Fantastic Four (2022) Annual # 1

"Contest of Chaos, Part 3"

Cover Date: October 2021; Publication Date: August 2021

Writer: Zac Gorman; Artist: Alan Robinson; Letterer: VC's Joe Caramagna; Colorist: GURU-eFX; Executive Editor: Tom Brevoort; Editor-in-Chief: C.B. Cebulski; Cover Artist: Francesco Manna

In Arizona, Johnny Storm (the Human Torch) accompanies the Thing to a shoe store. When the Torch goes into the back room of the store he finds himself seemingly transported to Hell. There he finds Johnny Blaze, who explains that they're not actually in Hell but instead trapped in some kind of illusion. Blaze suddenly hits Storm in the face and the two begin fighting, until they are interrupted by a group of demons. While Storm realizes the demons are actually innocent humans, Blaze transforms into the Ghost Rider and attacks the Human Torch. Deciding not to fight, the Torch flies away, while Ghost Rider finds a van and transforms it into his hellish ride to give chase.

While flying through "Hell", the Torch finds a train seemingly full of demons, including a ferocious looking cat demon. Ghost Rider catches up and tackles the Torch, crashing both of them into the train. The Torch attempts to flee again but is attacked by the cat demon, which he uses as a distraction against Ghost Rider. The Torch then ties Ghost Rider's chain around a heavy food cat and tosses it off the train, dragging Ghost Rider along with it. Having won the fight, the train and the landscape change back to normal, revealing that they've been in Chicago the whole time. The Human Torch is then teleported and frozen in front of Agatha Harkness, who congratulates him on winning the battle. 

Shadowland (2010) # 5

Cover Date: January 2011; Publication Date: November 2010

Writer: Andy Diggle; Artist: Billy Tan' Inker: Victor Olazaba w/ Billy Tan; Letterer: VC's Joe Caramagna; Colorist: Guru EFX; Assistant Editor: Tom Brennan; Editor: Stephen Wacker; Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada; Cover Artist: John Cassaday

Hell's Kitchen is consumed by a riot with the police unable to calm things down. Outside the Shadowland fortress, Matt Murdock's friend Foggy Nelson attempts to scale the castle's wall. He loses his grip and falls, but is caught by the Ghost Rider, who tells him next time take the stairs. Inside the fortress, the demonically possessed Daredevil stands victorious over the heroes he has defeated. He senses the Ghost Rider and leaps toward the wall, which the Rider breaks through on his motorcycle. Daredevil surprises him by kicking him off his bike and back out through the hole in the wall. The Beast, who has taken total control of Daredevil's body, explains that he has caused the people to riot in order to feed him with the destruction he craves. Ghost Rider replies with a blast of hellfire from his mouth, which the Beast easily absorbs. He grabs Blaze and absorbs all of the hellfire from his body, leaving the Ghost Rider an immobile skeleton.

Inside, White Tiger brings Foggy Nelson to Daredevil's throne, ready to kill the man. Daredevil stops her so he can do the kill himself, but Foggy is able to reach Murdock outside of the Beast's control. Using this opportunity, Iron Fist uses his chi to strike Daredevil - but it wasn't meant to harm him, it was meant to heal Matt's spirit. Daredevil begins an internal struggle with the Beast and is losing his fight until Elektra enters the dream world tells him that the only way to defeat the Beast is to kill himself. He takes a sword and stabs it through his chest, which frees him from the Beast's possession but nearly kills him as well. Foggy tries to save his friend, but Elektra tells him to let Murdock go. Meanwhile, outside, the rioters awaken, confused by what's been happening.

Back inside Shadowland, the heroes take stock of everything that's happened, feeling lucky that Bullseye wasn't resurrected. But Daredevil's body has mysteriously vanished, and Elektra finds his discarded mask at the end of a tunnel. Later, the Kingpin arrives at Shadowland and finds Typhoid Mary in charge of the Hand. Fisk reveals a trigger phrase that gives him control over Mary, and in turn control over the Hand as well. Elsewhere, a living Matt Murdock wanders into a church and asks the priest for forgiveness.

Shadowland (2010) # 3

Cover Date: November 2010; Publication Date: September 2010

Writer: Andy Diggle; Artist: Billy Tan; Inker: Victor Olazaba w/ Billy Tan; Letterer: VC's Joe Caramagna; Colorist: Christina Strain & Guru EFX w/ Hannin & Dalhouse; Assistant Editor: Tom Brennan; Editor: Stephen WackerEditor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada; Cover Artist: John Cassaday

In the Shadowland dungeon, Jake Lockley - actually the vigilante hero Moon Knight - is fighting the Hand's ninjas. Fighting with him is the Spirit of Vengeance, Ghost Rider, who has been sent by the Kingpin to free Shadowland's prisoners. The ninjas are defeated and the prisoners freed, giving Moon Knight the opportunity to ask Ghost Rider what he's doing there. When Blaze replies that he's been played, Lockley asks the obvious question: "How the hell could someone else make the Spirit of Vengeance dance to his tune?" That's exactly what Blaze aims to find out for himself. Ghost Rider drives back into the underground tunnels, leaving Moon Knight to investigate the Shadowland operation.

Inside the Shadowland throne room, Daredevil, his ninja followers, and his lieutenants (White Tiger and Black Tarantula) are fighting a group of heroes that had come to talk sense into Murdock: Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Colleen Wing, Misty Knight, Shang Chi, and Spider-Man. Daredevil is confronted by both Iron Fist and Shang Chi, and with a surprising increase in strength and skill Daredevil is able to defeat them both. Spider-Man attempts to stop Daredevil, but is set on fire by another of Daredevil's aides, Typhoid Mary. The fight is stopped by the Punisher, who blows through a wall and gives the heroes the opportunity to escape. When they get outside, they see the citizens of Hell's Kitchen rioting in the streets.

Meanwhile, at Fisk Tower, Lady Bullseye tries to tell the Kingpin that he is playing with fire by summoning the Ghost Rider to do his bidding. There is a reason the Hand has not summoned the Zugaikotsu warrior for centuries and the Ghost Rider will be coming for Fisk. The Kingpin tells her that he's planned on Blaze returning; the scroll that summoned him also protects Fisk from the Ghost Rider. If he wants to be free of the spell, he will have to destroy the source of the Hand's magic. He will send the Ghost Rider to destroy the Hand, and when they are gone he will step in to pick up the pieces. At that moment, the Ghost Rider arrives at Fisk Tower and rides his bike up the side of the building.

Back at Shadowland, Daredevil is told that it was the Ghost Rider who freed their prisoners. Murdock knows that the heroes will return, and decides that the Hand needs better fighters. He then has an idea and tells Mary to bring a shovel to find their new champion - unaware that Moon Knight is watching from the rafters. In a nearby cemetery, Daredevil and Mary exhume the grave of Bullseye, who Daredevil killed days before. Using the magic of the Hand, he will resurrect Bullseye to be his greatest warrior. Their grave-robbing is interrupted by Elektra, who has come to join Daredevil's crusade.

The next day, in Harlem, the heroes are recuperating from their fight with the Hand. They now realize that Daredevil should never have been able to defeat either him or Shang Chi in combat. They are then joined by Master Izo, the monk who steered Daredevil toward taking over the Hand. Realizing his mistake, he tells the heroes that Daredevil has now become the vessel of an ancient demon, the Beast of the Hand, who hungers for the complete end of humanity.

Shadowland (2010) # 2

Cover Date: October 2010; Publication Date: August 2010

Writer: Andy Diggle; Artist: Billy Tan; Inker: Victor Olazaba; Letterer: VC's Joe Caramagna; Colorist: Christina Strain; Assistant Editor: Tom Brennan; Editor: Stephen Wacker; Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada; Cover Artist: John Cassaday

 

Outside the temple in Hell's Kitchen, now renamed Shadowland, cabbie Jack Lockley is beginning his investigation into the disappearance of all criminals and cops now that the Hand has taken control. Lockley is secretly the vigilante Moon Knight, and his plan is to be taken captive by the ninjas.

Elsewhere, Iron Fist and Luke Cage are in Fist's soup kitchen discussing Daredevil's murder of Bullseye and whether they should step in and stop their friend from making any more mistakes. Surprisingly, the Kingpin and his bodyguard Lady Bullseye come through the door and suggests an alliance between them to drive the Hand out of Hell's Kitchen. The Kingpin tells them that eventually, they're going to have to take down Daredevil themselves. Meanwhile, inside his Hand temple, Daredevil tells his aide Black Tarantula that they need reinforcements - all costumed heroes are invited to join the Hand.

In the penthouse of Fisk Tower, the Kingpin prepares a magical ritual using an ancient scroll stolen from the Hand. He plans to summon the Zugaikotsu warrior, one of the Hand's most ancient of enemies, and use him as a weapon against Daredevil. Fisk completes the spell, and a moment later the windows of his office are blown out by the demon warrior, who wants to know why he has been summoned. The Kingpin answers "what else...vengeance."

Back in Shadowland, Daredevil gives an audience to his former friends: Cage, Iron Fist, Shang-Chi, Misty Knight, and Colleen Wing. The heroes attempt to talk Daredevil out of what he's doing in Hell's Kitchen, but he refuses to listen even when Spider-Man arrives to join the discussion. Down in the Shadowland dungeon, Moon Knight is in a cell next to several captive SWAT officers. Using a regurgitated lock pick, Lockley escapes his cell - but before he can free the others, he hears a motorcycle engine. The Zugaikotsu has arrived, and it is actually the Ghost Rider. Daredevil is informed that the dungeon is under attack, which causes him to believe that the heroes have plotted against them. He orders his ninjas to take them, dead or alive!

War of the Realms Strikeforce: The Dark Elf Realm # 1

Cover Date: July 2019; Publication Date: May 2019

Writer: Bryan Hill; Artist: Leinil Francis Yu; Inker: Gary Alanguilan; Letterer: VC's Joe Sabino; Colorist: Matt Hollingsworth; Editor: Will Moss; Associate Editor: Sarah Brunstad; Executive Editor: Tom Brevoort; Editor-in-Chief: C.B. Cebulski; Cover Artist: Leinil Francis Yu

At Avengers Mountain, Thor's mother Freya meets with the Punisher to discuss a mission and the agents needed to carry it through.  Castle handpicks She-Hulk, Ghost Rider, and Blade and assembles them in a meeting room to listen to Freya.  She tells them that Malekith has his own Black Bifrost Bridge in the Dark Elf realm of Svartalfheim that must be destroyed.  The heroes all agree to join her, but she tells them that first they must be tested.  Using Asgardian magic Freya forces each of them to confront their greatest fear: for She-Hulk it is her cousin the Hulk and for Blade it is himself as a future lord of the vampires.  Robbie Reyes faces Johnny Blaze, who calls him an imposter. The Avengers fight through the magic and attack Freya to prove their worth. She stops the magic challenge and cinsukts with Punisher to plan their attack on the Black Bifrost. Much later in Svartalfeim, Freya decides to make a last stand to defend the Black Bifrost, as it is now the only way to cross between the Nine Realms.

The 20 Greatest Ghost Rider Stories of All Time

HEY FLAMEHEADS!  NEWLY UPDATED FOR 2024!

One of the most requested features from the old Vengeance Unbound site was the "Top 10 Ghost Rider Comics of All Time" list that was put up way back in 2010.  You can still find it using the Wayback Machine, but it was something I've always meant to not just import from the old site but update to reflect changing opinions and comics that have been released in the decade since the list's initial publication. 

I also made two big decisions regarding the list: the first time I made this list, I incorporated a lot of fan opinions via a write-in e-mail campaign and social media through the Vengeance Unbound Facebook page.  This time, I decided to just put up my own list.  I've been reviewing these comics for nearly 25 years now, I figure if anyone's an authority on the best Ghost Rider stories, it's this humble asshole right here.  Also, just because I can, the list is now the Top TWENTY Greatest Ghost Rider stories instead of the Top Ten.  

# 20 
Ghost Rider (1973) # 69

Title: "Personal Demons"
Writer: Roger Stern
Artist: Bob Budiansky

Following their debut issue that retold the origin of Johnny Blaze, writer Roger Stern and artist Bob Budiansky (joined this issue by inker Dave Simons, who truly completed the team) produced this single-issue story that perfectly highlighted the struggle between Blaze and his demonic alter ego.  This was when the Ghost Rider of the early 1980s veered totally into the "monster" or even "villain" categories, showcasing just how wild and destructive a force the brimstone biker could be.

From the original review: "Up to this point, the Ghost Rider had already evolved away from being just Johnny with superpowers and had become its own entity, one that was violent and wrathful.  This version of the Ghost Rider, though, is the most outwardly malicious we had seen, and it is terrifying.  Usually, the demon would get his vengeance fix and then relinquish control back to Blaze, but now he's contemplating a visit to the Carnival and forcing Johnny to actually fight to regain his body.  The relationship between Blaze and Ghost Rider has now become openly antagonistic, and the demon has gone from teetering on the edge to hanging off the cliff of super-villainy." 

You can read this story in the Essential Ghost Rider vol. 4 trade paperback.

[Read the original review for Ghost Rider (1973) # 69]

Savage Avengers (2019) # 22

"A Waking Nightmare"

Cover Date: September 2021; Publication Date: July 2021

Writer: Gerry Duggan; Artist: Patch Zircher; Letterer: VC's Travis Lanham; Colorist: Java Tartaglia; Editor: Tom Brevoort; Editor-in-Chief: C.B. Cebulski; Cover Artist: Valerio Giangiordano

Conan awakens and finds himself back in the Hyborian Age, in the city of Aquilonia, unaware of how he has been transported back in time. He is attacked by that era's Ghost Rider, who travels atop a giant flaming spider and believes Conan to be working for Kulan Gath.  During the battle, Conan is bit by the flaming spider and passes out.

Conan awakens again, this time in a cave where he and Johnny Blaze are suspended from the ceiling by spider webs. Conan frees himself and Blaze, both of whom have figured out that they are reliving nightmares. Blaze admits that they are now reliving one of his nightmares, and the two men are attacked by a pack of werewolves. During the battle Blaze is overwhelmed and the world fades to black.

Conan and Blaze awaken again to find themselves at the mercy of Nightmare, who admits to having enthralled Ghost Rider to go looking for Conan for him. Nightmare states that Kulan Gath has been attempting to conquer the realm of dreams, and that the wizard has a nightmare of his own: that Conan will come and kill him. Nightmare tells Conan to seek out Dr. Strange, and then both Conan and Blaze awaken a final time in the alley within which they had first fought one another.  The two shake hands and Blaze decides to go get some rest, but tells Conan that he has an ally in him once he finds Kulan Gath. Conan leaves as well and journeys to Dr. Strange's home, where he finds the sorcerer meeting with the giant demon Shuma-Gorath. 

Savage Avengers (2019) # 21

"Dream Warriors"

Cover Date: August 2021; Publication Date: June 2021

Writer: Gerry Duggan; Artist: Patch Zircher; Letterer: VC's Travis Lanham; Colorist: Java Tartaglia; Editor: Tom Brevoort; Editor-in-Chief: C.B. Cebulski; Cover Artist: Valerio Giangiordano

While asleep in the Hellfire Club mansion, Conan the Barbarian has nightmares about his death the hands of the wizard Kulan Gath. When he awakens he is confronted by Emma Frost, the White Queen, who gives him permission to continue using the Hellfire Club as his home. Unable to sleep, Conan ventures out into the city, where he witnesses a person jump to their death from an apartment building. Realizing that the people inside are being controlled in their sleep, Conan enters the building and pulls the fire alarm, waking up the residents and telling them to flee their apartments. Conan is unexpectedly chained around the neck and dragged outside the building by Ghost Rider, who has sensed the essence of Kulan Gath on the barbarian. 

During the battle, which takes the two into a nearby alley, Conan recognizes the Ghost Rider, stating he saw his ancestor astride a giant spider in the ancient past. Ghost Rider, confused and distracted by nightmares in his head, refuses to listen to Conan's protestations of innocence and continues the battle. When he attempts to give Conan the Penance Stare, Conan shoves his fingers in Ghost Rider's eye sockets and shatters his skull, the result of which seemingly transports Conan back into the past of ancient Aquilonia. 

Thanos (2017) # 17

"Thanos Wins, Part 5"

Cover Date: May 2018; Publication Date: March 2018

Writer: Donny Cates; Artist: Geoff Shaw; Letterer: Clayton Cowles; Colorist: Antonio Fabela; Editor: Jordan D. White; Editor-in-Chief: Axel Alonso; Cover Artist: Geoff Shaw

The Silver Surfer, now armed with the hammer Mjlonir, attacks Thanos, Old King Thanos, and Cosmic Ghost Rider, sweeping all of them aside.  When Ghost Rider attacks, stating that the Surfer isn't the only Herald of Galactus there, the Surfer kills him, smashing him to pieces with his hammer.  The Surfer is then attacked by an enraged Hulk, who is calmed by the Surfer's voice and reverts back to Bruce Banner.  King Thanos then stabs both of them in the back with the flaming sword of Surtur, killing Banner.  The two versions of Thanos then beat the Surfer mercilessly, eventually killing him.  Now that they are the only two living creatures in existence, Death appears outside, dressed for a wedding.

Thanos (2017) # 16

"Thanos Wins, Part 4"

Cover Date: April 2018; Publication Date: February 2018

Writer: Donny Cates; Artist: Geoff Shaw; Letterer: Clayton Cowles; Colorist: Antonio Fabela; Editor: Jordan D. White; Editor-in-Chief: Axel Alonso; Cover Artist: Geoff Shaw

During his last attack on Earth, Thanos was in the skies above Manhattan slaughtering all of the planet's heroes.  On the ground below was Frank Castle, the Punisher, who was crushed under a falling building.  As he died, he thought that he would give anything to punish Thanos...and found himself in Hell before Mephisto.  Castle signed a deal with Mephisto to become the Ghost Rider, but found that he was the only living being left on Earth.  Centuries later, after having become mad from loneliness, Castle witness the coming of an injured Galactus.  Castle makes his second deal and becomes the cosmic powered Herald of Galactus, and the two of them went across the galaxy hunting for Thanos.  It took the pair centuries, but when they finally confronted Thanos the Mad Titan killed Galactus and offered Castle a place by his side, where he remained until the end of time.

Old Man Thanos, his younger time travelling counterpart, and the Ghost Rider are confronted by the Silver Surfer and his Annihilation Wave. When the wave of alien insects attacks, Thanos reminds Ghost Rider of his hellish power and, with a massive blast of hellfire, he destroys the entire Annihilation horde.  The Silver Surfer attacks, knocking all three of his opponents to the ground, and Old Man Thanos asks why the Surfer waited so long just to die.  The Surfer answers that he wasn't waiting, he was becoming worthy...just as Thor's hammer Mjolnir flies into his hand.