Appearing in ""The Curse of Jonathan Blaze!""
Ghost Rider (Vol. 2) #68
Featured Characters:
- Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze) (Appears in flashback) (Possessed by Zarathos in main story and recap)
Supporting Characters:
- Quentin Carnival (Only in flashback)
- Roxanne Simpson Only in flashback
- Crash Simpson Only in flashback
- Mona Simpson (Death in recap)
- Zarathos (Possesses Ghost Rider in main story and recap)
Antagonists:
- Unnamed murderer (First appearance) (Impersonates a priest)
- Satan (Lucifer) (Only in recap)
Other Characters:
- Barton Blaze (Mentioned) (Deceased)
- Naomi Kale (Mentioned)
- Alfie (Simpson's booking agent) (Mentioned)
- Doc Warren (Crash's doctor) (Mentioned)
- Isht (Invoked)
- Hogo (Invoked)
- Agam (Invoked)
- A priest murdered (Mentioned)
- Lord (Yahweh) (Invoked)
- Unidentified Police Department (First appearance)
- Unnamed agents (First appearance)
Races and Species:
Locations:
- Earth (Main story and flashback)
- United States of America (Main story and flashback)
- A Church (First appearance)
- Nevada (Only in recap)
- Quentin Carnival (Only in recap)
- New York (Only in flashback)
- New York City (Only in flashback)
- Manhattan (Only in flashback)
- Madison Square Garden (Only in flashback)
- Manhattan (Only in flashback)
- New York City (Only in flashback)
- United States of America (Main story and flashback)
- Hell (Mentioned) (As Hades in recap)
Vehicles:
- Hell Cycle (Main story and recap)
Synopsis for ""The Curse of Jonathan Blaze!""
Ghost Rider (Vol. 2) #68
It is late at night and Johnny Blaze enters a church. The only man present is a priest. Johnny is feeling somber, and asks the priest to hear his confession. The priest sets him down inside the confessional and Johnny tells him the story of his life. He explains in detail how he sold his soul to the Devil to save the life of his adoptive father, Crash Simpson. As a result, Johnny was bonded to a demon and became the Spirit of Vengeance, the Ghost Rider.
As he concludes his confession, he reveals that he knows the man behind the screen is not a real priest. He is actually a thief who murdered a priest and took his clothes. He planned on stealing gold valuables from the church when Johnny interrupted him.
The false priest runs out of the confessional and steals Johnny's cycle. Johnny transforms into the Ghost Rider and crafts a new cycle made of Hellfire. He chases the priest across the countryside and finally forces him off the bike. The priest falls down onto the railroad tracks, and Ghost Rider sears his soul with Hellfire.
At dawn, the police arrive and finds the man in a state of petrified catatonia. Johnny Blaze answers a few questions from the police, then turns and walks away.
Appearing in ""Personal Demons""
Ghost Rider (Vol. 2) #69
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Harry Donovan (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Bob Convy (First appearance)
- Burt
- Eliot Franklin (Behind the scenes)
- Shirley Watkins (First appearance)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for ""Personal Demons""
Ghost Rider (Vol. 2) #69
The Ghost Rider races down the highway and is noticed by motorcycle cop, Bob Convy. Convy gives chase, but the Ghost Rider manages to dissuade him from further pursuit.
He soon arrives at the Quentin Carnival where he turns back into Johnny Blaze. Johnny suits up for his next stunt and races his cycle through a gauntlet of dangerous obstacles. Three people in the audience, Burt, Shirley and Harry comment about Blaze's performance. Harry, a beer-swilling thug says that if Blaze was really talented, then he wouldn't have had his title stolen by Flagg Fargo.
As the show concludes, Harry prepares to go to the bar. His girlfriend however, elects to stay behind to get Johnny Blaze's autograph. Shirley is also secretly having an affair with Harry's friend, Burt. Shirley meets Johnny and flirts with him, but he fails to take notice of her.
The following day, Harry returns to the carnival. He is heavily inebriated and blames Johnny for Shirley's failure to return home. He begins swinging at Johnny, but Ralph Quentin shows up and drives Harry off.
Harry steals a nearby Earthmover and blows into the carnival tents. People scatter in all directions, and Johnny hops on his cycle. Harry manages to run Johnny down, and his body falls beneath the Earthmover's blades. He forces the transformation into Ghost Rider and fights with Harry. Ghost Rider disables the Earthmover, and tosses Harry to the ground. Gripping him by both arms, he infuses Harry with Hellfire, scarring him right down to his very soul.
Trivia
- The song that the old man is singing in the beginning of "Personal Demons" is "Deep Purple", written as a piano composition by Peter de Rose in 1934. Lyrics were added in 1939 by Mitchell Parish. The song bears no relation to the 1970's rock 'n roll band, Deep Purple.