Ghost Rider (1990) # 31

"Rise of the Midnight Sons, Part 6"

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

Writer: Howard Mackie; Artist: Andy Kubert: Inker: Joe Kubert; Letterer: Janice Chiang; Colorist: Gregory Wright; Editor: Bobbie Chase; Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco; Cover Artist: Andy Kubert 

While Dan Ketch navigates through the afterlife, Lilith and her Lilin mourn the death of Meatmarket, who was killed by the Nightstalkers. She tells Pilgrim to teleport them all to the land of the midnight sun, where she will bring all of her exiled children to Earth. While she prepares herself in the Arctic Circle, the various members of the “Nine” (Ghost Rider, John Blaze, Victoria Montesi, Louise Hastings, Sam Buchanan, Frank Drake, Hannibal King, Blade, and Morbius) are teleported away from their various locations by a mysterious individual. 

All nine of them appear together at the Arctic Circle, where they are confronted by Lilith and her Lilin. Pilgrim opens a teleportation rift in Lilith’s chest, which she will use to birth her newest child. Reaching into the void, she grabs hold of Dan Ketch’s soul and brings it to Earth in a monstrous new form as one of her Lilin. Dan tears his way through Ghost Rider, Blaze, and the Nightstalkers before turning on the Lilin. Ghost Rider is able to restrain Dan with his chain and toss him back through the rift while Lilin commands the rest of her Lilin to die in battle, granting her more power. While the others escape, Ghost Rider stays behind to defeat Lilith, seemingly destroying her by making her enter the rift. Ghost Rider collapses and all but Blaze and Morbius are teleported away by the arriving Dr. Strange, who promises to help return Dan to the world of the living. After they depart, only the young Lilin named Nakota is left alive and alone. Suddenly, Lilith emerges from the snow and kills Nakota, promising that her sacrifice will eventually allow Lilith to defeat the Midnight Sons. 

Ghost Rider (1990) # 30

"Nightmares of Truth"

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

Writer: Howard Mackie; Artist: Andy Kubert; Inker: Joe Kubert; Letterer: Janice Chiang; Colorist: Gregory Wright; Editor: Bobbie Chase; Editor In Chief: Tom DeFalco; Cover Artist: Andy Kubert

Danny Ketch finds himself in the realm of Nightmare alongside an unconscious Ghost Rider, surrounded by Lilith and her Lilin.  Nightmare appears and tell Danny that his wanderings through the afterlife have allowed him to be pulled into the dream realm, and through him Ghost Rider was brought as well.  Nightmare then transforms the images of the Lilin into Danny's friends and family, including his dead sister Barbara.  He screams, and in the realm world Mrs. Ketch, Stacy Dolan, her father Gerry Dolan, and Jack D'Auria all wake up from the same nightmare about Danny.  They all get up and start getting ready for their day, each of them thinking about Danny and his disappearance after Blackout kidnapped them all.

In Nightmare's realm, Ghost Rider awakens and attacks both Nightmare and Danny, who thinks is a demonic illusion.  He quickly realizes his mistake and talks with Danny about what happened with Blackout and the vision of Lilith.  Nightmare interrupts them and says that he's learned the Ghost Rider may not be Zarathos after all, and the fear generated by Lilith and her brood will cause Nightmare to grow even more powerful if left unchecked.  Therefore, he's decided that he has to kill Ghost Rider and Danny.  That night in Brooklyn, Mrs. Ketch has called together Jack, Stacy, and Captain Dolan to her house to talk about what happened to Danny.  Jack takes note that the night looks particularly dark tonight, but doesn't see that the darkness is beginning to ooze through the windows.  In the Nightmare realm, Ghost Rider and Danny flee on the Rider's motorcycle toward a floating house, pursued by Nightmare.  Back in the real world, Danny's friends are attacked by Lilith and the Lilin, including Blackout.

When they approach the floating house, Danny recognizes his mother's scream.  When they crash through the ceiling, they find his four loved ones encased in mystical bubbles.  Ghost Rider quickly finds that the Lilin are mere illusions, and when Lilith transforms into Nightmare he easily overpowers the Rider.  Nightmare explains that he has captured the souls of their friends and will not relinquish them unless Ghost Rider and Dan allow themselves to die at his hands.  He attacks them, claiming to know the Ghost Rider's origin, telling him that he should have searched out the Soul Crystal.  He also notes that Danny knows nothing about his father or his sibling. Danny and Ghost Rider are able to merge once more to defeat Nightmare, but the two quickly separate and tell the defeated demon that he will no longer hold dominion over them.  Danny frees the souls of his loved ones, who will wake up on Earth with  no memory of what's happened.  Dan and Ghost Rider leave the Nightmare realm and come to a crossroads, and while Dan continues to search for a way back to life Ghost Rider will continue his fight against Lilith.

Ghost Rider (1990) # 29

"Biting the Hand That Feeds You!"

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

Writer: Howard Mackie; Artist: Andy Kubert: Inker: Joe Kubert; Letterer: Janice Chiang; Colorist: Gregory Wright; Editor: Bobbie Chase; Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco; Cover Artist: Andy Kubert

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 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. As the two mutants walk back to their car, Mr. Penner runs out of the building and tries - to no effect - to convince them to join his company.

Ghost Rider (1990) # 28

"Rise of the Midnight Sons, Part 1: Visions"

Cover Date: August 1992; On Sale Date: June 1992

Writer: Howard Mackie; Artist: Andy Kubert; Inker: Joe Kubert; Letterer: Janice Chiang; Colorist: Gregory Wright; Editor: Bobbie Chase; Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco; Cover Artist: Andy Kubert

After avenging the rape and death of a woman, a restless and enraged Ghost Rider returns to Cypress Hills Cemetery. John Blaze follows closely behind him, demanding to know what's happened to Danny after Blackout ripped out his throat. The two are interrupted by a strange man with a shovel, who introduces himself as the Caretaker. He says that he's kept an eye on the Rider since he locked Blackout and Stern in the mausoleum weeks before. Ghost Rider enters the crypt, and immediately after the police start shooting at Blaze and the Caretaker. 

Inside, the Rider shares a vision with Danny, who is floating in the void between worlds. Dan sees a light in the darkness, and when he reaches for it, the light turns into a hand. The hand pulls him through a portal, where he sees a vision of different individuals that will assemble to stop the coming of Lilith. The hand that guided him belongs to Lilith herself, who attempts to kill him. Dan escapes back to the void, barely escaping another death. 

Back in the mausoleum, the Ghost Rider is attacked by the newly free Blackout and Stern. The Rider collapses due to the power of Danny's vision, giving the two villains time to make their escape. Blackout opens the crypt door, only to find Lt. Badilino and a virtual army of police surrounding them. Blackout grabs Stern and runs out the door, using the man's invulnerable body as a shield. Badilino enters the mausoleum, wanting the Rider above all others. Before he makes it to the demon, the Caretaker smacks him in the face with his shovel. He and Blaze grab the Rider and carry him out through an underground tunnel. 

When the Ghost Rider awakens, he rants about the vision he shared with Danny. He and Blaze go to the building that houses their motorcycles, only to see Blackout inside. Blaze shoots his gun, but instead hits the bike as Blackout escapes, transforming it into a hellfire cycle. John sits atop the bike and agrees to follow the Rider on his search to find the people in the vision. After they leave, the Caretaker has a chat with Dr. Strange, and the two agree that a great evil is coming.

Ghost Rider (1990) # 24

"Death Duel"

Cover Date: April 1992; On Dale Date: February 1992

Writer: Howard Mackie; Artist: Mark Texeira w/ Andy Kubert; Letterer: Janice Chiang; Colorist: Gregory Wright; Editor: Bobbie Chase; Editor In Chief: Tom DeFalco; Cover Artist: Mark Texeira

Snowblind is kidnapped from the hospital by Deathwatch, Hag, and Troll, while Ghost Rider is busy interrupting a hostage situation in another part of the city. Later, at Cypress Hills Cemetery, Ghost Rider transforms into Danny Ketch. At his home, Danny calls John Blaze, who is with his carnival in New Orleans, and tells him about his plan to take down Deathwatch. When Dan refuses to listen to reason regarding the confrontation with Deathwatch, Blaze becomes worried that Zarathos could be taking over Dan after all. Meanwhile, Snowblind wakes up alongside a host of captive innocent people in Deathwatch’s penthouse, all of them being used as a power source for Deathwatch and bait to lure the Ghost Rider to them.

That night, Danny goes around to his mother, his best friend Jack, and his ex-girlfriend Stacy, but is unable to explain to any of them what has been happening. Sensing Deathwatch, Dan transforms into Ghost Rider and heads toward the penthouse, where Deathwatch has killed all the captives save for Snowblind. When Ghost Rider arrives, he is attacked by Hag and Troll while Deathwatch absorbs Snowblind’s life essence, killing him. Ghost Rider defeats Hag and Troll, and prepares to kill Deathwatch, knowing now that the villain is not a human being. Deathwatch overpowers Ghost Rider, beating him with one of his own rib bones, gloating that Ghost Rider cannot take a life. Proving that his stance against taking a life only extends to humans, Ghost Rider stabs Deathwatch with his chain, causing the villain to explode, taking out the top of the penthouse with him. Ghost Rider emerges from the destruction and wonders what remains for him now that all his enemies are dead.