Snake Dance

Snake Dance is a tribal witch doctor and a minor antagonist featured in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a foe of Ghost Rider and first appeared in Marvel Spotlight #8 in February, 1973.

Biography
Johnny Blaze travelled to the desert of Arizona for a publicity stunt in which he was supposed to jump Copperhead Canyon. Unbeknownst to Blaze, this area had been in contention between the native tribe of Apaches who lived there and the government for quite some time. Several members of the tribe worried that such a high profile publicity stunt would make it impossible for the tribe to reclaim the rights to the canyon. Sam Silvercloud, one such tribesman, picked up Blaze from the airport and was to take him to the canyon. Silvercloud told Blaze of his misgivings about the stunt, but when Blaze still said he was going to go through with it, Silvercloud dropped him off in the middle of the desert to die. Blaze, however, was able to make it back to camp and ended up brawling with Silvercloud when they were interrupted by Snake Dance who also warned Blaze to stay away from the canyon.

Later that evening, Blaze decided to drive out the canyon to have a look at what he would be facing, oblivious to the fact that Silvercloud had sabotaged his motorcycle. While out at the canyon, Blaze, as the Ghost Rider, was attacked by Snake Dance and his "Serpent-Men," tribesman who believed in the teachings of Snake Dance. The Ghost Rider overpowered the warriors, but Snake Dance then appeared to transform himself into a large snake creature, prompting the Ghost Rider to try and escape. He ended up driving off the edge of the cliff, his bike exploding from the earlier sabotage as he did so. Content that the Rider could not have survived the fall, Snake Dance and his men left to go back to the reservation.

Satan, however, did not wish to lose Blaze's soul before he could claim it, so he prevented his death in the crash. Silvercloud next kidnapped Blaze's girlfriend Roxanne and brought her to Snake Dance who prepared to sacrifice her to the "serpent-god" he worshipped. (In actuality he sought only to kill the girl in order to show his god's displeasure with his people). The Ghost Rider showed up just after Snake Dance's deadly snakes had bitten Roxanne, he quickly defeated Snake Dance and his men and left to get Roxanne to the hospital.

After the defeat, the tribe believed themselves to have been fools to follow Snake Dance and prepared to hang him for condemning their tribe to misfortune. He was saved from his fate by the timely arrival of his daughter Linda Littletrees, she forced the riled up tribesmen to let her father go at rifle-point. She was unhappy with her father's decision to bring her tribe back to the "ways of old" but was not going to see her father die for doing what he felt was right for the tribe. Linda then proceeded to the hospital with the anti-venom needed to save Roxanne's life.

Later, Linda was revealed to be the Witch-Woman, herself an agent of Satan, who had turned her powers upon herself at her master's request. Snake Dance, now seeming to have lost his power, recognized his daughter as being possessed and he and Sam Silvercloud contacted Daimon Hellstrom for help. However, Hellstrom's evil Son of Satan side got out that night and forced Silvercloud and Snake Dance to tell him where Linda had gone. It appeared as if Snake Dance may have had a heart attack during this ordeal.

Appearances

 * Ghost Rider Vol 2 1
 * Ghost Rider Vol 2 2
 * Marvel Spotlight 8
 * Marvel Spotlight 9
 * Marvel Spotlight 10
 * Marvel Spotlight 11