Thanos (2017) # 17

"Thanos Wins, Part 5"

Cover Date: May 2018; Publication Date: March 2018

Writer: Donny Cates; Artist: Geoff Shaw; Letterer: Clayton Cowles; Colorist: Antonio Fabela; Editor: Jordan D. White; Editor-in-Chief: Axel Alonso; Cover Artist: Geoff Shaw

The Silver Surfer, now armed with the hammer Mjlonir, attacks Thanos, Old King Thanos, and Cosmic Ghost Rider, sweeping all of them aside.  When Ghost Rider attacks, stating that the Surfer isn't the only Herald of Galactus there, the Surfer kills him, smashing him to pieces with his hammer.  The Surfer is then attacked by an enraged Hulk, who is calmed by the Surfer's voice and reverts back to Bruce Banner.  King Thanos then stabs both of them in the back with the flaming sword of Surtur, killing Banner.  The two versions of Thanos then beat the Surfer mercilessly, eventually killing him.  Now that they are the only two living creatures in existence, Death appears outside, dressed for a wedding.

Thanos (2017) # 16

"Thanos Wins, Part 4"

Cover Date: April 2018; Publication Date: February 2018

Writer: Donny Cates; Artist: Geoff Shaw; Letterer: Clayton Cowles; Colorist: Antonio Fabela; Editor: Jordan D. White; Editor-in-Chief: Axel Alonso; Cover Artist: Geoff Shaw

During his last attack on Earth, Thanos was in the skies above Manhattan slaughtering all of the planet's heroes.  On the ground below was Frank Castle, the Punisher, who was crushed under a falling building.  As he died, he thought that he would give anything to punish Thanos...and found himself in Hell before Mephisto.  Castle signed a deal with Mephisto to become the Ghost Rider, but found that he was the only living being left on Earth.  Centuries later, after having become mad from loneliness, Castle witness the coming of an injured Galactus.  Castle makes his second deal and becomes the cosmic powered Herald of Galactus, and the two of them went across the galaxy hunting for Thanos.  It took the pair centuries, but when they finally confronted Thanos the Mad Titan killed Galactus and offered Castle a place by his side, where he remained until the end of time.

Old Man Thanos, his younger time travelling counterpart, and the Ghost Rider are confronted by the Silver Surfer and his Annihilation Wave. When the wave of alien insects attacks, Thanos reminds Ghost Rider of his hellish power and, with a massive blast of hellfire, he destroys the entire Annihilation horde.  The Silver Surfer attacks, knocking all three of his opponents to the ground, and Old Man Thanos asks why the Surfer waited so long just to die.  The Surfer answers that he wasn't waiting, he was becoming worthy...just as Thor's hammer Mjolnir flies into his hand.

Thanos (2017) # 15

"Thanos Wins, Part 3"

Cover Date: March 2018; Publication Date: January 2018

Writer: Donny Cates; Artist: Geoff Shaw; Letterer: Clayton Cowles; Colorist: Antonio Fabela; Editor: Jordan D. White; Editor-in-Chief: Axel Alonso; Cover Artist: Geoff Shaw

Thanos uses the Ghost Rider's Penance Stare to relive every horrible act of violence and suffering that he's caused, which the Mad Titan enjoys immensely.  King Thanos tells his younger self that he performs that ritual every day.  Young Thanos tosses the Rider's head to the ground, where his body retrieves it to place back on his shoulders.  King Thanos tells young Thanos that he has killed every being in the universe save for one, the Fallen One, and not until his enemy dies can he be reunited with Mistress Death.  Thanos scoffs at his older counterpart's fear of a "forgotten Herald" and in response King Thanos tells him to prepare for the coming battle and leaves.  Ghost Rider invites Thanos to help him "feed the dog" and takes him to the dungeon beneath the throne room, talking all the while about how different he was before becoming the right hand of King Thanos.  In the dungeon, the "dog" needing to be fed is a bestial Hulk, who is kept chained in a pit of bones and relics of long-dead heroes.  Ghost Rider then introduces himself to Thanos as Frank Castle, a name Thanos fails to recognize.

In the chapel where King Thanos worships Death, young Thanos confronts the old man who has readied himself for battle, holding Surtur's Twilight Sword.  After the two argue over their perceived love and servitude for Mistress Death, an explosion announces the Fallen One's arrival.  King Thanos explains that the Fallen One is not a name, it is a title, this time held by the incoming Silver Surfer, accompanied by the Annihilation Wave behind him.

Thanos (2017) # 14

"Thanos Wins, Part 2"

Cover Date: December 2017; Publication Date: February 2018

Writer: Donny Cates; Artist: Geoff Shaw; Letterer: Clayton Cowles; Colorist: Antonio Fabela; Editor: Jordan D. White; Editor-in-Chief: Axel Alonso; Cover Artist: Geoff Shaw

In the far future, millions of years after the murders of nearly every being in the universe, King Thanos sits on his throne with the Spirit of Vengeance as his only companion.  He has called his younger self from the 21st century to his future time, and the young Thanos reacts with violence, not believing that he is face to face with himself.  When the Ghost Rider steps in to stop the younger Thanos, stating that he can't be killed, he is hoisted up by his skull with the intention to test that theory.  King Thanos gets on his knees and says "please" to his younger self, stating he needs his help.  Thanos blasts Old King Thanos out of the throne room, unwilling to believe that he would ever ask for help from anyone, but is convinced when his older self calls him by his true birth name, "Dionne".  King Thanos states that he has lost someone and needs help getting them back; when young Thanos asks who he lost, he is pointed to a magnificent statue of Mistress Death while King Thanos answers "who do you think?".

Thanos (2017) # 13

"Thanos Wins, Part 1"

Cover Date: November 2017; Publication Date: January 2018

Writer: Donny Cates; Artist: Geoff Shaw; Letterer: Clayton Cowles; Colorist: Antonio Fabela; Editor: Jordan D. White; Editor-in-Chief: Axel Alonso; Cover Artist: Geoff Shaw

On the planet Chitauri Prime, the alien race of Chitauri have been completely dominated and overthrown by Thanos, who waged brutal war upon them in just five hours time.  He kills the king and takes his throne, new ruler of the Chitauri, and is soon approached by a servant who tells him of a being approaching the planet's orbit that has slaughtered its way through their spaceship armada.  The Ghost Rider arrives planetside and blows through the alien army on his way to Thanos, this Spirit of Vengeance that also possesses the Power Cosmic of Galactus as one of his former heralds.  He gets off of his space bike and approaches Thanos, telling him that he's there to bring him back to his master.  Thanos knocks hims aside, but Ghost Rider recovers and binds him in chains forged from the bones of Cyttorak.  Using a shard of the Time Stone, Ghost Rider drags Thanos into space and teleports them to Earth, millions of years in the future.  There, Thanos is brought before the Rider's master, an older version of Thanos himself who tells his younger counterpart that he's "already won".

Wolverine (2020) # 36

"Weapons of Vengeance, Part 3: Possessions"

Cover Date: October 2023; On Sale Date: August 2023

Writer: Benjamin Percy; Artist: Geoff Shaw; Letterer: VC's Travis Lanham; Colorist: Rain Beredo; Editor: Darren Shan & Mark Basso; Editor in Chief: C.B. Cebulski; Cover Artist: Ryan Stegman

Years ago, Ava Flores takes the possessed child Bram to a nursing home where he murders one of the residents to feed the demon inside of him. In the present day, Wolverine hitches a ride behind Ghost Rider on his motorcycle as they race from Pennsylvania to Utah, arriving at the Weapon Plus base inside Devil's Backbone. Ghost Rider transforms back into Johnny Blaze, and he and Wolverine are detected by the base's crew, led by Father Pike. Elsewhere, CIA agent Jeff Bannister researches the occult texts provided by Blaze on his computer and winds up releasing a demonic presence, from which he is saved by Blaze's companion Talia Warroad. 

Back at Hell's Backbone, Wolverine and Blaze enter the Weapon Plus base, where the find that the group has been experimenting on demons. Wolverine comments that the program has released the Stitcher demon inside Bram to hunt down mutants. Suddenly, control helmets slap down on their heads and electrocute them into unconsciousness. Meanwhile, Talia and Jeff do more research into the demonic Stitcher entity. 

Father Pike brings the now adult Bram into the Weapon Plus lab, where Wolverine has been prepared for possession by Bram's demon, the Bagra-Ghul. Bram takes his place beside Wolverine and the demon Stitcher is transferred from Bram to Logan, transforming him into the Hellverine. Father Pike tells the now demon-possessed Wolverine to go feed upon the mutants of the world, and the Hellverine detects mutants 5 miles in the distance. He steals Johnny Blaze's motorcycle and rides off into the night. 

Ghost Rider (2022) # 17

"Weapons of Vengeance, Part 2: Demonology"

Cover Date: October 2023; On Sale Date: August 2023

Writer: Benjamin Percy; Artist: Geoff Shaw; Letterer: VC's Travis Lanham; Colorist: Rain Beredo; Editor: Darren Shan & Mark Basso; Editor in Chief: C.B. Cebulski; Cover Artist: Ryan Stegman

At a baseball game in Massachusetts, a mutant is killed inside a bathroom. Meanwhile, Johnny Blaze and Wolverine investigate a group of mutants that were murdered and fused into a grotesque statue of body parts. Later, disguised as forensic officers, Wolverine and Blaze look at the mutant killed at the baseball game, similarly mutilated into a form of horrific artwork. They take the body to Logan's contact in the CIA, Jeff Bannister, who confirms with tests that the victim was a mutant. Blaze gets Bannister to look up arcane symbology in his digital database, which nearly triggers his transformation into the Ghost Rider. 

Years earlier, Wolverine attempted to kill Ghost Rider, believing him to be the demonic creature that attacked the X-Men and killed innocent motorists at a traffic accident. Ghost Rider persuaded Wolverine that he was not the culprit, but the true killer - the young boy named Bram - had already disappeared, leaving the trail cold.

In the present day, Logan and Blaze arrive at Bram's former orphanage in New York to get information on the "orphan murders" from years ago. Blaze is guided by the Spirit of Vengeance to unlock a chained door, where he finds a child that has been tortured by the orphanage's director. Blaze transforms into the Ghost Rider, who uses the Penance Stare on the director and gains information on Bram and the government agency that had been there a week before asking questions. The Rider shares the information with Wolverine psychically and the two realize that the government agency is working out of Hell's Backbone in Utah, which is the new home of Project Hellfire. 

Ghost Rider/Wolverine: Weapons of Vengeance Alpha # 1

"Weapons of Vengeance, Part 1: Sympathy For the Devil"

Cover Date: October 2023; On Sale Date: August 2023

Writer: Benjamin Percy; Artist: Geoff Shaw; Letterer: VC's Travis Lanham; Colorist: Rain Beredo; Editor: Mark Basso & Darren Shan; Editor in Chief: C.B. Cebulski; Cover Artist: Ryan Stegman

At a motel somewhere in New York, Johnny Blaze reads a newspaper article about a ritualistic killing at a small house. He travels there and encounters Wolverine, who tells him that "it's happening again" and this time they're going to do something about it.

Years before, social worker Ada Flores arrives at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters with a young boy named Bram, hoping to find help for the child. They're met by a hostile Wolverine, who is called off by Xavier. While Bram mingles with the X-Men, Xavier speaks with Flores, who tells him that Bram is an orphan and the other children at the orphanage are terrified of him. Xavier scans Bram's mind and is attacked by a supernatural force inside the boy, prompting the Professor to ask Flores and Bram to leave. Meanwhile, at New York Coliseum, Johnny Blaze and Roxanne Simpson prepare to put on their motorcycle show for a sold out audience. During the show, Johnny gets a vision of a demonic creature, which causes him to crash his bike. 

Bram is returned to the orphanage, where he murders all of the other children and forms their bodies into a grotesque statue. Bram returns to the Xavier school where the demonic creature inside him nearly kills the X-Men. When Wolverine cuts Bram, having deduced that he is connected to the demon, the creature escapes with the child into the night. At the Coliseum, Johnny wakes up and tells Roxanne about his vision, then transforms into the Ghost Rider and goes in search of the demon he saw. Ghost Rider comes across two cars on fire, the passengers fused into another demonic statue, and is then attacked by Wolverine, who believes the Rider to be the same demon that attacked the X-Men. Bram, meanwhile, is found on the road by Flores, who takes him away to try and help him.

Returning to the present day, Blaze and Wolverine discover that one of the bodies found in the empty house was Ava Flores, who had raised Bram as her own over the intervening years. Wolverine asks Blaze if he's ready to finish what they started years before, and Johnny transforms into the Ghost Rider, riding side by side with Wolverine to find Bram.

Revenge of the Cosmic Ghost Rider (2019) # 1

Cover Date: February 2020; On Sale Date: December 2019

Writers: Dennis "Hopeless" Hallum; Artist: Scott Hepburn; Letterer: Travis Lanham; Colorist: Antonio Fabela; Editor: Darren Shaw; Editor-in-Chief: C.B. Cebulski; Cover Artist: Scott Hepburn

Following a murder spree across the galaxy, Frank Castle is locked up inside a Shi'ar Supermax Space Prison. When he's attacked by the inmates he transforms into Cosmic Ghost Rider and begins slaughtering all of them. During the fight the power to the prison is disabled, releasing "the Veil", a creature seemingly made of pure darkness that sucks all of the hellfire out of Cosmic Ghost Rider before the last living guard activates the station's self-destruct protocol, destroying the prison and killing everyone inside.

Months later, a group of alien scavengers sift through the prison's debris and discover Cosmic Ghost Rider's inert skull. One of the crew is a human girl named Cammi, who has a rivalry with one of her mates. Back on their ship, Cosmic Ghost Rider wakes up and begins killing the scavengers, reforming his body as he goes along, until only Cammi remains. When Frank gives Cammi the Penance Stare it reveals that she is actually an innocent girl despite her hard exterior. She explains that the pirates were working for the Cosmic King, the most powerful alien gangster in the galaxy, who is also listening in on their conversation. Cosmic King then opens a portal to the Hotel Inferno for a meeting with Mephisto, where he demands the soul of Frank Castle.

"Semper Fight"

Writers: Donny Cates; Artist: Geoff Shaw; Letterer: Travis Lanham; Colorist: Matt Milla; Editor: Darren Shaw; Editor-in-Chief: C.B. Cebulski; Cover Artist: Scott Hepburn

While at the grave of his wife, Maria Castle, old man Frank is attacked by his present-day counterpart, the Punisher. Using consecrated hellfire rounds and grenades, the Punisher attempts to kill Cosmic Ghost Rider. Finally getting fed up with the attack, old man Frank stops the fight and asks why present-day Frank is trying to kill him. The Punisher answers that he knows about Cosmic Ghost Rider's traveling through time and is angry that he didn't save their wife and children. Cosmic Ghost Rider leaves Earth after the Punisher says he will kill him if he returns.

Guardians of the Galaxy (2019) # 1

"The Final Gauntlet, Part 1"

Cover Date: March 2019
On Sale Date: January 2019

Writer: Donny Cates
Artist: Geoff Shaw
Letterer: VC's Cory Petit
Colorist: Marte Gracia
Senior Editor: Jordan D. White
Editor: Darren Shaw
Assistant Editor: Danny Khazem
Editor-in-Chief: C.B. Cebulski

Cover Artist: David Marquez

Eros, brother of Thanos, has gathered together the greatest heroes of the cosmos for a meeting to witness the recorded last will and testament of Thanos. Among the heroes are the Silver Surfer, Beta Ray Bill, and Cosmic Ghost Rider, who sits at the bar in the back of the spaceship. The will projects a hologram of Thanos, who reveals that his consciousness has been imprinted on the mind of another person, which will in effect bring Thanos back to life. Eros theorizes that the most likely candidate is Gamora, who he insists they must find and kill. Missing from the meeting are Star Lord and Groot, who learn about it from a Nova Corps officer.

The meeting is interrupted by an attack from Thanos' minions, the Black Order. During the battle they steal Thanos' headless body and open up a black hole that sucks all of the heroes inside. Star Lord and the Nova Corps arrive to see four people escape the black hole: Beta Ray Bill, Phyla Vell, Moondragon, and Cosmic Ghost Rider. Star Lord and Groot pull them aboard their ship and induct them as the new crew to keep the Nova Corps from arresting them. Meanwhile, the Black Order report to the person working to revive Thanos, Hela, the Asgardian goddess of death.

THE ROADMAP

Cosmic Ghost Rider last appeared chronologically at the end of Cosmic Ghost Rider Destroys Marvel History (2019) # 6, which takes place directly before the meeting of the space heroes in this issue.

Eros and Cosmic Ghost Rider discovered Thanos' body and his will in Thanos Legacy # 1.

Cosmic Ghost Rider references his decision to not kill Thanos as a baby, which happened in Cosmic Ghost Rider (2018) # 1, and his death in the future at the hands of the Silver Surfer from Thanos (2017) # 17.

Oh Frank, don't ever change.

CHAIN REACTION

Cosmic Ghost Rider joins the mainstream Marvel universe in this relaunch of Guardians of the Galaxy by the "Thanos Wins" team of Donny Cates and Geoff Shaw.

Two things about this comic were a very likely inevitability, that Cosmic Ghost Rider was going to come to the present day and that Donny Cates was going to continue his work with Thanos. So this series wasn't much of a surprise when it was announced, and honestly if any writer was going to continue on with Cosmic Ghost Rider it needed to be Cates. Picking up from the Thanos Legacy one shot, Cates uses the concept of Thanos leaving a will as the basis for a rather novel way to gather as many cosmic characters as he could and present them as potential new Guardians.

Cates also does the unexpected by summarily shuffling almost all of them off into a black hole minus a handful that will be making up his core team. Its a great swerve against expectations and its immediately effective in establishing the stakes of the story. That Cosmic Ghost Rider is one of the surviving cast members going forward is appropriate since he's Cates main claim to fame as a Marvel creator so far, and he's given many numerous moments to shine.

Geoff Shaw turns in some impressive work here as well, giving visual distinction and personality to dozens of characters. The alien heroes, especially the Silver Surfer, have an otherworldly design from Shaw that stands out as unusual yet appropriate. He's also naturally at home drawing Cosmic Ghost Rider, seeing as he's a co-creator of the character.

The Guardians of the Galaxy aren't characters I usually gravitate towards, but this was a solid debut issue that leaves me interested in picking up the next one.