This was the first issue of GHOST RIDER that I ever bought. I seem to recall picking it up at a supermarket that carried a few comics–the same one where I’d earlier purchased SHOGUN WARRIORS #3. I was never a fan of Marvel’s assorted monster titles–I was a super hero man through and through. But I’m sure that having seen a house ad for this issue influenced by choice. And it’s a great issue, possibly the best during the book’s original run. And it did get me to start following GHOST RIDER, albeit not for a month or two.
The story was actually an inventory job produced by Jim Starlin and finished by Steve Leialoha. The pair made a fine combination on the artwork, which was rich and lush and really something. And the story was very much a classic Starlin tale of the era, his fascination with death as a physical entity being reflected in the tale’s antagonist. GHOST RIDER was in something of a transition period at this moment. It had started out as a monster/horror series, then tried its hand at being an up-the-middle super hero series. But neither approach quite satisfied. There’d be a long run in which the book was similar to the INCREDIBLE HULK Television Series, with Johnny Blaze wandering from place to place and getting into trouble with local criminals and no-goodniks. Put frankly, for a good portion of its run, it wasn’t a good series. But somehow, the visual appeal of a flaming skull rider on a motorcycle was just metal enough to keep it going. I’m sure it had good impulse sales to non-regular readers.
The story is extremely straightforward, but it’s really the artwork that puts it over the top. This issue just looks great all around. Traveling through the desert, Johnny Blaze finds himself transforming into the Ghost Ride, his path subsequently blocked by a dark-clad figure. This is Death Ryder, who is the personification of death itself. And it’s come to challenge Johnny to a contest within his own idiom. He challenges the Ghost Rider to three races, with death on the line each time. If the Ghost Rider doesn’t prevail, somebody will perish. Blaze doesn’t entirely give credence to what seems to be going on, but he plays along anyway at first. He can’t afford to risk the lives of strangers due to his inaction.
But things rapidly turn serious as the Ghost Rider loses the first race, a street race down a long stretch of highway to where a man’s motorcycle has broken down. Death Ryder gets there first, and with a touch, causes the distressed cyclist to instantly perish. At this, the Ghost Rider refuses to continue, but Death Ryder tells him that he doesn’t have a choice, and declares that their next contest with be a cross-country race through the hills, to where a lost child is searching for her parents. Given the danger to a little girl, Ghost Rider can hardly refuse, and so he guns his engine and drives with every bit of skill that he possesses in order to outrun death itself.
And so the two cyclists race again, all throughout the rugged terrain. But Death Ryder has cheated, at least somewhat: just before where the girl is, the landscape smooths out, giving Death with his more powerful chopper the clear advantage in a straightaway. But Blaze isn’t ready to give up. He drives his bike up a nearby incline and leaps it into the air, getting to the child just seconds before Death Ryder does. Ghost Rider brandishes hellfire and prepares to fight to prevent eh girl’s demise, but Death Ryder simply tells him that he’s won that round, and the score remains tied at 1-1. Now the time for the final race has come, and it’s Johnny Blaze’s own life on the line this time.
Blaze’s reaction to this pronouncement is to tell Death Ryder to suck it, and he punctuates his retort with a searing blast of hellfire. But much to his surprise, Death Ryder is totally unfazed by his attack, and Johnny has no choice but to race for the finish line, with Death close behind. Blaze calms himself by considering the fact that he’s toyed with death every time he performed one of his insane stunts back in his stunt-riding days, and he leads his mystical pursuer on a chase through the mountainside, depending on his well-honed cycling skills to keep him alive and one step ahead of his lethal pursuer.
But even so, it isn’t enough–Death Ryder has no fear of any maneuver Blaze might try, and he’s been cheating throughout the contest, so Blaze’s lead is swiftly narrowed and the finish line far away. Backed into a corner, Johnny figures that he’s got no choice and that Death Ryder had initially said that anything goes. So he lashes out, kicking Death Ryder’s front wheel and sending him careening off the mountainside and into the valley below. And that’s pretty much the end. Johnny Blaze has won is race with death–but only for now. so long as he continues to walk this path, so long as he shares his existence with the demonic Ghost Rider, death will only be a breath away.
The Tom Brevoort Experience 
Of the few Ghost Rider books of this series I have, this and the one with the Phantom Eagle are the only ones I like. Funny how Thanos had a tantrum during Infinity Gauntlet because Death refused to talk to him and here is Death chatting up Ghost Rider ( I remembered this story when Thanos had his tantrum but I didn’t know Jim Starlin was behind it ). Death, one of Marvel’s oldest characters ( Timely-Atlas-Marvel ).
LikeLike
This was such a terrific issue. It would have felt even more special if so many of the regular issues hadn’t felt like fill-ins too, thanks to that whole wandering-hero-with-no-supporting-cast thing. I also think maybe Marvel’s writers (and artists?) didn’t know much about the Southwest, so they avoided towns and cities rather than do the research.
The unsung hero here is Tom Orzechowski, whose stylish lettering elevates the issue as much as the story and art. Also working on this issue: Al Milgrom, doing finished pencils over Starlin’s layouts on the framing sequence, and Michael Nasser/Netzer pitching in on inks (as did Starlin).
This is a series I really disliked at the time, and now more and more I wish I could write it. Not any of the post-Johnny Blaze GRs, just this one in this era. But better.
LikeLiked by 2 people
With all the minis set in Marvel’s past you could. Maybe tell the untold story of Johnny being cursed with some dire consequence if he didn’t wander the Southwest and avoided getting too close to anyone. Cyrus Black would make a great antagonist too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t want to write a mini-series set in the established continuity. I want to write an ongoing series where I could establish a new direction for the character. Which ain’t gonna happen.
But yeah, Cyrus Black would make a good GR villain.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi, Kurt. Why would you writing a new ongoing “Ghost Rider” series “ain’t gonna happen”? Sorry to hear that. I’d wanna see what you’d do with it.
LikeLike
Because it’s not the 70s any more and there’s no way to get there from here. I did say “this one in this era” in my first post up there.
Today is a different era. Different audience, different market.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope this doesn’t offend you Kurt. I don’t know your tastes & preferences. I’ve been thinking of Tom’s other BHOC entries. You’d be my 1st choice to write a period piece limited series of “All-Star Squadron”. My art preference for it would be Patrick Oliffe. And I’d want Baron Blitzkrieg to be 1 of the villains. Maybe the Ultra-Hunanite; the sorcerer Wotan; & Deathbolt, too. You’d do a bang up job on it. Pat would, too
LikeLike
“You’d be my 1st choice to write a period piece limited series of “All-Star Squadron”. My art preference for it would be Patrick Oliffe.”
I always like working with Pat, and I like those characters. There’s a story I’d like to do someday involving Johnny Quick, Liberty Bell and Commander Steel just after the war ends, but I can’t say I’m expecting ever to get to do it.
Still if I ever do, Pat would do an excellent job.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Holy Hannah! It’s NOT the 70’s anymore?! Blue Blazes, that explains a lot! Alan Alda looks OLD. My sideburns were In JUST growing in, too. But there’s no killing polyester.(WAS there ever a comics character named Poly Esther?) Racial tensions.Gender inequality. Geo-olitical troubles w/ Russia & Iran. Enthralled by fossil fuels. Spam. Cheeze Whiz. Life Cereal (Ask Mikey, he hates EVERYTHING!). The more things change the more they stay the same? 😉🙏
LikeLike
@Kurt Busiek. I’d seen that 1st issue of “Steel” (Conway & Heck?). Then was glad to see him in Roy’s “A-SS”. I noticed the addition of “Commander”. It worked for me in the context of the series, WW2, especially.
I think Geoff Johns was writing “JSA” when it became “Citizen Steel”. Too clunky a name for me. But John Henry Irons was “Steel” for a decade or so by then.
I gotta get Pat to draw a commission for me. He’s so good.
LikeLike
“I always like working with Pat, and I like those characters. There’s a story I’d like to do someday involving Johnny Quick, Liberty Bell and Commander Steel just after the war ends, but I can’t say I’m expecting ever to get to do it.”
Shux. ‘Cause now of course I wish I could read it. 😉 Those 3 characters, plus Firebrand, Amazing-Man, & Robotman were the “core” of that book for me. It was goodto see Dr. Fate, Green Lantern, Hawkman, & the Flash too. But those other 6 were more connected to that book for me. They were lesser known, & even new in Firebrand’s & Amazing-Man’s cases.
Would Steel be up on war crimes or espionage charges, and the news team of Libby & Johnny try to clear him? I’m sure there are other scenarios, but that popped into my head. I understand it if you can’t divulge.
I also wish the name “Commander Steel” would be repurposed. I remember the more recent “Captain Steel” in one of the “Earth 2” ongoing monthlies. But “Commander” was too engrained in my mind for the “Captain” moniker to sound right. I’d want Dr. John Henry Irons to add it to his hero’s ID. San’s the cape and hammer. Have the helmet look a little more like the Persuader’s from the LSV, maybe slap a star on the forehead, and a head fin like Don Heck did on his Steel. Give him “concussor” blasts, add some red & blue; and here’s something of an Iron Man analog, but with John Henry’s personae & history.
You & Pat make a great team. I’ve always loved his stuff. I’ve never been a big fan of most of the Adam Warlock material, but Pat’s art was why I picked up the “Infinity Watch” series. Naturalistic with dramatic lighting & shadow. Expressive faces, powerful figures.
LikeLike
“Would Steel be up on war crimes or espionage charges, and the news team of Libby & Johnny try to clear him?”
No.
“I also wish the name ‘Commander Steel’ would be repurposed. I remember the more recent ‘Captain Steel’ in one of the ‘Earth 2’ ongoing monthlies. But ‘Commander’ was too engrained in my mind for the ‘Captain’ moniker to sound right.”
For me, his name is Steel, like it said on the cover of his first comic. So I have to doublecheck whenever I mention him these days. Commander? Citizen? Something else?
LikeLiked by 1 person
This was the first comic I remember buying with my own money and it sparked a life long love of this Johnny Blaze version of the Ghost Rider. Still have this issue framed on the wall of my office.
LikeLiked by 1 person
There aren’t many great stories by the ghost rider, and its a shame because he was such a powerful image.
My favorite as kid was always #68 by Roger Stern, that pretty much retells the origin, but it does it in good way and with a final twist.
LikeLiked by 1 person