Ghost Rider (1973) # 2

"Shake Hands With Satan!"

Cover Date: October 1973; On Sale Date: July 1973

Writer: Gary Friedrich; Artist: Jim Mooney; Inker: Syd Shores; Letterer: C. Jetter; Colorist: L. Lessmann; Editor: Roy Thomas; Cover Artist: Gil Kane

Still on the road after fleeing from Copperhead Canyon, Johnny keeps experiencing visions of Slade's fiery crash. Roxanne attempts to help him, but Blaze instead loses all hope in their situation. Stopping the truck, Johnny gets out and screams for Satan to come claim his soul, that he's tired of running. As if on command, Linda Littletrees, the Witch Woman, appears in the sky.

Back at the Apache reservation, Daimon Hellstrom has arrived to try and help Linda. Realizing that night would soon be upon them, Daimon asks Sam to bind him and lock him in a room. They are not to release him until morning, no matter how he may plead later on.

In the desert, Linda agrees to take Johnny to Satan, but also decides to take Roxanne as well. Before anything can happen, the scene is interrupted by the roar of motorcycle engines. A biker gang, led by Big Daddy Dawson, surround the three. Linda snaps her fingers and teleports herself and Johnny away, leaving Roxanne in the hands of Dawson.

At the reservation, a hysterical Hellstrom demands that they unlock his door, for if they don't then Linda shall surely die. When Sam opens the door, he sees that Daimon has changed into something horrific. Linda and Johnny, meanwhile, arrive in Hell, where the woman reveals herself to actually be Satan in disguise. His demons hold Johnny down, but the Hell lord is interrupted by some unseen person before he can take Blaze's soul.

Ghost Rider (1973) # 1

"A Woman Possessed!"

Cover Date: September 1973; On Sale Date: June 1973

Writer: Gary Friedrich; Artist: Tom Sutton; Inker: Syd Shores; Letterer: John Costanza; Colorist: George Roussos; Editor: Roy Thomas; Cover Artist: Gil Kane

Following his encounter with Linda Littletrees, the Witch Woman, Blaze races back toward the hospital where he left Roxanne. He encounters a police barricade, which he breaks through easily. Immediately afterwards, however, one of the officers shoots him in the shoulder, causing him to wipe out on his bike.

Meanwhile, Linda has fallen into a strange coma. Her fiancé, Sam Silvercloud, and father, the man once called Snake Dance, are unable to wake her up, realizing that her soul has been stolen by Satan. Sam, unwilling to let his loved one die, dials a number out of a newspaper. The number is for an occult exorcist named Daimon Hellstrom, who agrees to fly to Arizona immediately to help Linda. Back at the hospital, Johnny's road manager, Bart Slade, tells Roxanne that he plans to make the jump over the canyon in Blaze's stead. Elsewhere, Linda is approached by Satan, who takes possession of her body and flees toward the city in search of Blaze.

Night falls, prompting the hospitalized Johnny to transform into the Ghost Rider. With his injuries surprisingly healed in his demon form, Blaze escapes from the hospital and heads for the canyon. He arrives just in time to see Slade attempt the jump, unable to do nothing but watch as his friend crashes into the canyon wall. Blaze hurriedly scoops up the fainted Roxanne, and the two escape in a pickup truck. Back at the reservation, Hellstrom arrives to help Linda.

Web of Spider-Man (1985) # 95

"Spirits of Venom, Part 1: Storm Shadows"

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

Writer: Howard Mackie; Artist: Alex Saviuk; Inker: Joe Rubinstein; Letterer: Dave Sharpe; Colorist: Bob Sharen; Editor: Danny Fingeroth; Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco; Cover Artist: Alex Saviuk

Spider-Man swings through a stormy Manhattan with the captured Hobgoblin in tow. They are unaware that they’re being hunted by the Demogoblin, and an alien Spider-Man clone called Doppelganger. When they confront Spider-Man, Demogoblin states that he comes from a race of demons dedicated to killing all other demonic creatures and wants to kill Hobgoblin for once sharing a body with him. Spider-Man escapes with Hobgoblin into the city, fleeing into a large church for sanctuary.

Meanwhile, Ghost Rider and John Blaze are in the sewer system beneath the city, hunting for the Deathspawn and the innocent homeless people they have captive. They’re approached by Venom, who is hunting the same villains, Hag and Troll, for their murder of a Guardsman. Hag and Troll arrive with the Deathspawn, and a large battle commences.

At the church, Father Martin hides Spider-Man in the church’s basement, but is captured by Demogoblin, who offers Spider-Man the priest’s life in exchange for Hobgoblin. The battle in the sewer rages on and Blaze blasts a hole through the roof of the tunnel with his shotgun. Venom takes advantage of the situation and swings up through the hole with Hag and Troll, leaving Blaze and Ghost Rider behind to fight the Deathspawn. At that moment, Blaze’s hellfire blast creates a hole in the basement of the church, allowing Venom to climb directly into Spider-Man’s fight with Demogoblin. 

Ghost Rider and Blaze follow, with most of the combatants being dragged back into the tunnels by the Deathspawn. Blaze jumps back into the tunnel willingly to rescue Ghost Rider, leaving Spider-Man to wonder if he should just go home to his wife. However, when the priest is dragged down by one of the Deathspawn, Spider-Man decides that he has to join the fight and jumps down into the tunnel.

Marvel Spotlight (1972) # 11

"Season of the Witch-Woman!"

Cover Date: August 1973; On Sale Date: May 1973

Writer: Gary Friedrich; Artist: Tom Sutton; Inker: Syd Shores' Letterer: John Costanza; Colorist: Glynis Wein; Editor: Roy Thomas; Cover Artist: Rich Buckler

In the abandoned cave ruins, Linda Littletrees, now going by the moniker of Witch Woman, holds the Ghost Rider captive. Binding him to the wall with flaming shackles, the Apache girl tells Johnny that she has been sent by Satan to collect his soul. Using her satanic powers, Linda projects her thoughts onto the cave wall, showing Blaze how she became Satan's thrall.

Less than a year before, she left her family's reservation to attend college in New York City. When she arrived, she met her roommate, a blonde girl named Jennifer Glatzer, who was a practicing devil-worshiper. Linda immediately became friends with the other girl, who eventually convinced the Indian to read some of her occult books. After about six months, Linda fell asleep on her bed while studying. While she slept, Linda crept into the room, her satanic candle lit. She opened the window and called for her master, offering Linda as a bride. When she received no sign of Satan's arrival, Jennifer assumed that he has rejected her gift. When she looked at Linda, however, she saw the pentagram emblazoned on her forehead, a sign of acceptance. Johnny interrupts Linda's story, arguing with her that she was unwillingly duped into satanic servitude. Denying his accusations, the Witch Woman conjures a gag of hellfire around Blaze's mouth, so she can continue her story without further interjections.

The night after Jennifer's secret offering, Linda decided that she would join her roommate for one of her group's rituals. The two dressed in exotic outfits and then covered up in large robes, so as not to draw attention to themselves on the way to the sabbat. Jennifer assured Linda that it's all pretend, easing her nervousness. They arrived  at a large house and descended into the crypt-like basement, where Linda was shocked to see dozens of women with flaming torches surrounding a large altar. Jennifer and the other women surrounded the frightened girl and dragged her to the altar, tying her down as they chanted. Jennifer called out for her master to appear, pulling out a large knife in the process. As the girls continued to chant louder and louder, Jennifer plunged the knife into Linda's stomach, but the girl felt nothing but the essence of Satan pouring into her.

Linda becomes wrapped up in telling her story, breaking the concentration needed to maintain the Ghost Rider's bonds. Realizing he has his chance to escape, Johnny runs from the cave and hops on his motorcycle, his escape finally snapping his enemy back to reality. She fires several bolts of hellfire at the Rider as he navigates his way down the narrow trails of the pueblo. As he makes his escape, Satan appears before Linda, claiming that she has failed in her task. Linda pleads for a second chance, which the demon begrudgingly gives her. Having made his way to the bottom of the caves, Johnny turns back to see the Witch Woman standing at the top of the pueblo. She tells him that because she has failed in her mission, she must now pay the price. Turning her blasts of hellfire back on herself, Linda lights herself afire and falls to the canyon floor. Johnny turns away, unable to watch the girl's death. He rides away just as the sun comes up, transforming him back to his normal self.

Ghost Rider: Kushala (2021) # 2

“Off to See the Wizard”

Cover Date: October 2021; On Sale Date: October 2021

Writer: Taboo & B. Earl; Artist: Guillermo Sanna & Vanessa Del Rey; Letterer: Joe Sabino; Colorist: Jordie Bellaire; Editor: Sarah Brunstad; Editor in Chief: C.B. Cebulski; Cover Artist: Guillermo Sanna

Olivia Obtera returns home to relieve her parents from babysitting her daughter, Heather Rae. At bedtime, Olivia tells the story of Kushala to Heather Rae, Suddenly, two Doombots appear through a portal and attempt to abduct Heather Rae. Olivia finds herself transformed into the Spirit Rider, possessed by the spirit of Kushala in her time of need to save her daughter. However, even though she disables one of the Doombots, the other escapes with Heather Rae through the rift, closing it behind them.

Kushala explains to Olivia that Doctor Doom seeks to find all of the Wands of Watoomb, which originated from the same dimension as Leviathan, the vengeance spirit that possesses her. Kushala has been attempting to stop Doom from uniting all six Wands, but he is targeting her bloodline to attempt to lock her out of existence. Realizing that they need to start with Jeffrey McKraken, whose journals Olivia has been researching, Kushala transports them back in time to meet with him. They arrive in 1923 Peru, where McKraken is being chased by a group of bandits. McKracken tells Olivia to run.

Marvel Spotlight (1972) # 10

"The Coming of...Witch-Woman!"

Cover Date: June 1973; On Sale Date: March 1973

Writer: Gary Friedrich; Artist: Tom Sutton; Inker: Jim Mooney; Letterer: John Costanza; Colorist: Stan G.; Editor: Roy Thomas; Cover Artist: Rich Buckler

The Ghost Rider races through the Arizona desert with the comatose Roxanne Simpson in his arms, desperate to get her to a hospital before the snake venom in her system kills her. Back at the Apache reservation, Snake Dance's followers turn against him, finally realizing that he's nothing but a charlatan. Sam Silvercloud strings the old medicine man up to a tree, preparing to hang him, but the men are stopped by several rifle shots. They turn to see a young woman, Linda Littletrees, Snake Dance's daughter returned from college. Linda unties her father and convinces all the men to return to the reservation.

Meanwhile, Blaze races through the nearest city, the welfare of his girlfriend the only thing concerning him. He roars through the emergency room doors of the local hospital and demands a doctor to save Roxanne. After a little persuasion of the hellfire variety, the doctor agrees to help. After a quick examination, however, the doctor tells Johnny that she will still die, because the hospital has run out of snake bite serum. Back at the reservation, Linda is appalled that her father almost killed a girl because of superstitions. Snake Dance assures his daughter that Roxanne WILL die, because he knows the white men have no serum. He shows that he has the only vial of the serum, but accidentally allows Linda to take it from him. The young girl runs out the door and hops on her motorcycle, praying to an unseen "master" that she reaches Roxanne in time.

At the hospital, the doctor tells Blaze that the only thing they can do is a complete blood transfusion, but it would be very dangerous and she may not live through the procedure. The Ghost Rider tells the doctor to do what he must, and walks out of the hospital. Johnny rides his bike away from the motorcycle, just missing the arrival of Linda with the serum. The police catch sight of the speeding Blaze and follow in pursuit. Linda, meanwhile, gets the serum to the doctor in the nick of time, saving Roxanne's life. The doctor tells Linda the girl's name, and it rings strangely familiar to the Apache.

Johnny is chased by two motorcycle cops, which he tries to stop with a few blasts of hellfire. The cops continue their chase, until Blaze manages to trap them behind a wall of flame. The police radio in an all-points bulletin on the Ghost Rider as he rides away. Elsewhere, Linda recalls why she recognized Roxanne's name. When she was a little girl, she was rescued from being run over by a motorcycle cop named Officer Crash Simpson, who she had heard started a motorcycle show a few years later. She goes back and talks to the doctor, who tells her that Johnny Blaze, the Ghost Rider, was the one that brought Roxanne to the hospital. Linda, thinking it ironic that the man her master sent her to kill is involved with the daughter of the man that once saved her life, walks outside the hospital in time to see Blaze speed by, several police cars on his tail. Realizing that she must rescue Johnny from the police so she can kill him herself, Linda jumps on her bike and gives chase. She easily passes the police cars, and takes a shortcut to a set of Indian cave ruins. Johnny is surprised when a police helicopter cuts off his escape route, but then a shimmering portal opens in front of him. The next thing Johnny knows, he's standing before the costumed Linda Littletrees, who refers to herself as...the Witch Woman!

Marvel Spotlight (1972) # 9

"The Snakes Crawl At Night"

Cover Date: April 1973; On Sale Date: January 1973

Writer: Gary Friedrich; Artist: Tom Sutton; Inker: Chic Stone; Letterer: Shelly Leferman; Editor: Roy Thomas; Cover Artist: Mike Ploog

After fleeing from the Apache known as Snake Dance by attempting to jump over a gorge, Johnny Blaze finds that his bike has been sabotaged when it explodes in mid-air, leaving him to fall to his death in the canyon. The Ghost Rider hits the rocks at the canyon base, and Snake Dance revels in his triumph, believing Blaze to be dead. Meanwhile, back at the rodeo where Johnny is to perform his cycle act, the foreman comments that Blaze has disappeared. Roxanne believes that he must have ridden out the canyon, so the foreman tells Sam Silvercloud to give her a ride there as well. On the way to the canyon, Silvercloud (the one responsible for sabotaging Johnny's bike) tells Roxanne that the land is rightfully owned by the Apaches, and that they will soon reclaim it from the white man. They arrive at Copperhead Canyon, where Silvercloud tells Roxanne that Blaze is dead. He then kidnaps the young woman and takes her to the nearby Indian reservation.

The next morning, the rodeo manager is upset because both Johnny and Roxanne are now nowhere to be found. At that moment, Bart Slade, the cycle show's road manager, enters the room dressed in cycle leathers and says that if Blaze doesn't show, he's more than ready to fill in for him. Hours later, Johnny, now in his human form, awakens on the canyon floor, astonished that he's still alive after the fall. Suddenly, Satan appears before the stunt rider and tells him that he's responsible for Johnny surviving the crash. He tells Blaze that if he died by the hand of another mortal, he would be unable to capture his soul. Therefore, whenever Blaze's life is in danger, Satan will extend protection over him, until he himself has a chance to take his life. The devil disappears, leaving Johnny alone on the canyon floor. Luckily, a helicopter passes overhead and airlifts Johnny out. Meanwhile, at the Indian reservation, Silvercloud presents Roxanne to Snake Dance, who decides that they shall sacrifice her to the Snake-God as a bride. The witch doctor then returns to his home, where he states to himself that the entire snake ceremony and belief system is a charade, perpetrated to save his people from starvation and poverty.

Blaze arrives at the rodeo just in time, barely making it to his dressing room before nightfall triggers his transformation into the Ghost Rider. He runs out to do his act, and is surprised to find Slade ready to do the stunts himself. Because Bart is a cripple with a bum leg, Johnny stops him from doing the act, but only manages to anger his former friend even more. Blaze continues and starts the stunt show, stunning the audience with his cycle mastery. During one stunt, however, he loses his concentration and crashes his bike into a wall. The Ghost Rider emerges unscathed, but quickly spots Sam Silvercloud standing on the sidelines. He chases the saboteur down and forces him to give up Roxanne's location.

At the reservation, Snake Dance and his men perform the Snake-God ritual, with Roxanne tied to a serpent-shaped stake. Snake Dance tells her that she must prove herself worthy by enduring deadly snake venom, and that only ones who are chosen by the Snake-God can survive. Two snakes shoot out from the shaman's arms, biting Roxanne on each wrist. Snake Dance, knowing all too well that the venom will kill Roxanne, continues his sham by saying that the gods are angry with the Apaches, and that the only way to appease them is to rise up against the white man as an army. At that moment, the Ghost Rider roars onto the scene, quickly dispatching Snake Dance's followers with his hellfire. He unties Roxanne from the stake, but realizes that he must get her to a hospital before she dies. He turns to the Apaches one last time and tells them that Snake Dance is a charlatan, and that they shall never again threaten innocent people. He rides off on his motorcycle, vowing that if Roxanne dies, he shall return to exact vengeance.

Marvel Spotlight (1972) # 8

"...The Hordes of Hell!"

Cover Date: February 1973; On Sale Date: November 1972

Writer: Gary Friedrich; Artists: Mike Ploog & Jim Mooney; Inker: Jim Mooney; Letterer: Shelly Leferman; Editor: Roy Thomas; Cover Artist: Mike Ploog

With Roxanne still strapped to the sacrificial alter, the Ghost Rider is confronted by the crazed Crash Simpson, who holds the flaming sword of Satan and is more than willing to use it. Johnny frees Roxanne and begs her to run, but she refuses to leave the man she loves and her father alone to fight to the death. Satan commands Crash to strike, but the man cannot while his daughter is endangered. Enraged, Satan waves his hand and takes both Crash and the Ghost Rider down with him to Hell. With Roxanne no loner in the equation, Crash attacks Blaze, attempting to kill him with the flaming sword. Johnny pleads with Crash to turn against the demon, and finally his words get through to his step-father, who saves Blaze from a tentacled creature. Crash takes the wounded Blaze and runs into the depths of Hell, but the two are attacked by a large demon. Crash strikes the monster with the sword, but is crushed by the falling monster. Johnny picks him and begins to walk, determined to make it out of Hell with Crash's soul. Blaze is approached by a mysterious cloaked figure, who offers to send Crash onto his final reward and Blaze back to Earth. Johnny gives his step-father over, and seconds later awakens back in the crypt in his human form, an amnesiac Roxanne fawning over him. Johnny feigns ignorance about what happened, and the two return to Madison Square Garden.

Several hours later, Johnny arrives in Arizona, and is picked up from the airport by a local Native American named Sam Silvercloud, who is supposed to take the stunt-rider to Copperhead Canyon. Instead, Sam pulls a gun on Blaze, telling him that he won't allow the biker to jump the Canyon. If he makes the jump, then the canyon will never be returned to the Native Americans that are trying to get it back. Silvercloud abandons Blaze in the desert, but not before Johnny is able to retrieve his cycle from the back of the truck. The next morning, Johnny arrives at the Canyon Rodeo grounds and speaks with the rodeo manager, who explains that the local Indians are in an uproar because of a medicine man named Snake-Dance. As they speak, Silvercloud sabotages Blaze's cycle.

That evening, Johnny rides out into the desert toward the Canyon, and while in transit undergoes the transformation into the Ghost Rider. When he makes it to the rim of the canyon, he is attacked by several Native American warriors. After quickly defeating them, Blaze is confronted by Snake-Dance himself, who mystically summons snakes to attack the Rider. Johnny makes it to his bike as the shaman transforms into a giant serpent and gives chase. Realizing the only avenue of escape is to jump the canyon, Blaze takes flight. At that moment, Sam Silvercloud's earlier sabotage causes the Ghost Rider's bike to explode, sending him into a free fall toward the bottom of the canyon. 

Marvel Spotlight (1972) # 7

"Die, Die My Daughter!"

Cover Date:  December 1972; On Sale Date: September 1972

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

In the dressing room at Madison Square Garden, Curly (the deceased Crash Simpson reincarnated in a different body) prepares to kill his unconscious daughter with a large knife. Suddenly, Satan appears and tells his servant that Roxanne must be sacrificed in his temple, and only then will Crash regain his rightful body. Curly hides Roxanne in a large barrel and wheels her outside, where he catches a cab.

Elsewhere, the Ghost Rider tears down a deserted highway on his motorcycle, attempting to collect his thoughts. He is quickly spotted by a parked police car, who give chase after Blaze. Johnny weighs his options of either stopping and letting the police see him or running. He decides to try and escape, and speeds off into the night. After a harrowing chase, Blaze realizes that he won't easily lose the officers. He races toward a destroyed bridge, which he jumps on his cycle. The police, unable to pursue, state their disbelief at what they just witnessed. Later, the Ghost Rider seeks refuge in a cemetery, where he decides to stop and rest. Meanwhile, Curly arrives at the temple, where he tells his satanic followers to prepare a black mass. He takes Roxanne into the basement and lays her on a large altar, where she will be sacrificed at midnight.

Having fallen asleep in the cemetery, Blaze is awaken at dawn by his transformation back into his human form. Realizing what time it is, he races back to Madison Square Garden, where he is scheduled to perform another cycle show. An hour before the show, Johnny is told by his road manager, Bart Slade, that Roxanne has been missing since the night before. Blaze flies into a rage, threatening Bart that if he doesn't find Roxanne soon, he'll be fired. An hour later, at the start of the show, Johnny apologizes to Slade, unaware that the manager has plans to steal Roxanne away from him. After the show, Slade tells Blaze that one of the guards saw a curly-haired individual leaving the locker rooms the night before. Johnny realizes that it was Curly who took Roxanne, and decides to go find him as soon as it gets dark.

That night, the Ghost Rider busts into the hangout of Satan's Servants, Curly's cycle gang. The demonic biker traps the hoodlums in a ring of fire and commands that they tell him where to find Curly. They tell him that he hangs out at a strange church a few blocks away. At that moment, Curly and his followers prepare the altar for the black mass. They bring out Roxanne, who is dressed in ceremonial garb, and chain her to the altar. Curly snaps his fingers, and Roxanne awakens from her trance. As Curly begins to bear down on her with a large knife, Johnny rides down the stairs of the church on his motorcycle, melting the knife with a blast of hellfire. The cult members quickly scatter, but Johnny is quickly stopped in tracks by the appearance of Satan, who tells Johnny that only the death of his servant can stop her sacrifice. Both Blaze and Curly agree to a duel, but Satan then reveals his pawn's true form, that of Crash Simpson, and gives him a weapon: the flaming blade of Hell itself. Roxanne screams for Johnny not to hurt her father, but as Blaze says: "Either he dies -- or we do!"

Marvel Mangaverse: Ghost Riders (2002) # 1

Cover Date: March 2002; On Sale Date: January 2002

Concept: Brian Smith & Chuck Austen; Writer: Chuck Austen; Artist: Chuck Austen; Editor: Brian Smith; Consulting Editor: Ralph Macchio; Editor In Chief: Joe Quesada; Cover Artist: Ben Dunn

While a giant-sized Hulk rampages through New York City, Damon Hellstorm sits outside Beelzebub's restaurant waiting for his guest. Johnny Blaze arrives on his motorcycle, wanting to know why Damon is haunting him. Damon explains that they are brothers, both of them "Sons of Satan" as evidenced by the pentagrams marked on their bodies. Damon asks Johnny if he's experienced prescient abilities or strange happenings, but their conversation is interrupted by the Hulk stepping on some nearby pedestrians. Then, at a church down the street, a giant demon woman emerges from Hell with an army of demons. Damon explains to Johnny that she is Satana, their sister. Hellstorm tells Johnny that it's time to reveal his true self, and with his hellfire trident he transforms Blaze into the Ghost Rider. The two brothers fight their way through the demons and confront Satana, who has been sent by their father to kill them. Satana stomps on Damon, which stuns but doesn't kill him. Hellstorm apologizes to Johnny, he's in danger because of Damon's wish to have a brother. Johnny picks up Damon's trident and throws it past Satana's head - instead it strikes the Hulk, who is standing behind the demoness. The Hulk forces Satana back through the Hell portal while Johnny and Damon depart to get a cup of coffee.