EDITOR’S NOTE: This arc takes place before Ghost Rider #1

TWO-LANE HIGHWAY

Part III: Born of Fire

By Chris Munn and John Wick

For it is not the least of its terrors
that this evil thing is rooted
deep in all good…
-Dracula
By Bram Stoker

Blaze ran like hell, through hell. He’d been around the block enough times to know a no-win scenario when he saw one, and this definitely qualified. Six blasts of hellfire from the shotgun, and Zarathos hadn’t even slowed. Made sense, though… it was the demon’s essence. Still, he had to try. Craig and Emma were in trouble, and he couldn’t save them if Zarathos fried him. So Blaze holstered the gun and ran hard.

Seeing Blaze turn tail and rabbit was enough to make Zarathos pause. This was unlike his former host; he’d expected an attempt at battle at least. Still, if there was one thing the demon preferred to a physical struggle, it was riding down a quarry. Loathe as he was to admit it, Blaze’s arrival in Hell had filled Zarathos with dread, and he intended to take decisive action, lest he be humiliated again. To these ends, Zarathos began to conjure a form out of pure hellfire.

John came over a rise top-speed, lost his footing and tumbled down the hill to the plain below. He cursed under his breath and scrambled back to his feet, about to take off again when he suddenly heard the horrible shriek of a hundred tormented souls screaming out in unison, dying off, then crying out again. A horrible growl shook the ground and grew louder. Even though it had been years, Blaze recognized the sound immediately, and he knew that running had, just now, become useless.

With an explosion of hellfire and a cacophony of demonic laughter, Zarathos caught air astride his hellcycle, streaking over Blaze and slamming to the ground 100 yards in the distance. Revving the bike’s engine, Zarathos turned to face his intended prey.

Blaze turned at the same moment to face the demon for what he believed to be the last time. The roar of the bikes motor rose above the tormented screams of Hell itself. The sound was enough to send fear into the heart of any normal man, but Blaze was far from normal. In a single motion the shotgun was removed from its holster and leveled squarely at the beast. The gun felt ten times heavier in his grasp than it actually was. Though he knew it to be a futile move he fired repeatedly at Zarathos as the demon bore down on him.

Laughter rose from Zarathos, as the shotgun blasts only added to his strength. Having no physical body the hellfire he had used to create this form only grew stronger as each blast was absorbed. The bike shook beneath him as he accelerated at an exponential rate towards his prey. Zarathos expected the bike to make short work of Johnny. By the expression on John’s face it was easy to tell that he thought the same thing.

The air in the room was thick with the smell of fresh blood. The children huddled close together gripping at the pants leg of the only adult figure they now trusted. Wolf looked up at Clara as the words escaped her collapsing lungs… “Blackheeaart…” her life was fading fast. Emma and Craig buried their faces into Wolf’s legs. He raised his shotgun towards his long time friend and for the last time looked upon her face.

The shot echoed through the trailer and a mere second later Clara’s body slumped down completely devoid of all life. Kneeling down Wolf scooped the children into his arms.

“It had to be done children, there was no other way… no way to save her…” Wolf took the children by the hand and walked outside. The sight inside the trailer had been enough to cause his stomach to drop to the pits of hell itself, but the events taking place outside were far worse.

Mitch, the human torch, was walking through a crowd of screaming people, men, women, children, while spewing fire from his mouth engulfing them in flames. The patrons were fleeing in chaos some on fire, others tripped on bodies already blistered and charred on the ground. To the right of the trailer Sam the magician with his assistant Lita were chasing down people with throwing knives and hitting their marks with deadly accuracy. No matter what direction Wolf looked in, the carnage seemed to get progressively worse.

Wolf instinctively grabbed the children in his arms and began a mad dash for his trailer. The short distance between the two places seemed like an eternity, women cradled children who were missing their eyes, Men cowered in fear on the ground in fetal positions dowsed in their own vomit, Children desperately shook their fallen parents in the hopes that they would soon wake up. ‘That bastard’s gonna pay for this.’ Wolf
thought as he narrowly avoided tripping over a man who had several darts from the balloon pop game lodged in his throat. ‘He’s gonna pay for it all…’

Wolf turned the last corner towards his trailer and for once there was no carnage before him. Whatever had affected the rest of the carnival had apparently not reached this far yet. Breathing a sigh of relief he put the children down and ran with them towards his home.

“It’s all going to be okay kids. Things are bad right now but Mr. Wolf here’s gonna fix it okay? Just try not to worry yourselves. I need you to wait in my trailer. You’ll be safe there. I need to stop this.”

Wolf bounded up the steps with the children in tow turned the key, opened the door, and nearly passed out at the sight before him.

The astonished Wolf managed to get out one word “Blackheart!” just before his head was decapitated by the demon. Blackheart smiled as his head rolled past the children into the dirt below. The stump of Wolf’s body collapsed before the children as Emma screamed and Craig held her close.

Blackheart smiled, blood dripping down his teeth. With a voice that sounded like raw sandpaper he looked upon the children. Grabbed Wolf’s shotgun and chided…

“Hello Children… Lets play…”

The heat of the hellfire from the bike burned towards Johnny like an inferno. Blaze raised his shotgun like a club in an attempt to knock Zarathos off the bike. Both collided in an explosion of fire and energy that even the denizens of Hell seldom witnessed. Fire seemed to consume John, however his skin remained unharmed. The heat was tremendous and seemed to fill Blaze with an energy he had tried for so many years to forget. Maddening laughter filled the plain he found himself on, as Mephisto appeared before blaze. In that instant, two distinct screams could be heard merging as one…

“Noooooooo!” one voice was that of Blaze, the other Zarathos.

“Did you really think I would let you leave here without a price?”

The voice issuing from Blaze’s lips seemed deeper now almost as if it were straining with the raw power that coursed through his body.

“You can’t do this… Not again! If I have to live like this, you will be the first to taste my wrath!”

“Such strong words for one so newly born,” chuckled Mephisto. “It is only fitting that you two be merged again. Neither of you seemed to realize that Hellfire is an integral part of both of you. You deserve this punishment more than you know.”

“I will never surrender myself to the likes of you. I will remain here in hell if need be. The world is better off without this monster let loose upon it.”

“Don’t be so sure of yourself, Johnny. You have no idea what is happening on Earth, I’m sure you’ll change your mind when you see what I have to show you.”

“All you’ve ever shown me is lies and half truths. I will spend the rest of my days in Hell trying to destroy you if I must.”

Mephisto raised his hand and the air before the flaming Johnny Blaze began to waver. The center of the atmospheric disturbance began to fluctuate and grow in diameter. The terrain behind the fissure slowly faded and a new image began to emerge superimposed upon the actual background. It was too hard to make anything out at first, only a bright orange light. Then, as the image pulled back Johnny began to recognize faces… friends, colleagues, buildings, trailers, all parts of the carnival, on fire and burning quickly.

“This is only more of your trickery Mephisto, I won’t fall for it…”

“Again Blaze, you are too quick to make such bold statements, look closer.”

The image shifted and Blaze recognized the interior of the main tent of the carnival. “You see,” said Mephisto, “there’s more at stake here than you first imagined. Your friend, Red Fowler, well lets just say, that wasn’t him who sent you on this little trip.”

Slowly the image moved towards the center of the tent. Upon a large chair a figure that belonged only to regions of hell sat atop a great throne. Laughing while staring into the distance.

“If you want to remain here for all eternity battling me, be my guest. Before you make that decision though, I think you need to look at the whole picture.”

The image pulled back from Blackheart, at that moment every nerve ending inside John went numb and a cold dread he had never felt before began to grow inside. At the side of the throne he saw his two children chained like animals to the demon. Both children were crying and looked as if they had been the ones to visit hell instead of John. Tears began to well up in John’s eyes and a new fire of fury began to burn deep inside of him.

“Like I told you Blaze, the choice is yours. Judging by the look on your face though, I’d say we’re finally ready to make a deal”.

The air grew thick around Blaze and the laughter that issued forth from Mephisto filled his soul with anger beyond words. Whether or not the images he witnessed were the truth he knew now that he no longer had a choice. Lowering his head he quietly mumbled the words beneath his breath.

“I accept.”

Then, everything went black.

The two men were dragged before the throne of Blackheart. Both begging for their lives. An evil laugh escaped the demons lips. “Do you know who I am” he hissed through his teeth. Neither of the man answered too afraid to speak. “They call me Blackheart. I often wonder if I am the only one who deserves this name. I think its time we found out… what do you think Children?”

Emma and Craig were chained at the neck to the base of the chair upon which Blackheart sat. Each was pulling desperately at the chain trying to break free. Tears streamed down their faces and the skin where the metal collars bit into their flesh had already begun to turn raw from the tight confinement.

Blackheart reached his long finger towards Emma and with his razor sharp nail lacerated her cheek in a single motion. Tears welled up in her eyes as blood dripped to the floor below. One of the men lunged at Blackheart when he saw what was done to the child. At the moment before his fist connected with the demon his face suddenly went slack. Blackheart’s hand pushed deep into the man’s chest. He smiled with an evil grin as he removed his hand extracting the pulsing heart. The man lost consciousness and dropped to the ground twitching.

“Seems we have another red one. Such a pity. Guess we’ll have to keep trying,” laughed Blackheart.

Gripping the organ in his hand he hurled it across the enclosed tent, watched it splatter against the wall and land in a pile of other hearts.

“Haven’t found a black one yet. But it doesn’t hurt to keep trying. You see children even death can be fun. Wouldn’t you agree Emma?”

Craig felt anger rising up from deep inside. Though he was terrified the protective instincts he had towards his younger sister now overrode any need of self-preservation.

“Leave her alone!” Craig yelled out, while hitting Blackheart’s leg with all the strength he could muster. Blackheart let out a laugh and kicked Craig hard in the ribs.

“I’ve survived the fires of hell. Torments and pain you can’t even begin to imagine and you think hitting my leg is going to convince me to stop what I’m doing? Nobility is a virtue child, rare for one your age.”

Craig held his side and desperately tried to catch his breath.

Blackheart continued, “Don’t you realize this is the only way I can bring him out? The only way to bring his downfall? Mephisto will perish and no man or foolish child will stop me.”

Blackheart looked down at Emma, drool falling from his mouth and covering her delicate face. Tears filled her reddening eyes.

“Soon Child, soon it will all be clear…”

His skin felt as though a thousand scorpions had stung every square inch of his body. His head buzzed like a hornets nest and the world suddenly seemed a thousand degrees cooler than it had only moments ago. Laying face down on the ground blaze raised his head, vomited what could have easily been everything he ate over the last week and pushed himself to his feet. The air no longer reeked of burnt flesh. The sky was no longer filled with demons flying overhead, but the screams, which should have ceased upon returning to Earth… remained.

“Shit!” John called out. “Mephisto was on the level!”

Blaze picked up his shotgun, realized that Mephisto had managed to return him just outside the carnival, and pushed forward towards his children. Blaze entered the carnival through a hole in the chain link fence that surrounded the carnival grounds. Tents, rides, concession stands and people were all set aflame. Blackheart had done his work well. He waded through the smoldering corpses and noticed his friend Mitch lying on the ground. His arm was twisted backwards and his leg was little more than a stump. Mitch’s lips were blistered with third degree burns. He looked up to his friend and though the words caused his lips to crack and bleed he tried to speak.

“Johnny… please… you have to stop him… please…”

Blaze looked at his friend dying on the ground and kneeled down close to him.

“Don’t worry Mitch. This ends tonight.”

Mitch looked up at John as he rose to his feet. Looking down at his friend, John watched Mitch’s right eye roll back. The left one remained focused on John. He dusted off his jeans, pointed the gun at his friend, and pulled the trigger.

The night air cracked repeatedly with the sound of John’s shotgun. The magician and his assistant felt its mercy, the Alligator Boy from the freak show welcomed its blast, even the guy who sold hot dogs was grateful to have his torment ended. Blaze euthanised his way towards the central tent.

After the last shotgun blast was heard on the main fairway Johnny entered the bloody central tent. Across the expanse of body parts and corpses Blaze’s eyes found and focused on his children chained to the throne Blackheart had made for himself.

“Daddy!” Emma and Craig called out across the room.

“Well isn’t this touching,” said Blackheart sarcastically. “It’s a very Brady family reunion. I’ve got Bobby and Cindy here; I’m afraid Clara and Wolf….oops… I mean Marsha and Peter couldn’t be here for the reunion though, on account of a little case of death. You see…”

“Save it Blackheart. If you let them go now I promise your death will be quick.”

“Promises… Promises… do you really think that the threat of death would have any sway over me? You played right into my hands Johnny boy! You couldn’t resist being the hero. How’d you like the house? Did you like what I did with the place?”

Blaze took two steps towards Blackheart and un-holstered his shotgun.

“You see Blackheart, this ain’t no goddamn Brady Bunch! And this shotgun here will be the only laugh-track you’ll hear if you don’t let them go right now!”

In an extremely fast motion, Blackheart gathered Craig by his jacket and lifted him off the ground.

“You’d better choose your next few moments carefully Johnny boy, otherwise little Bobby here will get to experience a very Brady decapitation.

“You harm him and…”

“You don’t realize your situation do you? I’m willing to offer you a deal. A way for everyone to walk away from this unharmed. All you have to do is listen. If you need an assisted listening device one can be provided for you.”

Blackheart reached to the side of his chair, picked up a severed human ear, and threw it towards John. Blaze raised the shotgun and blasted the ear like skeet.

“I’ve already made enough deals with the devil for one day. I’m not about to make another.”

“Look Blaze, I’m not asking you to do anything you haven’t already dreamed about. Kill Mephisto that’s all you have to do. Then I’ll let them go. ”

Blaze looked at Blackheart with disgust and through clenched teeth the anger pushed the words from his mouth.

“I’m sure you’ve managed to convince yourself that this is a good plan and all, but I have another solution. How about I shove this shotgun down your throat, pull the trigger and deal with one devil at a time?”

Blackheart spat on the ground before Blaze. Before he could react Blackheart squeezed Craig’s neck and snapped it hard to the right breaking his spinal cord in the process. Emma screamed as Blaze watched his son’s body fall, twitching on the floor.

Blaze screamed out in a sound of pure rage. Fire began to burn from behind his eyes. The loss of his innocent son’s life opened the floodgates that poured forth pure hellfire unto the mortal world.

Blackheart snapped the chain attached to Emma from the chair and wrapped it around his wrist tightly. The flesh and hair of John Blaze blistered and melted away. Emma screamed as the skull took shape and burned from the unnatural flames. Reflected in her tear filled eyes her father disappeared and the Ghost Rider was born once more unto the Earth.

The Ghost Rider stared intently at Blackheart and broke the chain that had been attached to Craig’s neck. Hellfire surrounded the length of chain and the demon skull bore it’s gaze directly into Blackheart.

“You have killed an innocent and for that you will be the one who suffers!”

The Demon merely laughed, holding the girl at his side.

“Zarathos, it’s about time you showed up. I’ve been stuck here with Johnny-do-good. I’m going to offer you a chance to walk this Earth free of your human host. All you have to do is kill Mephisto.”

“Vile creature! I am the Ghost Rider and you have been judged guilty!”

The Ghost Rider pulled his arm back and whipped the length of chain forward towards Blackheart. The devil let loose an anguished cry as the hellfire began to bite into its leg. He instinctively dropped Emma and reached down quickly gripping the chain with his hand, which began to burn from the flames. The Ghost Rider still gripped the other end of the chain though and Blackheart used it against him. In an unexpected response Blackheart pulled hard on the chain and flung Ghost Rider overhead by it.

“Stupid, incredulous, amnesiac demon!” cursed Blackheart loudly while clenching his fist to extinguish the flames. You’ll join me or die!”

The force Blackheart had used was far more than the Ghost rider had originally expected. He was thrown clear across the tent and landed on the cold ground outside. With a fire that burned with the rage of hell itself he ran quickly back into the tent expecting to face his enemy once again. Ghost Rider was greeted only with an empty room.

The demon rider knelt down and picked up the child in his arms. The skull face looked upon the child with deep hatred for the being that caused his death. The fire surrounding his skull burned brighter, and then suddenly began to fade. The features of John blaze returned, tears filling his eyes. Sobbing into the shirt of his son he suddenly looked up towards the heavens and screamed into the air “You will pay for this! You can’t hide forever!”

John Blaze clutched Craig’s limp body close to his chest. A dim flicker of fire burned behind his eyes and he muttered under his breath, “Vengeance will be mine.”

NEXT: Blaze searches for his Children… Ghost Rider hunts his prey… Blackheart finds some like-minded souls… and the fun is just beginning…

Pencil of Vengeance

Well … It has finally come to pass. The issue is complete. I hope you all enjoyed it. I wanted to thank Chris Munn for asking me to write for his site and for allowing me to take on Ghost Rider, a long time personal favorite of mine. It seems I am forever destined to follow in his footsteps, as the Morbius mini I am writing follows directly after Chris’ story, but with footsteps like his I don’t mind walking their path.

I’d also like to thank all of you who read this issue. You’re what the writing is all about. So don’t be shy send me some feedback and let me know how the heck I’m doing.

If I can promise anything about this story…. It’s going to be a dark ride.

-John Wick

EDITOR’S NOTE: This series was originally hosted at Ultimate Marvel and later, Strange Tales, and John’s comments are in reference to that.