- "Vengeance will be mine, Ghost Rider! It has been delayed for too many years!"
- ―Steel Vengeance
| "Steel Vengeance" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Ghost Rider & Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance | |
| Title: | "Steel Vengeance" |
| Volume: | 1 |
| Number: | 2 |
| Cover price: | $1.75 |
| Cover date: | September, 1992 |
| Publisher: | Marvel Comics |
| Credits | |
| Chief: | Tom DeFalco |
| Writers: | Howard Mackie |
| Pencilers: | Adam Kubert |
| Inkers: | Chris Warner |
| Cover artists: | Adam Kubert |
| Cover inker: | Adam Kubert |
| Colorists: | Gregory Wright |
| Letterers: | Michael Heisler |
| Editors: | Bobbie Chase |
| Navigation | |
| Previous: | Ghost Rider & Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance #1 |
| Next: | Ghost Rider & Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance #3 |
"Steel Vengeance" is the title to the second issue of the Ghost Rider & Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance ongoing comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The story was written by Howard Mackie with artwork by Adam Kubert and inks by Chris Warner. It was colored by Gregory Wright and lettered by Michael Heisler. The story was edited by Bobbie Chase. This issue shipped with a September, 1992 cover date and carries a cover price of $1.75 per copy (US).
Synopsis[]
Hitchhiker Tim Andrews is hiking across Montana. He is abducted by Steel Vengeance, who brings him back to a manor house and murders him for the sake of her "art". She then gets a call from a man named Styge who gives her information on where she can find Johnny Blaze. She wants revenge for what Johnny Blaze did to her sister.
Meanwhile, Johnny Blaze and the Ghost Rider are in Providence, Rhode Island, dispensing some vengeance against a man responsible for beating his wife and son.
When Ghost Rider and Blaze return to the Quentin Carnival, Steel Vengeance shows up to face them. The combatants race around on their respective motorcycles and Steel Vengeance fires a high-powered firearm as well as mini-missiles from her cycle. During the fight, Ghost Rider suddenly collapses and his flame extinguishes. Johnny suspects that the villain might be his old foe, Steel Wind, but in truth, it is actually her sister, who is also a cyborg.
Steel Vengeance tosses Ghost Rider's inert body around, but derives little satisfaction from this. She turns to finish off Johnny Blaze, but his friends from the carnival rise to his defense. A dwarf named Wolf distracts her with a somersault, giving Johnny the chance to strike her with a 2x4. Once she's on the ground, Johnny holds a knife to her throat, but she manages to wrestle her way free.
Ghost Rider finally revives and comes to Johnny's aid. He tries to give Steel Vengeance the Penance Stare, but it won't work, for Steel Vengeance has sold her soul for the chance for vengeance.
Steel Vengeance rides off on her cycle, and Johnny and the Ghost Rider pursue her. She attempts to jump a gorge, but cannot bridge the gap, and her cycle and she plummet to the ground where it explodes.
With the threat of Steel Vengeance out of the way, Ghost Rider reveals to Johnny that while he was insensate, he had a vision of the Darkhold Redeemers and knows where to find the lost soul of Danny Ketch. From far away, Lilith, Mother of Demons and Nakota are able to observe the Ghost Rider's vision through his eyes.
Appearances[]
Featured characters
Supporting characters
- Clara Menninger
- Eli McIntyre
- Wolf
Villains
- The Master (Behind the scenes only)
- Steel Vengeance, Sadae Tsumura
- Styge
Minor characters
- Lilith, Mother of Demons (Cameo appearance only)
- Louise Hastings (In a vision)
- Nakota (Cameo appearance only)
- Samson Buchanan (In a vision)
- Tim Andrews (Only appearance; dies)
- Victoria Montesi (In a vision)
Organizations
- Darkhold Redeemers (In a vision)
- Quentin Carnival
Races & Animals
Locations
Items
Vehicles
Powers
Miscellaneous
Notes & Trivia[]
- The character of Johnny Blaze was created by writers Gary Friedrich & Roy Thomas and artist Mike Ploog. He first appeared as the title story in Marvel Spotlight #5 in August, 1972.
- The character of Danny Ketch, the Ghost Rider, was created by writer Howard Mackie and artists Javier Saltares and Mark Texeira. He first appeared in Ghost Rider, Volume 3 #1 in May, 1990 in a story titled "Life's Blood". He was the main character from that series and also had a co-starring role in the companion title Ghost Rider & Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance.
- The tagline to this issue is "Bang -- Yer Dead!"
- This issue is reprinted in the Rise of the Midnight Sons trade paperback collection, which was published in July, 1993. It is also reprinted in the Spirits of Vengeance: Rise of the Midnight Sons trade paperback collection, released in October, 2016.
- The events of this issue take place after the events of Morbius: The Living Vampire #1.
- Zarathos is acting independently of a human host in this issue.
- Reference is made to Danny Ketch in this issue, whose soul has been lost to the void.
- Zarathos appears next in Darkhold: Pages from the Book of Sins #1.
- This is the first and only appearance of Tim Andrews; dies in this issue. He is the first on-panel murder victim of Steel Vengeance.
- Reference is made to Steel Wind in this issue. She is the older sister of Steel Vengeance. Steel Wind first appeared in Ghost Rider, Volume 2 #75 in December, 1982. This is the same issue where she was rendered insensate by Ghost Rider, which is alluded to in this issue.
- Steel Vengeance appears to perish in this issue after taking a header off a cliff. But don't worry, she pops back up in Ghost Rider & Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance #7.
- Clara Menninger, Eli McIntyre and Wolf are all members of the Quentin Carnival.