny Ketch (2008) # 3

"Addict, Part 3: Pest Control"

Cover Date: February 2009
On Sale Date: December 2008

Writer: Simon Spurrier
Artist: Javier Saltares
Inker: Tom Palmer
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Colorist: Dan Brown
Editor: Daniel Ketchum
Executive Editor: Axel Alonso
Editor In Chief: Joe Quesada

Cover Artist: Clint Langly

From a nearby rooftop, Danny Ketch and the supernatural crow named Mister Eleven watch as another Spirit of Vengeance - a Hindu woman named Shoba Mirza - is attacked and overpowered by a party of demonic rat-creatures. Danny asks for another dose of the power so he can help her, and in return is transformed once again into the Ghost Rider, this time for only five minutes. He jumps into the alley and begins slaughtering the rat-creatures, but is so consumed with vengeance that he doesn't notice the monsters' leader Albinus, who defeats and kidnaps Shoba right behind Danny's back.

The next morning, Danny is woken up in his apartment by a telephone call from his friend Mary LeBow. Before he can answer, the phone on both his and Mary's ends are destroyed by Eleven. The crow conjures a “seerstitch”, a globe that can see into other realms. Using this, Mister Eleven shows and explains to Danny the real history of the Spirits of Vengeance, that they were weapons created by Heaven; parasitic entities that were designed to self-improve with the strongest of them killing and absorbing the weakest. The Spirits use “memeforms”, which tune into the spiritual and psychological legends of their individual regions; as examples, Danny is shown visions of several different Ghost Riders in different areas of the world all operating in the present day and specifically designed to their region's customs. Eleven then tells Danny that the Spirits are under threat, and that Heaven is willing to partially restore his Ghost Rider powers if he helps them.

Meanwhile, after the incident with the phone, Mary turns on a device and enters a digital dream world, where she confers with several technological spirits. When she asks for their assistance with Danny, an angel appears and boots her out of the dream realm, telling her to mind her own business. Elsewhere, Eleven has led Danny into an underground parking garage and tells him about the Berev'ha Dentii, a race of warrior mystics from between dimensions. These were the rat-men they saw last night, and the last of their kind was supposedly killed in 1917 before being resurrected by Blackheart; his name was Verminous Rex. Now Rex has repopulated his race and is stealing power from the Spirits of Vengeance. Eleven opens up a mystical portal, which transports them to a cavern in Antarctica that was once a civilization called Thule. There, chained to a wall, is a Ghost Rider, screaming and completely insane. Eleven explains that this is the reason his boss won't give Danny full access to the power, that the addiction can lead to the Spirits overdose and burn out the hosts mind. Danny is given another dose of power, turning him into the Ghost Rider, and before he can go after Eleven he's ordered to take care of the mad Spirit. As an act of mercy, Ketch kills the Spirit and absorbs his power for himself. Later, at the Nest, Albinus is informed that there are intruders in their tunnels just before he's attacked by the Ghost Rider.

Ghost Rider: Danny Ketch (2008) # 2

"Addict, Part 2: Whose Face Gives no Light"

Cover Date: January 2009
On Sale Date: November 2008

Writer: Simon Spurrier
Artist: Javier Saltares
Inker: Tom Palmer
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Colorist: Dan Brown
Editor: Daniel Ketchum
Executive Editor: Axel Alonso
Editor In Chief: Joe Quesada

Cover Artist: Clint Langly

After becoming the Ghost Rider again for a brief minute, Daniel Ketch finds himself powerless once more as one of the criminals he'd been fighting holds a shotgun to his head. Before the criminal can shoot, his cell phone rings. When he answers it, a girl says "tell Danny to duck", which he repeats out loud. Suddenly, a bolt of energy shoots from the cell phone to a streetlight, which releases a lightning spitting demon. When the rest of the criminals get up to check on their leader, Mary LeBow pulls up on her scooter and releases a horde of pixies that attach themselves to the men before exploding. Mary scoops Danny up, but he pushes her away and rides off on his bike.

The next morning, a very hung-over Dan is visited at his run-down apartment by Shoba Mirza, the Hindu woman who rebuked his drunken advancements the night before. She tells him to drop the loser façade, as she can taste his recently-used power. The others have been speaking of him as a great warrior; something is killing their kind and she needs his help to stop them from being slaughtered one by one. When Dan tells her that he has no idea what's talking about, she blows him through the apartment's door and leaves to face her stalkers alone.

That evening, Dan and Mary meet at a diner so he can apologize for the way he acted the night before. He tells her what happened, getting a taste of the power again only for it to go away and leave him craving more. She says that she hasn't seen him this bad since the week after the exorcism, when he tried to set himself on fire in Times Square. She offers to test him with an electronic séance to find out what's wrong, and goes into the diner's bathroom to prepare the spell. While she's gone, a man bumps into Dan's table and spills his coffee. When the man gives Dan attitude, he stabs his hand with a fork and punches him in the face. The mysterious talking crow arrives and teases Danny with another dose, prompting him to get on his bike and follow. When Mary comes out of the bathroom, Danny has left her behind.

Danny and the crow, who says his name is Mister Eleven, stop on a rooftop overlooking an alley. Walking down the alley is Shoba Mirza, who is attacked by a group of humanoid rat creatures. Dan begs Eleven to give him another dose of the power so he can help her, but Eleven says that its not up to him, he has to convince the "boss" that he's good for it. Dan yells that the girl "needs the Rider!", but a flash of light proves that she already has one: Mirza has transformed into a four-armed Spirit of Vengeance atop a flaming elephant!

Ghost Rider: Danny Ketch (2008) # 1

"Addict, Part 1: How the Mighty are Fallen"

Cover Date: December 2008
On Sale Date: October 2008

Writer: Simon Spurrier
Artist: Javier Saltares
Inker: Tom Palmer
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Colorist: Dan Brown
Editor: Daniel Ketchum
Executive Editor: Axel Alonso
Editor In Chief: Joe Quesada

Cover Artist: Clint Langly

In Brooklyn, New York, a sinister black crow lands on a motorcycle and observes the people in the Rune Stone Pub through its window. The crow narrates about the life of Daniel Ketch, who once upon a time had been a Ghost Rider. There had been a Medallion of Power and a hellfire shotgun, a family curse and a long-lost brother, an ancestor's ghost and a demonic marriage, and other complicated and strange events in the boy's life. What matters is that Danny Ketch hated the power he had but always kept it under control Now, a drunken Ketch is involved a brutal bar fight, which he wins through luck and cowardice. A Hindu woman at the bar rebukes Daniel's drunken advancements and insults him, though also comments that she can tell he is a nice man with too much damage behind his eyes. She leaves and when Dan tries to follow he is interrupted by the black crow, who allows the woman to disappear.

Later, a young English woman named Mary LeBow gets a phone call from a drunken and distraught Daniel. Mary is a technomage who, several years ago, successfully exorcized the Spirit of Vengeance that was possessing Ketch. Now, though, he is once again begging her to reverse what she did. Hearing the pain in his voice, Mary tells Dan to stay put while she comes to find him, but he leaves the phone hanging and drives off on his bike, followed by the crow.

The crow flies ahead and causes a van filled with bank robbers to crash in the street, which also causes Danny to crash his cycle. The crow lands next to Ketch and begins to talk, telling Dan that he hasn't got much time, so he shouldn't waste it. Dan is then transformed back into the Ghost Rider, though instead his skull is surrounded by black smoke instead of flames. The crow tells Dan that “the first ride's for free, take it or leave it”. The men from the van approach, thinking Dan caused them to wreck. Dan attacks the gun-toting men, reveling in the Ghost Rider power being his once again. As he fights the men, he notices he no longer has his Penance Stare - so Dan decides to take his time beating on his assailants. However, with only one criminal left standing, the Ghost Rider power disappears, leaving Ketch as human again. The crow tells him that the dose was limited to a minute by orders of his “boss”, for Daniel's own good. The last criminal then comes up behind and points his shotgun at Danny's back, ready to kill him.

Ghost Rider (2006) # 19

"Revelations, Part 6"

Cover Date: March 2008
On Sale Date: January 2008

Writer: Daniel Way
Artist: Javier Saltares
Inker: Tom Palmer
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Colorist: Dan Brown
Editor: Aubrey Sitterson
Executive Editor: Axel Alonso
Editor In Chief: Joe Quesada

Cover Artist: Mike Deodato, Jr.

Johnny Blaze's partner, truck driver Dixie, is held up inside a motel room with a body.  When the police attempt to enter the room, she fires a pistol at them, telling them to come back in half an hour, "it'll all be over by then!".  Elsewhere, Ghost Rider returns to the bridge where he had left the now-last Lucifer avatar chained.  He arrives to find that Lucifer has escaped and is in full demonic form, ready to fight.  Back at the hotel, the police attempt to use tear gas to flush Dixie out of the room, but wind up gassing themselves instead.

Ghost Rider and Lucifer have a brief fight, with the Devil seemingly getting the upper hand.  Blaze lets loose a massive blast of hellfire that strikes Lucifer in the chest.  The police bust into the motel room and find Dixie waiting beside the unconscious demonic body, a gearshift sticking out of its head.  She tells the cops that the body is that of the Devil.  Back on the bridge, the hellfire has started to eat away at Lucifer's body, and Ghost Rider explains that the Devil is only half as powerful as he thinks he is.  Dixie attempts to explain to the cops that the body on the bed is braindead, but still alive and containing half of Lucifer's power.  In two minutes she needs to kill it in order to save the world.  On the bridge, Johnny explains to Lucifer that he left one of the avatars braindead but alive, so Lucifer couldn't sense it, in order to siphon away half of the Devil's power.  Ghost Rider kills Lucifer with his chain, which causes the comatose body in the motel to wake up screaming.  The cops open fire in the room, killing both the Lucifer host and Dixie, who is caught in the crossfire.  Johnny Blaze, unaware of her death, has now set his desire for vengeance on the angel Zadkiel, who was responsible for cursing him to become the Ghost Rider.

"Are too!" "Am not!" "Are too!"

THE ROADMAP

After a very long search, Johnny will finally get to confront the angel Zadkiel in Ghost Riders: Heaven's On Fire (2009) # 6.

 

Johnny captured the brain-dead Lucifer host at the beginning of this arc in Ghost Rider (2006) # 14.

 

CHAIN REACTION

"Revelations" ends, bringing to a close Daniel Way's extremely hit-or-miss run on the series.  This one is a "miss", by the way.

To say that I've not been kind to "Revelations" would be a massive understatement, but at least the previous issues have had a few redeeming qualities, few and far between they may have been.  This issue, though, is terrible from start to finish and it all falls on Daniel Way's inability to write characters as anything but bumbling incompetents.  The scenes with the police at the motel are some of the most cringe-worthy panels this series have ever seen, and that's saying something.  "Ah done read through the manual one time when I's on the turlet."  That's how a Dan Way character talks, everyone, right before gassing the assembled police force with tear gas.  I can't tell if he's trying to ape Garth Ennis (who does this type of thing so much better) or is trying for parody of the same, but it fails spectacularly.  It's not funny, it's stupid and it wastes valuable comic space.

Though so little happens in this comic that "wasting space" may very well have been what Way was going for.  Johnny has an anticlimactic fight with Lucifer and his "big plan" is revealed and executed without Ghost Rider's participation, leaving the one sympathetic character, Dixie, in the lurch for character execution.  Johnny's plan isn't bad, but it's been telegraphed since issue # 14 and isn't the surprise that I'm sure the writer intended it to be.  It's painfully obvious what's going on, even from that that first issue of the arc, and letting it be Johnny's "a-ha!" moment doesn't feel particularly earned.  As for Dixie, our Johnny Blaze got her killed, there's no other way to look at it.  He left her alone to murder the Devil, brain damaged or not, in a small motel room.  A bullet to the chest is about the best outcome she could have had.  Even the final fight with Lucifer is spent with pages and pages of talking, with two whole pages devoted to the Devil saying "you're dumb!", Johnny replying "am not!", and the Lucifer continuing with "are too!" for what seems like a million panels. 

The artwork doesn't even seem particularly inspired this time, though like last issue the Saltares/Palmer team does a serviceable job.  They do a particularly great two-page splash of Ghost Rider hitting Lucifer with hellfire, that looks fantastic.  But when given such uninspired stuff to draw, page after page of redneck doofus cops and the Devil acting like a first grader, how can anyone expect them to bring their A-game?  The Saltares/Palmer art team will be back for the Ghost Rider: Danny Ketch mini-series about a year later, and it's amazing how much better they look when given a good story to work on.

I wasn't much of a fan of Dan Way's run on this series as it was being released, but upon re-reading it recently I've come to appreciate it a whole lot more.  The series started out with the nigh-unreadable "Vicious Cycle" arc, but issues 5 through 13 were good to even great at times (seriously people, that "World War Hulk" tie-in arc is amazing!).  The series ends even worse than it began, though, with a story arc that could have seriously damaged the character irreparably had a lesser writer than Jason Aaron came on board to follow-through on the angel backstory.   

 

If it wasn't for that damn awful Mangaverse one-shot, this would easily be my pick for worst Ghost Rider comic of all time.  It's so bad I actually feel personally insulted for having to review it at all.   

 

Dixie is the real hero of this story!