Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 16

"Road to Vengeance: The Missing Link, Part 6: Zarathos"

Cover Date: November 1993; Publication Date: September 1993

Writer: Howard Mackie; Artist: Henry Martinez; Inker: Keith Williams; Letterers: Bill Oakley; Colorist: John Kalisz; Editor: Bobbie Chase; Editor In Chief: Tom DeFalco; Cover Artist: Henry Martinez

Ghost Rider, John Blaze, Vengeance, and the Caretaker all lay defeated at the feet of the newly-reborn Zarathos.  The Spirits of Vengeance are able to escape into the catacombs beneath Cypress Hills Cemetery with the unconscious Mrs. Ketch, while the amnesiac Zarathos is found by Lilith and her Lilin.  Centurious, injured in the battle with Ghost Rider, demands Lilith's help but instead he is attacked and teleported away by the Lilin and Zarathos.  Lilith, seeing an opportunity for power, tells Zarathos that she is his mother. 

At the Blood's mystical Nightclub, Caretaker and Seer tell the Spirits of Vengeance about how they're connected to one another through the Medallion of Power and Mephisto's interference.  While the members of the Quentin Carnival look after Mrs. Ketch, Caretaker teleports them away, but not before Mrs. Ketch demands that Caretaker tell them the whole truth about "her babies".  The heroes arrive back at the cemetery and attack, but only when Ghost Rider taps into the power of the Medallion on his motorcycle gascap is he able to blast Zarathos and Lilth back into the catacombs, which he believes has sealed them away "forever".  With the battle ended, Blaze demands to know what Mrs. Ketch was talking about, and Caretaker reveals that he and Dan Ketch are actually brothers.

Ghost Rider (1990) # 43

"Road to Vengeance: The Missing Link, Part 5: Inner Truths"

Cover Date: November 1993; Publication Date: September 1993

Writer: Howard Mackie; Artist: Ron Garney; Inker: Chris Ivy; Letterer: Janice Chiang; Colorist: John Kalisz; Editor: Bobbie Chase; Editor In Chief: Tom DeFalco; Cover Artist: Ron Garney

Ghost Rider and John Blaze arrive at Cypress Hills Cemetery to finally confront Centurious and get answers about the Medallion of Power, accompanied by Seer and members of the Quentin Carnival.  They find Caretaker and Vengeance waiting for them, and after a brief (and one-sided) fight against Caretaker they agree to go with the old man to get the answers they seek.  When Seer attempts to intervene, Caretaker convinces her to take the carnival members to the Blood's Nightclub while he does what he needs to do.  Meanwhile, beneath the cemetery, Centurious undergoes a ritual that bonds him to the chain he stole from Ghost Rider.  He's then told by Lilith that Mrs. Ketch has escaped them into the tunnels.

Back on the surface, Caretaker gets tired of Ghost Rider and Vengeance attacking one another and transforms them back into Danny Ketch and Michael Badilino.  He then leads them and Blaze down into a catacomb beneath a tomb, where smoke swirls around them.  This shows them the history of the Spirits of Vengeance and their ancient war against Zarathos, ending in a battle that destroyed them all and trapped their essences within the Medallion of Power.  The Blood, realizing that the Medallion could never be destroyed, instead shattered it and hid the shards within the bloodlines of two different families.  The Caretaker has been their immortal guardian ever since.  When Badilino points out that he became Vengeance due to his deal with Mephisto, Caretaker corrects him by saying Mephisto has always been a liar and a manipulator.  Ketch, Blaze, and Badilino all have pieces of the Medallion inside them that give them the powers of the Spirits of Vengeance, all Mephisto did was activate that power within Badilino.  Caretaker tells them that the Medallion must never become whole again, and he's there to teach them how to tap into its power.

In the caverns they run into the fleeing Francis Ketch, who upon seeing what has happened to Blaze slaps Caretaker in the face and demands he tell them the whole truth.  They are interrupted by Centurious, Lilith, and the Lilin who have come to claim the Medallion pieces.  Using the power of the chain Centurious calls the mystical motorcycles into the cavern, then fires a bolt of hellfire at Danny.  The blast instead hits Mrs. Ketch, who jumps in the path of the beam to save her son.  This causes Danny to transform into Ghost Rider, starting a battle between him and Centurious while the others hold off the Lilin.  The battle ends with Centurious defeated and unmasked, but before he can give them any answers a painful blast of energy erupts from the immortal villain's chest.  Zarathos, in this true demonic form, emerges from within Centurious, having been hiding inside him since their escape from the Soul Crystal.  Before anyone can react, a large explosion destroys the cavern and explodes through the surface of the cemetery.

Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 15

"Road to Vengeance: The Missing Link, Part 4: Trials by Fire!"

Cover Date: October 1993; Publication Date: August 1993

Writer: Howard Mackie; Artist: Mike Manley; Inker: Tom Palmer; Letterers: Bill Oakley & Jim Novak; Colorist: John Kalisz; Editor: Bobbie Chase; Editor In Chief: Tom DeFalco; Cover Artist: Mike Manley

Ghost Rider and Seer arrive at Quinn's cabin with the gravely injured John Blaze, whose body is being consumed by hellfire. The remaining members of the Quentin Carnival (Wolf, Kody, Miranda, and Clara) all gather around their fallen friend when Ghost Rider brings him inside. Quinn says he can help John and takes him to a hidden room inside the cabin, telling the others to wait outside. Quinn attempts to help John take control of the hellfire burning from within him, saying that it will take Blaze, Ghost Rider, and Vengeance to stand against what's coming next.

 

Meanwhile, in a mountain castle, Vengeance is in battle against a group of warrior monks who are attempting to destroy him. Vengeance escapes from the castle and rides away on his motorcycle to again attempt to kill Ghost Rider. Beneath Cypress Hills Cemetery, Lilith watches as Centurious uses magic and fire to take control of the chain he had stolen from Ghost Rider.

 

Back at the cabin, Blaze wakes up to find Quinn operating on him with a complex array of machines. Quinn tells John that the hellfire never came from his gun but from inside him, laying dormant until Centurious cut him up looking for the Medallion of Power. Using the equipment left by his father, Eli, Quinn has repaired the damage to John's body as best he could. Elsewhere in the cabin, the Carnival members are waiting for word about Blaze when Vengeance rides through the wall. Ghost Rider removes Vengeance from the cabin and the fight rages outside. Blaze hears Clara screaming for help and asks Quinn to give him his gun. Vengeance easily defeats Ghost Rider and the Carnival members, but is stopped by Blaze, who has emerged from the cabin in new clothes and cybernetic plates covering his limbs and half of his face. He shoots Vengeance multiple times, eventually causing the villain to transform back to his human form and fall down. Blaze recognizes him as Michael Badilino, the cop from New York that had been attempting to apprehend Ghost Rider. Blaze kicks Badilino in the face, then tells the others to get ready to go confront Centurious. Later, a naked Badilino makes his way through the forest and is found by the Caretaker, who says he's the only friend Badilino has.

Ghost Rider (1990) # 42

"Road to Vengeance: The Missing Link, Part 3: Links"

Cover Date: October 1993; On Sale Date: August 1993

Writer: Howard Mackie; Artist: Ron Garney; Inker: Chris Ivy; Letterer: Janice Chiang; Colorist: Gregory Wright; Editor: Bobbie Chase; Editor In Chief: Tom DeFalco; Cover Artist: Mike Manley

Ghost Rider and the young woman named Seer are transported to the Blood's mystical Nightclub, where protective spells immediately transform Ghost Rider back into Dan Ketch. Dan is desperate for answers from Seer, especially now that Centurious has captured both his mother and John Blaze.

Meanwhile, at Centurious' headquarters in the town of Holly, the villain's servant Carver continues the work Skinner started by cutting away pieces of Blaze's flesh while he's chained from the ceiling. Observing alongside Centurious is the demon mother Lilith, who is approached by her Lilin Blackout. A piece of Ghost Rider's chain had been stabbed into Blackout's head, and when Centurious removes it another piece of the chain is immediately called to connect to it - a chain recovered when Centurious took possession of Deathwatch from Ghost Rider.

At the Nightclub, Seer begins to tell Dan some of the secrets of the Blood and the Medallion of Power, showing him visions in a puddle of alcohol. She stops soon after starting, unwilling to say anymore; but she then decides that if none of the other Blood care to get involved then she'll tell Dan everything. At that moment, the Caretaker steps through a mirror and throws Seer across the room, telling her to keep her mouth shut. The old man attacks Dan, who for the first time triggers the transformation into Ghost Rider on his own. The Rider quickly disables Caretaker, and the fight is finished when Seer receives a flash of pain from John Blaze. Ghost Rider and Seer depart, leaving Caretaker alone in the Nightclub, happy that things are finally moving along.

At Centurious' base, Carver is blown back by the massive amount of hellfire pouring uncontrollably out of Blaze's mutilated body. Centurious orders him to continue until he finds the piece of the Medallion that dwells inside Blaze's body. Ghost Rider and Seer arrive in Holly, which is completely empty of people, and make their way toward the church. They're attacked by three Stygian demons who are quickly killed. When they enter the church, a revived Deathwatch bursts through the floor, now under the thrall of Centurious. Ghost Rider attacks with his chain, but is caught by Deathwatch and tossed down into the church's basement for Centurious to retrieve. Deathwatch then attacks, claiming that he was really after the Medallion of Power on the night that Barbara Ketch was mortally wounded by his men.

While Ghost Rider fights Deathwatch, Seer goes in search of Blaze. Deathwatch ultimately falls under Ghost Rider's fists, and the Rider goes to join Seer in her hunt for Blaze. They find his cell behind a wall of hellfire, and Ghost Rider pulls the horribly injured John free. Deathwatch grabs Seer from behind, but before he can harm her he is blasted away by the combined hellfire of Blaze and the Rider. Seer opens up a gateway to the Nightclub for their escape, and Blaze tells them to take him to Quinn for help. Centurious and Lilith, with the captive Francis Ketch and Ghost Rider's complete chain, arrive at Cypress Hills to prepare for the final battle.

Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 14

"Road to Vengeance: The Missing Link, Part 2: Truth Is Only Skin Deep!"

Cover Date: September 1993; On Sale Date: July 1993

Writer: Howard Mackie; Artist: Mike Manley; Inker: Tom Palmer; Letterer: Bill Oakley; Colorist: John Kalisz; Editor: Bobbie Chase; Editor In Chief: Tom DeFalco; Cover Artist: Mike Manley

At a truck stop along a New York highway, the Lilin named Skinner murders a trucker. Vowing revenge on both Lilith and John Blaze for the death of his children, Skinner begins his hunt. Meanwhile, the Ghost Rider tears down a Pennsylvania road, searching for Blaze. When he comes across the spot that the remnants of the Quentin Carnival have been occupying, he sees them in a vicious battle with the Lilin. The demons are there to kidnap John, alive and unharmed. The Ghost Rider intervenes, forcing the Lilin to retreat through one of Pilgrim's portals. Blaze is reluctant to hear what the Ghost Rider has to say, unwilling to endanger his friends and family any more than he already has. GR transforms back to Dan, who explains that Lilith and another have kidnapped his mother. Blaze asks who the other person was, and upon hearing Centurious' name, angrily agrees to help.

At their secret location, Centurious and Lilith interrogate the terrified Francis Ketch. When she fails to cooperate, Centurious decides to torture her. Elsewhere, Seer arrives at the Nightclub, where she is confronted by the mystic form of one of the Blood. The Blood tell Seer to bring the Ghost Rider to the Nightclub immediately, while they deal with the Caretaker themselves. Back on the highway, Dan and John ride toward a town called Holly, the place where Zarathos and Centurious were locked away in the Soul Crystal. As the two travel toward the small town, they are both unaware that Skinner is following them in a stolen semi-truck.

Three miles outside of Holly, John and Dan stop at a diner to get some food while they have an opportunity. Skinner then attempts to run them over with the semi, but the two manage to evade the truck. After Dan transforms, the Ghost Rider goes to save the people in the diner from the burning semi-truck, leaving Blaze to fight Skinner alone. John is quickly outmatched, and is sliced open several times by Skinner's bone blades. Ghost Rider then returns, allowing John to crawl away. GR quickly defeats Skinner and turns his attention toward Blaze, whose wounds are covered in a strange flame. Before the Ghost Rider can reach his friend, Centurious and Lilith appear between them. Centurious offers to exchange Blaze and Dan's mother for the medallion on GR's motorcycle, which the Rider promptly refuses. Centurious tangles the Ghost Rider in his own chain, then disappears, taking Lilith, Skinner, and Blaze along with him. As Ghost Rider frees himself from his chain, he sees a vision of the Caretaker, who tells him to find Seer and then wait for him. As the vision fades, Seer appears and takes Ghost Rider's hands, promising the answers to his questions.

Ghost Rider (1990) # 41

"Road to Vengeance: The Missing Link, Part 1: Mother Love"

Cover Date: September 1993; On Sale Date: July 1993

Writer: Howard Mackie; Artist: Ron Garney; Inker: Chris Ivy; Letterer: Janice Chiang; Colorist: Gregory Wright; Editor: Bobbie Chase; Editor In Chief: Tom DeFalco; Cover Artist: Ron Garney

In Greenland, a very pregnant Lilith sings her siren call in the vain hope that one of her scattered children will come to her. She has devoured the corpses of her children that were killed by the Midnight Sons, and is ready to give birth to them once again. Her song is carried to every corner of the planet, and is heard by Centurious. Recognizing Lilith's call, he teleports away, believing that the demon queen may be able to help him in his quest for the Medallion of Power. Meanwhile, in New York, Dan Ketch sits in his apartment, thinking about all the questions that have been raised concerning the Ghost Rider's origin. Suddenly, a strange woman enters, saying that her name is Seer, one of the Caretaker's people. Dan says that the Caretaker is dead, killed by Vengeance. Seer replies that the Caretaker is probably still alive, and that Dan needs to come with her to get the answers he seeks. At that moment, hearing Lilith's siren call, Seer grabs Dan and pulls him out of the apartment.

Back in the Arctic, Lilith begins to lose hope that one of her children will come to her aid. Finally, a Lilin by the name of Outcast arrives, saying that he wants to return to the family fold. Outcast rips a hole in his mother's stomach, allowing the reborn Lilin to emerge in a flash of light. Blackout, whose face is now fully healed from the scars inflicted by Ghost Rider's hellfire, is the first to approach Lilith. She tells him that the Nine must die, that she wants their entrails as adornments. Blackout forces Pilgrim to teleport him to New York, in order to kill Danny.

Danny and Seer ride through NYC on his motorcycle, when they are attacked by Pilgrim and Blackout. Pilgrim creates a rift in the street, opening a giant chasm directly in front of Dan, who manages to grab hold of the street-edge. Dan tells Seer that he can't transform into the Ghost Rider until innocent blood is spilled, to which she says is untrue. Frustrated, Seer lets go of Danny and falls into the chasm, hoping to trigger his transformation. Blackout then grabs Dan's wrist, pulling him out of the chasm. When Dan sees the fresh blood that stains the vampire's teeth, the transformation is triggered and the Ghost Rider emerges. Pilgrim promptly teleports himself and his ally, as Blackout taunts the Rider by threatening Dan's mother.

In Greenland, Lilith and her offspring are confronted by Centurious, who seeks an alliance with the demon queen. Realizing that Centurious knows the location of the Medallion of Power, Lilith accepts the offer. Meanwhile, the Ghost Rider enters the darkened home of Francis Ketch. He finds the woman in the basement, attempting to fix the lights. Pilgrim and Blackout appear and grab Mrs. Ketch, commanding the Rider to transform back into Dan or she will die. The Ghost Rider refuses, slamming the end of his chain into Pilgrim's face (shattering it rather nicely). The demon then forms a length of the chain into a facsimile of a stake, promptly stabbing it into Blackout's forehead. Pilgrim teleports the two Lilin away, leaving GR alone with Mrs. Ketch. She tells the Rider that she knows about him and Dan, and that it's time for him to learn the truth. She is then grabbed from behind by Centurious, who blasts the Ghost Rider with an energy beam. As he teleports away, he tells GR that John Blaze knows where to find him, and that both of them must come. Seer then reappears, offering to give GR the answers to his questions. The Ghost Rider brushes her aside, opting instead to search for Blaze.