On Sale Date: October 1991
Writer: Howard Mackie
Artist: John Romita Jr.
Inker: Klaus Janson
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Colorist: John Wellington
Assistant Editor: Chris Cooper
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco
Cover Artist: John Romita Jr.
Some time later, Dan Ketch arrives in Christ's Crown and rents a room at a boarding house owned by Flo Crumm and Lucy, her young daughter. Lucy immediately takes to Dan, who is also introduced to the two other guests at the house, Frank and Logan. Later that night, Dan sits in his room and reads the mysterious letter that brought him to Christ's Crown, which says the secrets of the Ghost Rider and the Soul Crystal are there for him to learn. Elsewhere in the house, Wolverine and Punisher meet up and compare notes - Wolverine's letter claimed to have knowledge of his missing memories and how adamantium was attached to his skeleton, while Punisher's letter claimed to have the whereabouts of the men who killed Castle's family. Neither hero care about what the letters promise, but they still both want to know how the mysterious sender was able to contact them.
Later, each man is visited in their rooms simultaneously by Blackheart, who speaks of the gray area that the three vigilantes routinely cross. Blackheart offers to give the men power in exchange for killing his father, Mephisto. All three refuse the offer, enraging Blackheart, who disappears from their rooms. Then they hear Lucy Crumm yelling for her mother, and outside they find that the entire town has been mesmerized by Blackheart and are being drawn to the center of town. Only Lucy remains outside of Blackheart's power, and she is kidnapped by Blackheart while the heroes try to fight through the crowd of enslaved people. Dan sees that Blackheart has also taken possession of the Ghost Rider's motorcycle, and as the demon demands that they submit to him and kill his father he holds Lucy into the air, claiming her to be the one innocent soul in the town. Blackheart rides away on the mystical motorcycle, spilling Lucy's blood with a scratch on her arm, blood which splashes on Danny's face. Punisher and Wolverine climb into Castle's van to follow the demon, while Danny breaks into an auto shop to take a motorcycle. Suddenly, the design of the Ghost Rider's gas cap appears on Danny's hands, prompting him to wonder if the transformation comes from inside him and not from the motorcycle. His thoughts are confirmed when he transforms into Ghost Rider, complete with a new mystical motorcycle.
Punisher and Wolverine follow Blackheart to the sacrificial hilltop, which is now surrounded by a thick field of thorns. Frank and Logan start cutting their through the thorns, being cut and torn as they progress, but they're soon given a clear path by Ghost Rider, who burns his way through the thorns while riding to the top of the hill. Blackheart again attempts to sway the vigilantes over to his cause, tempting them with answers to the questions they each have about their lives. All three again refuse and attack Blackheart, who calls forth an army of green spirits to assist him. Blackheart escapes through a portal to Hell with the captive Lucy, but Ghost Rider follows and destroys the demons protecting his enemy. Ghost Rider removes his gloves and beats Blackheart into submission with his hellfire skeleton fists, while the demon finally realizes that this Rider cannot be the same as Zarathos. Blackheart makes a final attempt to kill Lucy, but he is stopped by Wolverine, who cuts off the demon's arm. Punisher then blows Blackheart apart with a grenade launcher, telling him that the "edge" he speaks of them crossing doesn't exist; any soul Castle once had is long gone, and now there is just right, wrong, and punishment. Blackheart attempts to pull his body back together while Wolverine and Punisher take Lucy back through the portal to Earth, leaving Ghost Rider behind to finish off their foe. But the battle is halted by Mephisto, who appears as giant to collect his son and remove the Ghost Rider from Hell, though he promises that they will encounter one another again very soon. Back on the hilltop above Christ's Crown, the heroes see that the town has been freed from Blackheart's control. Punisher wonders if the "edge" Blackheart spoke of really exists within them, to which Ghost Rider answers that it doesn't matter what lines they may cross as long as they protect the innocent from harm. While Lucy takes Ghost Rider's hand in hers, a bloody rose is seen at their feet.
On a hilltop outside of the town named Christ's Crown, a satanic cult sacrifice a young girl on an altar, which calls forth Blackheart - the demonic son of Mephisto! Blackheart kills the worshippers for their impudence, cursing his father for the hellish life he must endure. He plans to murder Mephisto by corrupting the souls of three men to be his assassins.
Some time later, Dan Ketch arrives in Christ's Crown and rents a room at a boarding house owned by Flo Crumm and Lucy, her young daughter. Lucy immediately takes to Dan, who is also introduced to the two other guests at the house, Frank and Logan. Later that night, Dan sits in his room and reads the mysterious letter that brought him to Christ's Crown, which says the secrets of the Ghost Rider and the Soul Crystal are there for him to learn. Elsewhere in the house, Wolverine and Punisher meet up and compare notes - Wolverine's letter claimed to have knowledge of his missing memories and how adamantium was attached to his skeleton, while Punisher's letter claimed to have the whereabouts of the men who killed Castle's family. Neither hero care about what the letters promise, but they still both want to know how the mysterious sender was able to contact them.
Later, each man is visited in their rooms simultaneously by Blackheart, who speaks of the gray area that the three vigilantes routinely cross. Blackheart offers to give the men power in exchange for killing his father, Mephisto. All three refuse the offer, enraging Blackheart, who disappears from their rooms. Then they hear Lucy Crumm yelling for her mother, and outside they find that the entire town has been mesmerized by Blackheart and are being drawn to the center of town. Only Lucy remains outside of Blackheart's power, and she is kidnapped by Blackheart while the heroes try to fight through the crowd of enslaved people. Dan sees that Blackheart has also taken possession of the Ghost Rider's motorcycle, and as the demon demands that they submit to him and kill his father he holds Lucy into the air, claiming her to be the one innocent soul in the town. Blackheart rides away on the mystical motorcycle, spilling Lucy's blood with a scratch on her arm, blood which splashes on Danny's face. Punisher and Wolverine climb into Castle's van to follow the demon, while Danny breaks into an auto shop to take a motorcycle. Suddenly, the design of the Ghost Rider's gas cap appears on Danny's hands, prompting him to wonder if the transformation comes from inside him and not from the motorcycle. His thoughts are confirmed when he transforms into Ghost Rider, complete with a new mystical motorcycle.
Punisher and Wolverine follow Blackheart to the sacrificial hilltop, which is now surrounded by a thick field of thorns. Frank and Logan start cutting their through the thorns, being cut and torn as they progress, but they're soon given a clear path by Ghost Rider, who burns his way through the thorns while riding to the top of the hill. Blackheart again attempts to sway the vigilantes over to his cause, tempting them with answers to the questions they each have about their lives. All three again refuse and attack Blackheart, who calls forth an army of green spirits to assist him. Blackheart escapes through a portal to Hell with the captive Lucy, but Ghost Rider follows and destroys the demons protecting his enemy. Ghost Rider removes his gloves and beats Blackheart into submission with his hellfire skeleton fists, while the demon finally realizes that this Rider cannot be the same as Zarathos. Blackheart makes a final attempt to kill Lucy, but he is stopped by Wolverine, who cuts off the demon's arm. Punisher then blows Blackheart apart with a grenade launcher, telling him that the "edge" he speaks of them crossing doesn't exist; any soul Castle once had is long gone, and now there is just right, wrong, and punishment. Blackheart attempts to pull his body back together while Wolverine and Punisher take Lucy back through the portal to Earth, leaving Ghost Rider behind to finish off their foe. But the battle is halted by Mephisto, who appears as giant to collect his son and remove the Ghost Rider from Hell, though he promises that they will encounter one another again very soon. Back on the hilltop above Christ's Crown, the heroes see that the town has been freed from Blackheart's control. Punisher wonders if the "edge" Blackheart spoke of really exists within them, to which Ghost Rider answers that it doesn't matter what lines they may cross as long as they protect the innocent from harm. While Lucy takes Ghost Rider's hand in hers, a bloody rose is seen at their feet.