Cover Date: February 1977
On Sale Date: November 1976
Story: Gerry Conway
Script: Don Glut
Artist: Don Heck
Inker: Keith Pollard
Letterer: Irv Watanabe
Colorist: Don Warfield
Editor: Archie Goodwin
Cover Artist: Jack Kirby
Meanwhile, the Enforcer meets with the scientist responsible for his technology, who provides him with a miniaturized medallion version of the device stolen from the Eel. The Enforcer goes to a meeting of West Coast mob bosses and declares himself to be their new leader, and when one protests he uses the medallion to disintegrate him. The other criminals quickly fall in line. Meanwhile, Coot Collier gets a surprise visit from his son, Carson Collier Jr., who seems to be up to something sinister. The next morning, while filming a scene for the Stunt-Master television show, Blaze is called up to the office Charles Delazny, head of the television studio. Waiting in Delazny's office is a detective from the Los Angeles Police Department named Flannigan; Johnny's identity as the Ghost Rider is public knowledge from his cycle show days, and they want to question him down at the precinct about his antics endangering the city. Blaze puts up a fight and escapes the police, turning himself into a fugitive.
Later that evening, Johnny calls Roxanne Simpson, who has dug up information on who hired the Eel as a consultant for the Stunt-Master show. The hire was made from Delazny's office, but that doesn't mean that Delazny himself is involved. Johnny laments that he can only transform into Ghost Rider when he's in danger, but after concentrating harder than ever before is able to force the change into his supernatural form for the first time. Johnny goes to Delazny's mansion estate just in time to see the Enforcer and his men leaving in a car, which he follows all the way to the San Diego Naval Yards. While Ghost Rider takes out the gangsters, the Enforcer turns his disintegration ray (now contained in a ring on his finger) on one of the parked battleship, declaring it proof that "no man can stop the Enforcer!" Ghost Rider confronts him and chases him on and off of the battleship, with Enforcer making numerous comments about movies and the film industry while under duress, and eventually the fight takes both men into the water. Enforcer loses his ring but is able to escape unharmed while Ghost Rider makes his way back to shore.
The next morning, Johnny wanders into the police station to confront Flannigan, saying "if I'm Ghost Rider then who is that?" and pointing to an image of the Rider driving by outside. The police are forced to drop their charges, with a smiling Blaze thinking to himself that he can create hellfire images of the Ghost Rider whenever he needs to protect his identity. Still, though, he can't help but feel that disaster is right around the corner.
This issue is the first occurrence of Johnny being able to transform into the Ghost Rider at will. Starting in Marvel Spotlight (1972) # 5 he would transform against his will every night. That changed in Ghost Rider (1973) # 13, when his transformations began to occur whenever he sensed danger, in daytime or night.
Johnny Blaze, the Ghost Rider, is being pursued by the police through Los Angeles, and after a harrowing chase he is finally able to lose them in an alley. With the danger over, he transforms back into Blaze and returns to his parked motorcycle, thinking about his recent run-in with the Eel and the Gladiator. He goes to visit Karen Page, and despite proclaiming his love for her gets the cold shoulder, with her asking him to give her more time.
Meanwhile, the Enforcer meets with the scientist responsible for his technology, who provides him with a miniaturized medallion version of the device stolen from the Eel. The Enforcer goes to a meeting of West Coast mob bosses and declares himself to be their new leader, and when one protests he uses the medallion to disintegrate him. The other criminals quickly fall in line. Meanwhile, Coot Collier gets a surprise visit from his son, Carson Collier Jr., who seems to be up to something sinister. The next morning, while filming a scene for the Stunt-Master television show, Blaze is called up to the office Charles Delazny, head of the television studio. Waiting in Delazny's office is a detective from the Los Angeles Police Department named Flannigan; Johnny's identity as the Ghost Rider is public knowledge from his cycle show days, and they want to question him down at the precinct about his antics endangering the city. Blaze puts up a fight and escapes the police, turning himself into a fugitive.
Later that evening, Johnny calls Roxanne Simpson, who has dug up information on who hired the Eel as a consultant for the Stunt-Master show. The hire was made from Delazny's office, but that doesn't mean that Delazny himself is involved. Johnny laments that he can only transform into Ghost Rider when he's in danger, but after concentrating harder than ever before is able to force the change into his supernatural form for the first time. Johnny goes to Delazny's mansion estate just in time to see the Enforcer and his men leaving in a car, which he follows all the way to the San Diego Naval Yards. While Ghost Rider takes out the gangsters, the Enforcer turns his disintegration ray (now contained in a ring on his finger) on one of the parked battleship, declaring it proof that "no man can stop the Enforcer!" Ghost Rider confronts him and chases him on and off of the battleship, with Enforcer making numerous comments about movies and the film industry while under duress, and eventually the fight takes both men into the water. Enforcer loses his ring but is able to escape unharmed while Ghost Rider makes his way back to shore.
The next morning, Johnny wanders into the police station to confront Flannigan, saying "if I'm Ghost Rider then who is that?" and pointing to an image of the Rider driving by outside. The police are forced to drop their charges, with a smiling Blaze thinking to himself that he can create hellfire images of the Ghost Rider whenever he needs to protect his identity. Still, though, he can't help but feel that disaster is right around the corner.
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| Who cares indeed, Johnny? |
THE ROADMAP
Ghost Rider appears next in The Champions (1975) # 14.
This issue is the first occurrence of Johnny being able to transform into the Ghost Rider at will. Starting in Marvel Spotlight (1972) # 5 he would transform against his will every night. That changed in Ghost Rider (1973) # 13, when his transformations began to occur whenever he sensed danger, in daytime or night.
CHAIN REACTION
To read my review of Ghost Rider (1973) # 22 see my book Wheels On Fire: An Unofficial Guide to Marvel Comics' Ghost Rider: 1972-1983!
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| "Take that, decommissioned battleship!" |
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