Marvel Comics Presents (1988) # 130

"The Walking Wounded, Part 8: Pay the Maker"

Cover Date: June 1993; Publication Date: April 1993

Writer: Ann Nocenti; Artist: Steve Lightle; Letterer: Jon Babcock; Colorist: Steve & Marianne Lightle; Editor: Terry Kavanagh; Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco; Cover Artist: Steve Lightle

In the realm of madness, Typhoid has attempted to commit suicide by hurling herself off a cliff, which has resulted in the spirit of Mary Walker to start fading away in the real world.  The innocent souls of Danny Ketch and Eve attempt to revive the dying Mary, while in the madness realm Ghost Rider carries Typhoid's broken body. With the prayers of the people gathered inside the mall giving them strength, Ghost Rider, Typhoid, and Eve rise up through the realm of madness and reappear inside the mall, where each of them merge with their pure souls again. Mary wakes up as her Typhoid persona and tearfully thanks Danny for saving her life.

Dusk, however, has followed from the realm of madness and takes corporeal form inside the mall, creating waves of insanity in his wake. While Typhoid flees in terror, the civilians in the mall fight back against Dusk's manifestations. Dusk focuses on Father Louis, chasing him into a bathroom where he is nearly caught and killed before Ghost Rider arrives to save him. Ghost Rider wrestles with Dusk, who is weakened by being on the mortal plane, but is eventually overwhelmed.  Father Louis refuses to leave and Ghost Rider tells him to bless something to help drive away the demon.  The pastor blesses the water in the toilet, turning it into holy water, and Ghost Rider shoves Dusk's face into the bowl. The holy water destroys Dusk, his threat ending when Ghost Rider flushes him down the toilet. Typhoid, meanwhile, has fled back to her home and the safety of her pills. Ghost Rider muses that it is not madness that drives him, instead it is vengeance. 

Ghost Rider vs. Galactus (2025) # 1

"The Inevitable"

Cover Date: June 2025; On Sale Date: April 2025

Writer: J. Michael Straczynski; Artist: Juan Ferreyra; Letterer: VC's Travis Lanham; Colorist: Juan Ferreyra; Editor: Wil Moss; Editor-in-Chief: C.B. Cebulski; Cover Artist: Terry Dodson

New York City, the late 1970s, the Thing confronts a murderer in the streets. When the killer pulls a gun, Ghost Rider arrives and gives him the Penance Stare, turning him to ash. The Thing invites Johnny to go with him while he picks out a suit for his date with his girlfriend, and Johnny accepts.  While at the tailor, the Thing asks Johnny if his Penance Stare would work on Galactus, who has killed trillions of innocent beings without any consequences.  Johnny expresses doubt and asks how he would even get into space, to which the Thing replies, "you'll figure it out".

Two days later, at Cape Canaveral in Florida, Ghost Rider arrives just as a rocket is being launched into space. He latches his motorcycle onto the side of the rocket and transforms it, riding it into space as it blasts off.  Once he leaves the planet he activates a stargate to transport him deeper into space. 

Later, Galactus destroys and devours the energy of an inhabited world.  He's confronted by Ghost Rider on the rocket, who Galactus calls "a tiny insect". Ghost Rider uses his power to grow in size until he is comparable to Galactus and attacks with hellfire, which Galactus counters with an energy blast of his own.  Ghost Rider grapples with Galactus and looks into his eyes, giving him the Penance Stare, but is shocked when nothing happens. While Galactus turns his back, Ghost Rider is addressed by Uatu, the Watcher, who explains that Galactus feels no guilt or remorse for his actions and that is why the Penance Stare was not effective. When Ghost Rider refuses to accept this, Uatu continues to explain that as a cosmic destroyer Galactus serves a purpose that will be fulfilled when the universe dies and is reborn again. Ghost Rider denies this information and states his determination to make Galactus pay for the deaths he has caused regardless of what will happen in the future.  Uatu teleports Ghost Rider back to Earth, outside of the restaurant where the Thing is on his date.  Johnny is invited to join them in their meal and he accepts. 

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.

What the hell, Facebook?

So, Facebook deemed it appropriate to delete the Vengeance Unbound group the day after I created it with no notice or warnings whatsoever.  I'm not sure why, no response from their help department.  I'm not mad. Nope, not one little bit.  It's fine.  Everything is fine.

Midnight Sons: Blood Hunt (2024) # 1

Cover Date: July 2024; Publication Date: May 2024

Writer: Bryan Hill; Artist: German Peralta; Letterer: VC's Cory Petit; Colorist: Arthur Hesli; Editor: Will Moss; Editor in Chief: C.B. Cebulski; Cover Artist: Ken Lashley

Blade the vampire hunter meets at a diner with a squad of soldiers that he had previously trained to kill vampires, having called for them to meet for an important mission. Blade then turns on the soldiers and quickly murders them all. Afterwards, he sheds a tear. 

Later, in Arizona, after the vampires have blacked out the sun and attacked the world under Blade's leadership, Danny Ketch is approached by Blade's former partner Tulip. She explains the situation with Blade and that she needs the Ghost Rider's help to determine if her former friend has truly turned evil or is under the control of someone else. In order to determine Tulip's trustworthiness, Danny transforms into the Ghost Rider and gives her the Penance Stare.  Tulip wakes up hours later to find Johnny Blaze at her bedside, and he explains that he is no longer a Ghost Rider and only has a shotgun that shoots hellfire.  Blaze tells Tulip that he and Danny will help her find Blade, and she states the made a promise to kill Blade if he ever went to the dark side, a promise she intends to keep.  Tulip goes outside and finds Danny, who tells her that if she wants help she will have to help them in turn, and reveals a hidden cache of guns.

On a deserted road in the middle of the desert, Tulip and Blaze attack a vampire convoy protecting an armored car, which was transporting a creature captured from the Darkforce Dimension. The creature attempts to break free and the Ghost Rider destroys it by driving straight through the armored car. Meanwhile, in Iraq, Victoria Montesi arrives at a cave where a holy man has been possessed by a vampiric spirit. Montesi casts a spell to summon Lilith, the Mother of Demons, who exorcises the vampire from the man's body.  Later, Victoria is visited by Johnny Blaze, who wishes to recruit her help in finding Blade.  She replies that she had a vision of what has happened, and if Blade has truly become evil then the Midnight Sons will kill him.

Facebook and Podcasts

Greetings from the pit! Wanted to let everyone know about a couple of things related to the blog.  First up, I've created a new page on Facebook for Vengeance Unbound where fans of the character and the site can talk and comment using this new thing that I think they're calling "social media"? I dunno, it's there if you want to join, I'd love to hear from you!

Vengeance Unbound on Facebook

Also!  I should have posted this a few weeks ago, so please forgive me!  Years ago I used to co-host the Inner Demons podcast, which was a show all about Ghost Rider and reviews of the comics.  Brian Biggie has kept the show alive for the past several years and he had a new episode drop back around the first of the month!  If you're a fan of the character I implore you to go and listen to not just the new episode but the entire backlog, it's a really great way to spend your time!

Ghost Rider Fans...get ready for the blazing return of the very best Ghost Rider Podcast on the net since 2017...Inner Demons!

On tonight's show, we have the recent Spirits of Violence Issues 1-4 by Sabir Pirzada. What happens when Johnny, Danny, Robbie, Kushala, Badilino, Sister Sara, and even Hellverine have to work together to stop Barbara Ketch? But wasn't she dead? Well...she got better and is looking for trouble. She even brought along an old friend too.

Next up is Hellhunters Issue 5 where we see the conclusion of the WWII story. Will our Hunters defeat Bruckner and Calphael in time or will they die in the frozen English channel? Let's hope WWII Ghost Rider remembers how to fly a bomber!

Then we go back in time to review Danny Ketch Addict 3 and 4 to see where things all went wrong for poor Danny.

We end with GR #37 from the 90s and 70s and a great #PostWritersGR segment from fans like you.

-Interact with the Inner Demons show online at Twitter/X...follow us @InnerDemonsGR.

-Like us on Facebook! 

-Check out our long-running Ghost Rider blog Vengeance Unbound...with 25+ Years and well over 666 Reviews spanning five decades of Ghost Rider content!

You can find Inner Demons on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and pretty much any other podcast listening app you can think of!

Ghost Rider Chronology: Part Three

Entering the 2000s, Ghost Rider was essentially a non-entity in the Marvel Universe. His comic had been cancelled in 1998 and there didn't seem to be much interest in the character.  In 2001, however, Johnny Blaze returned as the host for the Spirit of Vengeance, replacing his brother Danny Ketch, and he had a few adventures before being dragged to Hell, where he remained trapped for a period of time.  This began an era where the Ghost Rider mythos expanded both historically and laterally, as Marvel began introducing numerous variations on the character from all over the world.  

This is when it was revealed that the Spirits of Vengeance (yes, plural) were actually creations of Heaven to serve as agents on Earth, as directed by the rogue angel Zadkiel. Danny Ketch made his return as a Ghost Rider and Marvel set up this status quo as THE origin of the Ghost Rider going forward.  You know, until they decided that he actually was a demon after all.  Comics everybody! Blaze and Ketch both appear as Ghost Riders during this period and others are introduced, including Shoba Mizra, Baron Skullfire, the Blood Drinker, and several other Spirits of Vengeance from around the world, all of whom are killed following their brief appearances.

Marvel Comics Presents (1988) # 129

"The Walking Wounded, Part 7: Peak the Pathos"

Cover Date: May 1993; Publication Date: March 1993

Writer: Ann Nocenti; Artist: Steve Lightle; Letterer: Dave Sharpe; Colorist: Steve & Marianne Lightle; Editor: Terry Kavanagh; Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco; Cover Artist: Jae Lee

Ghost Rider has been lured into the Realm of Insanity, where he relentlessly pursues the Necromancer, becoming more and more obsessed with seeking vengeance.  The realm is ruled by Dusk, who wants Ghost Rider to succumb to insanity and become his warrior to help claim the nearby dimension of Nightmare. Elsewhere in the realm, the pregnant girl Eve is charmed by the dream-like warrior who rescued her from demons.  Typhoid Mary appears and chases off the warrior by pointing out that he is betraying Dusk by courting Eve. Typhoid uses her mental powers to project visions of her past on the walls of the realm surrounding them and tells the story of how she was abused as a child. She suffered until another personality, Typhoid, emerged to protect her and stop the abuse from happening ever again.

Meanwhile, inside the shopping mall that is acting as the gateway to the realm of insanity, the glowing souls of Mary, Eve, and Dan Ketch comfort one another, the last vestiges of their sanity clinging to life. Dusk emerges and confronts Typhoid, telling her that now he knows her secret past and can use it against her to control her.  She runs into Ghost Rider, who has defeated the Necromancer and is now demanding that Typhoid must release her hold on the innocent Mary Walker. Rather than allow herself to be enslaved or punished, Typhoid leaps off a cliff to her death on the spikes below. 

What If...? (1989) # 45

"What If...Barbara Ketch Became Ghost Rider?"

Cover Date: January 1993; On Sale Date: November 1992
Original Price: $1.25

Writer: Ron Marz; Artist: Dale Eaglesham; Inker: Brian Garvey; Letterer: Janice Chiang; Colorist: Tom Vincent; Editor: Craig Anderson; Editor-In-Chief: Tom DeFalco; Cover Artist; Dale Eaglesham

In a junkyard near Cypress Hills Cemetery, Daniel Ketch hides with his wounded sister Barbara from men that are looking to kill them. Dan sees a motorcycle glowing amongst the wrecked cars, but he is discovered by the assassins before he can touch it. Daniel is shot and left for dead, while the gravely injured Barbara reaches out for the motorcycle. The assassins return to their master, Deathwatch, just before the female Ghost Rider arrives carrying the dying Danny. She makes short work of the ninjas, but when she attempts to kill Deathwatch she is struck with intense pain, allowing the villain to escape. The police arrive, but are unable to capture Ghost Rider, who escapes and transforms back into Barbara.

 

Later, Barbara attends her brother's funeral, wishing that she could have done something to save him. That night, she had a dream where she is confronted by the Spirit of Vengeance. The Spirit tells her that she attempted to use his power to take a life, which goes against his purpose. To the Spirit's surprise, Barbara turns the tables and imposes her will over him, taking his power for herself. She wakes up and goes outside, transforming into the Ghost Rider. She rides into the city, finds a gang of attempted rapists, and murders them. She later seeks revenge on Deathwatch for his role in Danny's death, murdering him and his partner Blackout. Over the next few weeks, Barbara kills the villains she encounters, such as Zodiak, Hag, Troll, Scarecrow, and Mr. Hyde. With each murder, Barbara becomes more and more insane, further dominating the Spirit of Vengeance inside her.

 

She and Spider-Man are fighting the demonic Hobgoblin, and when she attempts to kill the villain Spider-Man intervenes, only to be knocked unconscious. As he passes out, he sees the Ghost Rider whipping Hobgoblin to death with her chain. When he awakens and sees Hobgoblin's body, Spider-Man seeks help in stopping the murderous Ghost Rider. He visits the home of Dr. Strange, where he meets John Blaze, former host of the Ghost Rider that has come to kill the demon. Together, the three men formulate a plan of attack.

 

At a construction site, Deathwatch and Blackout stand waiting for Ghost Rider to arrive, calling out her name until she comes. Though she does not understand how the two villains are alive once again, she immediately attempts to kill them. It is obvious that the villains are not who they say they are, using a shotgun and webbing to attack, and it is revealed that they are actually Spider-Man and Blaze hidden beneath a spell. Dr. Strange arrives and traps the Ghost Rider in a mystic circle, then exorcises the Spirit of Vengeance from Barbara's body. Blaze accidentally breaks the circle when he sees Barbara, allowing the Spirit to be set free to find its next host. Barbara dies, realizing what she had become in her desire for vengeance, and the mystical motorcycle soon finds a new host.

Venom (2011) # 13

"Circle of Four, Part 1"

Cover Date: April 2012; On Sale Date: February 2012

Writer: Rick Remender; Artist: Tony Moore; Letterer: VC's Joe Caramagna; Colorist: Val Staples; Editor: Jeanine Schaeffer; Senior Editor: Stephen Wacker & Mark Paniccia; Editor In Chief: Axel Alonso; Cover Artist: Stefano Caselli

Flash Thompson is currently hiding in a Las Vegas motel after he went AWOL from the army with the Venom symbiote.  He is unaware that the army has sent General Thunderbolt Ross, the Red Hulk, to find and bring both him and the symbiote back.  Elsewhere, at the Devil's Den casino, the owner Mr. Degli is dealing with a gambler unable to pay back his debts.  Degli offers to eliminate the debt and all it will cost is the man's soul, which he eagerly agrees to.

Meanwhile in Vegas, Johnny Blaze attempts to give guidance to the current Ghost Rider, Alejandra, who claims that there's nothing the former host can teach her.  Red Hulk approaches the city, jumping through the desert while thinking about how much he hates deserters.  Finally, X-23 has gone undercover as a waitress at the Devil's Den to find Degli, who she claims stole a vial of her blood for experimentation.  At an empty construction site, Degli and his aide Ms. Oyle prepare to enact their master plan.  Having built a spinning pentagram machine, they introduce their ingredients: 100 human souls signed over willingly, the remains of the Toxin symbiote, and the blood of a mortal who's been to Hell and back.  Now they only have to wait for the final ingredient to come to them, which Degli says "the Devil couldn't keep her away".  At a diner, Blaze and Alejandra are having dinner when she suddenly transforms into the Ghost Rider and says that Zarathos hears the call of hundreds of crying souls.  Blaze tries to talk her into thinking before acting, but Alejandra ignores him and rides into Las Vegas.  Before leaving to follow her, Blaze places a phone call to Daimon Hellstrom for help.

A drunk Flash Thompson is attacked by the Red Hulk at the motel, and a brief fight begins when Venom attempts to run.  X-23, meanwhile, has broken into Degli's office, where she finds clones of herself created from her stolen blood.  Before she can destroy them, the clones break free and reveal that they have also been given alien symbiotes of their own.  Ghost Rider arrives at the construction site and sees the spinning pentagram, which she decides to stop by jumping into it and riding in the opposite direction.  Unfortunately, that was Degli's plan all along, and the Ghost Rider opens up a portal to Hell that spreads all across Las Vegas.  Before leaving, Degli tells the Rider that if she stops the centrifuge then all of Earth will be sucked into Hell.  Venom and Hulk are forced to stop fighting when they see the city overrun with demons, and reluctantly they team up to save the helpless citizens.  When Blaze arrives at the city limits, he places a mystical amulet that blocks magic on the "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign.  The amulet halts the spread of Hell from going past the city's border, and Blaze enters the city to find Alejandra.

Degli and Oyle arrive back at the casino and reveal themselves as Blackheart and his gargoyle companion.  Blackheart contacts his father, Mephisto, and attempts to gloat that he has brought Hell to Earth and will soon depose Mephisto as Hell's ruler.  Mephisto mocks and disregards him, which angers Blackheart even more.  Blaze finds Ghost Rider at the centrifuge and rides his own motorcycle into the machine to power it, telling Alejandra to go stop the person causing this while he keeps the portal open.  The top of Blackheart's casino is where all of the heroes converge; X-23, Venom, Red Hulk, and finally Ghost Rider all confront Blackheart, but only the Hulk shows caution as he's read the Avengers file on the demon.   Using his black mirror cauldron, Blackheart calls forth the dark antitheses of each hero: X-666, Ichor, the Evangelist, and Encephalon.