Darkhold: Pages From the Book of Sins (1992) # 1

"Rise of the Midnight Sons, Part 4: Black Letter"

Cover Date: October 1992; On Sale Date: August 1992

Writer: Christian Cooper; Artist: Richard Case; Inker: Mark McKenna; Letterer: Phil Felix; Colorist: Glynis Oliver; Editor: Bobbie Chase; Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco; Cover Artist: Richard Case

In New York City, a mysterious dwarf delivers a black letter to aging record producer Donald Walsh. Later that night, Walsh goes home and kills his wife by transforming into a swarm of worms. In Rome, nurse Victoria Montesi experiences a vision of Walsh’s transformation while out to lunch with her roommate Nash. When the two go back to their apartment they are caught by an explosion triggered by them opening the door. Montesi wakes up in the hospital and is visited by her father, Vittorio Montesi, and Sam Buchanan, an Interpol agent assigned by the Vatican to protect her. Vittorio explains all about the Darkhold, the so-called “Book of Sins” that their family has sworn to protect through the generations. Vicki refuses to believe the stories of the Darkhold, even when she experiences another vision of the people around her being consumed by worms. Meanwhile, back in New York, Oxford Professor Louise Hastings is approached by John Blaze, who takes her to a back alley to meet Ghost Rider. The two explain that they saw Louise and others in a vision of a world overrun by Lilith and her demonic children.

At the hospital in Rome, a ninja attempts to kill Vicki in her bed, but finds that she has snuck out. She’s attacked on the streets by more ninjas, who she realizes are the Darkholders, a secret cult who worship the Book of Sins. Buchanan rescues her from the ninjas and, against his better judgment, agrees to go with her to New York to discover the source of her visions. At that moment, Lilith meets with the leaders of the Darkholders, who give some of their men for the Lilin Doc to reshape into demonic killers.

Later, Vicki and Sam arrive at the Walsh home, which has been taped off as a crime scene. Inside the empty home they find the black letter and Louise Hastings, who tells them that the police flew her in to consult on the case when the letter was found to contain a missing page from the Darkhold. Louise explains that the Darkhold was written by the Elder God Chthon and would one day summon him home from exile. The recovered page translates into a spell for immortality as a swarm of worms. The trio are attacked by Donald Walsh, who has transformed into a creature comprised of worms. Ghost Rider and Blaze crash through the window and drive Walsh away, but not before they capture some of the worms.

Soon, at a hotel in Manhattan, Walsh is interrogated and reveals that the letter was delivered by a dwarf; when he read the words on the page, a creature called “the Other” appeared and offered him his greatest wish, to live forever. He didn’t know it would be as a rotting pile of worms who has to consume other living beings. Later, Walsh reforms inside the hotel to try and kill Vicki and when she runs Louise tells Blaze and Buchanan to not use their guns. Vicki leads Walsh to Central Park, where she and the others are also confronted by Lilith and the transformed Darkholders. Before Walsh can kill Vicki a swarm of birds appears to devour all of the worms, killing Walsh. While Lilith attempts to teleport away, she is struck by a blast of hellfire from Blaze’s shotgun before she escapes, though she leaves her Lilin daughter Nakota behind. Sam realizes that any gunfire would have scared away the birds, which had been Louise’s plan all along. While Ghost Rider and Blaze continue their fight against Lilith, the other three decided to stay together to search for more missing pages of the Darkhold. Elsewhere, an arsonist at the Library of Congress is approached by the Dwarf.

Marvel Spotlight (1972) # 6

"Angels From Hell"

Cover Date: October 1972; On Sale Date: July 1972

Writer: Gary Friedrich; Artist: Mike Ploog; Inker: Frank Monte; Letterer: John Costanza; Editor: Roy Thomas; Cover Artist: Mike Ploog

A biker gang called Satan's Servants rides through the darkened New York streets, looking for someone to beat up. Their leader, a rider in a masked helmet named Curly, notices a lone rider ahead, and orders the gang to attack. The Ghost Rider turns and sees the advancing gang, and instead of fighting decides to run. When he quickly realizes that he can't outrun his pursuers, Blaze turns and lights the ground aflame with his hellfire, which causes most of the gang to run in terror. The only one that stays to confront Johnny is Curly, who invites Blaze to join the gang. Curly takes the Ghost Rider back to the gang's crash pad, where the other bikers give a less than friendly welcome to their new member. The gang leader takes Blaze into a back room and asks him to tell him everything about him, specifically why he has a flaming skull for a head. Johnny cannot help but talk, as Curly seems to possess almost hypnotic powers, and tells the biker his life story, including the origins of his curse. Curly then commands Blaze to go to sleep, and he falls to the floor. Surprisingly, Curly paints a pentagram on his chest and says aloud an incantation, which summons Satan himself into the room. The Hell-Lord commends his servant by allowing him to take his true form, that of Crash Simpson, who has struck a deal to return to life, with the cost being Johnny's soul. However, Satan is unable to claim Blaze's soul, as Roxanne's pure spirit still protects him. The demon tells Crash that he must first remove Roxanne, and only then will he retain his true form. Satan disappears, causing Crash to revert back to his guise as Curly.

The next morning, Johnny awakens in the biker gang's house, and slips out unnoticed. He returns to his hotel, where is confronted by Roxanne. He begins to tell her about his curse, but stops himself at the last minute, causing her to leave in anger. Blaze falls asleep, and sleeps until nightfall, when he is awakened by his transformation into the Ghost Rider. Immediately after, Curly walks in and tells Blaze that his cycle gang is going to kidnap Roxanne during her cycle show that night. Johnny immediately runs to his bike, and takes off toward Madison Square Garden.

Right before Roxanne's performance is set to start, Satan's Servants bust into the arena on their cycles. One of the bikers, Animal, grabs the girl by the waist and rides toward the exit, but is cut off by the Ghost Rider. The two then perform a death-defying chase through several of the arena's bike stunt ramps, until Blaze finally gets a chance to throw a bolt of hellfire. Animal wipes out, but neither he nor Roxanne are injured. Rocky recognizes Johnny, and tells him to take a bow to the crowd and pretend his appearance was part of the cycle show. Satan's Servants are immediately rounded up by the police and taken to jail.

A few minutes later, Johnny and Roxanne talk, and she tells him that she saw Johnny's transformation the night he sold his soul to Satan, and that she recognized him as soon as she saw him. Johnny brushes aside her offers to help him, saying that he can offer nothing but danger and eventually death, and rides away into the night. Hours later, a distraught Roxanne is confronted by Curly in her dressing room. He hypnotizes her to sleep, and then declares that he will do anything to return to life, even sacrifice his own daughter.

Marvel Spotlight (1972) # 5

"Ghost Rider"

Cover Date: August 1972; On Sale Date: May 1972

Writer: Gary Friedrich; Artist: Mike Ploog; Letterer: Jon Costanza; Editor: Stan Lee; Cover Artist: Mike Ploog

Johnny Blaze, the Ghost Rider, rides through the streets of New York City and accidentally witnesses two men killing another. Wanting no part of what's happened, he rides on, but is then chased by the killers. Upon trapping him in an ally, the men are shocked to see Blaze's flaming skull. The Ghost Rider points his finger, causing flame to erupt on the ground. The men make a run for it, and Blaze rides back to Madison Square Garden, where he transforms back into his human form. He thinks back to try and remember what happened, hoping to find some answers in the past.

Johnny's father, Barton Blaze, died in a motorcycle accident when his son was very young. Johnny was then adopted by Crash Simpson, another stunt rider that ran his own cycle show with his wife Mona and daughter Roxanne. Johnny grew into adolescence, and had followed his step-father's footsteps by taking up cycle riding. When he was fifteen, his motorcycle caught fire during a practice session. Though he attempted to save his family, Mona Simpson is killed in the bike's explosion. Before she dies, she makes Johnny promise her that he'll never ride in the show due to the danger, which he agrees to. Five years later, Johnny is discovered riding in secret by Roxanne, who tells him that she is in love with him. Later on, Crash tells the two that he has cancer, and that the show's performance at Madison Square Garden will be his last, if he lives to even see that.

Determined to keep his step-father from dying, Johnny researches some occult books, finally using them to summon Satan. In exchange for Johnny's soul, the devil will spare Crash Simpson from the cancer that's killing him. Three weeks later, Crash tells Johnny that he plans to try and break the world's cycle jump record at the Garden. Johnny knows he'll be fine, due to the deal he made with Satan. When Crash attempts to jump it, he doesn't make it, and dies in the resulting accident. Furious at what happened, Blaze suits up, mounts a bike, and does the same stunt...and makes it, breaking the world record. That night, Satan returns to claim Johnny's soul, claiming that he only said he'd spare Crash from the disease and nothing else. As Mephisto prepares to take Johnny to Hell, Roxanne enters and banishes the demon with the pure essence of her soul. She tells Johnny that she read his books behind his back, and learned how to send the devil away. The next night, however, Johnny begins to burn with fever, until his head suddenly transforms into a flaming skull. Every night since, he has undergone the transformation into...the Ghost Rider!

Secret Warps: Ghost Panther Annual (2019) # 1

"Days of Future Mars"

Cover Date: September 2019; Publication Date: July 2019

Writer: Al Ewing; Artist: Carlos Gomez; Letterer: VC's Joe Sabino; Colorist: Carlos Gomez; Editor: Jordan D. White; Assistant Editor: Annalise Bissa; Editor-in-Chief: C.B. Cebulski; Cover Art: Carlos Gomez

Inside the Soul Stone is a multiverse that includes Warp World, where the Ghost Panther and other heroes reside. In Wakanda, the Ghost Panther frees himself from a trap laid by Bushman the Hunter and feeds the villain to his father, the giant fiery panther spirit. Later, Iron Hammer collects the Ghost Panther and brings him to the rest of the Defenders, who have been assembled by Captain Peace to face a threat from the future. In the year 2099 the world will be invaded and conquered by Martians, which will result in Erik Killraven traveling back in time to kill T'Challa's father as revenge against Wakanda. Ghost Panther volunteers to travel to 2099 to stop the Martian invasion, which would prevent Killraven from ever traveling back in time and ensure that T'Challa not become the Ghost Panther in the first place.

Ghost Panther arrives in 2099 during the Martian invasion and is attacked by the future incarnation of the Defenders, who mistake him for an enemy.  The fight is stopped by Ghost Panther 2099, who recognizes T'Challa. The 2099 Defenders explain that the corporation Alchemars drained the planet Mars of all its resources, effectively killing it, and now seek to take over Earth and repeat the act. Ghost Panther sends the spirit of Zarathos to Mars, who uses the planet's desire for vengeance to destroy the entire invading Martian army in one stroke. The timeline, however, does not change and T'Challa remains cursed. Back in the present day, Captain Peace explains that even with the timeline changed Killraven still hated Wakanda and still came back in time to murder T'Chaka. The Defenders are then interrupted by the arrival of a new team of superbeings, the Squadron Seven, who have came to save their own timeline from destruction.

"Midnight Mass"

Writer: Daniel Kibblesmith; Artist: Ig Guara; Letterer: VC's Joe Sabino; Colorist: Matt Milla

While in a church in Harlem, T'Challa is attacked by Knightblade, who mistakes him for a vampire. He transforms into Ghost Panther and she is persuaded into believing he is not her enemy. Knightblade tells T'Challa her origin story, how she was a soldier that was bitten by a vampire and now hunts them. Wakandan vampires attack the pair, and the two quickly destroy them. 

Ghost Rider (1990) # 67

"Brood Feud II, Part One: A Gathering"

Cover Date: November 1995; Publication Date: September 1995

Writer: Howard Mackie; Artist: Salvador Larroca; Inker: Sergio Melia; Letterer: Janice Chiang; Colorist: Mike Rockwitz; Editor: James Felder; Editor In Chief: Bobbie Chase; Cover Artist: Salvador Larroca

In New York City, a pair of police officers are attacked by alien Brood warriors, who quickly transform the officers into more Brood soldiers. The Brood have been tasked by their queen to find the two individuals responsible for destroying the hive in New Orleans, namely Gambit and Ghost Rider. Meanwhile, in Cypress Hills Cemetery, Dan Ketch transforms into Ghost Rider and meets with his new informant, the mysterious Deep Throat. Even though he refuses to divulge his true identity, Deep Throat offers to help Ghost Rider with information, specifically on the criminal enterprises of Anton Hellgate. 

Later, when Ghost Rider leaves the cemetery, he is unaware that he is being followed by the two Brood disguised as police. That evening, Dan is relaxing with his girlfriend Paula, when her stalker ex-boyfriend starts calling her phone again. Instead of talking about the situation with Dan, Paula ignores it and asks to go out on a walk.  On the street outside, the disguised Brood recognize Dan and plan to strike while he is defenseless. Meanwhile, on a road leading into the city, Gambit is attacked by more Brood, who wish to assimilate him into their ranks. 

While on their walk in the city, Dan and Paula coincidentally run into Stacy Dolan and her team leader Ski, who are out on a date. When they hear screams coming from a nearby alley, Stacy and Ski go to investigate and find themselves ambushed by the Brood.  Dan follows and transforms into Ghost Rider, who attacks the Brood.  At the same time, Gambit finishes his battle with the Brood and makes his way toward the city to find Ghost Rider. When Ghost Rider attempts to kill one of the Brood, he witnesses the alien revert back to his human host's form, and is unsure whether he should kill the alien if the host still survives after their transformation.  Another Brood in human form attempts to convince Ghost Rider to kill her comrade, but Ghost Rider refuses.  Stacy fires a bullet at one of the Brood and Ghost Rider pins the two aliens to a wall with his chain.  They explain that their queen will soon rule the city, but Gambit arrives and asks Ghost Rider if he's prepared to go hunting with him for the remaining Brood.

The Original Ghost Rider (1992) # 13

"...And Vegas Writhes In Flame!"

Cover Date: July 1993; On Sale Date: May 1993

Writers: Marv Wolfman & Doug Moench; Artist: Jim Mooney; Inker: Sal Trapani; Letterer: Tom Orzechowski; Colorist: P. Goldberg; Editor: Roy Thomas; Cover Artist: Kris Renkewitz

Roxanne Simpson is held at gunpoint by crooked stock-car promoter Dude Jensen, who had caught her eavesdropping on his plan to assassinate one of his drivers. Before he can shoot her, Jensen's lackey Slifer bursts into the trailer and tells him not to fire, because the area is swarming with police. Jensen laughs, and is then consumed by hellfire, transforming him into the demonic Roulette. He then transforms Slifer into his demonic form and sets the trailer on fire with a point of his finger. The two then teleport away, leaving Roxanne to burn to death in the trailer.

Elsewhere in Las Vegas, the Ghost Rider rides through the city in search of Rocky, but is surprised by the appearance of Roulette in the sky above him. The demon pelts Blaze with blasts of hellfire, but during his bid for escape, Johnny sees a vision of Roxanne trapped in the burning room. Roulette appears again, telling Johnny that he has to make a choice: save Roxanne, or stop him from burning down Vegas. Though he struggles with the choice momentarily, the derogatory remarks thrown out by the Vegas citizens quickly makes his choice for him. Blaze races off to rescue Roxanne, leaving Roulette to begin his assault on the city. The demon sets a large casino on fire, destroying it and killing many of the people inside. Johnny, meanwhile, makes it to the burning trailer and rides right through the wall, scooping up Rocky before plowing through the opposite wall and to safety. Before she can say anything, Johnny sets her down and races back into the city, determined to save it whether it deserves it or not.

Meanwhile, a group of casino owners talk about a note they each received, which says all of them will die and their casinos will be destroyed, signed by Roulette. They realize that Roulette and Dude Jensen are one and the same, recalling how the race promoter had lost twenty thousand dollars at one of the casinos. When he couldn't pay back what he'd lost, they took him into the desert and shot him, leaving his body dumped in a quarry. The Ghost Rider, elsewhere in the city, is then attacked again by Roulette, daring the biker to follow his trail. Blaze tracks the demon down to the desert, where he finds a huge castle floating on a platform of hellfire. Johnny jumps through the castle's doors, quickly finding Roulette in his throne room. Jensen tells his story to Blaze, revealing that after his body was dumped in the quarry he was brought back to life by none-other than Satan himself. He made a deal with the demon-lord, his return to life in exchange for destroying the Ghost Rider. Roulette then downs Johnny with a hellfire blast, then calls upon Satan for the power to destroy their enemy for all eternity. Satan appears and grants Jensen's request, pouring more power into his body. Johnny sees his opportunity, blasting Roulette with his own hellfire, essentially overloading the demon's body. Jensen explodes, leaving only a tattered robe and the victorious Ghost Rider.

"Chasing Phantoms"

Writer: Dan Slott; Artist: Dick Ayers; Letterer: Dave Sharpe; Colorist: Mike Worley; Editor: Evan Skolnick 

Sheriff Brown chases the Phantom Rider through Bison Bend, not realizing that Jamie and William are tricking them to cover for Carter Slade having left town. William leaves the phantom projector when he and Jamie go to the sheriff's office, where Hollis tells them the reward for Angus has been cancelled since Floyd and Red escaped. Meanwhile, Floyd and Red see the Phantom Rider projection and accidentally shoot each other.

Revenge of the Cosmic Ghost Rider (2019) # 5

Cover Date: August 2020; On Sale Date: June 2020

Writers: Dennis "Hopeless" Hallum; Artist: Scott Hepburn; Letterer: Travis Lanham; Colorist: Antonio Fabela; Editor: Darren Shaw; Editor-in-Chief: C.B. Cebulski; Cover Artist: Scott Hepburn

Mephisto drags Cammi's soul to Hell as payment for Frank regaining his own soul from the Cosmic King. Frank jumps through the open portal and falls down into Hell, burning all the way down until he's at the brink of death.  Before dying he realizes that even though he's not a Ghost Rider anymore he still has the Power Cosmic and uses it to charge and heal himself. Mephisto locks Cammi's soul in a vault and then returns to his penthouse in the Hotel Inferno, while Frank finds himself fighting his way through a horde of demons. Castle charges the hotel penthouse on a demonic horse and demands that Mephisto return Cammi's soul. Mephisto offers to return Cammi's soul and bring her back to life if Frank again sells his soul to become the Ghost Rider, though as Mephisto points out he would be damning himself for the girl's life.

Cammi wakes up back on the alien planet Squol, where she finds Cosmic Ghost Rider waiting for her.  She hugs Frank, realizing that he gave up his soul again to save her. However, the alien parasite that had possessed the Cosmic King is still alive, and it grabs Cammi, taking her as its new host.  Realizing that he saved Cammi's soul only for her to become the parasite's newest host, Frank can do nothing but watch and apologize. Months later, a squad of Brood warriors search the ruins of Squol and find Cosmic Ghost Rider's skull. Frank destroys the Brood and uses their energy to reconstitute his body, then flies off on into space on his motorcycle again, hoping to find Cammi and save her from her fate. 

The Ghost Rider Omnibus Wishlist

When it comes to the Omnibus format of collected editions, Ghost Rider hasn't seen a whole lot of love over the years.  To date there have only been five Omnibus editions for the character, with one of which being long out of print:

 

COSMIC GHOST RIDER OMNIBUS

Collecting THANOS (2016) #13-18, THANOS ANNUAL (2018) #1, COSMIC GHOST RIDER #1-5, COSMIC GHOST RIDER DESTROYS MARVEL HISTORY #1-6, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (2019) #1-6, AVENGERS (2018) #22-25 and REVENGE OF THE COSMIC GHOST RIDER #1-5; and material from THANOS LEGACY #1 and WOLVERINE: BLACK, WHITE & BLOOD #3.

GHOST RIDER BY JASON AARON OMNIBUS

Collecting GHOST RIDER (2006) #20-35 and GHOST RIDERS: HEAVEN'S ON FIRE #1-6.

GHOST RIDER 2099 OMNIBUS

Collecting GHOST RIDER 2099 (1994) #1-25.

GHOST RIDER: DANNY KETCH OMNIBUS VOL 1

Collecting GHOST RIDER (1990) #1-24; SPIDER-MAN (1990) #6-7; MARC SPECTOR: MOON KNIGHT #25; DOCTOR STRANGE, SORCERER SUPREME #28; PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL (1988) #29-30; GHOST RIDER/WOLVERINE/PUNISHER: HEARTS OF DARKNESS; and material from MARVEL HOLIDAY SPECIAL (1991) #1, and MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS (1988) #64-71 and #90-118.

GHOST RIDER: DANNY KETCH OMNIBUS VOL. 2

Collecting: GHOST RIDER (1990) #25-40, GHOST RIDER/BLAZE: SPIRITS OF VENGEANCE #1-13, MORBIUS: THE LIVING VAMPIRE (1992) #1 and #12, DARKHOLD: PAGES FROM THE BOOK OF SINS #1 and #11, NIGHTSTALKERS #1 and #10, GHOST RIDER/CAPTAIN AMERICA: FEAR, X-MEN (1991) #9, WEB OF SPIDER-MAN (1985) #95-96, MIDNIGHT SONS UNLIMITED #3 and material from MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS (1988) #119-130, MIDNIGHT SONS UNLIMITED #1-2 and MARVEL HOLIDAY SPECIAL (1991) #3

However!  In October Marvel will be releasing not one but TWO Ghost Rider Omnibus volumes to the delight of those of us willing to pay exorbitant amounts of money on books that weigh a metric ton. I personally love the Omnibus format and it's my preferred way of collecting these days, they just look so damn nice on my bookshelf. Here's the details on what's coming in the Fall:

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.