MIRROR MASTER & KILLER FROST versus GREEN ARROW & BLACK LIGHTNING

Heading into the Light Part Two: Cold Reflections (DC)
Where: Green Arrow #55 When: December 2005
Why: Judd Winick How: Ron Garney

The Story So Far...
Doctor Light has recovered his erased memories and is out to reestablish himself as a villainous force to be reckoned with! After failing to defeat his adversaries in the Teen Titans he's set his sights on ruining the life of Green Arrow and he has the resources of The Society to make it happen!

Green Arrow and Black Lightning are working to resolve the predicament, but when Dr. Kimiyo Hoshi is hospitalized, they find themselves ambushed by the second stage of Light's scheme: Mirror Master and Killer Frost!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Killer Frost 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Killer Frost 5 (Professor)
Speed: Black Lightning 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Black Lightning 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Green Arrow 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Green Arrow 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy: Black Lightning 5 (Lasers)
Total: Draw 24 (Champion)

Mirror Master and Killer Frost might seem like an unusual team-up, but they've been recruited by Doctor Light through his affiliation with The Society. The secret cabal is an organized union of super-villains working together for mutual goals.

This is the Evan McCulloch incarnation of Mirror Master: a mercenary who was given Sam Scudder's old gear by the FBI to work covert operations. He quickly turned on the feds and went mercenary, becoming a regular foe for The Flash.

His predecessor's advanced technology grants access to a mirror dimension he can travel through using any reflective surface. Mirror Master can also trap people in breakable mirrors, and create convincing illusions and duplicates of himself.

Killer Frost is identified in this issue as Dr. Crystal Frost, but all accounts before and since confirm her earlier death. It's much more likely that this is Dr. Louise Lincoln, who recreated the accident that transformed Dr. Frost, as a means of avenging her death as the second Killer Frost.

We saw her employ her heat absorption and ice powers while battling Kyle Rayner in Green Lantern #127. She was taken down by Wonder Woman during a clash with the Injustice League in Justice League of America #13.

We saw Mirror Master combine his powers with Doctor Light to take down The League of Titans in Final Crisis #1. Killer Frost's ice should create interesting potential for collaboration with his mirror powers.

Green Arrow and Black Lightning are more experienced fighting partners and will need to use that to their tactical advantage.

GA's arrows have taken down everyone from the gimmick wielding Penguin in Justice League of America #135, to the supreme fighter Deathstroke in Green Arrow #62. Black Lightning's electrical charge will prove valuable in evening the score against super-powers, but there is a question over whether or not he can za Killer Frost -- or will generate the type of heat she likes to consume.

The Tape: Green Arrow & Black Lightning Ranking: Green Arrow (#20)

What Went Down...

Green Arrow takes a knee and draws an arrow in the direction of the freshly made hole in the side of Kimiyo Hoshi's hospital room. Her bandaged body lies helpless on the ground courtesy of Killer Frost and Mirror Master's explosive entrance!

Crawling on hands and knees, Black Lightning shakes off the impact and answers GA's request to clear the room. He unleashes an electric blast that launches the villains into the night sky -- sending them hurtling across the city!

Killer Frost crash lands hard into the street some six blocks away, but Mirror Master walks away without a scratch. She can hardly believe his luck when an arrow stakes itself into the ground at his feet. Mirror Master knows better.

He runs as fast as he can from the arrow as a red light starts to gleam and it emits a high pitched shriek. A nearby car window provides a parked portal clear from danger as the arrow explodes -- again sending Killer Frost wildly airborne!

Green Arrow reads the play, recognizing Mirror Master is the more savvy of the pair while he shields from the blast behind another parked car.

The illusion of protection is shattered when Mirror Master's hand extends from the car's window and grabs Green Arrow by the throat!

GA deals with the problem at its source -- violently throwing his elbow into the glass to shatter Mirror Master's portal!

He staggers backward into the street, drawing his bow in the direction of the attack. He falls back, but lands close to a puddle with Mirror Master lying in wait!

Hands once again extend impossibly from the two-dimensional plane, locking Green Arrow in an unanticipated choke hold!

It looks as if it's about to get a whole lot worse when Killer Frost recovers from the explosion and prepares to join in -- but Black Lightning calls her attention to an elemental face-off from a building ledge overhead!

Frost gladly answers the challenge -- unleashing a stream of bitter cold that engulfs Black Lightning and lifts him off the ledge!

She leaps into the air to make chase. Lightning cautiously fires off a bolt, but it fails to connect as Frost splits her legs and dodges it. She joins him on a rooftop and sends icy shards extending across. He has no choice but to jump!

Meanwhile on the street, Green Arrow does his best to dive clear of a volley of shots fired by Mirror Master's gun. He dives behind a car and pulls another arrow, but finds himself surrounded by an army of mirror clones!

Green Arrow slings arrows at record speed, shattering the duplicates while deducing that Mirror Master is more than likely playing with him.

The villain expresses his admiration for his opponent's feats while emerging from the reflection on a shattered piece of glass on the hood of GA's cover. Arrow grabs his pop-up attacker by the wrists and slams his forehead into a waiting nose!

The vicious blow prompts Mirror Master to drop to his knees and clutch his busted nose. Green Arrow uses the opportunity to run from a foe he can't beat, hoping to change the playing field by jacking a nearby jeep and making an exit.

A short drive away: Killer Frost blasts unrelenting cold in an effort to see if there's a temperature that will freeze electricity. It's all Black Lightning can do just to keep the cold at bay with his gleaming bolts.

The cavalry arrives in a stolen chariot, leaning out of the driver's side window to fire off an arrow that hits Killer Frost in the shoulder!

GA drives right through the battle zone, calling for a partner switch that Black Lightning is all too happy to take! He rockets towards Mirror Master on bolts of electricity -- finding himself suddenly surrounded by reflections on all sides!

Black Lightning flips through the air, avoiding a spray of Mirror Master's mirrored gunfire. He lands on one knee and returns fire -- unleashing a deadly charge that fills the empty street with a leaping field of electricity!

Knowing Mirror Master could slip through any tiny shard of reflective glass, he pushes himself to the maximum to cut off any angle of entry. Smoke fills the street as he finally relents, but just like GA, he overlooked the puddle between his feet with a grinning face and a hi-tech pistol slowly emerging.

Mirror Master's jibes give him away, allowing Black Lightning to unleash one final mighty charge that evaporates the puddle and leaves his opponent unconscious!

A few streets away its a scene of absolute winter as snow blasts through cold winds. The gale makes it impossible to fire arrows toward the source, so GA tries a different tact, aiming for a street light.

Killer Frost gleefully deflects the heavy metal pole with a focused blast of ice, but the distraction serves well enough to ease the cold front and allow Green Arrow one shot with a very special arrow.

It ignites as it strikes Killer Frost in the thigh. At first, she laughs at the feeble attempt to fire ice with fire, but this arrow is different. It was cooked up by Roy Harper. It's called "Greek Fire" -- a chemical batch that burns hotter in water!

The emerald archer has an arrow capable of neutralizing the flame, but he holds it back -- interrogating Killer Frost for the identity of who sent her. She writhes in agony in the flame, screaming the man's name: Dr. Light!

The Hammer...

Pretty brutal tactics on Green Arrow's part, but it gets a result.

Killer Frost gives up that she and Mirror Master were sent by Doctor Light with intent to keep the hero busy, and away from home, while Light is stalking his adopted daughter Mia Dearden.

Green Arrow is specifically targeted for his role in unraveling a plot against Light's old enemies: the Teen Titans, but it's all in the name of revenge for the indignity Light suffered when the Justice League erased part of his mind.

Green Arrow was actually one of the heroes who stood opposed to using magic to rewire Doctor Light's personality in flashback portions of Identity Crisis. The decision was determined by the majority votes of Hawkman, Zatanna, Atom, and The Flash. They were opposed by Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Green Lantern.

Black Lightning had nothing to do with the League at that time, or their dark dirty secret history. It probably would've occurred just before he established a friendship with Green Arrow, and received nomination for membership in Justice League of America #173. Readers of the recent and excellent Other History of the DC Universe will know he turned their offer down in the 1979 issue.

It wasn't until 2007 that Black Lightning finally relented and officially joined the ranks of the Justice League. We got to see him in action against Cheetah and the Injustice League shortly after. Fun, but it feels like all the classic hold-outs have been swept up in a tidal wave of everybody young 'n' old joining the big teams.

I kinda like Black Lightning doing his own thing, and having a more special kinship with Green Arrow. It certainly added to an already stacked period for GA!

This arc in particular packs a punch with significant post-Identity Crisis follow-ups with Doctor Light, a couple of appearances by Kimiyo Hoshi in a super-charged grudge match, as well as the usual Arrow family, and The Society's guest villains!

The battle against Mirror Master & Killer Frost essentially occupies the entirety of the issue and it's a pretty good, uncomplicated time.

It's always fun to see what happens when villains cross brands to test themselves against other iconic heroes. Mirror Master might cook up new ways to cause trouble for The Flash, but it's a whole new ball game when he goes after Green Arrow or Black Lightning.

That said, it doesn't quite feel like the unique chemistry is fully exploited in this one. It's kind of taken for granted that the good guys are winning on their way to bigger fish. The focus seems to be on the end result of their fight, rather than the scrimmage, which leaves some of the middle action a little hazy.

Black Lightning's method for flash-frying Mirror Master while he's coming out of a puddle is pretty ingenious. Taking Killer Frost down with a chemical fire is a little less inspired, given her penchant for absorbing heat. Credit to Judd Winick for pulling "Greek fire" out of real historic Middle Ages reference, and acknowledging that its property for burning in water makes it a unique weapon.

I'm not sure who's responsible for misidentifying Killer Frost by the alias of the deceased Crystal Frost. That one seems like it could be an editorial oversight compounded by DC's gradual restoration of pre-Crisis elements in the mid-2000s.

All references before and after, including Crystal Frost's brief return as a pseudo-zombie during Blackest Night, seem to confirm this should be taken as Louise Lincoln. You'd think DC would learn from this kind of confusion, but alas, we seem doomed to repeat these inconsistencies as they instate reboot after reboot.

The artwork is a little inconsistent on this one, but when Ron Garney gets a clean hit, it's a thing of beauty. He particularly seems to excel at drawing Green Arrow and Black Lightning. Inker Bill Reinhold compliments the detail in their faces with strong, black lines that seem to retain a soft, bendiness from the pencils.

I like the sharp detailing in that panel of Killer Frost pouring on the cold against Black Lightning, too. At other times the actions and rendering gets much less sharp, and reminds me of some of the incomplete looking treatment of Scott McDaniel when he isn't at his best. I don't know if there's an uncredited assist here, or if it's just coincidence he's a regular GA penciller around this time.

If you'd like to find more from Green Arrow or any of the subjects covered in this post you should check out the links throughout. Or dive into the Secret Archive for a complete index of every featured fight in order of publisher, series, and issue!

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Winners: Black Lightning & Green Arrow
#17 (+3) Green Arrow
#66 (+41) Black Lightning
#363 (-114) Mirror Master (Evan McCulloch)
#978 (-19) Killer Frost (Louise Lincoln)

HOBGOBLIN versus MOON KNIGHT

Half Life (Marvel)
Where: Marc Spector: Moon Knight #32 When: November 1991 Why: JM DeMatteis & Howard Mackie How: Ron Garney

The Story So Far...
Before he became the avenging fist of Khonshu: Marc Spector lived the life of a soldier of fortune. In that career he made the acquaintance of Jason Macendale - the mercenary who would assume the identity of Hobgoblin.

In his pursuit for greater powers, Jason Macendale sought a deal with the demon N'Astirh. For his hubris he was infused with a demonic entity that greatly enhanced him, but also slowly began to assume control of his body. Now Macendale is helpless as the demon seeks vengeance against sinners starting with a list of mercenaries that has led him to the palatial estate of Marc Spector - Moon Knight!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Demogoblin 4 (Enhanced)
Intelligence: Moon Knight 3 (Straight A)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Draw 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Draw 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Moon Knight 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy: Demogoblin 4 (Arsenal)
Total: Draw 24 (Champion)

The name on the marquee says Hobgoblin, but Jason Macendale is now a mere passenger in his own body! The mercenary sought super-human powers from the demon N'Astirh and got more than he bargained for. Now his torturous possession is nearing its end as the Demogoblin begins to assume control!

This is the first time we've seen Demogoblin still bound to a mortal host. Soon after this battle he'll tear himself free from Macendale's body, embarking on a twisted quest with his own hellish equivalents of the Hobgoblin's arsenal.

Super-natural strength, a flaming glider, and occult pumpkin bombs make Demogoblin a formidable threat, but he hasn't always fared very well against adequately prepared opponents. We've seen Demogoblin fatally skewered on the end of Blade's sword during Ghost Rider #40. He was also out-muscled by the tactical tag team of Venom & Morbius in Venom: The Enemy Within #3.

Venom's victory was partly secured by exposing a subservient goblin horde to daylight. An interesting tactic, but not one that would do a whole lot of good for a man whose strength increases under the moon's light!

Before becoming Moon Knight: Marc Spector was a freelance mercenary. When his employer Raul Bushman left him for dead in the Egyptian desert, he was placed at the feet of an idol of Khonshu. There, the lunar deity chose him to become its avenger for justice by night.

Moon Knight is a highly skilled hand-to-hand combatant with an arsenal of silver weapons and high-tech vehicles. He's used these tools to combat supernatural threats and human mercenaries. At times, his methods can become quite brutal, as we saw when he dominated Taskmaster in Moon Knight (Vol.5) #6.

Moon Knight's methods and mindset can sometimes be erratic, but he definitely has the skills, tools, and propensity to take on a threat like Demogoblin. Here he has the benefit of home turf, but will that be enough? Let's find out!

The Tape: Draw Ranking: Moon Knight (#343)

What Went Down...
The sound of an explosion thundering through his estate interrupts a fleeting kiss between Marc Spector and Marlene Alraune. It is the signal of an intruder on the premises, who glides eerily through a gaping hole in the structure.

The Hobgoblin beckons to his target as his goblin-glider carries him through the manor on a night wind. If he notices the cloaked figure lurking behind him in the moonlight -- he is too slow to act. Moon Knight strikes!

A leaping fly kick connects with Hobgoblin's spine and knocks him off the glider!

The demonic goblin rolls to a knee and spitefully taunts his opponent's effortful tactics. Moon Knight answers his wicked tongue by tossing a boomerang straight at his sneering face!

Moon Knight clutches Hobgoblin by the throat and throws him against a nearby wall! For just a second the ghastly goblin's face reverts to that of the human mercenary Jason Macendale. He utters a strained cry for help -- enough for Moon Knight to loosen his grip and let his attacker drop hunched to the ground.

Macendale has the wherewithal to explain his demonic alter-ego's ultimate plan: to kill both of them and all their fellow mercenaries.

With his head in his hands, Macendale begs his former colleague to stop the demon hurting him again. A plea Moon Knight answers with a compassionate pledge to fix it all. He cannot see Macendale's fear turn to a demonic grin.

In control again, the demonic Hobgoblin spins around and unleashes a stinger blast from his finger! It sends the unprepared Moon Knight reeling back!

With the hero's white garb still smoldering, Hobgoblin looms with a razor-bat drawn and intent to kill! For the sin of being a mercenary he will seek to cut Moon Knight down once and for all!

The Hammer...
What a terrible time for a cliffhanger! Hobgoblin clearly has the upper hand as Marc Spector: Moon Knight #32 comes to a close, but to find out exactly how the battle concludes -- we'd need to continue to the next issue!

Per Secret Wars on Infinite Earths rules: we draw a line at the end of the issue. Occasionally conclusions can still be drawn from the information available, but in this instance, we're left with inconclusive data when the bell rings on Round 1.

The pair have been too evenly matched to call Hobgoblin's sudden reversal of fortune a true victory. This determination is partly influenced by the knowledge the battle directly continues. We'll return to see more from issue #33 at some point in the future. In the mean time, let us simply savor the anticipation and enjoyment that comes from one of Moon Knight's more intriguing rivalries!

Moon Knight may've borrowed from the Batman model of brooding caped crusader, but when it comes to villains, his bench isn't anywhere near as deep.

It's always nice when natural connective tissue can be used to expand the world and scope of two characters. Jason Macendale's history as a mercenary was well established during his reign as a Spider-Man villain. Why not acknowledge a professional past between he and former-mercenary Marc Spector?

The gimmick suited a concept that would come to define the Demogoblin once it separated from his human host. His righteous crusade against sinners meant a quick tour hunting mercenaries was a natural way for Moon Knight and Jason Macendale to meet and illuminate their secret past.

Making the meeting all the sweeter is Moon Knight's real publication history. He made his first appearance hunting The Werewolf in Werewolf By Night #32 and has remained connected with the realm of supernatural ever since. Macendale's demonic possession provides an extra tasty wrinkle to an already fun pairing.

It's for this reason I prefer when we aren't asked to question whether Khonshu is the figment of a disturbed mind. For some reason the 2000s seemed to place tremendous weight on fracturing the psyche of Marc Spector between different personalities.

I suppose it was a way to better differentiate the character from the strained, but unimpeachable perspective of Batman. I'm more inclined to think confirming Moon Knight's roots with the supernatural better service that goal. He's more interesting when he truly has ties with, and reasons to revisit that space.

I've been wanting to get back to Moon Knight for quite some time, but truth be told, what really brought me here was Hobgoblin. I've been on a real Jason Macendale kick lately! Hopefully some of those classic stories can find their way here sometime in the future.

It's always been tough to rate Macendale over the original Hobgoblin: Roderick Kingsley. The latter Hobgoblin's tenure lasted roughly the same amount of time as the first, but he was always slightly in the shadow of the original. A copy of a copy, having found the identity that Kingsley repurposed from Norman Osborn.

As much as I think the two goblins, (Hob & Demo), enhance Moon Knight's world, I think Moon Knight does something to improve Macendale, too. Between his demonic possession and hard mercenary past -- which included time as Jack O'Lantern -- he's actually a pretty decent villain. A shame Marvel scrapped him.

That's about all for now. If you'd like to find more from the characters discussed in this post be sure to explore links! It's a great way to discover exciting and new parts of comics! You can also dive into the Secret Archive for a complete index of every featured fight in order of publisher, series, and issue!

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Winner: Inconclusive (Draw)
#331 (+12) Moon Knight
#897 (+9) Demogoblin
#564 (new) Hobgoblin (Jason Macendale) [+1 assist]

GHOST RIDER/FRANK DRAKE
versus BLADE
Hunters (Marvel comics)
Where: Ghost Rider #40 When: August 1993
Why: Howard Mackie How: Ron Garney

The story so far...
When a black envelope containing a page of the legendary book of mysticism, the Darkhold, is read by Blade, he becomes a living vessel for the rebirth of the Demogorge.

With Blade's own hatred to spark the fire, he marches through the mystic underworld with the sole intent of eradicating all demons, magicks and supernaturally touched spirits that exist throughout the world -- absorbing their powers as they fall by his sword!

With Hannibal King and John Blaze having already fallen to Blade, their allies and fellow members of the fabled Nine; Daniel Ketch and Frank Drake; must chase their former ally and put an end to his unwavering massacre.

Previous Form:
Blade (#30): A defeat at the hands of Wolverine.
Ghost Rider/Frank Drake/Demogoblin: Each making their Infinite Wars debut.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Ghost Rider 4 (Steroid Popper)
Intelligence: Blade 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Blade 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Ghost Rider 6 (Generator)
Agility: Blade 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting Ability: Blade 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy Powers: Ghost Rider 5 (Lasers)


- Like Johnny Blaze before him, Daniel Ketch carries the curse of the Ghost Rider with him. These hellborne powers grant him fantastic powers that may be used in the pursuit of righteous vengeance. Powers that include; super strength, durability, speed, control over the hellcycle, hellfire, and mystic chains.

One of Ghost Rider's most unique weapons is the penance stare, a supernatural glare that allows him to inflict the suffering of an enemy's crimes back upon them.

- Frank Drake is descended from the legendary vampire lord, Count Dracula, from the bloodline started before Dracula became the vampire. The Drakes pursue the curse of their association throughout the generations, changing their name to Drake to remove the stink of Dracula's plague.

Though he does not possess any superhuman capabilities, Frank Drake is well versed in various hand-to-hand combat styles, and advanced weaponry. He is also intimately familiar with the supernatural, and thus not easily intimidated.

- In a whorehouse in London, a child was born into the world, destined for greatness. When the vampire Deacon Frost feasted on the woman in labour, he inadvertently passed along certain enzymes that would eventually granted Eric Roberts the strengths of a vampire, with none of their weaknesses as the Daywalker -- Blade!

Blade lives up to his name, highly skilled with various forms of weaponry and munitions. A dedicated vampire hunter, Blade is skilled in the martial arts, and a thorough tactician with an arsenal of weapons that compliment his acquired enhanced strength, speed, senses, durability and reflexes.

Having taken a page of the Darkhold from the black envelope, Blade has become possessed by the Demogorge. His ability to sense the supernatural is enhanced, as well as a new ability to absorb the powers of the mystics he kills.

- The Demogoblin is a demon who crossed over to Earth after a deal was made by Jason Macendale to gain enhanced powers in his battle with Spider-man.
Eventually split from the Hobgoblin, Demogoblin would go out on his own as a dark shade of his former host. Like Ghost Rider, Demogoblin claims the righteous path of vengeance, pledging to war against those he dubs sinner by his own twisted moral code.

Demogoblin possesses superhuman strength, speed, and a mystic arsenal modelled on the Hobgoblin including; a flaming bat-glider, flaming bats, and flaming pumpkin bombs.

The Math: Blade The Pick: Ghost Rider/Drake

What went down...
Drawn to The Crown Cafe nightclub; Blade, possessing the power of the Demogorge, follows the scent of the occult, stalking the mystic, Seer.
Not far behind, the Demogoblin wins the race with Ghost Rider to reach Blade, hoping to pledge himself to the Demogorge's extinction agenda of all things supernatural. The potential conflict of interests is lost on the demon, who pursues attempts to barter his usefulness.

Blade invites Demogoblin to serve him by throwing himself on his sword, but is soon distracted by the priority of the fleeing Seer. When she narrowly escapes the tip of his katana, Demogoblin again pledges his use when Ghost Rider and Frank Drake finally arrive on the scene!

Ghost Rider snags Blade in the coil of his mystic chain, while Frank Drake turns the non-lethal blast of his plasma cannon on their former ally, hoping to pacify him without lethality. It is Drake's hope the Demogorge's actions may be reversed.

Demogoblin comes to Blade's rescue, hurling several exploding demonic pumpkin bombs at the spirits of vengeance. He snatches Blade up, making an airborne escape to pursue the fleeing young female.

Determined to protect Seer, Ghost Rider summons his hellcycle outside the nightclub and speeds ahead of Drake to catch up to Demogoblin and Blade.
The two homicidal demons are found atop a skyscraper, where Demogoblin continues to pursue an alliance with the Demogorge, offering to sacrifice Seer as a tribute.

The Demogorge again refuses, turning on Demogoblin with the intent to make both mystics his victims. Before he can do so, the flaming wheels of the Ghost Rider's hellcycle cut a path that snatches Seer from Demogoblin's grip, and pulls her to safety.

Drawing his sword, Blade stalks toward the Ghost Rider. He notes an oversight in not coming after him after killing his fellows, Blaze and King, something Ghost Rider no doubt takes an exception to.

Despite the desire for vengeance, Ghost Rider is swatted with ease by Blade, who grows increasingly powerful with each confrontation. Blade declares a death-feud on members of the mystical Nine, starting with the Rider!

Ghost Rider steadys himself and declares his strength great enough to resist Blade at his current power level. Again hoping to engender goodwill from the slaughtering possessor of the Demogorge, Demogoblin leaps up to snag Ghost Rider in a sleeper hold -- noting their combined powers great enough to defeat the spirit of vengeance!

Demogoblin is finally forced to 'take the hint', suffering the Demogorge's uncompromising mission, impaled upon Blade's sword along with Daniel Ketch; the Ghost Rider. The demon smoulders with hellfire in death, as Blade's body absorbs the hellacious powers.

As Seer teleports to gather reenforcements; Blade turns his newly acquired powers on the Ghost Rider. His enhanced strength appears to give him the upperhand as he blasts the already battered Rider with bursts of flame.

The Demogorge chains Ghost Rider to a radio tower, taking his mystic shotgun to use Ghost Rider's powers against him in a literal sense. He turns the gun on him, blasting him with streams of hellfire that burn even the spirit of vengeance.
Unable to risk turning back to his human form of Dan Ketch, the Ghost Rider has no choice to endure the pain until --

-- Drake finally catches up with his partner, foregoing any attempts to talk reason into Blade to instead turn his weapon on him. With a burst of green energy, Drake stuns Blade long enough to retrieve Ghost Rider from the bonds of his own chains, and see him safely escape to summon the aid of others.

Slumped over his hellcycle, Ghost Rider flies on a path to find Louise Hastings of the Darkhold Redeemers, with a promise to stop Blade. A promise the further mutating possessor of the Demogorge denies, with a wag of his newly acquired demonic tongue.

The hammer...
On the strength of the physical dominance Blade showed over Ghost Rider and Demogoblin, I very nearly gave it to the Daywalker on points. On review, I think it's got to be a draw, given Drake went unscathed, and Ghost Rider managed to make a getaway.
A surprise loss for Demogoblin, however, with the kill to Blade.

So, when it came to quickly grabbing a stack of titles to choose from for Halloween, there were two characters that immediately jumped to mind: Ghost Rider and Blade! I mean, what would any good Halloween theme be without a dose of demons and vampires?

Typically when people refer to the variant/gimmick cover craze of the nineties, it's a title like Ghost Rider that gets harsh disapproval, sporting an array of metallic, blacks, and glow-in-the-dark specials. I, some would say fortunately, didn't spend much of my time with the Midnight Sons in the nineteen nineties, so was never particularly affected by this, or any other gimmick cover scam.
Still, I look back on those missed opportunities with some disappointment, because I'd really love to be able to browse over this corner of the Marvel universe.

Perhaps the only greater shame to come from the popularity of the 'darkside' in the nineties, is the way it's been defined and overshadowed by it's lesser qualities. I did one of my occasional google searches before delivering this entry, disappointed to find mostly ebay merchants, outdated sites, and the odd cult reference to something from these books.

In their own way, these books connect with me in a way I wish more titles did.
Behind awkward cut-off references to story chapters to come in other series and convoluted magic: a sensibility that pays careful attention to it's characters and the rules within which they operate. Like the allure of Daredevil and Marvel's criminal underworld, the supernatural equivalent is filled with interesting characters all too often overlooked.

Recent efforts to relaunch titles like Blade and Ghost Rider have been, well, to put it politely, destined for failure. Blade in particular was a series that had a very successful model to work off from the first feature film, but instead played a card that committed neither to the pop-references of Marvel's superhero universe, or the independent culture of the vampire/magic scene.

Ghost Rider succeeded, at least in it's initial issues, in steering closer to it's origins as a supernatural-western thriller, but did so with meandering plot, and disengaging familiarities from Johnny Blaze/Satan stories past. That was, of course, before devolving in ways similar to Blade, getting wrapped up in crossovers like World War Hulk, which to be honest, attracted my attentions far more than the bland Satan stories.

You have to admire a commitment to direction by Marvel, but why it would be those particular directions that would garner such favour, I'll never know.
Even on a visual asthetic, Howard Chaykin's Blade grossly removed itself from the contemporary chic of the Blade films, bogging themselves down in ugly jawlines, and dated looking pencils, designs and washed out eighties colours.
The stake/gun-hand didn't help matters much, either.

From today's stack of talent, it's almost too obvious to talk about your Maleevs, Larks and Ajas for something like Blade, Ghost Rider, or the Midnight Sons; but in contrast to what we have seen, they remain the overlooked obvious.
Mind you, I have to mention, the style of these particular issues from the nineties remains something that stands out as something unique. Not so much the pencils, which don't differ greatly from standard superhero work, but the inks!

The old artistic edict 'when in doubt, black it out' is left behind as the darkness of this world is visually represented by a wanton use of flat blacks. Chris Ivy slathers black both in and out of panels, blurring the lines between where the action begins and ends, lending a stylistic difference to the style more commonly seen in hyperactive sprawls of panel-to-panel wall breaking.

A lot of this stuff, as far as I know, remains uncollected.
Sprouting icicles on the end of what's hot, and what's not, these books get kicked back in favour of the vogue of seventies back issues. Dan Ketch is absent, while Johnny Blaze again takes the reigns of the Ghost Rider franchise.

Maybe I'm looking at this stuff through rose coloured glasses, or maybe the goggles of confusion that sprout several hours after midnight, but with the success of these franchises on film every fanboys must ponder the same question: Why aren't they being made to work on the page?

It's worth mentioning that, although David Goyer's first Blade script distilled the character to much of what makes him so fantastic in a contemporary setting -- the character had already evolved much to this point in the comics themselves.
Those inclined to argue against a fictional drastic revamp would do well to remember this, as would the movie-going kids out there under the impression Blade was a jive-talking 'fro flinger until Hollywood got a hold of him.

No doubt the answers to secrets such as these, and many others, remain under the cosmic guard of Bahlactus! Like a giant purple urban legend, Bahlactus is said to scour the infinite webspace every Friday, seeking out suckers who would be punched, on this night of fights! Dare you risk hellfire, damnation and a Ghost Rider movie sequel by clicking his link to know for sure? ~SPOOKY!!!~

The Fight: 3.5 The Issue: 4.5

[Not surprising of a fledgling comics writer and superhero fanboy, I can't seem to stop grumbling about the imagined promise of a regular Marvel comic that would give a platform to the goings on of the urban underworld. Punisher, Daredevil, Deadpool, Sabretooth, Morbius, Dr. Strange, Blade, Ghost Rider, Cloak & Dagger... The list of characters that could find new life is endless!]