Ghost Rider: Vengeance Unbound

GHOST RIDER # 89 (volume 2)

SYNOPSIS
The Ghost Rider walks through the New York City sewer system, searching for the monster responsible for the disappearance of dozens of people over the last several weeks. Noble stumbles across a humanoid rat creature that's feasting on the flesh of a corpse, a creature that refers to the Rider as an "old foe". Kale grabs the rat creature, whose name is Verminous Rex, with his chain and pulls him into the light. Memories flood the Ghost Rider's mind, memories of his first encounter with Rex during World War I, where the creature was killed by a landmine. Rex tells him that sometimes the dead come back, and in anger Noble smashes his fist through the rat's body. Unexplainably, Noble feels something building inside him, and suddenly Verminous Rex is engulfed by hellfire. Nothing is left of Rex but ash, leaving the Ghost Rider to question what happened. He hears laughter in the darkened tunnels behind him, but sees no one when he turns. Sure that he's been manipulated by an unknown being, the Rider exits the sewers and rides off on his motorcycle.

Later that night, Dan Ketch awakens in his apartment, sore from his night out as the Ghost Rider. Deciding to go visit his mother in the mental hospital, he casually wonders where his brother John has disappeared to. Unknown to Dan, John Blaze and Jennifer Kale are in Canada, searching for Blaze's two lost children. The next morning, Dan walks past an outdoor grocery and decides to buy his mother an orange. He stops briefly to talk to the shop worker, an immigrant named Chio, and his dog, Chupi. Dan makes his way to the hospital and sits next to his catatonic mother, asking her how she's feeling. Dan sighs, apologizing for everything that's happened, and his mother's response is an unexpected slap to her son's face. Out of her stupor, Mrs. Ketch forgives him, but tells him that she wants to know everything he's hid from her, including how Barbara was involved.

At the end of the day, Chio and Chupi close up the grocery store and go for a walk through a park. On their route are two drug addicts, one of which uses all of their drugs and refuses to give the girl any. While Blackheart watches from the distance, the woman goes into a frenzy and kills her boyfriend over the drugs with a broken bottle. At that moment, Chio and Chupi step forward, prompting the girl to scream at some incoming police, yelling that Chio's dog killed her boyfriend. Afraid that he'll be deported and that they'll kill his dog, Chio grabs Chupi and runs from the police, straight into incoming traffic. A bus pulls out in front of him, killing both dog and master instantly. At the moment of his death, however, Blackheart comes forward to Chio and offers him the chance for vengeance and the ability to keep himself and his dog safe forever. Chio accepts, and Blackheart merges the dog and man into one monstrous being: Doghead. Doghead leaps on the bus and kills the driver as punishment for running them over, but suddenly finds himself shocked at his blood thirst. More police arrive and begin to shoot at Doghead, but Blackheart spirits him away to Hell before he can be harmed.

In the void, the Ghost Rider thinks about his encounter with Verminous Rex, and how he didn't know he was able to destroy the undead. A shadowy woman then appears to Noble, telling him that he needs to remember all the things he's been forced to forget. Before she can explain, the woman fades away, leaving the Ghost Rider with even more quesitons. In Hell, Blackheart shows images of his four Spirits of Vengeance: Wallow, Pao Fu, Verminous Rex, and Doghead, to his aides, Black Rose and Skritch. Blackheart tells him that his new Spirits of Vengeance will subjugate the world in his name, prompting Black Rose to ask about the Ghost Rider. Blackheart tells her that the Ghost Rider will lead his Spirits because he is weary of his curse, unhappy with his lot in life. He then pulls a body from a lake of hellfire, explaining that if the Ghost Rider leads his Spirits of Vengeance, he will regain his true body: the body of Noble Kale.

ANNOTATIONS
Blackheart has already gathered two of his Spirits of Vengeance: Wallow in Ghost Rider # 87 (vol. 2) and Pao Fu in Ghost Rider # 88 (vol. 2).

Mrs. Ketch was admitted to the mental hospital after seeing the Ghost Rider take possession of her daughter's corpse and then return to Dan's body in Ghost Rider # 85 (vol. 2).

The identity of the woman that visits Noble in the void is revealed in Ghost Rider # 92 (vol. 2).

REVIEW
Review Coming Soon.

Grade:

VENGEANCE UNBOUND
HOME l GHOST RIDER VOLUME 2 l PREVIOUS l NEXT
GHOST RIDER # 89 (volume 2) SYNOPSIS The Ghost Rider walks through the New York City sewer system, searching for the monster responsible for the disappearance of dozens of people over the last several weeks. Noble stumbles across a humanoid rat creature that's feasting on the flesh of a corpse, a creature that refers to the Rider as an "old foe". Kale grabs the rat creature, whose name is Verminous Rex, with his chain and pulls him into the light. Memories flood the Ghost Rider's mind, memories of his first encounter with Rex during World War I, where the creature was killed by a landmine. Rex tells him that sometimes the dead come back, and in anger Noble smashes his fist through the rat's body. Unexplainably, Noble feels something building inside him, and suddenly Verminous Rex is engulfed by hellfire. Nothing is left of Rex but ash, leaving the Ghost Rider to question what happened. He hears laughter in the darkened tunnels behind him, but sees no one when he turns. Sure that he's been manipulated by an unknown being, the Rider exits the sewers and rides off on his motorcycle. Later that night, Dan Ketch awakens in his apartment, sore from his night out as the Ghost Rider. Deciding to go visit his mother in the mental hospital, he casually wonders where his brother John has disappeared to. Unknown to Dan, John Blaze and Jennifer Kale are in Canada, searching for Blaze's two lost children. The next morning, Dan walks past an outdoor grocery and decides to buy his mother an orange. He stops briefly to talk to the shop worker, an immigrant named Chio, and his dog, Chupi. Dan makes his way to the hospital and sits next to his catatonic mother, asking her how she's feeling. Dan sighs, apologizing for everything that's happened, and his mother's response is an unexpected slap to her son's face. Out of her stupor, Mrs. Ketch forgives him, but tells him that she wants to know everything he's hid from her, including how Barbara was involved. At the end of the day, Chio and Chupi close up the grocery store and go for a walk through a park. On their route are two drug addicts, one of which uses all of their drugs and refuses to give the girl any. While Blackheart watches from the distance, the woman goes into a frenzy and kills her boyfriend over the drugs with a broken bottle. At that moment, Chio and Chupi step forward, prompting the girl to scream at some incoming police, yelling that Chio's dog killed her boyfriend. Afraid that he'll be deported and that they'll kill his dog, Chio grabs Chupi and runs from the police, straight into incoming traffic. A bus pulls out in front of him, killing both dog and master instantly. At the moment of his death, however, Blackheart comes forward to Chio and offers him the chance for vengeance and the ability to keep himself and his dog safe forever. Chio accepts, and Blackheart merges the dog and man into one monstrous being: Doghead. Doghead leaps on the bus and kills the driver as punishment for running them over, but suddenly finds himself shocked at his blood thirst. More police arrive and begin to shoot at Doghead, but Blackheart spirits him away to Hell before he can be harmed. In the void, the Ghost Rider thinks about his encounter with Verminous Rex, and how he didn't know he was able to destroy the undead. A shadowy woman then appears to Noble, telling him that he needs to remember all the things he's been forced to forget. Before she can explain, the woman fades away, leaving the Ghost Rider with even more quesitons. In Hell, Blackheart shows images of his four Spirits of Vengeance: Wallow, Pao Fu, Verminous Rex, and Doghead, to his aides, Black Rose and Skritch. Blackheart tells him that his new Spirits of Vengeance will subjugate the world in his name, prompting Black Rose to ask about the Ghost Rider. Blackheart tells her that the Ghost Rider will lead his Spirits because he is weary of his curse, unhappy with his lot in life. He then pulls a body from a lake of hellfire, explaining that if the Ghost Rider leads his Spirits of Vengeance, he will regain his true body: the body of Noble Kale. ANNOTATIONS Blackheart has already gathered two of his Spirits of Vengeance: Wallow in Ghost Rider # 87 (vol. 2) and Pao Fu in Ghost Rider # 88 (vol. 2). Mrs. Ketch was admitted to the mental hospital after seeing the Ghost Rider take possession of her daughter's corpse and then return to Dan's body in Ghost Rider # 85 (vol. 2). The identity of the woman that visits Noble in the void is revealed in Ghost Rider # 92 (vol. 2). REVIEW Review Coming Soon. Grade:	Ghost Rider # 89 (volume 2) Published: Oct. 1997 Original Price: $1.99 Cover: Javier Saltares Title: "Doghead & Spiked Tails" Writer: Ivan Velez Jr. Artist: Javier Saltares Inker: Andrew Pepoy Letterer: Richard Starkings Colorist: Brian Buccellato Editor: Tom Brevoort Editor In Chief: Bob Harras