Nightstalkers (1992) # 1

"Rise of the Midnight Sons, Part 5"

Cover Date: November 1992; On Sale Date: September 1992

Writer: D.G. Chichester; Artist: Ron Garney; Inker: Tom Palmer; Letterer: John Costanza; Colorist: Tom Palmer; Editor: Bobbie Chase; Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco; Cover Artist: Ron Garney

Ghost Rider and Blaze interrogate Nakota, one of Lilith’s demonic children with the ability to project visions through her eyes. She shows them an image of Frank Drake, Hannibal King, and Blade, three former vampire hunters that Blaze recognizes. Ghost Rider fears they could have joined with Lilith and the two head toward Boston to find them. 

Meanwhile, Frank Drake and his wife Marlene spend time at a Boston aquarium, where Drake sees a horrific vision of Lilith just before his wife falls into a catatonic state. He fails to notice Dr. Strange in the back of the crowd, watching them. Later, at a nearby mental hospital, Dr. Strange is given an update on Blade, whose obsession with vampires has been changed via therapy to a hatred of anything supernatural. Strange facilitates Blade’s release from the hospital and secretly watches the man leave. Finally, at the closed office of Borderline Investigate Services, Dr. Strange examines Hannibal King, whose vampire abilities and thirst for blood have started to resurface years after he was cured. Strange tells King that he is no longer human, but also not a true vampire, then teleports away. Elsewhere, Lilith locates another of her children in Boston, a monstrous creature named Meatmarket, and states her intention to use the vampire hunters against the Ghost Rider. 

The next day, Blade and Drake both reunite with King at the Borderline office, with Drake seeing help with his wife’s mysterious condition. They are interrupted by Lilith, who is posing as a client whose husband has fallen to the same catatonia as Marlene Drake. She tells them that the ailment was caused by “demons” and shows them photos of Ghost Rider and John Blaze. That night, the three members of Borderline decide that even though they originally focused on vampires, there are worse things in the night. They all prepare in their own ways, with Frank Drake acquiring a gun that fires nanotech machines attuned to affect the occult. 

When they arrive at the Borderline offices, Ghost Rider and Blaze find a note waiting for them that reads “Old North Church”. The newly christened Nightstalkers are waiting for them, having led the duo into an ambush, and the fight is being observed in secret by Meatmarket. Ghost Rider and Blaze are quickly overwhelmed by the Nightstalkers, but before killing them they realize that they are being watched. They discover and kill Meatmarket, who carelessly informs them that they were being manipulated by Lilith. Meanwhile, on the deck of the USS Constitution, Lilith is confronted by Dr. Strange, who refuses to do battle with her out of concern for the dimensional walls being weakened. The Lilin Pilgrim opens a teleportation portal and  the severed head of Meatmarket falls through, followed by his body. Later, their battle ended, and Ghost Rider having already departed, Blaze is told by the three men that anyone connected to the supernatural is on their hit list. “The night,” they say, “is no longer safe for your kind”.

Ultimate Avengers 2 (2010) # 4

"Crime & Punishment, Part 4"

On Sale Date: September 2010; Cover Date: November 2010

Writer: Mark Millar; Artist: Leinil Francis Yu; Inker: Gerry Alanguilan; Letterer: VC's Cory Petit; Colorist: Dave McCaig; Assistant Editor: Sana Amanat; Editor: Mark Paniccia; Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada; Cover Artist: Leinil Francis Yu

Having halted the Ghost Rider's escape with billionaire Bill Warren from Chicago's O'Hare Airport, Hawkeye sends the Punisher in to finish the job. Using his new Stark Industries suit, Castle quickly catches up to the Rider and attacks, hitting him several times before firing his weapon point blank. The attack does nothing to the Ghost Rider, who incapacitates Punisher with a chain strike that splits open his suit. However, when he sees the cross hanging from Castle's neck, the Ghost Rider throws him to the ground and delivers Castle a message from "the other side". Later, Castle returns badly injured to the rest of the team, having failed to stop the Rider from crucifying Warren on a tree. Castle tells him that while he has no idea who the Ghost Rider is, he doesn't think he's a mutant. Meanwhile, back at the airport a mysterious man with white and red hair finishes a crossword puzzle with the word "crucified".

Much later, at the New York headquarters of the Ultimates, the Triskelion, Nick Fury and Gregory Stark inform Ultimates director Carol Danvers that they will be using the base until the Ghost Rider situation has been resolved. While they're there, they plan on using the Spider (a psychic prisoner dressed in a Spider-Man costume) for information. The Spider's interrogation is being handled by the "Nerd Hulk", a clone of Bruce Banner, and Monica Chang, the newest Black Widow and Nick Fury's ex-wife. In order to gain the Spider's help, Chang tells him about her relationship with Fury and how he slept with every female friend and family she had, and how despite all of that she's still in love with him. Satisfied, the Spider tells Black Widow the story of a biker named Johnny Blaze and his fiance Roxanne Simpson. Twenty years ago, Blaze and Roxanne were murdered by a group of bikers as a sacrifice to Satan, led by a man named Bobby Blackthorne. The rich men that have been the Ghost Rider's victims were these bikers, granted power and wealth by their deal with the Devil. The Spider explains that Satan offered Blaze a deal as well, a chance for revenge, and spent twenty years turning him into the Ghost Rider. In return for Blaze's servitude, Satan resurrected Roxanne, who now lives a normal life in Illinois. Only two of the bikers remain, one of which has just slit his wrists in a bathtub moments before James Rhodes and Tyrone Case could get to him. The last, Robert Blackthorne, is now the Vice-President of the United States, the man who gave the Presidential kill order for the Ghost Rider to the Avengers.

Marvel Team-Up (1972) # 15

"If An Eye Offend Thee..."

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

Writer: Len Wein; Artist: Ross Andru; Inker: Don Perlin; Letterer: John Costanza; Colorist: Glynis Wein; Editor: Roy Thomas; Cover Artist: Gil Kane

At Madison Square Garden in New York City, Peter Parker (also known as the amazing Spider-Man) and Mary Jane Watson attend a show called "The Ghost Rider's Motorcycle Extravaganza." The show begins just as the couple take their seats, and Johnny Blaze, the flaming skulled Ghost Rider, roars into the open floor on his motorcycle, causing the crowd to go wild with excitement. The cyclist performs an amazing stunt with four other riders, one of which is Roxanne Simpson, Blaze's girlfriend and the daughter of Crash Simpson, former owner of the cycle show. Suddenly, a group of bikers bust into the arena and ride past the security guards. The leader of the group has a helmet shaped like a giant eyeball and calls himself the Orb. The gang rides in circles around the arena, the Orb's eye hypnotizing the crowd. Only Parker evades being mesmerized, his spider-sense warning him to look away at the last moment. Peter shoots his web onto the rafters, where he climbs up and changes into his Spider-Man costume. On the arena floor, the Orb grabs Roxanne by the waist and rides off with her, leaving the Ghost Rider to be dealt with by his men. Spider-Man swings down and assists in defeating a few of the gang, but their pursuit of the Orb is stopped when he commands the hypnotized crowd to form a barrier between him and the heroes. The mesmerized crowd then deliver Blaze a message in one unified voice, saying that the Orb will return Roxanne to him in exchange for ownership of the cycle show.

Meanwhile, the Orb and his gang arrive at his lair, where he awakens the hypnotized Roxanne. he tells her that his name is Drake Shannon, and that he used to be her father's partner in starting the cycle show. Shannon was a reckless person, and when he realized he couldn't get along with Crash, he challenged him to a cross-country race, the winner of which would get sole ownership of the show. During the race, Shannon attempted to run his former partner off the road, but instead caused himself to wreck, his cycle flipping at 95 miles an hour, throwing him into a skid across the tarmac for more than 25 yards...on his face. He's wanted nothing but revenge ever since, and he was approached by an organization called "They", who gave him his hypnotic helmet. He then removes the helmet and shows Roxanne his hideously disfigured face. Blaze then enters the lair with the ownership papers to the cycle show, demanding that he and Roxanne be allowed to leave. The Orb instead commands his men to open fire on the two, but the gang is stopped by the entrance of Spider-Man. The Orb jumps on his cycle and again kidnaps Roxanne, forcing the Ghost Rider and Spider-Man to jump on cycles of their own and give chase. The chase leads them out of the lair, which is the power room to an abandoned subway rail, and into Grand Central Station. Spider-Man shoots a strand of web that grabs hold of Roxanne, freeing the girl from the Orb's grasp. With Spidey making sure the girl is safe, Blaze chases the Orb back onto the subway rails, but the villain fails to see an oncoming train. The subway train crushes the villain, and Blaze narrowly avoids the same fate by grabbing onto a railing attached to the ceiling. He then returns to the platform, the ownership papers in his hand. He sets the papers afire with his hellfire, saying that he's almost glad the Orb didn't live long enough to find that the papers were worthless forgeries. Blaze and Roxanne then part company with Spider-Man, saying that perhaps they will meet again.

Ghost Rider (1973) # 6

“Zodiac II”

Cover Date: June 1974; On Sale Date: March 1974

Writers: Gary Friedrich & Tony Isabella; Artist: Jim Mooney; Inker: Sal Trapani; Letterer: Artie Simek; Colorist: Phil Rache; Editor: Roy Thomas; Cover Artist: John Romita

Late at night in San Francisco, an armored truck drives across a bridge on way to its destination. Inside, the drivers discuss how surprised they were when they learned their boss, Cornelius Van Lunt, was actually the villain Taurus of the Zodiac, unaware that they are being watched by a strange man that's hanging from the bridge's suspension cables. The man, dressed as a lion, drops down onto the top of the truck and proceeds to rip a large hole in the ceiling, the noise enough to force the drivers to pull over. They circle around to the back of the truck, but are attacked by the man, who is actually Leo of the Zodiac. The strangest thing, as the drivers say before they're knocked unconscious, is that the real Leo is still in jail with the rest of his group. Grabbing the money in the back of the truck, Leo signals to the pilot of his helicopter, Slifer, to come pick him up.

Meanwhile, in Las Vegas, Johnny Blaze goes to see Attorney General Barnett, who is waiting for him with both his son, Dave, and Roxanne Simpson. Congratulating him on the excellent job he did against Roulette, Barnett tells him that he has another assignment ready. Blaze refuses to do any more dirty work for him, and a fight nearly breaks out between him and Dave. Before Johnny can walk out, however, Dave pulls a gun on him and forces him to sit and listen. Barnett tells him that they need his help to stop the Zodiac, to which Johnny replies that the villains were put in jail weeks ago. The Attorney General explains that four different Zodiac members, Leo, Libra, Gemini, and Sagittarius, have struck San Francisco in the past 24 hours, each committing crimes directed against their leader, Cornelius Van Lunt. What makes the crimes so bizarre is the fact that none of the Zodiac have escaped and are all still in jail. Blaze again refuses to help, and he and Roxanne leave.

That evening, at sunset, Johnny stands in the center of an outdoor arena. As expected, his nightly curse activates and he transforms into the Ghost Rider. Roxanne emerges and embraces her lover, asking if they'll ever beat Satan's power. Blaze answers that by saying the only thing they can do at the moment is try and get their cycle show back on its feet. Straddling a motorcycle, Johnny takes off in an attempt to try and create some new stunts. He does get far, as a a mysterious gunman takes aim and shoots at his bike, causing him to wreck. Emerging from the crash unharmed, the Ghost Rider finds Dave Barnett, who is pointing a gun at him. Blaze simply points his finger at the gun, and a stream of hellfire melts it out of Barnett's hands. Realizing that Johnny truly does have supernatural powers, Dave grabs Roxanne by the throat in order to force the Ghost Rider to help him defeat the Zodiac. The Attorney General arrives, having followed his son, and implores him to let the girl go. Using Roxanne as a shield, Dave drags her into the shadows. Mr. Barnett tells Johnny that his son has suffered a nervous breakdown due to his being captured by the Zodiac two years prior when he was an FBI agent. They tortured him, and when he broke he told them all about the defenses of New York City, allowing the villains to capture the city for a brief time.

Suddenly, a spotlight at the top of the arena is turned on, shining directly on Blaze and Barnett. Though they can't see him, they hear Dave's voice behind the light, telling them that either Johnny helps against the Zodiac or Roxanne dies. Creating his hellfire cycle, Johnny rides straight up the stands toward the light, but when he gets to the top he finds Dave is gone. A lasso is then thrown over him, trapping his arms. On the other end of the rope, Dave begins to pull him backward, but a burst of hellfire frees the Ghost Rider. A fight between the two men breaks out, and the outmatched Barnett finds himself hoisted into the air by Blaze, who is prepared to throw him down to his death. Roxanne appears in the spotlight below, however, and begs Johnny not to hurt him now that she's safe. Blaze lets the other man down, only to find that his mind has completely snapped. Feeling sympathy for Dave, Johnny finally agrees to hunt down the Zodiac for him.

Back in San Francisco, a bank is attacked by a motorcycle riding Taurus, who demands to be taken to Cornelius Van Lunt's safety deposit box. The bank manager, despite being utterly confused by the fact that Van Lunt and Taurus are supposed to be the same person, tells the villain that the vault is on a time lock and that it won't open until the next morning. Touching a button his bike, Taurus blasts the door with an energy beam, completely disintegrating it. In the vault, Taurus grabs a bunch of documents that contain incriminating evidence, enough to put Van Lunt away for life. As he rides out of the bank, he is confronted by the Ghost Rider.

Vengeance Unbound hits 700 reviews!

The review I posted today for Midnight Sons: Blood Hunt # 2 marks the 700th comic book review I've posted on this blog!  I've been working on this project for so many years off and on now that reaching a number that high shouldn't surprise me, but it still totally does. Thank you to every person who has supported VU by visiting, reading, and sending me feedback, I appreciate it so much! 

700 reviews, that's a lot of Ghost Rider, right Johnny?

You said it, man, you said it. 

I also want to thank all of the writers, artists, colorists, letterers, and editors who have created these comic books. They breathe life into the characters that I love and their stories have inspired me and countless other fans around the world. Ghost Rider has been my favorite fictional character since I was a kid reading about Danny Ketch in the early 1990s; hell, I named my son Johnny after the world's greatest stunt biker! Here's to many more years of amazing comic adventures for these awesome characters and I hope to be right here talking about them for a long time coming.

Midnight Sons: Blood Hunt (2024) # 2

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

Victoria Montesi has a nightmare vision of a hospital in Chicago being engulfed in a wave of blood.  She wakes up in her cot at an airbase in Iraq, where she she and the other Midnight Sons have been making their plans to fight back against Blade. Vicki talks with Johnny Blaze and tells him that they need to go to Chicago before they deal with Blade, and Blaze admits that he had a similar nightmare about the hospital. Danny Ketch and Tulip then say that they each also had nightmares about the hospital, which forces them to conclude that they need to investigate. 

Later, at the hospital in Chicago, a nurse is attacked by a vampire. Ghost Rider arrives and intervenes, dragging the vampire out of the building behind his motorcycle. The nurse is comforted by the rest of the Midnight Sons while Ghost Rider destroys the vampire with his Penance Stare. The nurse tells them that strange things have been happening at the hospital for some time, but before she can explain they are attacked by Blade, who crashes through a window. Blaze uses his hellfire shotgun, which forces Blade to transform into a group of bats that fly out of the hospital. Vicki deduces that what they just witnessed wasn't actually Blade, but instead was a distraction to get them to leave the hospital. Using a knife, Vicki cuts her hand and bleeds onto the floor, revealing a large pentagram that she says is a doorway to Hell that they have to close.

Ghost Rider (1973) # 5

"And Vegas Writhes In Flame!"

Cover Date: April 1974

On Sale Date: January 1974

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

Cover Artist: Gil Kane

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.

Ghost Rider (1973) # 4

"Death Stalks the Demolition Derby"

Cover Date: February 1974

On Sale Date: November 1973

Writer: Gary Friedrich
Artist: Jim Mooney
Inker: Vince Colletta
Letterer: Tom Orzechowski
Colorist: P. Goldberg
Editor: Roy Thomas

Cover Artist: John Romita

On a deserted stretch of Nevada highway, the Ghost Rider is pursued by a fleet of police officers. Thinking he can lose the patrol cars, Johnny takes his hell-cycle off road, into the desert, but the police are one step ahead of him as they follow in a modified dune buggy. Riding onto a dead end at the top of a plateau, Blaze is forced to give himself up when the sun rises and he returns to his injured, human form. Meanwhile in Carson City, the Attorney General of the state talks to the sheriff that captured Blaze, telling him to make sure he gets the best of care. Roxanne Simpson is in the office with the A.G., and he offers to pardon Johnny for his crimes, as long as he accepts the deal he's laid out. Roxanne tells him that they'll do anything to make sure Blaze's name is cleared.

In Vegas, the bed-ridden Johnny is physically abused by the sheriff that arrested him, but is stopped by the famous stock car promoter, Dude Jensen. Dude offers Blaze a job for when he regains his help, promising to take care of his troubles with the law. The next day, Roxanne visits Johnny in the hospital, where he tells her that Dude Jensen got the charges against him dropped, and that he's going to go to work for him once he's better. Though she says nothing, Roxanne thinks to herself that Jensen is the man the Attorney General is after, but decides to remain silent until she talks to the A.G. first. As the two lovers talk, however, a jealous Linda Littletrees watches from the hallway, wishing she had Blaze for herself.

Two months later, a recovered Blaze is set to debut as the star of the Dude Jensen Demolition Derby in Las Vegas. Roxanne talks with the Attorney General, who tells her that they can't do anything against Jensen until they have evidence. Roxanne goes to Johnny's dressing room, where she finds him talking closely with Linda. Roxanne storms out, slapping Johnny for his effort. Linda then tries to move in, but Johnny tells her to get lost. As she leaves, he notices the sun setting, and undergoes the painful transformation into the Ghost Rider. Blaze creates his hellcycle and rides into the arena, joining the cars, and the demolition derby immediately begins.

Meanwhile, outside, a distraught Roxanne overhears Jensen telling a lackey to shoot the driver Red Thompson, due to the fact that Thompson is an independent driver that's costing his show a fortune. Before she can get to a phone to tell the Attorney General what she's learned, Roxanne is caught by the lackey. Back in the arena, Johnny has managed to survive the derby, but he soon finds himself in the sights of a car that's prepared to run him over. Before the car can hit him, however, Jensen's lackey fires a bullet into the driver's brain, causing him to swerve away and crash. The Ghost Rider chases down the sniper, and promptly fries him with hellfire. In his trailer, however, Jensen has Roxanne tied to a chair. She tells him that she's working for the Attorney General, to which Jensen replies by shoving a pistol in her face.

Ghost Rider Chronology: Part Four

Going into 2020, the character of Johnny Blaze was nearing his 50th anniversary since his creation back in 1972! So there were a good number of Ghost Rider projects around the start of the decade and there were lots of new and divergent iterations of the Spirits of Vengeance concept introduced, for better or for worse.  For the most part these characters were kept separate from each other, and we'll be following several threads that can for all intents and purposes be read independently until things start to merge together a few years later.

This is the section of the chronology that, for the time being, will see changes as new comics are released.  We've essentially caught up to the present day and as new material gets added this chronology will get updated.

Ultimate Avengers 2 (2010) # 3

"Crime & Punishment, Part 3"

On Sale Date: August 2010; Cover Date: October 2010

Writer: Mark Millar; Artist: Leinil Francis Yu; Inker: Gerry Alanguilan; Letterer: VC's Cory Petit; Colorist: Laura Martin; Assistant Editor: Sana Amanat; Editor: Mark Paniccia' Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada; Cover Artist: Leinil Francis Yu

Nick Fury has assembled his team of Avengers, including the "first Hulk" Tyrone Cash and the Punisher, and is going over the details of their target: a flaming-skulled biker who has graphically murdered a philanthropist, a software billionaire, and an oil magnate. Fury has no idea who the killer is working for but they believe he is a genetically altered mutant, and the White House has issued an execution order. When Frank Castle refuses to participate, Black Widow electrocutes him by triggering a neural implant hidden inside his head. This convinces Castle to stay in line as part of the team.

Later, at the estate of the deceased oil magnate, James Rhodes and Tyrone Cash are investigating the corpse, which has been petrified by the Ghost Rider's Penance Stare. They learn that the only connection between the victims is that all of them were in the White House Biker Corps, an exclusive club where rich guys meet up for a charity bike ride. They also find one survivor at the magnate's house, a personal assistant wearing a holy cross around his neck.

At Chicago O'Hare Airport, a white-haired man is working a crossword puzzle with the descriptions of the murdered victims written in the puzzle spaces. Outside on the airfield, Hawkeye leads a SHIELD squad with the Punisher, waiting for another member of the Biker Corps to arrive, a property tycoon named Mr. Warren. As the plane begins the land, the Ghost Rider drives up the field and jumps his bike through the plane itself, grabbing Warren as he blasts through. The plane explodes while the Rider lands on the ground and speeds off with Warren. Hawkeye pulls out a rocket launcher and fires it at the escaping Ghost Rider, blasting the creature off of his bike. Hawkeye, Punisher, and SHIELD then move in to capture their target.