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Ghost Rider #2

MOTORCYCLE STUNTMAN JOHNNY BLAZE ALWAYS HAD HIS HEART IN THE RIGHT PLACE… AND MADE ALL THE WRONG DECISIONS. WHEN HIS FOSTER FATHER WAS DYING OF CANCER. JOHNNY SOLD HIS SOUL TO THE DEVIL FOR A CURE. THOUGH THE CANCER WENT INTO REMISSION. A DANGEROUS STUNT CLAIMED THE MAN’S LIFE ANYWAY… AND THE DEVIL RETURNED FOR BLAZE’S SOUL.

JOHNNY WAS CURSED TO SERVE AS THE GHOST RIDER, SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE, A HORRIFYING LEATHER-CLAD BIKER WHOSE SKULL FACE WAS LIT BY A FLAME THAT COULD NOT BE SNUFFED OUT. WHENEVER HE WAS IN THE PRESENCE OF EVIL, HE WOULD TRANSFORM INTO THIS SPIRIT WARRIOR AND DISPENSE BLOODY RETRIBUTION UPON EARTH’S SINNERS.

THAT IS, UNTIL JOHNNY BLAZE WAS CAST INTO HELL.

EVER SINCE, HE HAS SPENT HIS DAYS RACING A DEMONIC HORDE TO HELLS GATES, REACHING TOWARDS IMPOSSIBLE FREEDOM, ONLY TO BE DEVOURED AND DEFEATED MERE INCHES AWAY FROM HIS LIBERATION. AND EVEN WHEN HE FINALLY BREACHED THESE GATES, THERE WAS ONLY MORE FIRE AND BRIMSTONE TO GREET HIM ON THE OTHER SIDE. LUCIFER HAD FOOLED HIM ONCE AGAIN.

NOT WILLING TO REMAIN IMPRISONED, GHOST RIDER ENLISTED A DEMON NAMED GREEXIX TO HELP HIM BURROW OUT OF HELL. THE DEMON LED HIM TO A CAVE WHERE CLEAR BLUE WATER RUSHED IN THROUGH THE CRACKS BETWEEN HELL AND EARTH AND, HAVING COMPLETED HIS END OF THE BARGAIN, ASKED FOR GHOST RIDER’S HELP IN NAVIGATING THE DIMENSIONAL RIFT. THOUGH HE SECRETLY HAD NO INTENTION OF LOOSING THE DEMON UPON EARTH, GHOST RIDER SHOOK HANDS WITH GREEXIX. AT THAT MOMENT, THE DEMON CHANGED HIS FORM AND REVEALED HIS TRUE SELF: LUCIFER.

NOW JOHNNY BLAZE IS BACK ON EARTH, BUT HE HAS INADVERTENTLY BROUGHT THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS ALONG WITH HIM.

THERE’S GONNA BE HELL TO PAY…

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SO HERE I AM. BACK ON EARTH. JOHNNY BLAZE RIDES AGAIN.

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WELL, NOW… …LOOKS LIKE YOU’VE BEEN THROUGH HELL.

YEAH. YOU COULD SAY THAT.

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NICE WHEELS. OUTTA GAS?

YEAH. I THINK SO.

WELL, I’M FULLA DIESEL, SO THAT AIN’T GONNA HELP YOU MUCH… I’M DELIVERIN’ TO A TRUCK STOP ‘BOUT NINETY MILES DOWN THE HIGHWAY, THOUGH… WANT A LIFT?

I GUESS… WHAT ABOUT MY BIKE?

LEAVE IT.

BUT…?

THINK ABOUT IT, JOHNNY—--WHO’S GONNA—--STEAL IT?

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HOW DO YOU KNOW MY NAME?

TAKE… YOUR HAND… CLIKK! …OFF OF ME.

I’M NOT CHANGING INTO GHOST RIDER. THIS ISN’T LUCIFER.

I… I’M…

SORRY?  HIYAHHHH FFUMP!

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WELL, I’M NOT.

HRRRRGG…

YOU WANNA KNOW HOW I KNOW YOUR NAME, JOHNNY BLAZE? IT’S BECAUSE MY OLDER BROTHER HAD ONE OF YOUR POSTERS ON HIS WALL WHEN WE WERE KIDS.   I USED TO SNEAK INTO HIS ROOM JUST TO LOOK AT IT.

I HAD THIS WHOLE FANTASY ABOUT HOW I WAS GONNA MARRY YOU AND THEN WE’D RIDE OFF INTO THE SUNSET ON YOUR MOTORCYCLE.   ALL THE GOOD GIRLS LOVE THE BAD BOYS, RIGHT?   AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT I DID END UP MARRYING—A BAD BOY. NOT YOU, BUT SOME OTHER LOSER.

AND GUESS WHAT? HE GOT OFF ON CHOKING THE HELL OUT OF ME, TOO!   SO I’M GONNA TELL YOU THE SAME THING I TOLD HIM:    KISS IT GOODBYE.

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NO… WAIT.   PLEASE…   …DON’T LEAVE ME HERE.

THERE WAS NOBODY THERE FOR ME WHEN I NEEDED HELP— THEY ALL JUST LOOKED THE OTHER WAY, LEFT ME THERE ALONE.   TO DIE.   I’LL BE DAMNED IF I’LL DO IT TO SOMEBODY ELSE.

THANK YOU, I …   … I REALLY— 

JUST GET IN AND LET’S ROLL..

YOU’RE GIVING HIM A RIDE BECAUSE IT’S THE RIGHT THING TO DO… THAT’S IT.

YOU’RE DOING IT BECAUSE THERE OUGHTTA BE SOME GOOD IN THIS WORLD….

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“… TO GO WITH ALL THE BAD.”

HOW’S EVERYOBODY DOING BACK THERE?   EVERYBODY COMFORTABLE?   I GUESS I’LL TAKE THAT AS A “NO”.   WELL, IF IT’S ANY CONSOLATION.  …IT’S ALMOST OVER.

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THIS IS IT.   END OF THE LINE, JOHNNY-BOY.

THANKS DIXIE.   I REALLY—

HERE.   GET A CAN OF GAS, GET YOURSELF CLEANED UP AND GET SOMETHING TO EAT.    TAKE IT…   …PLEASE.    DON’T GIVE UP, JOHNNY…   …YOU’LL NEVER FORGIVE YOURSELF IF YOU DO.

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A LONG TIME AGO, A FRIEND OF MINE—THE MAN WHO RAISED ME AS HIS SON—NEEDED HELP… AND OUT OF ALL THE THINGS I COULD’VE DONE TO HELP HIM, I PICKED THE WORST ONE:

I MADE A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL.

BIG SURPRISE: IT DIDN’T EXACTLY WORK OUT IN MY FAVOR. OR MY FRIEND’S.

EVER SINCE THEN, MY SOUL’S BEEN BONDED TO A MYSTICAL FORCE KNOWN AS THE GHOST RIDER. A BEING THAT EMERGES IN THE PRESENCE OF EVIL, BUT WHO’S ALWAYS AND FOREVER A PART OF ME.

WHAT CAN I SAY? I GOT SHAFTED.   STRAIGHT TO HELL.    BUT THAT’S JUST ME, JOHNNY BLAZE—ALWAYS TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING, BUT ALWAYS DOING IT WRONG.

THIS TIME, THOUGH…    THIS TIME I REALLY SCREWED UP: WHEN I FINALLY ESCAPED HELL, I BROUGHT THE DEVIL OUT WITH ME.   IT JUST DOESN’T GET ANY MORE WRONG THAN THAT.

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I WANT EVERYONE TO STAY PUT… IS THAT CLEAR?    GOOD.

I…   I THOUGHT GRAMPA DIED…    HE DID DIE, SWEETIE…   …THAT’S NOT GRAMPA.

AH, WHAT A DAY…     …WHAT A GLORIOUS DAY TO BE ALIVE.

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DING-DONG!

HELLO.    I WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE ONE OF THOSE, PLEASE.

UHH… A LIGHTER?  ANY P’TICULAR COLOR?

OH, ANY COLOR WILL DO…   …I’M ONLY GOING TO USE IT ONCE.

IF ‘AT’S THE CASE, WHY’N’T YA JUS’ TAKE SOME MATCHES?

YES, MATCHES!   I ADORE THESE.   THE SCENT OF BURNING SULFUR…?

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REMINDS ME OF HOME.

HHHHWWWOOOOMMFFFFFF!

HI, JOHNNY.

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HOW’S LIFE BEEN TREATING YOU?

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KKSSSSSSSHHHHHHHH!

THAT WAS… … EASY.     NOT SO TOUGH UP HERE, ARE YOU?

NOT AT THE MOMENT …  …  BUT I’M WORKING ON IT.

OH YEAH?    WORK ON THIS!

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MOMMYYYYY!

OH LORD… WHAT SHOULD WE DO?

NO—NO!    HE TOLD US TO SIT TIGHT!

LET GO OF ME!   I’M GETTING MY SON OUTTA HERE!

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P-TUH!    I ALMOST FEEL… SORRY FOY YOU, JOHNNY.    ALMOST.

YOU’VE ENTANGLED YOURSELF IN A SITUATION THAT IS COMPLETELY OVER YOUR HEAD…    AND YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW IT.    A SITUATION THAT YOUR INVOLVEMENT… …WILL ONLY MAKE WORSE.

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TIME TO MAKE A DECISION, JOHNNY…  …WHAT’S IT GONNA BE?

IF I GET ANY CLOSER, THE VAN WILL GO UP IN FLAMES.   IF I BACK OFF, THOUGH… …IF I BACK OFF, HE JUST MIGHT TORCH IT ANYWAY.

TICK.  TOCK.   TICK.  TOCK.

CAN’T TAKE THAT CHANCE.   IF I CAN GRAB HIM WITH THE CHAIN…   GET HIM AWAY FROM THE VAN…

TIME’S UP, JOHNNY.

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CHK!

FFWWWOOOOOM!

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SUCKS TO BE THEM!   SUICIDES GO TO HELL, JOHNYY.

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YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE HESITATED!

HONK! HONNNNK!

DON’T WORRY JOHNNY— YOU’LL GET ANOTHER CHANCE.     SIX HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FIVE OF THEM, AS A MATTER OF FACT.

NNNOOOOOOOOOO—

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… WHOO WHOOO *OWL SOUND EFFECT

WHAT IS YOUR NAME?

CH-CHINK

WHERE…?

I DEMAND THAT YOU GIVE ME YOUR NAME!

YOU FIRST.

FFAAASSSSHHH

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MY NAME IS STEPHEN STRANGE.