Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Spirits of Vengeance #2
The Ghost Rider is back to his roots after Johnny Blaze and his demon within, Zarathos, mended their differences. However, something is changing for Blaze and the rest of the world’s Ghost Riders that could change the Spirits of Vengeance forever. As Johnny Blaze plunges into the depths of Atlantis in search of a crying soul in need, a dark secret about the origin of the Ghost Riders is revealed.
Spirits of Vengeance #2 – by Sabir Pirzada and Chris Campana – reintroduces readers to the Ghost Rider after his harrowing adventure to seize his Spirit of Vengeance from The Hood. Hitting the pavement and back out on the road, Blaze has been traveling in search of innocents needing help and sinners deserving of vengeance.
On his road trip, he comes across an artifact that points him to the ocean’s depths, where a sorrowful soul weeps alone. As Johnny carves his underwater infernal path, he discovers the wailing spirit, who tells Johnny that it is he that she weeps for.
The Ghost Riders’ Greatest Secret Lies in the Depths of Atlantis
Spirits of Vengeance #2 – Written by Sabir Pirzada; Art by Chris Campana and Roberto Poggi; Color by Andrew Dalhouse; Lettering by VC’s Travis Lanham
In the ocean’s darkest depths, Blaze discovers the source of the sorrow, a sea hag named Kauthar. Kauthar thanks the Ghost Rider, explaining her undersea imprisonment was thanks to a fellow Spirit of Vengeance in an age long past. She warns Blaze of a new hellish threat, a Spirit of Violence, awoken by the Blood Hunt, set free to deliver “vengeance” to the souls of the innocent. The Sea Hag warns Johnny that once the Spirit of Violence finds a host, it will become unstoppable.
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Blaze valiantly promises Kauthar that he can handle it until the hag reveals that he doesn’t even know the true nature of the Spirits of Vengeance that bind him and every Ghost Rider together. The hag leans in and whispers into Johnny’s ear, instantly causing the Rider to fade away, leaving Johnny in tears. In classic comic fashion, her words are blurred from the reader however it does open up room for a swath of new theories. Surprisingly, both the Ghost Rider and another dark tome share ties to the undersea kingdom.
The Secret Origins of the Ghost Riders Share a Common Link With Chthon
Atlantis Carries Many Dark Secrets Dating Back to the Elder Gods
Wicked eldritch magic lays waiting, hidden in the tombs of old Atlantis, connecting the Ghost Riders, the Elder Gods, and the Darkhold together.
Before the Great Cataclysm, Atlantis was claimed by the Elder Gods, Oshtur, Chthon, Set, and Gaea, each bearing avatars to represent them in their godly wars. Chthon’s champion was Varnae, the world’s first vampire and instigator of the Blood Hunt. However, Gaea’s champion was a sorceress named Zhered-Na. Thousands of years later, a powerful sorcerer named Jennifer Kale, Johnny Blaze’s cousin, acquired Zhered-Na’s book of spells, eventually gaining enough Atlantean power to rival the author of her studies. While it’s difficult to discern now, the secret of the Ghost Riders must be hidden where all these threads come together.
Buried in the Atlantean depths is a dark secret so horrifying that even Zarathos couldn’t bear to hear it. Wicked eldritch magic lays waiting, hidden in the tombs of old Atlantis, connecting the Ghost Riders, the Elder Gods, and the Darkhold together. Until now, very few Spirits of Vengeance have shared the same origin. But now, a sinister truth, still hidden in secret, promises to break apart the chains that bind the Ghost Riders together and only Johnny Blaze has been left with the burden of knowing.
Spirits of Vengeance #2 is available now from Marvel Comics.
Ghost Rider
The Ghost Rider franchise revolves around the Marvel Comics character Ghost Rider, a supernatural anti-hero who gains the ability to transform into a flaming skeletal figure and ride a hellfire-fueled motorcycle. The most famous Ghost Rider, Johnny Blaze, is a stunt motorcyclist who makes a deal with the demon Mephistopheles, transforming him into the Ghost Rider to battle evil spirits. The franchise includes two films starring Nicolas Cage as Johnny Blaze, exploring his fight against demonic forces and his internal struggle with the curse.