In the last issues of Jason Aaron’s run on the Ghost Rider series, Zadkiel murdered angels and took over Heaven.
Now, a Satanist church is trying to breed demons hoping to spawn the next Antichrist. The place is stormed by angels who kill all of them but one, who is rescued by the priest.
Looking for help, the Satanistic priest goes to Son of Satan–not knowing that, despite his code name, Daimon Hellstrom has major daddy issues. Instead of offering to help, he burns the place down and heads out to find the sole surviving child.
Have to say, Daimon, you’ve looked better.
Meanwhile, Johnny Blaze (the sole remaining Ghost Rider) and Sister Sara are hunting down Zadkiel and learn that, now that he is the king of Heaven, he ALSO wants to kill the demon Antichrist to prevent the Second Coming from occurring.
And hunting THEM are Blackout and Deacon, who break Orb out of prison to be part of their new gang. They also recruit Vengeance, Madcap, Scarecrow and others to form the “Ghost Rider Assassination League.”
So who is this demon kid who’s such a big threat to everyone, anyway?
He’s a rising corporate executive, of course. And his name is Anton Satan.
That’s all in issue #1 and we’re STILL not done with set up. Sorry, that looked like a complaint. It’s not. My point is that the plot of this miniseries is extremely layered and complex. Issue #2 introduces another player, Master Pandemonium.
He’s no longer a “huge threat to the world super villain.” Now, he’s got demons for hands and a stomach that opens into Hell, and is constantly erupting demons who poke and tease him constantly. Serves him right for being such a lame villain in the past.
Danny Ketch shows up at Master P’s hotel room and forces him to open his Hell-door stomach so Ketch can talk to Satan.
Anton Satan is being protected by Jaine Cutter. Son of Satan finds them and fights Cutter for the chance to kill the kid, but then Zadkiel’s demon army shows up to kill Antichrist and Son of Satan decides to protect the kid–because he wants to be the one to kill him, not Zadkiel. The stories come together as Danny Ketch and Blaze/Sara show up during the fight. Zadkiel’s minions are defeated and Danny Ketch reveals a master plan: He made a deal with the Devil to protect the kid and send him back to Hell, and in return Ketch will get the key to re-open Heaven so that the heroes can get to Zadkiel, kill him, and restore Biblical balance.
In return, the Devil gets Danny’s soul. I guess Danny got his Ghost Rider power back, too, or maybe I lost the thread and that already happened(?)
Anyway, from there the heroes protect the child and fight their way through various members of the Ghost Rider Revenge Squad…
…including Scarecrow, and a zombie biker gang, and also gun-toting nuns who protect the gates of Heaven. Actually, the nuns end up letting the Ghost Riders into heaven–hoping to bring God back.
The big finale has Blaze and Ketch facing down Zadkiel, and being hopelessly overpowered until Zadkiel learns he is unable to kill them. Apparently, the Ghost Riders are creations and instruments of God and only God can destroy them. Once this is revealed, an entire army of Ghost Riders emerges.
I’m not a big enough fan to be able to name all the guys above, but many (most–perhaps all) have appeared throughout the history of ghost rider comics. Very rewarding Easter eggs for megafans.
In a fairly rapid conclusion, Zadkiel is defeated and God returns. We never see God, though, as usual.
Roxanne Simpson’s ghost is part of all this, and in the end Johnny tells her that if God won’t bring her and their children back to life…
…Then God can kiss his ass.
This is Jason Aaron’s final arc with a character who he completely reinvented, modernized, and turned into one of the most interesting corners of the Marvel Universe. Before Aaron took over, I never would have guessed that Ghost Rider would be one of the best books on the market.
Aaron leaves a bunch of toys on the table for the next guy. Sister Sara severs Deacon’s spine, leaving him crippled. He’s imprisoned along with Orb.
The young antichrist is alive, too, and in a strip club with Blackout and Master Pandemonium. He’ll be going by Kid Blackheart in the future.
Vengeance gets a job with the Gun Nuns. Zadkiel is back in Hell, where Satan ties him and tortures him forever. Or at least until the next time he appears.
And, finally, the two living Ghost Riders ride off with Sara into the sunset.
English (US) · 