—Tarantula (Clay Riley)I have a message for the one you call the Ghost Rider! I leave my words for him with you-- since he obviously is too cowardly to receive them in person! Tell him that the Tarantula eagerly awaits a showdown with him-- and that I do not fear ghosts-- if he does not fear spiders!
Appearing in "The Macabre Menace of the Tarantula!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Jamie Jacobs
- Natalie "Nat" Brooks (Surname revealed)
- Benjamin "Ben" Brooks (Full name revealed)
Antagonists:
- Cattle Rustlers
- Bart (First appearance)
- Clem (First appearance)
- Two unnamed cattle rustlers
- Tarantula (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Banshee
- Ranchers
- Zeb (First appearance)
- Jake (First appearance)
- Two unnamed ranchers
- Jason Bartholomew's Gang (Referenced)
- Blackie Clay (Referenced)
- Several unnamed henchmen (Referenced)
- Mrs. Jacobs (Jamie's Mother) (Referenced) (Deceased)
- Clem Jacobs (Referenced) (Jamie's Father) (Deceased)
- Comanche (Referenced)
- Flaming Star (Mentioned)
- Numerous unnamed members (Referenced)
- Bison Bend
- Clay Rider (First appearance)
- Sam (First appearance)
- Mabel (First appearance)
- Doctor Barnes (First appearance; unnamed)
- Jed Higgins (First appearance)
- Numerous unnamed citizens
- Satan (Mentioned)
Races and Species:
- Humans
- Horses
- Cows
- Rabbits (Mentioned)
- Wolves (Mentioned)
- Ghosts (Mentioned)
- Spiders (Mentioned)
- Gods of Earth (Mentioned)
- Demons (Mentioned)
- Coyotes (Mentioned)
- Bed Bugs (Mentioned)
Realities:
Locations:
- Earth
- United States of America
- Colorado
- Bison Bend (Name revealed)
- Kansas (Mentioned)
- Colorado
- United States of America
Items:
- Lantern-Projector (First full appearance)
- Mystic Powder (Mentioned)
Synopsis for "The Macabre Menace of the Tarantula!"
The Ghost Rider assists some ranchers in driving off some cattle rustlers. Getting away to their hideout they start packing up their stuff to flee from the territory but are stopped by a man calling himself the Tarantula who recruits them to fight the Ghost Rider and to extort the town of Bison Bend for money.
Meanwhile Carter Slade as the Ghost Rider returns to his hidden hideout where he meets up with Jamie Jacobs and walks him through some of the items that help the Ghost Rider appear to be a supernatural entity such as his Lantern-Projector and his cloak of darkness which is just a cape with a pitch black inner lining. After that the two make their way to Bison Bend where they speak briefly to the Brooks siblings, Natalie and Benjamin, before also meeting Natalie's fiancé Clay Rider.
That evening the Tarantula and his men ride into town and place a notice that they are required to pay them $100 a month for their protection. The following day Carter falls from the roof of the schoolhouse they're building and uses it as an excuse to hide the fact that he won't be present that night when the Ghost Rider shows up.
That night the Tarantula shows up and the only one who stands up to him is Ben Brooks who is run down for his trouble but not killed as to be the one and only warning from the Tarantula. The Tarantula then calls out the Ghost Rider for not being present and tells the citizens to give him a message for a showdown, but while that's happening the Ghost Rider scares off the Tarantula's men before facing off against him himself. The Tarantula tries to fight against the Ghost Rider but ultimately his supernatural "abilities" are too strong which causes the Tarantula to use Natalie Brooks as a human shield. The Ghost Rider saves her and chases the Tarantula out of town.
After the two are gone the town recognizes Ben's bravery and ask him to be their sheriff, but he needs time to think it over but if he does accept he knows he's going to go after the Ghost Rider since he believes him to be secretly far worse than the Tarantula.
Appearing in "When A Man's Afraid!"
Featured Characters:
- Deputy Ben (First appearance)
Supporting Characters:
- Sheriff Mack North (First appearance)
Antagonists:
- Clem Yurdle (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Unnamed Doctor
Races and Species:
Realities:
Locations:
- Earth
- United States of America
- Laramie (First appearance)
- United States of America