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/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) # 38

"Blood Obligations" 

Cover Date: June 1993; On Sale Date: April 1993 

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

A woman is chased into Cypress Hills Cemetery by two carjackers, where they run into the badly damaged Ghost Rider following his battle with the Firm. Ghost Rider gives the two men the Penance Stare and heals himself of his wounds at the grave of Barbara Ketch, asking why he is linked to her and the place of his rebirth. Meanwhile, the police and FBI investigate the destruction at the Firm’s hospital, which leads them to a sealed metal door. When they start to cut their way into the room with a blowtorch, the Scarecrow is revealed to be inside with a mysterious group of creatures held captive by the Firm. 

Back at the cemetery, Stacy Dolan walks to Barbara’s grave to leave flowers and finds Ghost Rider. She draws her weapon and attempts to place him under arrest while Ghost Rider talks intimately about her and other people in Dan Ketch’s life. She receives a call on her radio about the Scarecrow at the hospital, which Ghost Rider overhears. He tells her to pull the trigger if she must, but it will not stop him from going after Scarecrow. Back at the hospital, the creatures released from the sealed room swarm over the police officers, led by Scarecrow. Ghost Rider arrives and confronts Scarecrow, leading to a brutal fight between them. Stacy arrives and shoots Scarecrow in the back; when he collapses, he is dragged into the shadows by the other creatures, who disappear with him. A few minutes later, Captain Dolan arrives with more officers, and Stacy tells him that Ghost Rider left through the back of the building. After the officers give chase, Ghost Rider emerges from a closet and thanks Stacy for hiding him. She tells him if he does turn out to be a bad guy then she will find a way to destroy him.