Ghost Rider: Vengeance Unbound

GHOST RIDER # 71 (volume 1)

SYNOPSIS
In a two-story Illinois household, Adam and Maureen Henderson are having an argument. Adam, sick of his worthless life, has decided to quit his job as a music teacher, ignoring his wife's reasoning that they can't afford for him to quit. Upset, Adam walks out of the house, leaving Maureen in tears. Later, he finds himself on the outskirts of town at a large gorge. Still fuming at what he's allowed his life to become, he doesn't notice the large shadow looming over him until it's too late. He turns around, and all he can manage to think is "Oh, my good lord..."

Elsewhere in the town, the Quentin Carnival is in full swing, and all eyes are glued on the motorcycle stunt show performed by Red Fowler and Johnny Blaze. After the show, Johnny and Red are out on the carnival grounds, talking about how the innocence of small towns is all in people's heads, and that the same demons in our souls are always waiting to spring out. Their discussion is interrupted by Cynthia Randolph, who sarcastically states that she didn't know a macho cyclejock could think so deeply. In return, Johnny says that all he likes to do is dress up in leather and ride a big chopper in order to prove his manhood. While Cynthia stands aghast, Johnny excuses himself and his partner by saying that they're going somewhere to lift weights and compare the size of their muscles.

Meanwhile, Adam Henderson walks through a neighborhood, a strange blue flame crackling around his body. Coming to a house that's host to a loud party, he decides he doesn't like seeing other people happy. Pointing his hand and yelling "Out!", the house suddenly goes black and quiet. Adam moves on, and is interrupted by a barking dog that's fenced into a yard. Adam's power flares again, and the dog simply falls to the ground, dead. He continues walking, eventually coming to the carnival. Moving through the crowds, he bumps into Johnny and Red, nearly knocking them over. Red wants to go say something to him, but the cyclists are distracted by two young women seeking autographs. Moving on, Adam comes to the tent of Madame Olga, the carnival's psychic. Entering the tent, he chooses a psychic reading from her crystal ball. Olga is a fraud, pretending to be psychic, but she is shocked to see images actually begin to form in her fake crystal ball upon touching Adam's hand. Adam speaks, telling of a race of beings called the S'Raphh, who had evolved into a state of grace, angelic beings that had a goal...to find the reason of being, the Ultimate Truth. Unfortunately, they never found what they were looking for, and this drove them insane. As one, their entire race hurled themselves into an ocean of fire, committing racial suicide. From their death, however, the collective unconscious of the S'Raphh demanded revenge, and centuries later Null, the Living Darkness arose from the depths. Null came to the world seeking to destroy all life, but the creature was defeated by the Defenders. Realizing that he had much to learn about the world, Null wandered the earth, searching for the one bitter human heart with which he could merge. He found that heart in Adam Henderson, who at the end of his tail has broken down into black tears. Raising his hand to Olga, he tells her that Null now has a living weapon to destroy all life, not understanding why people won't see what he sees.

On the carnival grounds, Johnny and Red are playing games with the two girls they met. Suddenly, an explosion rocks the area from Olga's tent, causing the two bikers to race to her aid. Finding Olga alive, though in a deep state of shock, the carnival workers are confused as to what happened. Suddenly, Adam appears floating in the air, the shadow of Null coalesced around him. Pointing into the crowd, Adam focuses on an elderly man, a pastor named Oliver Matheson, and lifts him into the air with his power. Calling him a deceiver and a fraud, Adam flies the two of them away, accusing Matheson of "promising a non-existent Heaven to creatures already in Hell." Realizing that the monster needs to be stopped, Johnny runs off. When safely away from his friends, he calls forth his demonic second self, the Ghost Rider, who creates a hellfire cycle and rides off in the direction of Adam.

Back at the Henderson home, Maureen wakes up to find Adam standing in their bedroom. He tells her that he's brought a gift, revealing the pastor, shrunken down the size of a doll. Maureen screams, which Adam interprets to her not liking the gift. So, he throws the tiny man out the second story window, the Pastor growing to his normal size as he falls, losing consciousness when he hits the ground. The Ghost Rider sees this and ramps his bike off of a car, crashing into the Henderson's bedroom. Adam fires a blast of energy into the demon's chest, which the Rider angrily answers with a blast of hellfire. Both combatants still standing after their attacks, Adam/Null tackles the Rider and carries them both back outside. Maureen runs outside, but is stopped by the awakened Pastor Matheson, who tells her that they have no power against creatures such as these. Adam and the Ghost Rider battle furiously, with Adam/Null attempting to shrink the demon down. Immediately, the Rider regrows by the force of his will alone. Blasting him with hellfire, Adam screams, regaining control of his body for a moment. Null returns, however, causing Adam to telekinetically lift a car and throw it. The Rider dodges, chasing the man/monster into the town square, followed by Maureen and Matheson. In a last, desperate move, Adam/Null blasts a large stone statue and topples it over. The Ghost Rider easily jumps out of the way, but Maureen, who has run forward to stop Adam, finds herself directly beneath it. Seeing what he's done, Adam regains control of his body, though still finds himself unable to act. At the last moment, Pastor Matheson leaps forward, pushing Maureen and himself out of the way of the large statue. Taking advantage of his weakness, the Ghost Rider blasts Adam with his hellfire, using the man's soul to drive Null out of his body. When Null exits into his true form, the Ghost Rider continues blasting with his hellfire, eventually destroying the creature.

Afterward, Maureen races to Adam's side, comforting him after what he's went through. Similarly, Pastor Matheson is comforted by his wife, who expresses her love for her husband. Meanwhile, however, the Ghost Rider relinquishes control back to Blaze, who has no such person to comfort him in his time of need.

ANNOTATIONS
Null first appeared and was defeated in Defenders # 103.

This issue was reprinted in The Original Ghost Rider Rides Again # 2.

REVIEW
The creative team of DeMatteis and Perlin are back for another fill-in story, and expectations are high after their excellent previous effort ("Holding On To Sally" from # 67). This story actually picks up an abandoned plot from another DeMatteis/Perlin series, the Defenders.

It's obvious from this and other scripts that J.M. DeMatteis was a much more cerebral writer than some of his Marvel contemporaries - in fact, I would go so far as to place him amongst the "holy trinity" of Marvel's writers from the 1970s: Steve Gerber, Jim Starlin, and Steve Englehart. "The Tears of Adam Henderson" is another excellent example of DeMatteis' superior writing ability, and though Roger Stern has been doing an incredible job as Ghost Rider scripter, it's to DeMatteis' credit that he could so flawlessly insert his story into Stern's run without interrupting the flow.

With the character of Adam Henderson, we're given a look at a man who - in a lot of ways - mirrors the struggle between Blaze and the Ghost Rider. He's stuck in a rut that he cannot escape and is easy prey for the demonic Null that possesses him. Henderson's power is frightening, especially in the scene where he displays the priest as a shrunken doll casually tossed out the window. But it's Adam's humanity that ultimately provides the key to Null's defeat, proving him to be stronger than Johnny. While the Ghost Rider may declare himself triumphant he is actually the loser and Adam the winner, for only he had the strength to regain his body after the demon Null possessed him. Blaze has yet to have such a victory over the Ghost Rider, which is why at the end - during the reunions of the story's characters - Blaze is alone while Adam has the love and strength of his wife.

The narration in the script is also very strong, particularly in the pages leading up to Adam/Null's history speech to Madame Olga. Adam's blacking out of a lively party and murder of an attacking dog are chilling as in the old saying "it's not what you see that scares you, but what you don't see". Olga's terror during the psychic session with Adam is haunting and appropriate, while the despair of Adam and Maureen is handled beautifully, making their reunion at the end all the better.

Don Perlin seems revitalized on these fill-in issues, turning in work vastly superior to the last year or so of his previous run on the series. Adam Henderson is appropriately horrific, especially with the demonic shadow of Null looming behind him as he floats through the air. The fight scene between Adam and the Ghost Rider is also quite good; but one problem is evident in Perlin's work. Throughout the issue, he haphazardly makes some of the non-action scenes and characters seem stiff and wooden, as if they're not natural. But its' a small complaint for what is otherwise an excellent job.

So does "The Tears of Adam Henderson" match up to "Holding On To Sally"? The answer is "certainly", though both stories are wonderful in different ways. Like all of the issues since the creative revamp, this story gets top marks.

Grade: A

VENGEANCE UNBOUND
HOME l GHOST RIDER VOLUME 1 l PREVIOUS l NEXT
GHOST RIDER # 71 (volume 1) SYNOPSIS In a two-story Illinois household, Adam and Maureen Henderson are having an argument. Adam, sick of his worthless life, has decided to quit his job as a music teacher, ignoring his wife's reasoning that they can't afford for him to quit. Upset, Adam walks out of the house, leaving Maureen in tears. Later, he finds himself on the outskirts of town at a large gorge. Still fuming at what he's allowed his life to become, he doesn't notice the large shadow looming over him until it's too late. He turns around, and all he can manage to think is "Oh, my good lord..." Elsewhere in the town, the Quentin Carnival is in full swing, and all eyes are glued on the motorcycle stunt show performed by Red Fowler and Johnny Blaze. After the show, Johnny and Red are out on the carnival grounds, talking about how the innocence of small towns is all in people's heads, and that the same demons in our souls are always waiting to spring out. Their discussion is interrupted by Cynthia Randolph, who sarcastically states that she didn't know a macho cyclejock could think so deeply. In return, Johnny says that all he likes to do is dress up in leather and ride a big chopper in order to prove his manhood. While Cynthia stands aghast, Johnny excuses himself and his partner by saying that they're going somewhere to lift weights and compare the size of their muscles. Meanwhile, Adam Henderson walks through a neighborhood, a strange blue flame crackling around his body. Coming to a house that's host to a loud party, he decides he doesn't like seeing other people happy. Pointing his hand and yelling "Out!", the house suddenly goes black and quiet. Adam moves on, and is interrupted by a barking dog that's fenced into a yard. Adam's power flares again, and the dog simply falls to the ground, dead. He continues walking, eventually coming to the carnival. Moving through the crowds, he bumps into Johnny and Red, nearly knocking them over. Red wants to go say something to him, but the cyclists are distracted by two young women seeking autographs. Moving on, Adam comes to the tent of Madame Olga, the carnival's psychic. Entering the tent, he chooses a psychic reading from her crystal ball. Olga is a fraud, pretending to be psychic, but she is shocked to see images actually begin to form in her fake crystal ball upon touching Adam's hand. Adam speaks, telling of a race of beings called the S'Raphh, who had evolved into a state of grace, angelic beings that had a goal...to find the reason of being, the Ultimate Truth. Unfortunately, they never found what they were looking for, and this drove them insane. As one, their entire race hurled themselves into an ocean of fire, committing racial suicide. From their death, however, the collective unconscious of the S'Raphh demanded revenge, and centuries later Null, the Living Darkness arose from the depths. Null came to the world seeking to destroy all life, but the creature was defeated by the Defenders. Realizing that he had much to learn about the world, Null wandered the earth, searching for the one bitter human heart with which he could merge. He found that heart in Adam Henderson, who at the end of his tail has broken down into black tears. Raising his hand to Olga, he tells her that Null now has a living weapon to destroy all life, not understanding why people won't see what he sees. On the carnival grounds, Johnny and Red are playing games with the two girls they met. Suddenly, an explosion rocks the area from Olga's tent, causing the two bikers to race to her aid. Finding Olga alive, though in a deep state of shock, the carnival workers are confused as to what happened. Suddenly, Adam appears floating in the air, the shadow of Null coalesced around him. Pointing into the crowd, Adam focuses on an elderly man, a pastor named Oliver Matheson, and lifts him into the air with his power. Calling him a deceiver and a fraud, Adam flies the two of them away, accusing Matheson of "promising a non-existent Heaven to creatures already in Hell." Realizing that the monster needs to be stopped, Johnny runs off. When safely away from his friends, he calls forth his demonic second self, the Ghost Rider, who creates a hellfire cycle and rides off in the direction of Adam. Back at the Henderson home, Maureen wakes up to find Adam standing in their bedroom. He tells her that he's brought a gift, revealing the pastor, shrunken down the size of a doll. Maureen screams, which Adam interprets to her not liking the gift. So, he throws the tiny man out the second story window, the Pastor growing to his normal size as he falls, losing consciousness when he hits the ground. The Ghost Rider sees this and ramps his bike off of a car, crashing into the Henderson's bedroom. Adam fires a blast of energy into the demon's chest, which the Rider angrily answers with a blast of hellfire. Both combatants still standing after their attacks, Adam/Null tackles the Rider and carries them both back outside. Maureen runs outside, but is stopped by the awakened Pastor Matheson, who tells her that they have no power against creatures such as these. Adam and the Ghost Rider battle furiously, with Adam/Null attempting to shrink the demon down. Immediately, the Rider regrows by the force of his will alone. Blasting him with hellfire, Adam screams, regaining control of his body for a moment. Null returns, however, causing Adam to telekinetically lift a car and throw it. The Rider dodges, chasing the man/monster into the town square, followed by Maureen and Matheson. In a last, desperate move, Adam/Null blasts a large stone statue and topples it over. The Ghost Rider easily jumps out of the way, but Maureen, who has run forward to stop Adam, finds herself directly beneath it. Seeing what he's done, Adam regains control of his body, though still finds himself unable to act. At the last moment, Pastor Matheson leaps forward, pushing Maureen and himself out of the way of the large statue. Taking advantage of his weakness, the Ghost Rider blasts Adam with his hellfire, using the man's soul to drive Null out of his body. When Null exits into his true form, the Ghost Rider continues blasting with his hellfire, eventually destroying the creature. Afterward, Maureen races to Adam's side, comforting him after what he's went through. Similarly, Pastor Matheson is comforted by his wife, who expresses her love for her husband. Meanwhile, however, the Ghost Rider relinquishes control back to Blaze, who has no such person to comfort him in his time of need. ANNOTATIONS Null first appeared and was defeated in Defenders # 103. This issue was reprinted in The Original Ghost Rider Rides Again # 2. REVIEW The creative team of DeMatteis and Perlin are back for another fill-in story, and expectations are high after their excellent previous effort ("Holding On To Sally" from # 67). This story actually picks up an abandoned plot from another DeMatteis/Perlin series, the Defenders. It's obvious from this and other scripts that J.M. DeMatteis was a much more cerebral writer than some of his Marvel contemporaries - in fact, I would go so far as to place him amongst the "holy trinity" of Marvel's writers from the 1970s: Steve Gerber, Jim Starlin, and Steve Englehart. "The Tears of Adam Henderson" is another excellent example of DeMatteis' superior writing ability, and though Roger Stern has been doing an incredible job as Ghost Rider scripter, it's to DeMatteis' credit that he could so flawlessly insert his story into Stern's run without interrupting the flow. With the character of Adam Henderson, we're given a look at a man who - in a lot of ways - mirrors the struggle between Blaze and the Ghost Rider. He's stuck in a rut that he cannot escape and is easy prey for the demonic Null that possesses him. Henderson's power is frightening, especially in the scene where he displays the priest as a shrunken doll casually tossed out the window. But it's Adam's humanity that ultimately provides the key to Null's defeat, proving him to be stronger than Johnny. While the Ghost Rider may declare himself triumphant he is actually the loser and Adam the winner, for only he had the strength to regain his body after the demon Null possessed him. Blaze has yet to have such a victory over the Ghost Rider, which is why at the end - during the reunions of the story's characters - Blaze is alone while Adam has the love and strength of his wife. The narration in the script is also very strong, particularly in the pages leading up to Adam/Null's history speech to Madame Olga. Adam's blacking out of a lively party and murder of an attacking dog are chilling as in the old saying "it's not what you see that scares you, but what you don't see". Olga's terror during the psychic session with Adam is haunting and appropriate, while the despair of Adam and Maureen is handled beautifully, making their reunion at the end all the better. Don Perlin seems revitalized on these fill-in issues, turning in work vastly superior to the last year or so of his previous run on the series. Adam Henderson is appropriately horrific, especially with the demonic shadow of Null looming behind him as he floats through the air. The fight scene between Adam and the Ghost Rider is also quite good; but one problem is evident in Perlin's work. Throughout the issue, he haphazardly makes some of the non-action scenes and characters seem stiff and wooden, as if they're not natural. But its' a small complaint for what is otherwise an excellent job. So does "The Tears of Adam Henderson" match up to "Holding On To Sally"? The answer is "certainly", though both stories are wonderful in different ways. Like all of the issues since the creative revamp, this story gets top marks. Grade: A	Ghost Rider # 71 (volume 1) Published: Aug. 1982 Original Price: $0.60 Cover: Bob Budiansky Title: "The Tears of Adam Henderson" Writer: J.M. DeMatteis Artist: Don Perlin Inker: Danny Bulandi Letterer: Diana Albers Colorist: George Roussos Editor: Tom DeFalco Editor In Chief: Jim Shooter