- "Muscle-bound wart on a camel's tail -- you have ruined everything!"
- ―Swami Rihva
| "Ritual of Blood!" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Werewolf by Night | |
| Title: | "Ritual of Blood!" |
| Volume: | 1 |
| Number: | 7 |
| Cover price: | .20 |
| Cover date: | July, 1973 |
| Publisher: | Marvel Comics |
| Credits | |
| Chief: | Roy Thomas |
| Writers: | Len Wein |
| Pencilers: | Mike Ploog |
| Inkers: | Jim Mooney |
| Cover artists: | Mike Ploog |
| Cover inker: | Mike Ploog |
| Colorists: | Glynis Wein |
| Letterers: | Charlotte Jetter |
| Editors: | Roy Thomas |
| Navigation | |
| Previous: | Werewolf by Night #6 |
| Next: | Werewolf by Night #8 |
"Ritual of Blood" is the seventh issue of the first Werewolf by Night ongoing comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It was written by Len Wein with artwork by Mike Ploog and inks by Jim Mooney. Ploog also rendered the cover art illustration for this issue. It was colored by Glynis Wein and lettered by Charlotte Jetter. The story was edited by Roy Thomas. This issue shipped with a July, 1973 cover date and carries a cover price of .20 cents per copy.
"Ritual of Blood"[]
lion
vs. werewolf in a battle to the finish!]]
Mige sends his lions to attack the werewolf. The werewolf is confused and struggles with the lions until a sympathetic Big Elmo decides to lend a hand. After the animals are subdued, Swami Rihva appears and mentally orders the lions and the werewolf back to their respective cages. The following morning, the werewolf has turned back into Jack Russell, but he is still ensorcelled by Rihva's mesmerism. Big Elmo spends some time with Jack and tells him the story of how they all came to work for Rihva. He details the mystic's search for the fabled bloodstone, which would yield great power to its wielder, but it requires the blood of a true supernatural creature for the ritual to take affect. This is why the swami covets Jack Russell so intently.
Gaze at the hideous Chicken-Man and the sensuous Serpent Girl!
Meanwhile, Buck Cowan and Lissa Russell return to Calliope's Carnival and Circus in search of Jack. They speak with Mister Calliope, who claims that he has never heard of him. Buck and Lissa aren't buying it however, and they refuse to leave the fairgrounds until Jack is found. Lissa pokes around and finds Jack in his cage, but before she can take action, Rihva uses his powers to take control of their minds. He adds them to his circus menagerie as the Chicken-Man and Serpent Girl.
The evening, the full moon rises and Rihva is prepared to complete the ritual. He brings the werewolf into the back where he binds him to an altar. He takes up the Bloodstone as well as a sacrificial dagger and is ready to plunge it into the werewolf's heart. Big Elmo interrupts the ritual, and now Rihva must wait an entire month before he can try it again. Mige blames Elmo for having to live with "that monster" for another month, so he shoots Elmo once in the back, and two in the front. Before dying, Elmo takes Mige into his arms and crushes him to death.
Jack breaks free.
The werewolf breaks free of his straps and the other carnies pile onto him. Rihva retreats into the back and takes hold of Lissa, with the notion of using her as leverage against the werewolf. Lissa snaps out of her hypnotic trance and scratches Rihva across the face.
The werewolf bears down on Rihva and the mystic uses his powers to peer into the creature's mind. Horrified at seeing images of what the werewolf intends on doing to him, Rihva falls down dead from fright.
Featured characters
Supporting characters
Villains
Minor characters
- Executioner
- Human Pretzel
- Kaman-Ru (In flashback only)
- Lotta
- Sheba
- Slim Tim
Organizations
Races & Animals
- Demons (In flashback only)
- Humans
- Lions
- Werewolves
Locations
- Kansas City (In flashback only)
- Nepal (In flashback only)
Items
- Battle axe
- Bloodstone
- Chains (In flashback only)
- Knife
- Knockout gas
- Revolver
- Sword (In flashback only)
Vehicles
- Convertible
- Truck (In flashback only)
Powers
Miscellaneous
- Bondage
- Castle (In flashback only)
- Eye injury
- Flashbacks
- Gunshot victims
- Kyphosis
- Ritualism
Notes & Trivia[]
- The character of Jack Russell was created by Roy Thomas, Dann Thomas & Gerry Conway and artist Mike Ploog. He first appeared in the "Night of Full Moon... Night of Fear!" story from Marvel Spotlight #2 from February, 1972.
- "WBN 7" and "WBN: 7: both serve as shortcuts to this page.
- This issue is job number 1444Z.
- This issue is cover copy job number 02155.
- This issue carries the approval stamp of the Comics Code Authority.
- According to Comic Reader #95, this issue shipped to retailers on April 24th, 1973.
- The tagline for this issue is the same as the story title.
- This issue was reprinted in black and white in the Essential Werewolf by Night, Volume 1 trade paperback collection in October, 2005. It was also reprinted in remastered color in the Werewolf by Night Omnibus hardcover collection from October, 2015 and in Werewolf by Night: The Complete Collection, Volume 1 trade paperback in October, 2017.
- This is the first issue of Werewolf by Night with Jim Mooney as inker.
- Letterer Charlotte Jetter is credited as C. Jetter in this issue. This is her third issue on the series as letterer. She previously lettered Werewolf by Night #4.
- Artist Mike Ploog takes a bit of a break following this issue, but don't worry. He returns as penciler for a brief stint beginning with Werewolf by Night #13.
- The events of this issue take place on the third night of the full moon.
- Mige and Jack Russell are the first characters to appear in this issue.
- This issue includes a flashback to when Jack Russell, Buck Cowan and Lissa Russell first came to Calliope's Carnival and Circus from Werewolf by Night #6.
- The origin of the Bloodstone is revealed in this issue.