Ghost Rider 2099 (1994) # 21

Cover Artist: Chris Sprouse

Published: Jan. 1996
Original Price: $1.95

Title: "Screaming For Vengeance"
Writer: Len Kaminski
Artist: Ashley Wood
Inker: Jim Daly
Letterer: Richard Starkings
Colorist: Christie Scheele
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Editor In Chief: Bobbie Chase

SYNOPSIS

After viewing a playback of his death at the hands of the Ghost Rider, the newly-awakened Vengeance - formerly a CSS officer named Cole Wagner - is greeted by the mysterious Kabal. Kabal informs him that in Wagner's absence crime has run rampant in Transverse City, and he has learned the location of the city's criminal mastermind. This person is being protected by the Ghost Rider, who Vengeance eagerly agrees to kill.

Elsewhere, the Ghost Rider watches a video transmission that relates the news of Doom's removal from the office of the United States President. After seeing this, Zero suffers a system crash that allows him to remember the hidden code that Doom and the Ghostworks had placed inside him. He sees the Ghostworks talking about editing his personality template to give the illusion of free will, proving that they did things to change him before releasing him. Unable to remove the Ghostworks' codes from his system, Zero heads to the Bar Code to beg Anesthesia for help. She tells him to get out, blaming him of selling out for a badge. Kabal picks this time to enter, accusing Anesthesia for being the informant that crippled the Undernet based on her association with the Ghost Rider. Despite her claims of innocence, Kabal opens fire on her. Before Zero can step in, he is confronted by Vengeance.

Meanwhile, in a secret vault that had recently been breached by a group of mercenaries, a number of cryonically suspended human heads begin to awaken due to damage to the chamber. As they awaken, a century of sensory deprivation has caused them to go mad. A hundred years of pent-up psionic energy is released, and the minds within the heads combine into a grotesque entity formed from pure psychosis. The entity passes through the chamber's walls into the unsuspecting world.

Back at the Bar Code, Vengeance continues to tear into the Ghost Rider, who mocks the more massive cyborg. Vengeance's hands begin to pulse with anti-matter, and he grabs Zero, burning him and causing him to cry out in agonizing pain.

ANNOTATIONS 

CSS Officer Cole Wagner was killed by the Ghost Rider in Ghost Rider 2099 (1994) # 3.

Ghost Rider was made the Marshall of Transverse City by President Doom, who also entered in a piece of hidden code into his system, in Ghost Rider 2099 (1994) # 14.

The Undernet infiltrated the Transnational Vault in Ghost Rider 2099 (1994) # 18.

This issue also contained the first of a 2-part Heartbreaker back-up story by Kaminski and Wood.

REVIEW

While the storyline for Ghost Rider 2099 continues to build toward an incredible climax, this issue introducing the future version of Vengeance, the artwork continues its downward slide into awfulness.

One thing the 2099 incarnation of Ghost Rider pulled off well was its complete disconnection from the original Ghost Rider mythos, making it a book about technology instead of the more standard supernatural. The book went out of its way to keep itself separate from the modern-day version, but this storyline marks a first for the series: introducing a future version of an established Ghost Rider villain. Not surprisingly, that character is Vengeance, who in both incarnations is portrayed as Ghost Rider's antithesis and distorted mirror double. Like the modern Vengeance, this one is a man whose life had been destroyed by the Ghost Rider - in this instance, a CSS officer who had been slain by Zero back in the book's first year - and has traded in his humanity for revenge.

While most "upgrades" of established Marvel villains in the 2099 universe were laughable at best (looking at you, Venom 2099), Kaminski gives us just enough of a twist mixed with familiarity when introducing Vengeance. Bigger and badder than his counterpart, Vengeance is a former police officer who believes himself to be in the right during his battle with the Ghost Rider, unaware that Zero is now in fact the law himself. Vengeance isn't presented with much in the way of brains or self-awareness here, but that's to be expected considering he's just a tool for Kabal to use against Cochrane.

Unfortunately, the artwork continues to disappoint. Despite such a strong start on the series, Ashley Wood's work has degenerated into a near-incomprehensible mess. I theorize that this is due to two factors: the ever-increasing pressure of the monthly deadline and the addition of inker John Daly. Wood felt much more at home when he was inking his own work, and if anything Daly's inks seem to oversimplify Wood's scratchy, sketchy art. The work simply looks unfinished and highly amateurish. Compare the first image of Vengeance on the cover of # 20, by Wood solo, to his appearance here with Daly's inks.

Overall, while Len Kaminski continues to just rock out with the stories on this title, the artwork is quickly sucking the life out of it. Which is a damn shame.

Grade: C-

Ghost Rider 2099 (1994) # 12

Cover Artist: Heroic Age

Published: April 1995
Original Price: $1.50

Title: "I Fought the Law"
Writer: Len Kaminski
Artist: Kyle Hotz
Letterer: Richard Starkings
Colorist: Christie Scheele w/ Heroic Age
Editor: Evan Skolnick
Editor In Chief: Bobbie Chase

SYNOPSIS

In the heart of Neo-Chicago, the Ghost Rider rides into the Citiplex Delta building that houses the wealthy elitists responsible for the murder of downrampers in Transverse City. The security cameras record the Ghost Rider as he easily takes out the building's guards before he heads toward the elevator. Sitting outside the building in his specialized vehicle is the assassin Coda, who has been tasked by the police to destroy the Rider. Behind him, reporter Willis Adams gets out of his van with a flying camera unit, ready to record the Ghost Rider in the act. Coda remains in his vehicle, now watching through Willis' camera unit.

The Ghost Rider makes his way upstairs and comes to a door marked "Pioneer Society", the name of the group that had been using designer robotic predators to kill the poor for sport. Entering the Society's headquarters, Zero comes to the "Game Room" and slowly pushes open the door...only to find all of the Society members dead, ripped to pieces while still jacked into their predators. In the corner of the room is Diana Matlin, who has lost her mind after the destruction of her predator damaged her brain - it was she who killed the Pioneers in a feral state, and like a wild, growling beast she leaps at Zero. The Ghost Rider catches her by the throat and gets ready to execute her for her crimes, but pauses while considering the morality of his actions. He's interrupted by Willis Adams, who tells Cochrane that no one appointed him judge, jury, and executioner - that Matlin needs to stand trial for what she's done. The Ghost Rider releases Matlin and sics her on Adams, telling the reporter to "make a citizens arrest". While Adams fights for his life, Zero calmly walks out of the room, shooting down the man's pleas for help by saying "Stuff like that's not up to me, remember? Guess I'll go call a cop..." In desperation, Willis grabs the flying camera unit and uses it as a weapon, beating Matlin until she's dead.

Outside, the Ghost Rider gets on his bike and starts to ride away, but is rammed off the street by Coda's vehicle. Coda hits the street and immediately attacks Zero, landing several hard blows in a matter of moments. Cochrane attempts to fight back, but Coda easily dodges his attacks and replying with weapons that materialize seemingly out of thin air. Coda throws several energy blades at the Rider which explode on impact, damaging the warbot severely. Coda produces one last weapon, a large gun, and prepares to finish the job.

Meanwhile, in Cyberspace, a mysterious stranger speaks a programming spell that allows him an audience with the Ghostworks, who are impressed that a human both deduced their existence and devised a means of acquiring their attention. This human is Doom, who tells them that he wishes to speak regarding significant matters of mutual interest.

Back in Neo-Chicago, the badly damaged Ghost Rider tries to stand one last time, but is hit with a shot from Coda's energy rifle. The weapon obliterates the Ghost Rider's body, leaving nothing but scattered machine parts and a crater in the concrete. Coda walks up to the Rider's severed skull and kicks it with his boot, quipping that the job was nothing personal - and that "life's a glitch, but at least you only had to go through it once".

ANNOTATIONS 

Coda first appeared in Ghost Rider 2099 (1994) # 10.

Doctor Doom will take control of the United States during the "One Nation Under Doom" crossover. His plans for Zero Cochrane will be revealed in Ghost Rider 2099 (1994) # 14.

Podcast Review: Inner Demons Episode 36 - "Dad Panther" (Click to Listen)

REVIEW

The first year of Ghost Rider 2099 ends in fireworks - literally - and the set-up for the "One Nation Under Doom" storyline is established. One thing's for sure: after this issue, this title is going to be very, very different.

If anything can be said about this series, it's that writer Len Kaminski isn't afraid to tackle subjects beyond "villain wants to rule the world" stereotypes and clichés. This issue, which concludes the urban predator storyline of the last few issues, includes an excellent discussion about vigilantism between the Ghost Rider and reporter Willis Adams. While Adams makes some valid points about the nature of the law and justice in America (even in the future), Zero dismantles Adams' entire argument by releasing the feral woman and walking away, proudly saying "not my job, remember?". Zero's right, the rich don't get punished for stepping on the little people - or murdering them for sport, in this case - and his vigilante justice is probably the only comeuppance the Pioneer Society would receive due to their prestige and large bank accounts. Adams' has a valid point as well, that no one should be allowed to act as judge, jury, and executioner just because they feel like it, but it's hard to argue with Zero when the chips are down and Adams is forced to kill Matlin for his own survival. It's a great sequence that really hammers home the anarchist leanings of this series and the lead character.

Of course, the second half of the issue is little more than an extended fight sequence between Ghost Rider and Coda, a fairly generic "techno-ninja" character with big guns. What makes this fight unique is that throughout the series so far, Zero hasn't come across any foes that really gave him much of a challenge. He's ripped through police like a scythe, and no one had been able to step up and prove his match. Coda, on the other hand, does the seemingly unthinkable to our unstoppable protagonist - he completely destroys him, leaving nothing but a skull and a crater. Coda comments that Zero has power but no skill, and that's his downfall now that he's finally facing an opponent that's smarter and tougher than him. I admit, upon my first reading of this issue it was a real shock to see the Ghost Rider get his ass handed to him so easily and thoroughly. But it's also really smart on Kaminski's part to finally show that Zero isn't unstoppable at all.

This issue is also the last for artist Kyle Hotz, who took over when Chris Bachalo abandoned the title earlier than expected. Though his style is much different than that of Bachalo, who set up the tone and design for the series - Hotz's work really grew on me over the last few issues, and I find myself missing his work on the series. Considering the rather uneven and sporadic artwork by the book's next regular artist, Ashley Wood, Hotz's work tends to get overlooked, and that's a damn shame.

In the next issue, the series takes a dramatic turn when the "One Nation Under Doom" storyline hits - thus, this issue is indeed a "coda" to the book's status quo for its first year. As expected, it ended on a high note.

Grade: A

Ghost/Night/Phantom Rider Chronology

The chronology for the original Western Ghost Rider is not an easy task to work through, considering that it involves multiple characters using the identity, possessions by ghosts of previous users of the names, and a span of time ranging from 1967 to the present.  Oh, and the character changed names THREE TIMES, being called at various points the Ghost Rider, the Night Rider, and the Phantom Rider.

The first Ghost Rider was Carter Slade, a frontier teacher who was left for dead during a robbery and healed by a Native American shaman named Flaming Star.  The shaman believed Slade to be the fulfillment of a vision prophecy he'd received from his gods, and assisted Carter in becoming the white-garbed Ghost Rider.

The Ghost Rider (1967) # 1
The Original Ghost Rider (1992) # 3
The Original Ghost Rider (1992) # 4
The Original Ghost Rider (1992) # 5
The Original Ghost Rider (1992) # 7
The Original Ghost Rider (1992) # 8
The Original Ghost Rider (1992) # 9
The Original Ghost Rider (1992) # 10
The Original Ghost Rider (1992) # 11
The Original Ghost Rider (1992) # 12
The Original Ghost Rider (1992) # 13
The Original Ghost Rider (1992) # 15
The Original Ghost Rider (1992) # 16
The Original Ghost Rider (1992) # 17
The Original Ghost Rider (1992) # 18
The Original Ghost Rider (1992) # 19
The Original Ghost Rider (1992) # 20
The Ghost Rider (1967) # 2
The Ghost Rider (1967) # 3
Ghost Rider (1973) # 50
Ghost Rider (1973) # 51
The Ghost Rider (1967) # 4
The Ghost Rider (1967) # 5
The Ghost Rider (1967) # 6
The Ghost Rider (1967) # 7
Western Gunfighters (1970) # 3
Western Gunfighters (1970) # 1
Western Gunfighters (1970) # 2
Giant-Size Kid Colt, Outlaw # 3
Avengers Forever (1999) # 6
Avengers (1963) # 141
Avengers (1963) # 142
Avengers (1963) # 143
Western Gunfighters (1970) # 4
Western Gunfighters (1970) # 5
Western Gunfighters (1970) # 6

Carter Slade died at the end of Western Gunfighters (1970) # 6, and the next issue of that series saw his brother, lawman Lincoln Slade, take up the Ghost Rider mantle.  Lincoln died in 1987's West Coast Avengers # 23, which took place in the late 1800s via time travel, after he brainwashed and raped the Avenger Mockingbird, who let him fall to his death.  Another Western gunslinger, Reno Jones, briefly took over the Ghost Rider identity in the Blaze of Glory limited series.

Western Gunfighters (1970) # 7
West Coast Avengers (1985) # 18
West Coast Avengers (1985) # 19
West Coast Avengers (1985) # 20
West Coast Avengers (1985) # 21
West Coast Avengers (1985) # 22
West Coast Avengers (1985) # 23
Blaze of Glory (2000) # 3
Blaze of Glory (2000) # 4

That marked the end of the Ghost Rider legacy until the modern day, when archaeologist Hamilton Slade (grandson of Lincoln and great-nephew of Carter) found a mystic urn that held the Ghost Rider costume and the spirits of his two ancestors.  Hamilton was possessed by both spirits, who took over his body without his knowledge to ride as first the Night Rider and later the Phantom Rider (which is the name the character is most associated with now).  At first the spirit of Carter had dominance, even joining the team of western superheroes called the Rangers.  When he encountered the Avenger Mockingbird, who was responsible for the death of Lincoln Slade, the evil Slade brother took control.  So all appearances in this time are for Hamilton, Carter, and Lincoln.

Ghost Rider (1973) # 56
Incredible Hulk (1968) # 265
West Coast Avengers (1985) # 8
West Coast Avengers (1985) # 29 (cameo appearance only)
West Coast Avengers (1985) # 31
West Coast Avengers (1985) # 32
West Coast Avengers (1985) # 34
West Coast Avengers (1985) # 39
West Coast Avengers (1985) # 41

At the end of his West Coast Avengers appearances, the spirit of Lincoln Slade was exorcised by Daimon Hellstrom, leaving Hamilton sharing his body with the spirit of the heroic Carter Slade.  There were very few appearances of the character in the following years, but during that time Carter's ghost was removed from Hamilton's body.  Hamilton retained the abilities and persona of the Phantom Rider while Carter's ghost appeared in the afterlife.  In one of those instances, during Ghost Riders: Heaven's On Fire (2009) # 6, Carter Slade appeared as one of Heaven's Spirits of Vengeance, finally connecting him to the modern day Ghost Rider legacy.  Finally, a new Phantom Rider was created when Lincoln Slade's spirit possessed the body of his great-granddaughter, Jamie Slade.  During the attempt to free her from her possession, her father Hamilton Slade was shot and killed.

Marvel Comics Presents (1988) # 102
X-Statix Presents: Dead Girl (2006) # 2
X-Statix Presents: Dead Girl (2006) # 3
X-Statix Presents: Dead Girl (2006) # 4
X-Statix Presents: Dead Girl (2006) # 5
Avengers: The Initiative (2007) # 2 (cameo appearance only)
Avengers: The Initiative (2007) # 19
Ghost Riders: Heaven's On Fire (2009) # 6 (cameo appearance only)
Hawkeye and Mockingbird (2010) # 1
Hawkeye and Mockingbird (2010) # 2
Hawkeye and Mockingbird (2010) # 3
Hawkeye and Mockingbird (2010) # 4
Hawkeye and Mockingbird (2010) # 5
Mockingbird (2016) # 6
Mockingbird (2016) # 7
Mockingbird (2016) # 8
War of the Realms: Journey Into Mystery # 3
War of the Realms: Journey Into Mystery # 4 (cameo appearance only)
War of the Realms: Journey Into Mystery # 5 (cameo appearance only)

Blaze (1994) # 8

Cover Artist: Henry Martinez

Published: March 1995
Original Price: $1.95

Title: "...No Laughing Matter!"
Writer: Larry Hama
Artist: Henry Martinez
Inker: Bud LaRosa
Letterer: Bill Oakley
Colorist: Ashley Posella
Editor: Bobbie Chase

SYNOPSIS

The light of an opening door appears in a dark room, allowing John Blaze to step through into the darkness. Suddenly, three figures - a woman with an axe, a maniac with a chainsaw, and a soldier with a rifle - attack him before freezing in their tracks. Blaze is approached by the Mad Monk, a robed man whose Murderama attraction, including the animated statues, is under review for addition to the Quentin Carnival. While Blaze is wary of signing him up, the Monk shows him something that might interest him personally: the actual chair that electrocuted Ice Box Bob and a sarcophagus containing the mummified remains of a High Priestess of Baal the Unspeakable. Curious as to how he knows so much about his personal life, John signs the Monk onto the Carnival and tells him to park his rig on the midway of their compound.

Blaze exits the Mad Monk's traveling rig and confers with Kody and Wolf, who are concerned about the fact that no one has ever heard of the Monk's "Murderama" attraction. John shrugs them off by saying that he'll hire on every freak, grifter, and psi-talent in the country to find his missing children. Blaze walks through the Carnival and thinks about the misery of his life while a police helicopter buzzes the Carnival in the sky above. Blaze's thoughts are interrupted by Clara, who is once again wearing the Eyes of the Kristal Starrer and an outlandish leather outfit. She blames John for her inability to control the Eyes, that it was him who made her use them to help find his children. John enters her trailer, unaware that he's being spied on by Princess Python - who in turn is discovered by Kody. The two talk about their feelings toward their co-workers: Python has fallen hard for Blaze, while Kody has long been in love with Clara. They hear a scream coming from the Mad Monk's trailer and decide to investigate, while the cops in the helicopter notice the Monk's truck shaking.

Inside the trailer, the Mad Monk - actually the assassin named Arcade - is held by an arm produced from the Priestess' sarcophagus. The Priestess tells him that their contract demands Blaze's death while Arcade begs for one last shot to murder him. Kody and Princess Python bust into the trailer and are rendered unconscious by Arcade's gas-filled boutonniere. Back in Clara's trailer, John's attempts at fighting off his friend's sexual advances are halted when they see the Mad Monk's trailer transforming into something new. The Carnival members assemble outside the reconfigured trailer, which is now a bizarre funhouse with "Murderworld" written on a large sign. Wolf tells John that Arcade is an assassin that's given carnies a bad name for a long time, then tosses John his shotgun.

Blaze enters and finds Arcade at a podium, directing him toward one of three doors. Unwilling to play the game, Blaze simply fires his hellfire at Arcade, nearly destroying the robotic double of the assassin. Instead of choosing a door, he follows a large coaxial cable into the wall, where another gunshot reveals the hidden Arcade. The assassin pulls a lever and opens all three doors, allowing the three killer robots from the Monk's attraction to attack. Blaze simply tosses his gun over his shoulder and fires, destroying the robots with one shot. Afraid for his life, Arcade opens a door to reveal Kody and Python held in the grasp of the Priestess, who says that she has waited three millenniums as an undead being for Baal's return, only for it to have been halted by Blaze. Blaze fires his gun, blasting the undead creature with hellfire and causing the sarcophagus to fall to the ground. While Kody helps Python outside, Blaze grabs Arcade and tosses him into the sarcophagus with the Priestess and locks it. He goes outside as the funhouse transforms back into a rig and tosses the keys to Wolf, telling his aide to drive the truck into the desert and just lose it. While Wolf drives away in the truck, the police helicopter hovers overhead, announcing futilely over a loud speaker for Blaze to stop where he's at.

ANNOTATIONS 

Blaze and Clara found out about Kody's true feelings for the blind psychic in Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 21.

John halted Baal's attempt at returning to Earth in Blaze (1994) # 6.

Arcade will survive this issue and reappear next in the Wolverine/Gambit: Victims mini-series.

REVIEW

Larry Hama continues to surprise me with this series as he takes a villain widely thought of as a joke and drops him seamlessly into the ongoing plotline. Thankfully, the characters react to Arcade in much the same way as the readers, not very seriously.

Arcade was a character created back in the late 1970s by Chris Claremont, using him against characters like Spider-Man, Captain Britain, and the X-Men. While some good stories have certainly been told with the villain, it's hard to argue with the common conception that Arcade isn't much of a threat when it comes to most super heroes. He's an assassin who uses a deathtrap filled circus/funhouse to play demented games with his victims. For Spider-Man, and even the X-Men if it's taken in a lighter tone, Arcade fits just fine. But John Blaze as Arcade's protagonist? I wouldn't have thought it could work, but Hama proved me wrong.

While it's never really explained how Arcade came into possession of the Baal sarcophagus, a pretty big plot hole that doesn't even attempt to connect the dots of why Arcade is here in the first place, this issue is such a fun read that I honestly didn't pay that problem much of a mind as I was enjoying it. The part that really sells this story is that Blaze - a character who has faced every sort of demon imaginable - treats Arcade like the joke that most heroes should see him as. Instead of playing along with the Murderworld maze and game that are a staple of Arcade stories, Blaze simply shoots his way through. He effectively undoes all of Arcade's plans with a few pulls of the trigger, and the villain's almost juvenile "no fair!" reaction is priceless. This is encapsulated the best with the last panel on page 17, where John destroys Arcade's secret weapons without even turning around, his gun tossed casually over his shoulder. It's a fantastic moment, and it made me love this issue even more.

Another great thing about this story is that despite the unconventional antagonist it still manages to connect back to the book's overall storyline about John's children. We're also given more subplot moments with Clara and her cursed eyes, and the revelation that Princess Python has fallen in love with Blaze (a subplot that unfortunately goes nowhere when the book is cancelled a few issues after this, a true shame).

But the main shining moment of this issue - and truthfully all of the issues in this series - is Hama's characterization of John Blaze. Through the groundwork established by Howard Mackie, Hama has turned Blaze into a true character independent of his Ghost Rider roots and made him a fantastic lead character, something I had doubts about before this book debuted. I was only a marginal fan of Hama's work on Wolverine, but Blaze was an A+ effort on the writing front month in and month out.

Something unfortunate for the series, however, is that this is the final issue for artist Henry Martinez. This was an artist who came in on very shaky legs with his first few issues of Spirits of Vengeance, but he improved with leaps and bounds on each and every issue of Blaze. His depiction of John matched Hama's characterization perfectly, and the book lost a considerable amount of quality when he stepped down. I'm not sure what happened to Martinez after he left this series, and it's a true shame that he didn't become the A-list talent that he was quickly evolving into.

With a healthy dash of humor added to the normally dark atmosphere of the series, this issue of Blaze is a great piece of work. It's unfortunate that such a quality series was cut down in its prime due to factors beyond the creative team's control.

Grade: A+

Ghost Rider (1990) # 94

Cover Artist: Javier Saltares

Published: Jan. 2007
Original Price: $3.99

Title: The Last Temptation, Part 4: "Wedding of the Ghost Rider"
Writer: Ivan Velez Jr.
Artist: Javier Saltares
Inker: Mark Texeira
Letterer: Richard Starkings
Colorist: Brian Buccellato
Editor: Tom Brevoort

Title: "Acabado"
Writer: Ivan Velez Jr.
Artist: Javier Saltares
Inkers: Mark Texeira, Javier Saltares, & Klaus Janson
Letterer: Rus Wooton
Colorist: Tom Chu
Editor: Jeff Youngquist
Editor In Chief: Joe Quesada

SYNOPSIS

Dan Ketch sits on his bed and stares at his hand - it has been 33 days and counting since the brand of vengeance disappeared, 33 days and counting since he was freed from the curse of the Ghost Rider. He hears a knock on his door and answers it, finding his brother, John Blaze, standing outside his apartment. John invites himself inside and tells Dan that despite the months of searching with Jennifer Kale - who went home as well - he was unable to locate his missing children. Dan agrees to let John stay with him for a while, and the two decide to go to a bar and talk.

In Hell, Noble Kale sits on the throne and is flanked by his two brides, Pao Fu and Roxanne Simpson-Blaze/Black Rose. They are visited by three other Hell-Lords - Hela of Asgard, Pluto of Hades, and Belasco - who tell Kale that they are the only three to officially recognize him as the rightful ruler of this realm. Ghost Rider questions their offer of friendship, but Hela corrects him by saying that no friendship is offered; they just simply won't take part in the eventual destruction by the other realms. The three demons then disappear, leaving Kale, his brides, and the advisor Skritch. After Skritch explains that Satannish and Dormammu may very well attempt to overthrow him, Kale orders him to assemble the masses so he may speak to his subjects.

Back on Earth, Stacy Dolan stares at a pregnancy test in her bathroom. She shatters her mirror and collapses in tears at the realization that she's going to have a baby. At a local bar, Dan and John talk about Blaze's missing children and how he and Jennifer ran out of money. To get bus tickets home, John had to sell his motorcycle, but that doesn't mean he's given up the search. He stops suddenly and notices that the brand is missing from Dan's hand, and the younger brother happily tells John that he's free of the curse. And not only that, but he also got to speak to their mother.

In Hell's Tower, the spirit of Naomi Kale observes the gathering mass of demons below before being approached by the Ghost Rider. Transforming back into his human form, Noble speaks to Naomi about what she'll do now that her children have been freed from the curse. They're interrupted by Dante, the deceased younger brother of Noble, who tells them that he's come to take Naomi to her final resting place. Dante warns Noble to watch the darkness inside him as they fade away, leaving the Ghost Rider to ask the newly-arrived Vengeance and Doghead about their present choices. Meanwhile, on Earth, Stacy visits Dan's apartment and leaves him a letter and her set of keys - in the letter, she explains to him that she's marrying Ski and begs Dan to forgive her before writing goodbye.

In Hell, Ghost Rider and his lieutenants address the assembled masses of Hell. Noble announces himself as King, their ruler, and then grants them their freedom from Hell. All imprisoned souls will be freed to live as they please, wherever they please, with only one condition and law: do no more evil. After this is said, the angel Uriel appears and condemns Noble's actions, telling him that he cannot allow such a thing. Ghost Rider explains to Uriel that when Mephisto returns, which is inevitable, he will find his kingdom turned into a democracy where evil is outweighed by the good of its denizens' souls...and what better vengeance could he ever conceive. Uriel attempts to force Noble to rescind his decree, but the angel finds himself at the Rider's mercy. Uriel is banished from Hell from this day forward, to the cheering of the masses, and the angel disappears after being humbled. Noble then says that it's time for him leave, handing over the throne to Vengeance to rule by proxy. Doghead, Verminous Rex, and Wallow he leaves as governors to enforce the first law of doing no evil. He promises to return and then asks Roxanne to join him for unfinished business. Noble kisses Pao Fu, then he and Roxanne ride through the portal back to Earth.

In front of their apartment building, Dan helps an obviously intoxicated John down the street. Blaze is upset that he spent so much time hating their mother for leaving and has now found out that she freed them from the curse. Missing his children and wife, John says that he's totally alone now - only to see Roxanne waiting for them at the front of the building. She asks if he is John Blaze and if they are really married with children. John disbelieves this at first, claiming that Roxanne is dead, but quickly realizes that she is truly alive once again. Hearing familiar laughter, Dan looks to a rooftop and sees Noble astride his bike. Transforming into the Ghost Rider, Noble rides into the city, finally able to make a choice concerning his destiny. He is Noble Kale, the Spirit of Vengeance and the King of Hell. He is the Ghost Rider. Back on the street, Dan wonders to himself if this is the happy ending they all deserved, and catches a glimpse of Dante and Naomi waving to them before they fade away.

ANNOTATIONS 

This special, also titled "Ghost Rider: Finale", finally sees print the final unpublished issue of Ghost Rider (1990), nearly a decade after the series was cancelled. It also features a reprint of Ghost Rider (1990) # 93  and the Ghost Rider/Dan Ketch entry from The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Marvel Knights special first published in 2005.

Roxanne Simpson-Blaze was killed by Hellgate in Ghost Rider (1990) # 50 and resurrected as Black Rose by Blackheart in Ghost Rider (1990) # 77. Roxanne has most recently been established as deceased once more by Lucifer in Ghost Rider (2006) # 5, and she was seen along with her children when Johnny went to Heaven in Ghost Riders: Heaven's On Fire (2009) # 6.

Noble's deceased brother, Dante, last visited the Ghost Rider in the void in Ghost Rider (1990) # 79.

Noble Kale made one prior appearance as Lord of Hell before this issue in Werewolf by Night (1997) # 6. Kale would appear one final time in Peter Parker: Spider-Man (1990) # 93, where he bonds once again with Dan Ketch. After a decade in comic limbo, Dan Ketch finally made his reappearance in Ghost Rider (2006) # 23 and his whereabouts for the last several years are revealed in Ghost Rider: Danny Ketch (2008) # 1-5.

John Blaze reappeared as the host for the Spirit of Vengeance once again in Ghost Rider (2001) # 1, and it is confirmed to be Zarathos possessing him in Ghost Rider (2011) # 4.

REVIEW

It's very appropriate that the site's 100th review is Ghost Rider: Finale, a book that finally gives fans a sense of closure for the comic series they followed for nearly a decade. You could almost hear the collective gasp and sigh of relief when Marvel released the news that this comic was finally being published...but did the end product live up to the near-mythical hype surrounding it?

Following the series' untimely cancellation and subsequent refusal to publish Ghost Rider # 94, the final issue, Ghost Rider fans were understandably at wit's end with Marvel Comics as a publishing company. While the details behind the comic's publication have been beaten to death by the online community, I find it odd that the book has finally been released at all. Of course it doesn't hurt that Marvel is trying like hell to pump out as much Ghost Rider material as possible in time for the upcoming feature film, but this still stands as a strange entry for an editorial regime that seems bound and determined to make us forget that the Dan Ketch version of the Ghost Rider ever existed. With the focus now set squarely on Johnny Blaze as the demon's host once again, this comic stands as a strange business move for the publisher.

But regardless of the reason, the release of this issue goes a long way to regain the fans that felt betrayed by the company's cancellation of the series' final issue after years of faithful purchases. Ivan Velez Jr., the writer of the series at the time of its cancellation, has since moved on to the world of independent comic production, and this issue stands as his final work for a major publisher. While many fans had their problems with Velez's run on the book, this issue finishes off the final arc of the series that was arguably the writer's best. As a final issue, it goes a long way toward wrapping up the dangling plot-lines left by the previous issue, but it still feels fairly unsatisfying for a number of reasons.

For one, many of the revelations in this story were rendered moot - if not outright disavowed - almost immediately after by editor Ralph Macchio and writer Howard Mackie in an issue of Peter Parker: Spider-Man. While that shouldn't affect one's ability to enjoy the story contained here, it does force the reader to accept things with a grain of salt when they know that none of the things finalized here have been mentioned again since the book's end. Dan Ketch is a blight on Marvel at the moment, and it remains to be seen whether or not current series writer Daniel Way will even attempt to revisit the character. Another unsatisfying aspect is that this issue, while originally intended to set forth a new status quo for the character, can by pretty boring to read in places. A lack of action doesn't necessarily make a book unreadable, but Ghost Rider as a character lives and dies by its visual appeal. What we're given for this final issue is essentially 22 pages of talking heads that are frantically trying to tie up every subplot in the allotted space, and it does come across as a little rushed.

What also seems rushed is the artwork, something that is honestly astonishing to me. Javier Saltares has had the art for this issue finished literally for years, lacking only inks and embellishments to finish things off before colors are applied. I'm assuming that the pages credited to Mark Texeira were done in 1997 before production on the comic was halted, and possibly the few pages inked by Saltares were done at the same time. The unfinished pages were completed by Klaus Janson, an inker that simply does not mesh well with Saltares' pencil work. Janson has the habit of making every artist he inks, no matter what their style is really like, look just like Klaus Janson artwork. Janson's inks really make the book spill into a nosedive in the last third of the issue, and it's a shame - I've seen Saltares' pencils for those pages, and they were gorgeous. What I fail to understand is why Janson had to be called in to begin with - both Saltares and Texeira are currently working on the new Ghost Rider series, and both recently took two issues off from the book. For internal consistency, it makes a lot more sense to have one of the two apply new inks over the unfinished pages...but who knows why this was ultimately decided other than the artists themselves? I do have to mention how good the colors look on # 94, however, especially compared to those of the reprinted issue # 93.

Of course, I say all of this with trepidation, because this is quite frankly a comic that Marvel did NOT have to publish. They did it to satisfy a fan base that felt abused by a previous editorial regime, and I have to give the current editorial staff - Joe Quesada, Tom Brevoort, Axel Alonso, Jeff Youngquist, and others I'm sure - credit for putting out a book targeted at one small section of their readership. I'm thankful to finally have this comic in my hands after so many years of talking about it, and it ultimately doesn't really matter that the hype surrounding it eclipsed the actual product.

I'm still happy nonetheless.

Grade: B

Ghost Rider (1990) # -1

Cover Artist: Javier Saltares

Published: July, 1997
Original Price: $1.95

Title: "Ember"
Writer: Ivan Velez Jr.
Artist: Javier Saltares
Inker: Keith Aiken
Letterer: Richard Starkings
Colorist: Brian Buccellato
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Editor In Chief: Bob Harras

SYNOPSIS
Thirteen years ago, a young woman named Naomi Kale arrives at the Quentin Carnival, all the while telling herself that she shouldn't be there. She gasps when she finally lays eyes on her son, a young Johnny Blaze. She allows herself a few minutes to look at the son she never knew, but is interrupted when a carnival worker named Wolf, who tells Johnny to go take a break. Naomi ducks into the crowd, afraid that Wolf will recognize her, and ends up following Johnny. The teenage Blaze runs across a young Roxanne Simpson, who manages to rile two carnival-goers. When the two men try to assault Johnny, Naomi steps in and nearly beats one of them into unconsciousness. She is finally pulled away by Crash Simpson, who drags her back to her motorcycle. He tells her to leave, threatening to get his gun and make her. After she rides off, Crash tells Johnny that the woman was nobody worth worrying about.

Later, a very drunk Naomi rambles on about her family curse to an uninterested bartender. Her ancestor, Noble Kale, was tricked by Mephisto into betraying his wife and child, resulting in her being burned at the stake. Noble gets damned to Hell, but was saved from his fate by an angel, who demanded that the Devil relinquish the soul. The two beings compromised, transforming Noble into a Spirit of Vengeance, a creature that would roam the Earth avenging the spilling of innocent blood. This Ghost Rider would take possession of his descendants, the first born of each generation. Naomi refused to subject her children to that fate, so she left her family in order to save them. Later, after being kicked out of the bar, Naomi gets violently ill outside. The spells cast in order to spare Johnny the fate of becoming the Ghost Rider have taken their toll on her body, and she knows she is dying.

She then heads to Cypress Hills, a section of Brooklyn, where her other two children are being raised. The oldest of the children, Barbara, is celebrating her ninth birthday with her foster mother, Francis Ketch, and a few family friends. Barbara's brother, Daniel, looks across the street and sees Naomi watching them. The two smile at each other, bringing a tear to the mother's eye. She is then interrupted by a police officer, who notices her excessive coughing. She rides off, leaving the policeman, one Officer Dolan, to spend the afternoon with his daughter Stacy and the Ketch family.

Naomi rides through the city, and in her thoughts she says that she just wants to die. Suddenly, the demonic face of Mephisto rips through the ground, unleashing a horde of demons onto the street. Naomi attempts to lose the demons on her bike, but is eventually chased and captured by the monsters in Cypress Hills Cemetery. As the demons hold her, a tree twists into a monstrous face and speaks in the voice of Mephisto, who tells her that she cannot avoid her destiny...that she will transform into the Ghost Rider, even if it kills her. He knows as well as she, that one more change into the Ghost Rider will surely kill her. Mephisto threatens to send a group of demons to the Ketch home, and though he cannot harm her children, he can most certainly murder every friend they have. Reluctantly, Naomi gives into the change and transforms into the Ghost Rider, who quickly throws the demons away. The Rider is then wracked with pain, caused by his host body dying in the void. The Ghost Rider realizes that the power he exerts is slowly killing his host body, and sadly triggers the transformation back into Naomi. The woman collapses on the ground, content that her family is finally safe from the curse, and that she can now die in peace. At that moment, a mysterious man approaches her, a shovel in hand. He is Pastor Kale, Noble's father, who gained immortality by making a deal with Mephisto. He carries Naomi to a freshly dug grave, telling her that her spells worked, that Johnny will not become the Ghost Rider. He then reverses that statement, by saying "Doesn't mean he can't be A Ghost Rider."

Upon hearing this, Naomi Kale passes away, and is thrown into the grave by her ancestor. He continues speaking, saying that the curse will move to the next available host, meaning Barbara is destined to become the Ghost Rider. Mephisto's plans will continue, despite everything Naomi had sacrificed.

ANNOTATIONS 

This issue was part of the "Flashback" event that happened in July of 1997. Every series was replaced for the month by a "minus 1" issue, most of which taking place before the respective series began. It was published between Ghost Rider (1990) # 86 and Ghost Rider (1990) # 87.

Several points in this issue, which takes place years before Marvel Spotlight on Ghost Rider (1972) # 5, were retcons/contradictions of events in the Ghost Rider's life. These included: 

 --- Johnny Blaze, Crash Simpson, and Roxanne Simpson as workers at the Quentin Carnival. In the origin story in Marvel Spotlight on Ghost Rider (1972) # 5, it seemed that Crash Simpson's cycle show had been in operation for several years, and that Barton Blaze had been a part of it. According to Marvel Team-Up # 15, Simpson started the cycle show a few years before Roxanne was born, as told by The Orb, Crash's partner in founding it. Also, according to Marvel Spotlight on Ghost Rider (1972) # 10, Crash Simpson was a police officer that saved Linda Littletrees from being hit by a truck. According to Littletrees, Crash quit the force to start his cycle show. Where his time at the Quentin Carnival fits is unknown, and should be looked at as a retcon.

--- Mephisto's interest in the Ghost Rider has changed with each writer on the book. According to Ghost Rider (1973) # 77, Mephisto placed the spirit of Zarathos inside Johnny Blaze as a punishment for both Blaze and the demon. According to Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 16, Mephisto was interested only in the Medallion of Power shard that rested within Blaze, and used the boy to tap into Zarathos' power. The second Mephisto retcon came with Ghost Rider minus 1, which brought to light the fact that Mephisto was responsible for transforming Noble Kale into the first Ghost Rider. In this issue, Mephisto triggered the transformation that ultimately killed Naomi, in hopes that the Ghost Rider would remain in the void forever.

--- Wolf, who first appeared as a member of the Quentin Carnival in Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 1, is seen in this flashback issue looking relatively the same age. As he was not seen working for the Carnival in the last eighteen issues of the first Ghost Rider series, when Johnny Blaze was an employee, this could be considered a retcon. Wolf, or one of his ancestors, also appeared in the flashback scene in Ghost Rider (1990) # 78.

--- Johnny Blaze, during his days as the Ghost Rider, took a job working for the Quentin Carnival in Ghost Rider (1973) # 63, and stayed long after he was freed from Mephisto's curse, eventually becoming the owner. It's safe to assume that had Blaze truly grown up in the Carnival, somebody (including the Carnival's founder and original owner, Ralph Quentin) would have recognized him upon his return. The same could be said for Roxanne Simpson when she arrived at the Carnival in Ghost Rider (1973) # 79.

--- At the end of this issue, Naomi Kale's motorcycle was fused with the emblem of the Medallion of Power by Pastor Kale, and then dumped in a nearby junkyard for Barbara Ketch to find years later. This was retconned away in Before the Fantastic Four: The Storms # 3, which seemed to completely disregard the entire Noble Kale origin of the second Ghost Rider. In that issue, the spirit of Zarathos was brought to life by the Medallion of Power, causing a man named Max Parrish to become the Ghost Rider. The Medallion was ripped from Zarathos' motorcycle, reversing the transformation, and the scrapped bike and medallion were tossed into the Cypress Hills junkyard. If taken as canon, this implies that the second Ghost Rider was perhaps Zarathos all along.

Due to Naomi Kale's spells of protection, Johnny Blaze was spared the fate of hosting the Noble Kale Ghost Rider. However, Mephisto later tricked Johnny into being the host for another demon, Zarathos, in Marvel Spotlight on Ghost Rider (1972) # 5. The Kale curse passed to Barbara, who was mortally wounded in Ghost Rider (1990) # 1. This passed the curse along to the youngest sibling, Daniel.

Pastor Kale first appeared in flashback in Ghost Rider (1990) # 78. This was his only modern appearance, and it is unknown what happened to him after he buried Naomi in the unmarked grave.

Naomi Kale returns as a disembodied spirit in Ghost Rider (1990) # 89.

REVIEW

And here we are, destination Retcon City. Flashback Month was an ill-conceived gimmick that was spread across the entire line of Marvel books in 1997, and while some were better than others, they all were framed in the context of taking place before the beginning of the modern Marvel Age in Fantastic Four # 1.

The Flashback issue of Ghost Rider takes us back to Johnny and Dan's childhood, with their mother Naomi being the host for the Ghost Rider. I really want to like this issue, as it's very well written and the artwork is excellent...but my desire to enjoy it is marked by the way Ivan Velez stomped all over established points in the characters' histories.

I have always liked Velez's origin for Ghost Rider - Noble Kale and all that - but it's obvious, not just from this issue, that he simply did not understand the canon history of the characters. Every time he brought up events in the past, even recent ones, he got them wrong. From the status of Blaze's children to his use of Doctor Strange, it makes one wonder if Velez even read the previous 150+ issues of the series that came before his run. Regardless, the blame for this also falls on the shoulders of the book's editors, who really should have caught the numerous errors before they made print. But, I believe it also came from the fact that the editors of the book at this time were trying their best to make people forget that Howard Mackie's run on the book happened at all, and this was a lazy way of saying "all that stuff didn't matter".

What Velez DID succeed on, however, was making Naomi a fully rounded character in her first appearance. You feel sorry for her, but at the same time can't help but feel some degree of animosity toward her for abandoning her children (despite her reasonable excuses for doing so). Her tragic death at the issue's end was effectively depressing, and set up the cycle of misery that the Ghost Rider mythos so perfectly encapsulate.

This issue also marks the return of Javier Saltares as the regular artist for the first time since the book's first year (though he had made a few sporadic returns to the character over the years). His work is as wonderful as ever, but still fails to full recapture the magic of the Ghost Rider's early issues. I accredit this to the absence of inker Mark Texeira, who will make his return as well in a few issues' time.

While this is certainly a story with a good script and very nice, slick artwork, the revisionist attack on the characters' histories and lack of respect toward what has come before ultimately make this a disappointment. But, it's also definitely important to the ongoing story of the series' final year, so I do recommend readers to pick it up in order to understand later plot points.

Grade: C+

Agents of SHIELD Episode 4.02: "Meet the New Boss"

SYNOPSIS
A home in Pasadena, CA is visited by the ghost of a woman, the same ghost who escaped from the stolen box recovered by SHIELD.  At SHIELD HQ, Fitz and Simmons determine that the technology from the box is something they've never seen before.  Mack tells them that a man suffering from the same symptoms as the Chinese criminals was hospitalized in Pasadena, claiming to have seen a ghost in his house.  Reviewing the footage of the box's retrieval, they see the image of the ghostly woman.  Mack and Fitz leave to investigate the lab at Pasadena that could have been responsible for the technology of the box.

Meanwhile, in California, Daisy has tracked Robbie Reyes down to his workplace at Canelo's Auto, where he works as mechanic.  Claiming to be an old friend of Robbie's, she has a very tense conversation with him, ignoring his threats for her to leave.  When they are alone in the auto shop, Daisy threatens Robbie's brother, Gabe, which causes Robbie to attack her with a flaming wrench.  Due to her powers causing damage to her bones, Robbie easily breaks Daisy's arm and knocks her unconscious.  After tying her up and looking through her things for evidence that she deserves to die, the conversation stops when Daisy mentions the lab in Pasadena that the skinheads murdered by Robbie had stolen something from.  Recognizing the lab, Robbie races off in his car, shaking off the pursuing Daisy.

At SHIELD HQ, Coulson and May meet the new Director of SHIELD, Jeffrey Mace.  May continues to see visions brought on by her exposure to the ghostly woman, which slowly drives her insane.  Coulson attempts to talk her down, but she attacks him, believing that everyone she sees is infected or against her.  Before she can escape, Director Mace reveals himself to be an invulnerable and super-strong Inhuman and easily knocks May unconscious.

At the Pasadena lab, the ghostly woman goes into a room with a large reactor and other boxes like the one that had trapped her.  She frees three more ghostly men, who all blame her for an experiment that involved a man named Hugo and a book called the Darkhold.  Lucy, the female ghost, leads two of the ghostly men out of the lab to search for the book, leaving one behind to destroy the building.  Mack and Fitz arrive and are attacked by the ghost, who has turned the reactor on.  The ghost locks Mack inside the reactor and advances on Fitz, but is stopped by Robbie, who transforms into the Ghost Rider and destroys the ghost with hellfire.  Daisy arrives and frees Mack while Fitz turns off the reactor.  The Ghost Rider retrieves a photo of the lab scientists and leaves.  Mack and Fitz attempt to talk Daisy into coming with them, but she refuses and leaves as well. 

Later, Coulson learns that Mace has "taken care" of May, but the Director refuses to tell him where she is.  Strapped into a straight jacket, a psychotic May is being transported somewhere by jet.  Daisy is picked up by Robbie, who tells her that he thinks the thing connecting all of these events is him.  She gets in the car and the two ride away to find answers.

REVIEW
Robbie Reyes gets a spotlight and the Ghost Rider takes out an actual ghost in a really, really great episode.

After the conclusion of last week's season premiere, I was left ambivalent at best.  I really wanted to follow the Ghost Rider storyline, but the actual SHIELD stuff left me cold and bored.  Thankfully, the show does a much better job of combining those two elements in this episode, because even the SHIELD plots are pretty interesting.  Just to bull on through that section of the episode, we meet the new director of SHIELD (Jeffrey Mace, who in the comics was a character called the Patriot that operated in WWII, definitely not an Inhuman), and he's so bureaucratic you can see slime coming from his pores.  He's also a super-strong Inhuman, so there's that, I guess.  Jason O'Mara, who I predominately know as the voice of Batman in the latter day DC animated films, does a pretty good job of getting Mace's potential duplicitousness across.  Poor Coulson, though, a few compliments and he's ready to hike his skirt for the guy.  Agent May has a great episode, too, though that's not surprising since she's the best character in the show's regular cast.  Seeing her freak out and take out a whole room full of SHIELD agents was a fantastic scene, and it led into an unexpected reveal of Mace's powers and identity.

The A-plot of the episode, though, revolves around Daisy Johnson and Robbie Reyes throwing veiled (and not-so veiled in Robbie's case) threats at one another in an auto repair shop.  I'm not a big fan of Daisy's character, even if she's radically different than the one I remember from season one, but her stand off with Reyes is really tense and intriguing.  The true star of the episode, though, is Gabriel Luna as Robbie, that guy does an amazing job with the character.  He's not totally the Robbie from the comics outside of the core trappings, but he has this quiet, stoic take on the character that really makes you believe he's holding back something terrible.  Both his personality and the take on the Ghost Rider itself is almost like a clever amalgamation of the Blaze, Ketch, and Reyes versions; you get the mention of the deal with the devil and the Spirit of Vengeance.  It makes Robbie feel more like the traditional take on the Ghost Rider, which was nice to see.

The Ghost Rider himself is only on-screen for a few minutes, but god damn if he doesn't look amazing.  He has hellfire in place of the penance stare (presumably, anyway), and the special effects on the show look really great.  I was afraid that they'd blown most of the FX budget on the premiere, so I was glad to see that wasn't the case.  Ghost Rider and Robbie tie into what I assume will be the season's long arc, involving the "ghosts" of the scientists who played around with the Darkhold.  The Darkhold, of all things, is in this show!  That's awesome!

If every episode this season holds up the quality of this one, SHIELD will be on my must-watch list every week.  Ghost Rider fans, you really need to check this out whether you watch the show regularly or not.

Marvel Comics Presents (1988) # 113

Cover Artist: Sam Keith

Published: September 1992
Original Price: $1.50

Title: Legion of Vengeance, Part 1: "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes!"
Writer: Joey Cavalieri
Artist: Shawn McManus
Letterer: Janice Chiang
Colorist: Fred Mendez
Editor: Terry Kavanagh
Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco

SYNOPSIS

Under a speeding elevated train, Daniel Ketch rides his motorcycle and thinks about the latest events in his life. His attention is caught by change falling from the sky, and when he looks up he sees a man lifted into the air by a creature with a giant eyeball in his chest. The creature, who calls himself the Mind's Eye, tells his victim that he sees the guilt hidden within the man and is sentencing him to death by throwing him onto the railway as a train heads toward them. Daniel transforms into the Ghost Rider and barely rescues the man before the train runs him down. He pursues the Mind's Eye, but the villain is able to disappear in the shadows of the night, leading the Rider on a chase through the city.

Meanwhile, in a church filled with parishioners, Daniel Rand sits in a pew and reflects on his near-death experience and the lost religion of K'un L'un, the mystical city that transformed him into the Iron Fist. Suddenly, a young woman begins to scream out about the hypocrisy of the church-goes before she bursts into flame. Calling herself Vesper, goddess of the candlelight, the woman begins to burn the church down around them. Rand changes into Iron Fist and confronts Vesper, but is unable to stop her before she brings the church down in flames. Iron Fist escapes the blaze with as many innocents as he could gather, but when he gets outside he finds the Ghost Rider waiting for him. Mistaking the Rider for a villain, Rand declares that if he should raise a hand against the innocent people he stands first against Iron Fist.

ANNOTATIONS 

Iron Fist was believed dead for many years before being revealed to be alive in a story-arc of Namor the Sub-Mariner occurring directly before this story.

This issue of Marvel Comics Presents also contained stories featuring Wolverine/Typhoid Mary, Giant-Man, and Werewolf by Night.

REVIEW

The random Ghost Rider Team-Up Generator really stretches itself thin with the onset of this story arc, teaming the Spirit of Vengeance up with the K'un L'un Kid, Iron Fist. I think things are mismatched just a wee bit.

Don't get me wrong, Iron Fist can be an awesome character - look no further than the Immortal Iron Fist series by Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction, and David Aja for proof. But at this point in his history, directly after his rescue from comic death limbo by John Byrne in the pages of Namor (of all places), the character is still trying to find his feet after years of being out of the comic readers' spotlight. I can see why the editors thought it to be a good idea to team Iron Fist with an established character to thrust him back into the Marvel Universe, but honestly...wouldn't Wolverine have been just a little more appropriate? Iron Fist works best in a kung-fu atmosphere, and inserting him into a supernatural story alongside the Ghost Rider comes off as highly conflicted.

Of course, it's not to say that this particular story is any good with or without Iron Fist's presence. We're treated to a host of superhero clichés in the span of 8 pages, from the "wrong place, wrong time" chance encounters with the overwhelmingly bland "Legion of Vengeance" to the "heroes mistake each other for villains" that once again proves that all guest-stars must fight Ghost Rider in the second chapter, logic be damned.

I don't know much about Joey Cavalieri beyond the fact that he wrote a LOT of mediocre Iron Fist stories for Marvel Comics Presents, and I know even less about artist Shawn McManus. I know he drew a few issues of Alan Moore's Swamp Thing and a handful of Neil Gaiman's Sandman, and that's a pretty impressive pedigree. But here his work just looks boring, though it's amusingly exaggerated. Vesper is also very, very busty and has a large Steven Tyler-esque mouth. To each their own, I suppose.

Ugh.

Grade: D

Ghost Rider (1990) Annual # 2

Cover Artist: Javier Saltares

Published: Sept. 1994
Original Price: $2.95

Title: "Wish For Pain"
Writer: Warren Ellis
Artist: Javier Saltares
Inker: Mike Witherby
Letterer: Lorina Mapa
Colorist: John Kalisz
Editor: Chris Cooper
Group Editor: Bobbie Chase
Editor In Chief: Tom DeFalco

Title: "Raising Cain"
Writer: Ian Edginton
Artist: Reggie Jones
Letterer: Lorina Mapa
Colorist: Tom Zluko

Title: "Truck Stop"
Writer: Frank Lovece
Artist: Kevin Kobasic
Inker: Phillip Moy
Letterer: Steve Dutro
Colorist: Joe Andreani

SYNOPSIS

"Wish For Pain" - High atop a building, the Scarecrow and his flock of crows watch his next potential victim on the street below. Scarecrow jumps down and knocks the innocent man unconscious, but is interrupted by the police as he's dragging him away. The two officers attempt to arrest the villain, but the Scarecrow's fear-inducing power causes them to hesitate in fright - resulting in the male officer's death and the female officer's abduction. He takes his two victims back to his home, an abandoned reservoir beneath a toxic waste dump that would kill a normal man simply by breathing the air. The Scarecrow, however, has been changed by doctors, who gave him both the gift of fear bringing and the ability to heal in the presence of fear - fear makes him immortal, he cannot die. In his new home, the Scarecrow thinks back to his hatred of the Ghost Rider and his childhood as the victim of his abusive mother.

Four nights later, the Scarecrow watches the Ghost Rider from the window of an abandoned building, in which he holds several more kidnapped people. At the door to the building, the Scarecrow throws his pitchfork across the street - with the intestines of a victim attached, knocking the Ghost Rider off his bike as he drives by. The Rider releases his chain and strikes the Scarecrow in the heart, a blow that would've killed a normal man. Ghost Rider follows the villain into the building, where he's attacked by a healed Scarecrow and knocked through the window.

Scarecrow returns to the reservoir and dumps off his newest batch of living victims, beginning his long night of unloading and building. He thinks back again, this time to when the doctors were operating on him. One of the doctors had severed his vocal chords, making him unable to scream...trapping his fear, something that he swears won't happen again. Later, Scarecrow listens through the window of the 15th Police Precinct as Captain Dolan and his men discuss the rash of kidnappings. Back in the reservoir, Scarecrow attempts to sleep, but instead has a nightmare of the Ghost Rider.

Later, in Brooklyn, Captain Dolan rides with two uniformed officers as they patrol the streets. Scarecrow lands atop their car, pulling the driver out of the car as his next captive. The second officer is stabbed by the pitchfork, forcing Dolan to reach onto the car's floorboard and press the gas pedal. The car crashes into a light post, and after he pulls himself from the wreck Dolan is approached by the Ghost Rider, who tells him that the Scarecrow is his. Back at the reservoir, the Scarecrow has completed his work - he has built a house where he cannot die or even be made to suffer. He stands triumphant outside, confident that this time he'll finally get to win.

Scarecrow tracks Ghost Rider down and sets a trap, causing the Rider to collide with the hanging bodies of unconscious innocents in a blind alley. Ghost Rider takes chase after the killer, the Scarecrow merrily keeping a few steps ahead...until they finally reach the reservoir. The Rider falls into the dark pit, landing in ankle deep water that's mixed with blood. He looks around and sees walls built into a maze, with live victims tied to them - a house of fear that the Scarecrow has sealed himself into with the Ghost Rider. Ghost Rider moves through the large room and is attacked by the Scarecrow in a series of hit-and-run strikes, while the Rider's attempts at retaliation result in the innocent victims strapped to the walls being hurt. Ghost Rider follows Scarecrow into another room and a door slams shut behind him, trapping him with the Scarecrow. The villain tells him that he will let him kill him - if the Rider refuses, Scarecrow will stab into the walls of the room, killing innocent people, and any attempt to stop him may result in some fatal accidents. Ghost Rider answers this by asking when all the innocents have been killed, what will then prevent him from exacting vengeance a thousand times heavier? Scarecrow hesitates, taken back by the Rider's grim statement, and is caught off guard by a strike of the demon's chain. Ghost Rider grabs Scarecrow and tells him that while he will not take his life, he can ensure that he never wriggles out of anyone's grasp ever again.

Later, after the Ghost Rider has left, the police arrive and start the rescue of the dozens of innocent people in the reservoir. Captain Dolan enters and, instead of fearing the Scarecrow, now pities him. The police stand over the broken and disfigured Scarecrow...the Ghost Rider broke every bone in his body and held them so that they healed crooked. He will never walk again, and his fear is once again trapped inside him.

"Vengeance: Raising Cain" - Vengeance is fighting a monster made out of garbage, which was created via magic by an old woman named Ruby Avedon. She summoned the "Gris-Gris Man" to take revenge on the young punks who had been threatening the eldery people in her building, but the thirst for vengeance corrupted her. She killed several of her neighbors, and when policeman Michael Badilino came to check on them she tried to kill him as well. Badilino transformed into Vengeance and fought the garbage creature, which is connected to Ruby's own life-force - so when Vengeance destroys the creature, Ruby dies as well.

"Blaze: Truck Stop" - John Blaze is riding ahead of his carnival on an interstate highway, and when he stops at a diner he's nearly run over by a truck driver with a little boy in his cab. Blaze enters the diner and finds a woman crying...and to his surprise, the woman is Linda Littletrees, the Witch Woman! She and Blaze sit down to talk, and she tells him that the trucker was her husband Sam who has become crazy and violent. When Linda comes on to John, he excuses himself and goes outside. The truck then crashes through the diner, destroying it and injuring Linda. John jumps on his bike and rides after the truck, disabling it with his hellfire shotgun. When Blaze is threatened by the crashing truck, Linda wakes up and uses her Satanic power to rescue him. John saves Sam from the wreck and he tells her that Linda is again worshipping Satan and threatened to kill him if he didn't stay away from their son. Realizing his mistake, Blaze confronts Linda, who becomes enraged that he's rejecting her. John blasts her with hellfire, which knocks her unconscious. Later, the Caretaker has arrived to take her away, promising to help Linda as much as possible.

ANNOTATIONS 

Ghost Rider last appeared in Ghost Rider (1990) # 52 and appears next in Ghost Rider (1990) # 53.

The Scarecrow was given his fear-inducing powers by the Firm in the Ghost Rider/Captain America: Fear bookshelf special, and last appeared in Ghost Rider (1990) # 38. He'll appear next in Ghost Rider (1990) # 61 as one of the prisoners in the Black Hole.

Following the events in this story, Captain Gerald Dolan will retire from the police force. He returns in Ghost Rider (1990) # 66  as the mysterious "Deep Throat" that acts as the Ghost Rider's informant.

The Vengeance story takes place after he is freed from Hellgate's torture experiments in Ghost Rider (1990) # 52 but before the Vengeance back-up story in that same issue. Vengeance makes his next appearance in Venom: Nights of Vengeance # 1.

The Blaze story takes place between Blaze (1994) # 1 and Blaze (1994) # 2.

Linda Littletrees last appeared waaaaaay back in Ghost Rider (1973) # 4.

REVIEW

Warren Ellis steps up for his first of two Ghost Rider issues, this time telling what amounts to pretty much the definitive Scarecrow story with a twist ending that's absolutely killer.

Obviously, Warren Ellis is a name that most comic readers recognize today - rightly so, the man's a superstar in the medium after having written such books as Transmetropolitan, Hellblazer, and the Authority. But this Annual came out in 1994, back before Warren Ellis was a known name and his only work of note was the cult Hellstorm series and a just-beginning run on Doom 2099. So it was a bit of a surprise to find a Ghost Rider story written not only by someone other than Howard Mackie, but also one by such an unknown commodity.

Suffice it to say, Warren doesn't disappoint.

Many writers, upon approaching Ghost Rider, run with the superhero aspect, while others focus more on the urban vigilante scenario. Ellis, on the other hand, has approached this story with his eye more on telling a true horror story focusing on the deranged mind of a serial killer. Scarecrow is a character that had previously fit in quite well in the Ghost Rider series during his previous appearances, but had sort of faded away during the whole Midnight Sons/"Siege of Darkness" era. This is his comeback as one of the Rider's main antagonists, and the story is disturbing both in its brutality and the insight Ellis gives us to the Scarecrow's twisted thought process.

What's even more remarkable is how well Ellis gets the Ghost Rider as a character, nailing his personality despite the story being told from the Scarecrow's point of view. I prefer Ellis' version of the Rider to the pontificating soliloquy spouting version that had ruled Mackie's series throughout the Midnight Sons era - in this issue, the Ghost Rider only speaks when he has to, and his actions are more powerful than anything he could say. The twist ending, that takes both the readers and the Scarecrow by surprise, shows just how far the demon will go to achieve vengeance - and his "no killing" rule is taken to its extreme in the punishment he dishes out. Both the Scarecrow's trap and his ultimate fate are wonderful ideas that work both as concepts and in execution.

Another important aspect of this story is the return of original series Javier Saltares to the character, if only for this one issue. Despite the absence of his collaborator Mark Texeira, Saltares still turns in a great amount of work that took me back to the look of the book's glory days. His Ghost Rider, along with Texeira's solo version, is the quintessential look for the character. What's unfortunate is that the Comics Code rules that neutered bits of the script, particularly the gruesome image of the Scarecrow's tripwire made of human intestines (which were colored white to look like bone, despite the script explicitly stating them as organs).

This story, more so than his next fill-in issue on the series, proved that Warren Ellis had what it took to tell a truly powerful and memorable Ghost Rider tale. This issue is highly recommended.

Grade: A+

Ghost Rider (1990) # 29

Cover Artist: Andy Kubert

Published: Sep. 1992
Original Price: $1.75

Title: "Biting the Hand That Feeds You"
Writer: Howard Mackie
Artist: Andy Kubert
Inker: Joe Kubert
Letterer: Janice Chiang
Colorist: Gregory Wright
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Editor In Chief: Tom DeFalco

SYNOPSIS

In a small Connecticut town, three men are holding John Blaze and a helmeted Ghost Rider at gunpoint, demanding their money. Blaze takes out one of the men, and one with a shotgun shoots the Rider in the face, destroying the helmet and revealing his flaming skull. A moment later, all three men have been given the penance stare. The Ghost Rider tells Blaze to get some rest before they continue on to New York, to find the first of the people seen in the vision with Lilith. As Ghost Rider rides away, he fails to notice Wolverine and the Beast in an alley behind him. Logan tells Beast that the Rider's scent was all wrong the last time they met in New Orleans, and that he's followed him to make sure he's free from the Brood infection.

Elsewhere, in the offices of Penner Security Associates, Mr. Penner holds a meeting with a superhuman operative named Agent X. Agent X tells his employer that he and his associates deserve more control over their missions and a larger cut of the profits - Penner refuses this, and with a handshake Agent X tells him that he and his two fellows are quitting. Minutes later, in a townhouse across the street, Agent X meets with Turk and Snare and tells them that they are now going independent. Furious at Penner's refusal of their demands, the three mercenaries decide to take the fight to the firm's front door to show them what they're giving up.

Meanwhile, Ghost Rider delivers a set of criminals to the police and rides off again, thinking about what's happened to him recently. Dan's near-death has given him a life on earth besides his mission, but he questions what he will do if he cannot save Dan. Dan, meanwhile, is still trapped in the void, lost and confused. Ghost Rider notices explosions in the distance and rides off to investigate, with Wolverine and Beast following in a car. At Penner's office, the Next Wave easily dispose of the firm's security forces, but Turk then shoots an innocent woman and kills her after she screams for help. The Ghost Rider appears and immediately attacks, aided by the two X-Men before he is overwhelmed by the mercenaries. Agent X attempts to explain that all of this is a misunderstanding, but then decides to just kill the heroes. During the battle, Ghost Rider is blown apart by Turk's gun, and the three men begin to gain the advantage over Wolverine and Beast. Left for dead, Ghost Rider reforms himself behind the Next Wave and takes them by surprise, beating them into submission. Turk, for his murder of the girl, is given the penance stare, crippling him emotionally. Before the Rider can leave, however, Wolverine stops him and - after sniffing the air with his enhanced senses - asks about Dan. Ghost Rider replies that he is losing his host, and it remains to be seen what will happen to him if Dan should die. Ghost Rider drives away, leaving Wolverine to tell Beast that something has changed the Rider from the guy he'd fought side by side with in the past. As the two mutants walks back to their car, Mr. Penner runs out of the building and tries - to no effect - to convince them to join his company.

ANNOTATIONS 

This story, continuing from Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 1, serves as an interlude chapter of "Rise of the Midnight Sons", which continues in Morbius the Living Vampire (1992) # 1.

Ghost Rider last encountered Wolverine and the Beast in Ghost Rider (1990) # 27 during a fight with the alien Brood in New Orleans.

Dan had his throat ripped out by Blackout in Ghost Rider (1990) # 25.

The Next Wave are meant to represent the first three creators to leave Marvel Comics to form Image Comics in the early 90s. Agent X represents Jim (X-Men) Lee, Snare represents Todd (Spider-Man) McFarlane, and Turk represents Rob (X-Force) Liefeld. The group reappears in Ghost Rider (1990) # 56.

REVIEW

It's the second time in three issues that Ghost Rider has crossed over with Wolverine and the X-Men - this time as an interlude to a completely unrelated crossover that started directly after the X-Men one.

With the chapters of "Rise of the Midnight Sons" being staggered one per month and each demanding appearances by Ghost Rider and Blaze, the ongoing Ghost Rider and Spirits of Vengeance titles were left with the strange spot of treading water for several months until the crossover wrapped up. So for the first of these interlude issues, we're given yet another story involving Wolverine - the fourth Wolverine/Ghost Rider story, to be exact. Wolverine is obviously Marvel's most popular character, rivaled only by Spider-Man, but yet another storyline involving him only two months after the last one is a bit annoying, especially when Wolverine and Beast seem tacked on with no real merit for the story. The two X-Men really have no business appearing in this story other than to increase sales, which is a curiosity in itself since - at this time - Ghost Rider was still a top-selling title for Marvel.

Thankfully, the story is saved by a clever (if a bit dated now) story that's used to comment on what was a major industry event at the time. In the early 90s, a group of Marvel's most popular artists let the company and formed their own comic company, stating that they wished for more independence and compensation for their work. With that in mind, Mackie created the Next Wave as supervillain homages to the three biggest creators to abandon Marvel's ship: Jim Lee, Rob Liefeld, and Todd McFarlane. The similarities between the real life people and fictional characters are quite blatant and obvious: Snare uses ropes and nets to signify Spider-Man (McFarlane) and his webs, while Turk brandished overly large guns a la Rob Liefeld's Cable. The Next Wave's desire to "go independent" is a rather tongue-in-cheek satire of the Image crew, and it makes for a cute - if harmless and inconsequential - story. Mackie comes close to taking it too far, with Wolverine's comments that he's "seen everything you're doing before...and I've seen it better!" But it still comes across as light-hearted, if a little mocking of the artists who wanted to line their pockets with even more money.

Andy and Joe Kubert continue as the artistic team, and while their artwork is perfectly serviceable I believe the story could have used someone a bit flashier to draw the Next Wave - seeing as how the characters are based on very distinct and stylized artists themselves.

All in all, this is essentially a fill-in story that does nothing to advance either the "Midnight Sons" story or the ongoing subplot of Dan's death. The clever concept and satire is all that keep it from being completely ignored altogether.

Grade: B-