Sunday, October 23, 2011

The Legion Of Monsters: Ghost Rider




Johnny Blaze was a motorcycle stuntman in a circus act with father-figure Crash Simpson.  When Crash was diagnosed with a terminal cancer, Johnny turned to the occult, making a deal with Satan by offering his soul in exchange for curing Crash's cancer.  Like most deals with the devil, Blaze was duped as Crash shortly died after a failed motorcycle stunt.  After being unable to claim Blaze's soul due to a woman's pure love for him, Satan bonded Johnny Blaze with the spirit of vengeance, a demon named Zarathos, who would take control of Blaze's body, granting him hell-spawned powers and the visage of a leather-cladded, flaming-skulled monster known as Ghost Rider.  Equipped with a mystical bike, Ghost Rider was summoned when evil reared its head, exacting the will of Satan by returning the wicked to a punishment in Hell.

Ghost Rider first appeared in Marvel Spotlight #5, Aug. 1972.  He joined the Legion of Monsters in Marvel Premiere #28, Feb. 1976.

--B

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