“A Woman Possessed!” (19 pages)
[usr 2.65]
Eager to reach Roxanne, Johnny runs a police roadblock, but they open fire and cause him to crash. On the Apache reservation, Snake Dance and Sam find Linda in a trance. Later, Bart tells the recovering Roxanne that the cycle show will go broke if Johnny doesn’t perform his stunts. Fearing demonic possession, Sam calls exorcist Daimon Hellstrom. Snake Dance watches over Linda, but when he falls asleep Satan appears and possesses Linda’s body and runs away. Johnny awakens in his hospital room just as night falls and transforms into Ghost Rider. He sneaks out and catches a cab to Copperhead Canyon. Linda arrives at the hospital as the staff and police discover Johnny is missing. At Copperhead Canyon, Bart attempts to substitute for Johnny by leaping over the canyon, be he crashes and dies. Roxanne faints, and Ghost Rider commandeers a truck to escape from the police with Roxanne. That night, Hellstrom arrives at Snake Dance’s home.
| Writer | Gary Friedrich |
| Penciler | Tom Sutton |
| Inker | Syd Shores |
| Letterer | John Costanza |
| Colorist | George Roussos |
| Editor | Roy Thomas |
| Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze; previously in MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #11 (1973); appears next in GHOST RIDER #2 (1973)) |
| Daimon Hellstrom [exorcist; first appearance; appears next in GHOST RIDER #2 (1973)] |
| Mephisto [as Satan; also possesses Witch Woman; previously appeared in MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #11 (1973); appears next in GHOST RIDER #2 (1973)] |
| Witch Woman [Linda Littletrees; also possessed by Satan; previously appeared in MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #11 (1973); GHOST RIDER #2 (1973)] |
| Sam Silvercloud [previously appeared in MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #11 (1973); appears next in GHOST RIDER #2 (1973)] |
| Snake Dance [previously appeared in MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #11 (1973); appears next in GHOST RIDER #2 (1973)] |
| Roxanne Simpson [previously appeared in MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #11 (1973); GHOST RIDER #2 (1973)] |
| Bart Slade [previously appeared in MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #9 (1973); dies in this story] |
| Howard Gifford [announcer; voice only; first and only appearance] |
| According to her headstone, Victoria Hellstrom was born March 4, 1928 and died August 21, 1953. |
| A footnote refers to MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #11 (1973) as last issue. |
| Ghost Rider learns here that injuries he sustains as Johnny Blaze temporarily vanish while he’s Ghost Rider. |
| Howard Gifford is named after Howard Cosell and Frank Gifford, both sports announcers. |
| Real Name | John “Johnny” Blaze |
| Occupation | Stunt motorcyclist |
| Base | Mobile |
| Height | 6′ 2″ |
| Weight | 220 lbs |
| Eyes | Flaming red |
| Hair | None |
| First Appearance | Mavel Spotlight #5 (1972) |
Centuries ago, Mephisto enslaved a demon, Zarathos. In the 18th century, Mephisto used a shard of the Medallion of Power to transform Noble Kale into a “spirit of vengeance,” the Ghost Rider. Noble’s descendant Naomi Kale and her husband, Barton Blaze, had three children, John, Daniel and Barbara. After Barton’s death, John was raised by “Crash Simpson,” who taught John to become a stunt motorcyclist like himself.
Posing as “Satan,” Mephisto offered to cure Simpson of a fatal disease in exchange for Blaze’s soul. Simpson died performing a stunt, and Mephisto bonded Zarathos to Blaze’s body, causing him to transform into Ghost Rider. Blaze was freed of the curse when Zarathos became trapped in a “crystal of souls.”
When criminals wounded Barbara Ketch, her brother Dan carried her to a junkyard. With Barbara’s innocent blood on his hands, Dan touched a mysterious motorcycle and became Ghost Rider II.
Dan and John Blaze later learned they were brothers. John was again bonded with Zarathos and became Ghost Rider once more.
POWERS
Ghost Rider has superhuman strength and durability, as well as the ability to project and control Hellfire, which can sear the soul as well as burn the flesh. He can shape his Hellfire into a mystical motorcycle capable of traveling over water and up vertical surfaces. He is also immune to any mystical attacks that are specific to beings with living souls.
More on Marvel.com: http://marvel.com/universe/Ghost_Rider_(John_Blaze)#ixzz5GCOg1ILA