Bob Budiansky

"Claws Across the Water!" Part 1 of 2. A letter marked "Life and Death" arrives in the mail at Avengers Mansion! Who sent the letter? And why? The Avengers have a lot of questions! Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, there's only one definitive answer...the Yellow Claw! What diabolical plan for world domination has the century-old villain set in motion? Earth's Mightiest Heroes fly to the South China Sea to find out! The Vision and the Wasp infiltrate Yellow Claw's island fortress through the air, while the other avengers invade from the ground! After battling the island's high-tech defenses, the Avengers breakthrough and confront the Yellow Claw! But then the Avengers abruptly leave. What happened? The Yellow Claw is still a free man. Cameo appearance by Hawkeye. Avengers Lineup: Beast, Captain America, Iron Man, Jocasta, Scarlet Witch, Vision, Wasp, and Wonder Man. (Note: The Yellow Claw previously appeared in Nova (1st series) 18. This issue includes a full-page ad (with art by Frank Miller) for the Doctor Strange 2nd series. At one time Roger Stern and Frank Miller were going to team up on the title; however, another artist ended up penciling the series. This issue also contains a full-page ad for the Spider-woman 1st series.)

"Beyond a Shadow" Part 1 of 2. In the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Spain, a majestic city has risen from the depths! The U.S. Navy's Sixth Fleet sails to investigate, but runs into the powerful ruler of this spectacular citadel...the Shadow Lord! After the navy's advance is halted, the Avengers attack! However, the Shadow Lord controls the winds and the waves...and traps Earth's Mightiest Heroes in a massive tornado! Can the Avengers triumph over an ancient lord of the Earth from centuries ago? Avengers Lineup: Beast, Captain America, Iron Man, Jocasta, Scarlet Witch, Vision, Wasp, and Wonder Man. (Note: This issue includes a half-page ad for Marvel Two-in-One 75 featuring the Thing and the Avengers vs. Annihilus and Blastaar.)

"Beyond a Shadow" Part 1 of 2. In the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Spain, a majestic city has risen from the depths! The U.S. Navy's Sixth Fleet sails to investigate, but runs into the powerful ruler of this spectacular citadel...the Shadow Lord! After the navy's advance is halted, the Avengers attack! However, the Shadow Lord controls the winds and the waves...and traps Earth's Mightiest Heroes in a massive tornado! Can the Avengers triumph over an ancient lord of the Earth from centuries ago? Avengers Lineup: Beast, Captain America, Iron Man, Jocasta, Scarlet Witch, Vision, Wasp, and Wonder Man. (Note: This issue includes a half-page ad for Marvel Two-in-One 75 featuring the Thing and the Avengers vs. Annihilus and Blastaar.)

"Eve of Destruction!" Part 2 of 2. Tragically the Avengers discover that the Shadow Lord is not their true enemy. It's the Berserker! A powerful and vicious warrior from 2,000 years ago! The Berserker has resurfaced in the 20th century and is now tearing up the Italian peninsula! Eight avengers battle the Berserker non-stop, but the mighty warrior does not fall. Wonder Man, the last avenger standing, will have to use both his brawn and brains to save the world!

"Havoc on the Homefront!" The Wizard is enjoying life at his Long Island estate after escaping from prison several weeks ago. But now the federal government is on to him! And sends the Avengers to find the former leader of the Frightful Four! Captain America, She-Hulk, and the Scarlet Witch invade the Wizard's mansion to see if the criminal mastermind is home! Don't worry, he is! Can the three avengers reign in the wingless Wizard? First appearance of Raymond Sikorsky. Cameo appearances by Spider-Man and the Vision. Avengers Lineup: Captain America, Captain Marvel, Scarlet Witch, She-Hulk, Starfox, and the Wasp.

It is late at night and Johnny Blaze enters a church. The only man present is a priest. Johnny is feeling somber, and asks the priest to hear his confession. The priest sets him down inside the confessional and Johnny tells him the story of his life. He explains in detail how he sold his soul to the Devil to save the life of his adoptive father, Crash Simpson. As a result, Johnny was bonded to a demon and became the Spirit of Vengeance, the Ghost Rider.

As he concludes his confession, he reveals that he knows the man behind the screen is not a real priest. He is actually a thief who murdered a priest and took his clothes. He planned on stealing gold valuables from the church when Johnny interrupted him.

The Ghost Rider races down the highway and is noticed by motorcycle cop, Bob Convy. Convy gives chase, but the Ghost Rider manages to dissuade him from further pursuit.

He soon arrives at the Quentin Carnival where he turns back into Johnny Blaze. Johnny suits up for his next stunt and races his cycle through a gauntlet of dangerous obstacles. Three people in the audience, Burt, Shirley and Harry comment about Blaze's performance. Harry, a beer-swilling thug says that if Blaze was really talented, then he wouldn't have had his title stolen by Flagg Fargo.

One day, Jeremy, the Carnival's monster man, bumped into Eliot Franklin before they saw Johnny Blaze practicing a new entrance for his act. Quentin introduced Eliot to Johnny before the boy's father Corky appeared. As Eliot turned his attention towards his father, Jeremy turned his attention towards Cynthia and gave her a drawing of her that he made. Cynthia got the impression that Jeremy loved her and rejected him, although he claimed that he only wanted to be her friend and Quentin introduced her to Eliot. She attempted to get an interview out of Eliot, but he turned her down. As the carnival drove, a man named Renaldo was tasked by his employer with recruiting the Monster Man from Quentin's Carnival.

Three days later, the carnival relocated and Johnny thought about how he was able to stop transforming into Ghost Rider for days before he saw Quentin refusing Renaldo's offer to buy Jeremy's contract. Johnny threw out Renaldo, who claimed that the carnival performer would regret what he had done. After the carnival goers left during the evening, Renaldo returned with a van and released a gang of freaks while Red invited Johnny to join a poker game. While Red and Corky played poker in the latter's tent, they were attacked by the freaks before they captured both Johnny and Jeremy.

Give up, Blaze! You can't keep up this pace forever! Sooner or later, I'll catch you! And when I do, the Ghost Rider shall have his freedom

The Ghost Rider had been locked away in the subconscious of Johnny Blaze for over a week while the unconscious motorcyclist was held captive by the Circus of Crime, as the Clown told him that he needed money to pay for his father's treatment. Fire-Eater was jealous of the Clown becoming the new leader, although he decided to temporarily follow his orders. The Circus of Crime appeared outside of Quentin Carnival and the Clown insisted that he could help them after their insurance policy was canceled. Johnny regained consciousness and the Ghost Rider insisted on being released, so that he could stop the Circus of Crime, although the motorcyclist was able to untie himself, while Quentin refused the Clown's money to bail his carnival out and his performers were attacked, as a result, leading to a fight.

��First Appearance: Centurious 

You understand now--don't you, Blaze--why your demon's flame could never defeat me! I have no soul of my own! But those wretches I have consumed suffered at the Ghost Rider's hands! The game is ended, Blaze! Centurious lives and you are finished

��First Appearance: Steel Wind

When a woman on a bike named Steel Wind arrived at the carnival, Quentin replaced Johnny with her, much to the protest of the other performers. In response, Quentin arranged a contest between Johnny and Steel Wind in which the victor could stay. Steel Wind won and Quentin forced Johnny, as well as Cynthia, to leave. After both Johnny and Cynthia learned that Steel Wind's presence at carnivals caused disaster and economic ruin, the two returned to Quentin's Carnival and the male motorcyclist defeated her with the help of the Ghost Rider, while the Freakmaster planned to confront him more directly.

After Johnny and Zarathos were rejoined, the demon told the motorcyclist the story of how a medicine man summoned him on behalf of his tribe and gave him souls in exchange for unequalled might, which caught the attention of Mephisto and angered him, so he decided to use a prince and princess as pawns against his fellow demon. Johnny was captured by Renaldo and his freaks, while Zarathos plotted with Nightmare to take over the stuntman's body.

As Johnny was strapped to a table by Renaldo, he saw Mona and other people in his life in a dream before Zarathos snatched her away. Zarathos burned Johnny with hellfire before taking control of his body and preparing to kill Renaldo. Before Zarathos could kill Renaldo, Johnny regained control of his body.

Johnny returned to Quentin Carnival with the Great Vincenzo before learning that Freakmaster had become Quentin's new partner. He discovered that Freakmaster was planning on turning all of the performers into freaks before confronting him. Freakmaster agreed to leave after he and Quentin both saw the Ghost Rider before Roxanne paid a visit to Johnny at the carnival the next day.

After Johnny was reunited with Roxanne, she told him about her family in the town of Holly and the local pastor Ethan Domblue and convinced him to go with her to the town to investigate him. When Johnny and Roxanne attended one of Pastor Domblue's sermons, the motorcyclist transformed into the Ghost Rider and fought Centurious, who appeared and trapped the souls of the other churchgoers inside of the Crystal of Souls. Centurious revealed that he was once the prince who Mephisto used to end Zarathos' reign before taking Johnny's soul with the Crystal of Souls.

Ghost Rider freed the souls that Centurious had trapped inside of the Crystal of Souls before the latter was sucked into the crystal, himself. Johnny fought Zarathos over control of his own body before the demon was trapped, as well. Afterwards, Johnny and Roxanne rode off and contemplated what to do next with their lives while Mephisto acquired the Crystal of Souls, which contained both Zarathos and Centurious.