X-Men (1991) # 9

"The Not So Big Easy" 

Cover Date: June 1992; On Sale Date: April 1992 

 Writers: Jim Lee & Scott Lobdell; Artist: Jim Lee; Inkers: Jim Lee & Art Thibert; Letterers: Tom Orzechowski & Lois Buhalis; Colorist: Joe Rosas; Editor: Bob Harras; Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco; Cover Artist: Jim Lee 

In caverns beneath New Orleans, the X-Men are confronted by the Brood and their queen, who has infected Ghost Rider with a Brood embryo. The X-Men go on the defensive against the alien insects, but when Wolverine attempts to kill the queen, the floor gives out beneath them, sending all parties even deeper into the tunnels. Wolverine and Beast are confronted by the possessed Ghost Rider, and the alien presence within him fights with the spirit of Dan Ketch for control. Ghost Rider flees into the tunnels before Wolverine can decapitate him. 

Rogue and Jubilee discover the missing members of the Thieves Guild, held captive by the Brood. While attempting to free them, the two mutants are attacked by Ghost Rider, and the ensuing battle draws the other X-Men to them. Psylocke senses Dan’s presence and goes into Ghost Rider’s mind, where she finds Dan’s soul being attacked by the consciousness of the Brood. Belladonna, Gambit’s psychically powered wife, assists Psylocke in destroying the Brood, freeing Ghost Rider. The cost is high, as the fight costs Belladonna her life. The X-Men are told about the children of the Thieves Guild being held deeper in the tunnels, and Ghost Rider recovers enough to join the X Men in searching for them.

X-Men (1991) # 8

"Tooth and Claw"

Cover Date: May 1992; On Sale Date: March 1992

Writer: Scott Lobdell; Artist: Jim Lee; Inker: Jim Lee & Art Thibert; Letterer: Tom Orzechowski; Colorist: Joe Rosas; Editor: Bob Harras; Editor In Chief: Tom DeFalco; Cover Artist: Jim Lee

At the X-Mansion, Professor X and Storm introduce the newest member of the team, Bishop, to the rest of the X-Men.  Bishop is a time-traveler from a future where the X-Men were betrayed and murdered by one of the team.  When he sees Gambit, he accuses him of being the murderer due to him being the lone survivor of the future attack.  Xavier breaks up the tense scene by ordering the team to relax at the lake that's on the X-Mansion's property. 

At the lake, Rogue and Gambit's picnic is interrupted by Bishop, who claims that he knows Remy LeBeau as the monster who raised him after "the great betrayal".  Gambit and Bishop begin fighting, which is eventually stopped by Rogue, who convinces Bishop to accept Gambit for who he is now and not who he may become.  Suddenly, they are all attacked by a young woman that fires energy blasts, who Gambit says is his wife.  Later, all of the X-Men are listening to the woman's story: her name is Bella Donna, and while she is a member of the New Orleans Assassins Guild, her "husband" Gambit is a member of the Thieves Guild.  The two clans are now at war with one another, and it's all because Gambit killed Bella Donna's brother in a duel.  In order to keep the peace between the groups, Gambit was exiled, but now that the truce has been broken it's his responsibility to put a stop to the bloodshed.  The other X-Men volunteer to go with him, despite his protests that he can handle the responsibility alone.  While the X-Men prepare to leave, on the outskirts of New Orleans a sheriff's deputy attempts to pull over a speeding motorcyclist.  When he stops the biker, though, he finds that it's actually the Ghost Rider on his way into the city.

Marvel Tales # 255

"Panic On Pier One!"/"Shock Therapy"

Cover Date: November 1991
On Sale Date: September 1991

Writer: Chris Claremont/Scott Lobdell
Artist: Sal Buscema/Vince Evans
Inker: Pablo Marcos/Phil Sheehy
Letterer: Irv Watanabe/Jade Moede
Colorist: Jan Cohen/Mike Thomas
Editor: Archie Goodwin/Kelly Corvese
Editor In Chief: Jim Shooter/Tom DeFalco

On a night time New York street, a Hollywood production crew sets up to shoot a live stunt for the Stuntmaster television show. Coincidentally, the shoot is taking place directly in front of Peter Parker's apartment building, prompting he and Mary Jane to stop and watch. Johnny Blaze, the resident stunt cyclist for the show, suits up and starts the stunt, unaware that danger lurks from a nearby rooftop. As Blaze's bike touches down on the roof of a car, a sticky substance of some sort is shot onto the wheel, ripping the front half of the bike off. Unable to get the bike under control, Johnny transforms into the Ghost Rider in order to survive. Luckily for him, Parker has climbed a building and donned his trust web-shooters, which pull Blaze away from what could have been a messy wreck. Peter dons his Spider-Man costume and joins Blaze on the street, but before any explanations can come about, a stream of fast-hardening paste wraps around Spidey's body, carrying him into the air. Above them, the terrible Trapster says that after he finishes Spidey off, he'll be back for Blaze!

Suspended from his flying platform by the paste line, Spidey is forced to listen to the Trapster's explanation on how he escaped from prison. Finally, using his web-line to gain leverage, Spidey leaps onto the platform to attack the Trapster. The villain gets the upper hand, however, and hurls Spider-Man from the platform! Riding on the street below on his mystical flame-cycle, the Ghost Rider sees Spidey's fall. Riding in a tight circle, Blaze creates a heat vortex that slows the wall-crawler's fall and allows him to be caught without injury. The Trapster, his sky-sled damaged from the fight, crashes on a nearby aircraft carrier, followed quickly by Spidey and GR. Blaze follows the Trapster into the ship's nuclear weapon loading area, and corners him in front of some volatile chemicals. Spidey tries to stop GR from using his hellfire, for fear of causing a nuclear explosion, but the hero is instead put on the receiving end of Blaze's soul-searing flame. Ghost Rider then turns his attentions to the Trapster, blasting him with a stream of hellfire, which burns not his body, but his soul. The Trapster falls, screaming in agony, while Spidey condemns GR for what he's done. He tells Blaze that they're supposed to be the good guys, and that they should be better than the guys they fight. Blaze merely responds with "I am what I am." before riding off, leaving Spidey to take the Trapster to a hospital.