The Best of the Worst: Deathwatch

I've been batting around ideas for articles to try and beef up content on the blog beyond just the comic reviews (though those are still the bread and butter, don't get me wrong). One of the things I thought might be fun is a deep dive into some of Ghost Rider's best villains in all their awesome and oft-times ridiculous glory.  Ghost Rider has a pretty deep bench of rogues to talk about, though some are certainly more memorable than others. It would be easy to start with one of the big guns, like Mephisto or Blackout, but instead I decided to go with one of my favorites who really gets overlooked despite being a pretty big deal when he was introduced.

Glad he added that qualifier at the end!

DEATHWATCH: WHO HE IS AND HOW HE CAME TO BE

First appearance: Ghost Rider (1990) # 1; created by Howard Mackie, Javier Saltares, and Mark Texeira

Deathwatch was the first major villain created to fight the Danny Ketch incarnation of Ghost Rider, he's right there in the first issue as the major antagonist of the series. In his introductory storyline, Deathwatch is a crime boss with a small army of ninjas at his disposal, and while apparently wealthy enough to have his own business he also takes on jobs from employers in a mercenary capacity. He gets hired to steal and release a set of three canisters, the chemical contents of which will cause a massive death toll when all three are opened together. This brings him into conflict with the Kingpin, the top dog of crime lords in New York City, and their beef ultimately triggers the events that lead the Ghost Rider's rebirth.

He has a pretty interesting power, in that he absorbs the memories of people and gets stronger reliving the murders they commit. He quite literally watches death, then not only gets stronger but also kind of gets off on it. You can tell that he really likes it when people get killed and he gets to experience it vicariously, which now that I think about it is actually a bit of an inverse of Ghost Rider's Penance Stare, which makes you relive all the pain you've inflicted on others.  Huh, that's a neat touch that I've never realized before.  Nice one, Howard Mackie!

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.

Guardians of the Galaxy (2019) # 2-4

"The Final Gauntlet, Parts 2-4"

Cover Date: March through May 2019; On Sale Date: January through March 2019

Writer: Donny Cates; Artist: Geoff Shaw; Letterer: VC's Cory Petit; Colorist: Marte Gracia; Senior Editor: Jordan D. White; Editor: Darren Shaw; Assistant Editor: Danny Khazem; Editor-in-Chief: C.B. Cebulski; Cover Artist: David Marquez

Aboard the space ship Milano, Star Lord speaks with his ex, Kitty Pryde, about the Black Order taking Thanos' body and Eros wanting to kill Gamora. He checks on two of his new crew members, Moondragon and Phyla-Vell, then hears sounds of a commotion coming from elsewhere on the ship. He finds Groot in a fight with Cosmic Ghost Rider, a fight that's only broken up when Moondragon intervenes. Castle wants to kill Gamora to prevent Thanos returning in her body while Groot and Beta Ray Bill want to help save her. Star Lord refuses to get involved and tells Castle to leave. Meanwhile, Hela and the Black Order interrogate the Collector about the whereabouts of Thanos' head, which he reveals is in the Negative Zone.

Later, aboard a Shi'ar ship, a scarred and paralyzed Eros has gathered his team of Dark Guardians, which includes Gladiator, Wraith, Nebula, and Cosmic Ghost Rider. Determined to find and kill Gamora, Eros asks Nebula how to find her. She replies that they need to find out from Richard Rider, Nova.

While Eros and his Dark Guardians hunt for Gamora, Hela and the Black Order arrive in the Negative Zone to confront Annihilus. He shows them the severed head of Thanos, which Hela takes after quickly defeating Annihilus in combat. The Dark Guardians chase a wounded Richard Rider, Nova and former lover of Gamora, to learn from him her location. Nova stands his ground until he is attacked by Wraith, who is ready to kill Rider. Cosmic Ghost Rider intervenes and tries to talk to Nova, attempting to reason with him and convince him to give up Gamora. Nova flies off, but Nebula has already figured out where he is going. Meanwhile, Star Lord finds himself relieved of command if his ship by Groot and the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy, who intend to save Gamora from Eros. Star Lord protests but eventually gives in, revealing that Gamora has gone to Halfworld to find Rocket Raccoon.

The Guardians arrive on Halfworld to locate Gamora, who attacks them before Groot intervenes.  Groot takes Gamora onto their ship, stating that they will come back to deal with Rocket Raccoon another time.  Star Lord locks Gamora's hands in cuffs, not willing to belief that she's a victim in Thanos' game.  Nova runs into the ship, crashing his way inside to warn them that the Dark Guardians are after Gamora, not realizing that Gamora is already with them.  The Dark Guardians force Star Lord's ship to crash back onto Halfworld, and the two teams engage each other in battle.  Nebula attempts to shoot and kill Gamora, but Star Lord jumps in front of the blast, seemingly killing him as the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy are defeated by the Dark Guardians.

Marvel Two-In-One (1973) # 8

"Silent Night...Deadly Night!"

Cover Date: March 1975; On Sale Date: December 1974

 

Writer: Steve Gerber; Artist: Sal Buscema; Inker: Mike Esposito; Letterer: Charlotte Jetter; Colorist: George Roussos; Editor: Len Wein; Cover Artist: Ron Wilson

On Christmas Eve, Johnny Blaze is riding through the Arizona desert. When three mysterious men on camels appear in the road in front of him, Blaze swerves and wrecks his bike. The men check on him, unshaken by his flaming skull, and they tell Johnny that they are three kings following a star toward a child of prophecy. Understandably confused by what's happening, Blaze rides ahead of the kings in order to find answers.

Meanwhile, in New York City, the Fantastic Four are celebrating the Christmas holiday - all except for Reed Richards, who is too busy studying the new star that's appeared in the sky despite the advice of Ben Grimm, the Thing. Back in Arizona, Ghost Rider arrives at a city that appears to be from biblical times, only all the residents are Native Americans. While investigating the town, Blaze finds the stable, within which is an Indian couple and their baby in a manger. Then, Blaze is startled by a shadowed figure who forbids him to enter the stable. The unknown man claims to be the child's creator, and he sweeps Johnny and his motorcycle into a tornado, which carries him back to the hills outside the city.

At the Baxter Building, Richards has discovered that the new star is pointing toward the Indian reservation of their friend, Wyatt Wingfoot. Reed is preparing to go investigate, but Grimm offers to go in his place so Richards can spend the holiday with his family. The Thing takes off in the Fantastic Four's Pogo Plane, and within an hour he has arrived at the reservation where he's met by Ghost Rider, who fills Grimm in on what he's seen. They see the three wise men approaching on their camels, and Blaze stops them with a ring of hellfire and demands their help. Later, Ghost Rider and the Thing sneak into the town, disguised as two of the three wise men. There they find an old enemy of the Fantastic Four, the Miracle Man, who transforms the stable animals into beasts to restrain the heroes. The Miracle Man explains that he had been imprisoned by the Indian mystics the Cheemuzwa, but he managed to escape and steal their power. In order to attain godhood, he transformed the Cheemuzwa and the reservation into a replica of Jerusalem, where he has created a new immaculate messiah.

Suddenly, though, the Miracle Man's powers fade away when he attempts to kill Ghost Rider. The Thing frees himself and attacks, but Miracle Man's powers work just fine against Grimm. Miracle Man sets fire to the city, hoping to destroy it and the heroes, before fleeing to the hills. Blaze tells the Thing to go after the villain while he rescues the spellbound Indians. The Thing catches up to his foe, and after a brief fight he manages to knock the Miracle Man unconscious. At that moment, the villain's spell fades; the town and its residents return to their normal state. The freed Cheemuzwa appear and take Miracle Man away with them, but the "messiah" child remains at the reservation to be cared for by the Native Americans. Ghost Rider and the Thing say their goodbyes, but while he drives away Johnny tries to figure out why the Miracle Man's powers wouldn't work on him.

Ghost Rider (1973) # 10

"Ghost Rider"

Cover Date: February 1975; On Sale Date: November 1975

Writer: Gary Friedrich; Artist: Mike Ploog; Letterer: Jon Costa; Editor: Len Wein; Cover Artist: Ron Wilson

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 the Devil 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!

Midnight Sons: Blood Hunt (2024) # 3

Cover Date: August 2024; Publication Date: June 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

At the haunted hospital in Chicago, Dan Ketch has a conversation with Tulip about Blade, pointing out that he could have stayed to try and kill her, but he didn't. Dan transforms into Ghost Rider, telling Tulip that they have a more pressing mission, and that Blade will have to wait until it is completed. Meanwhile, John Blaze and Victoria Montesi talk with the nurse they rescued, Julie, and explain that another reality is trying to invade through the hospital. Victoria convinces Julie to help by giving them her fears to use in a spell.

Deciding to trust them, Julie leads them to them incinerator room. Victoria instructs Julie to recall her greatest fear in vivid detail, which the invading entity will latch on to and manifest as her nightmare, allowing the Midnight Sons the opportunity to kill it. Julie recounts a story from a Halloween several years before when a college kid was killed in a fire and she imagined his corpse sitting up in the morgue. Montesi casts her spell and a grotesque creature comes to life inside the morgue. The Midnight Sons allow Julie to act as bait, and when the creature stalks toward her Blaze downs it with his hellfire shotgun. Victoria casts a banishment spell that turns the creature into maggots, which she then instructs Ghost Rider to cleanse with his hellfire chain. Recognizing that the hospital is now free from the evil spirits that had been haunting, the three Midnight Sons notice that Tulip has already left them, deciding to hunt down Blade alone.

Later, weeks after the defeat of Varnae, the vampire lord who had possessed Blade, Tulip tracks Blade down to a monastery in Thailand. Convinced that Blade is himself again, Tulip tells him that Ghost Rider, Blaze, and Montesi gave up on tracking him down and have gone their separate ways once again. When Tulip asks Blade if he really would have killed her, he can only reply that he wished he knew. 

Ghost Rider (1973) # 9

"The Hell-Bound Hero!"

Cover Date: December 1974; On Sale Date: September 1974

Writer: Tony Isabella; Artist: Jim Mooney; Inker: Sal Trapani; Letterer: Artie Simek; Colorist: Jan Brunner; Editor: Roy Thomas; Cover Artist: Rich Buckler

 

Stuck between Satan's servant Inferno and the fear-controlled populace of San Francisco, the Ghost Rider faces the greatest crisis of his short existence. As he valiantly attempts to escape the panicked horde of innocent bystanders caught in Inferno's power, Blaze is unaware of Roxanne Simpson's situation. Brought to Hell by Satan, Roxanne is shown images of her father, Crash Simpson, trapped in the endless torments of Hell. Satan tells her that if she does not renounce her protection of Blaze, then her father will continue to suffer at his hands. Torn between her father and the man she loves, Roxanne breaks into tears and agrees to the demon's demand, renouncing her protection over the Ghost Rider. Immediately after, Satan reveals that he has tricked the young woman - he has never had a claim on Crash Simpson's soul, the man they have beheld since was nothing more than an illusion - and that her foolishness has delivered Blaze to him on a silver platter.

At that exact moment, back on Earth, Johnny suddenly finds that his Ghost Rider powers are gone, including his hellfire bike. At the mercy of Inferno, Johnny attempts to run, but is cut-off by the giant form of Satan himself, clutching Roxanne in his hand. Inferno approaches from behind, grabbing Blaze in a bear-hug. Johnny manages to free himself, immediately taking the initiative and beating Inferno into unconsciousness. Weakened from the fight, Satan strikes, leaving Blaze powerless before him. Before he can apply the deathblow, however, Satan is stopped by a bearded man that emerges from the crowd. The man's presence forces Satan to back away, as the stranger states that Johnny has earned the right to retain his soul. Satan vanishes, enraged that he no longer has claim to Blaze's soul. Johnny questions the man on his identity, to which the stranger replies "I am..a friend.", before disappearing as well.

Several days later, Johnny and Roxanne exchange words on what has happened between them. Upset that her naiveté almost allowed Satan to claim her lover's soul, Roxanne leaves Johnny in order to grow up a little. Meanwhile, in Hell, Satan forms a new plan to get revenge on the Ghost Rider. He transforms Inferno into a human, telling him that he is to tempt Blaze into committing evil and then kill him immediately. If Johnny dies with evil in his soul, then he shall be owned by Satan forever.

Spirits of Vengeance (2024) # 1

Cover Date: November 2024; On Sale Date: September 2024

Writer: Sabir Pirzada; Artist: Sean Damien Hill; Inker: Craig Yeung & Jay Leisten; Letterer: VC's Travis Lanham; Colorist: Andrew Dalhouse; Editor: Devin Lewis; Editor in Chief: C.B. Cebulski; Cover Artist: Kendrick "Kunkka" Lim

The lifeless inert skeleton of Vengeance stands displayed as a scarecrow in a midwestern cornfield, tended to by a farmer. The skeleton is discovered by a group of teenagers who use it as a prop for dares. When two of the teens are left alone in the field, a misunderstanding turns violent and the boy Tyler attacks his female friend. The act causes Vengeance to come back to life, his skeleton re-igniting with hellfire, and he burns the boy's hand to save the girl. The kids run out of the field and Vengeance collapses, still alive but very weak.

Meanwhile, Johnny Blaze is held in chains by the Sirens of Kronos, three Greek harpies who he had defeated and imprisoned many years before. Though they believe him helpless, Blaze transforms into the Ghost Rider and quickly defeats the Sirens. He demands they turn over a mystical sea shell to him, stating that he can hear screams that are calling him somewhere that only the shell can lead him. Blaze threatens the Sirens with death if they cause any more trouble, then rides away to continue his journey.

Back at the cornfield, the farmer Billy has placed Vengeance in a wheelchair and is having a campfire conversation with him. Billy explains that he found Vengeance "a couple of years ago", collapsed on the graves of Michael Badilino's parents. Billy was a soldier with Badilino before an injury forced him to retire, and he has seen Vengeance flare to life several times before only for him to burn out and return to his inert state. Vengeance realizes that he has been separated from Badilino and that his former host is in danger. Tyler returns with his uncle Lawrence and a posse to investigate what happened in the cornfield; when Lawrence sees that Vengeance is being cared for by Billy he threatens to hurt the farmer as well. Though still weak, Vengeance stands up and defeats the group of men, only for Tyler to release a cage that he believes holds a polar bear, but instead holds a velociraptor. Vengeance is chased through the field by the dinosaur, but is able to stop it by smashing it with a tractor. Vengeance swears to find and rescue Badilino, but knows that he has to regain his power; to do so, he plans on confronting the imposter Vengeance to take his power for his own. At that moment, Michael Badilino, chained and imprisoned in an unknown location, tells Vengeance not to come because he's being baited into a trap. 

I'm back! Maybe! Ghost Rider by Benjamin Percy Omnibus Available Now! Order it!

So I know it's been a while since I posted anything on the blog, as I took yet another one of my long sabbaticals from working on anything Ghost Rider related. I have a very compulsive personality type, where I obsess over something for several months, and then like a light switch getting flipped I suddenly move on to something else.  For the past several months I've been obsessing over the X-Men, blame the new season of the animated series, but as of last night...I think I might be in a Ghost Rider mood again?

Naturally, there have been a few significant events during the past six months that I should probably mention. Apparently there will be a new Ghost Rider feature film in July 2028, right around my birthday in fact, and Ryan Gosling will be the lead. Huh. I'll probably have more to say about that later, but cool, I'm down for it. No new comic book news, unfortunately, because the only thing that's been released is a Mangaverse mash-up with Psylocke, and I draw the line at reading garbage like that.  I suffered through Ghost Panther and Fantasma, but I just can't with "Ghost Locke". 

Good news on the Omnibus front, though!  A volume containing the entirety of the Benjamin Percy run was released this week, and I'll be placing my order in the next few days.  Then, in a couple of months, Danny Ketch Omnibus Volume 3 looms it's spooky head as another must-buy! I've become a major fan of Omnibus editions this past year (with way too much money spent on that aforementioned X-Men obsession, seriously), and I really hope we get more Ghost Rider releases soon.

Also!  My attempt to create a community page on Facebook may have crashed and burned, but that doesn't mean there isn't a place for you to go and discuss Ghost Rider on that platform!  Friend of the blog Don Johnston has created the Ghost Rider and the Midnight Sons Fans FB Group and you should all go and join! There's a really cool cover bracket contest going on right now and there's lots of cool cats on there to chat with about the Spirit of Vengeance, including yours truly!

New comic reviews?  Yeah, probably, but no idea when they'll start again. Been tossing around thoughts of trying to get the books republished after Amazon gave me the middle finger, so we'll see where that road takes us. As always, leave comments or send me a message!

He belongs to us all, Zarathos, don't be greedy.

Ghost Rider (1973) # 8

"Satan Himself!"

Cover Date: October 1974; On Sale Date: July 1974

Writer: Tony Isabella; Artist: Jim Mooney; Inker: Sal Trapani; Letterer: John Costanza; Colorist: Phil Rache; Editor: Roy Thomas; Cover Artist: Gil Kane

After his defeat of Aquarius, Satan himself appears before Johnny Blaze, declaring that he is tired of the stunt rider constantly defying his power. The Ghost Rider attempts to flee, but Satan blasts him to the ground with hellfire. Though he cannot claim Johnny's soul, the demon states that will make his life so painful that he will give it over of his own free will. Crumbling before the Hell-Lord's onslaught, Johnny calls out Roxanne's name. Satan gets even more angry, as the mere thought of someone pure in heart is painful to him. Satan then turns the tables, saying that while Roxanne protects Johnny, there is nothing to protect her . Blaze attempts to fight the devil, but Satan merely fades away, telling Johnny that everything he is stems from Hell itself. Moments later, dawn breaks, transforming Johnny back into his normal self. He rides away, eventually coming to the hospital that houses the injured Stuntmaster, who offers him a job as a stuntman on his television show. Johnny declines, due to his commitment to the cycle show. At that moment, Roxanne comes into the room, wrapping her arms around Blaze, telling him how worried she was about him. Johnny begins to complain about how the cycle show is on it's last leg, and the Stuntmaster tells him about a cycle race coming up that's got a huge cash prize. Before she can hear anymore, however, Roxanne is given a vision of her father burning in a lake of fire. Nearly fainting at the gruesome sight, Johnny asks her why she screamed, but Roxanne lies and says it was nothing. Meanwhile, in Hell, Satan watches the scene and comments that the vision he gave the girl resulted in more than he hoped, having caused her to tell a "little white lie".

That evening, on a bridge overlooking San Francisco, Johnny and Roxanne have a long discussion about their lives. As the sun sets, however, Blaze once again falls victim to his curse, transforming into the Ghost Rider. Immediately after, a ghostly image of Crash Simpson appears, causing Roxanne to run toward it despite Johnny's warnings. Realizing too late that it's a trick of Satan's, the vision vanishes in a burst of light, taking Roxanne with it. Not sure what to do, Blaze decides to try and contact Daimon Hellstrom - the Son of Satan - for assistance.

In Hell, Roxanne appears before Satan, who tells her that he has no desire to harm her. He opens a door, revealing Crash Simpson, who is trapped in a never-ending loop of reliving the death of his wife, Mona - his own personal Hell. Roxanne faints after seeing this, forcing Satan to call forth the demon Slifer. Giving him one more chance to defeat the Ghost Rider, Satan transforms him and sends him to Earth, where as the newly-christened Inferno he appears before Blaze. Johnny avoids the demon's mystical bolts, but fails when he tries to turn the battle into a physical one. Inferno bats the Rider away, and then a wave of power begins to emit from the demon - energy of pure fear, driving the onlooking citizens to take up arms and destroy the thing they fear, namely the Ghost Rider. Johnny gets back on his hellfire-cycle and attempts to ride away, but finds himself completely boxed in by the insane crowd.

Back in Hell, Roxanne confronts Satan with the knowledge that the mysterious Messenger took her father to safety from the demon realm. Satan merely laughs at this, revealing that the Messenger was in fact him . Roxanne refuses to believe this, but Satan tells her that there is only one way he will relinquish his hold on Crash's soul. Roxanne must renounce her protection of the Ghost Rider, for while he could still fight his way free of Satan's grasp, her father could not.