WHAT HAS COME BEFORE: Ghost Rider was captured by the Demogoblin, who brought him to his lord and master -- Prime Minister Clive Winthrop, the source of so much evil in the Pendragons Universe. Meanwhile, John Blaze was left behind on Lyonesse Island, home to the Pendragons.

"Tonight we're going to bury you, Ghost Rider. Once and for all." Clive Winthrop, Prime Minister of England and master of the villains Blackout and Demogoblin, stood straight and tall, his hands clasped behind his back. His handsome face was parted in a grin and his eyes were riveted to the figure kneeling before him.

The Spirit of Vengeance, Noble Kale, remained tied, though all present knew that he could break his bonds at will. His skull was blazing with Hellfire and an unearthly glow pulsed from within his empty eyesockets. He turned his gaze slowly from the figures behind Winthrop to the Prime Minister himself. "We have met before. I feel a familiar presence within you"

"Yes," Winthrop agreed. "We have met before. Many times. And I'm afraid we didn't part as allies."

"I should have attacked you when I first detected the scent of evil about your office*. I won't make the mistake of underestimating you again."

(*Ghost Rider sensed evil in Winthrop's seat of power at 10 Downing Street in issue 3.)

"You got that right. You won't be able to -- because tonight I'm going to grind your bones to paste!" The vampire Blackout crowed triumphantly, looking like a happy child at Christmas. He'd fought Ghost Rider numerous times over the years, always ending up on the bad end of the vigilante's chain. He was obviously pleased to be on the winning side this time.

Beside him, the Demogoblin hissed, letting his tongue flick out like a snake's, tasting the excitement in the air.

"What my erstwhile companion is trying to say," Winthrop remarked, "is that I'm tired of the games. Blackout failed to slay you in your last encounter* and you've been busily disrupting other plans of mine, though you do not realize it. My fingers are in a number of different pots, some of which have been disrupted by your recent war on street crime."

(*Back in our first issue.)

The Ghost Rider rose to his feet, Hellfire flickering out from the palms of his hands and engulfing the rope that bound him. It burned easily, allowing him to shrug it off. Demogoblin responded by taking to the air on his flaming glider, while the vampire Blackout hid himself in a field of darkness, poised to strike. Only Winthrop remained where he was, seemingly unaffected by the sudden display of power. "I will not talk to a shade. Show me your true face."

Winthrop smiled slowly. "Perhaps the time has come, hasn't it? After all, I've seen your true face, Noble -- the one you keep hidden." Winthrop reached up, digging his fingers into the flesh of his own face. He peeled it away with a soft ripping sound, discarding the mask of mortality that had hidden his true visage from the pitiful, mewling masses of the world.

When he stood revealed, silence reigned for a long minute, broken only by the crackling flames surrounding Ghost Rider's skull. The Spirit of Vengeance raised a fist, a cord of chain unwinding from around his torso and wrapping around the knuckles of his clenched hand. "I should have known. The master of lies."

"You do me credit. If only my father shared your view of my skills." With a swirl of his hand, the illusion was gone completely. No longer was Clive Winthrop a man, dressed in suit and tie. Now he was darkness personified, his very features hidden behind the shadows of Hell. "As the Black Mass prophecy foretold, the blackest of hearts shall rule the land of Olde Kings*. And does that description truly fit for anyone other than I?"

(*The prophecy first appeared in the Black Mass oneshot, appropriately enough.)

Ghost Rider shook his head, cursing himself for not realizing the truth sooner. "Blackheart."

Lyonesse Island, near Pendragons Castle

"God damnit!" John Blaze was still on the beach, staring skywards in the direction that Ghost Rider and Demogoblin had fled. He clutched his shotgun in his hand, as if it would somehow give him the ability to deal with this sudden turn of events. Unfortunately, he had no means of tracking where his erstwhile 'partner' had been taken.

The sudden impression of a sword point being pressed against the back of his neck made him pause. "Toss your gun to the sand, please."

John considered wheeling about and telling the new arrival where he could put his suggestion, but decided against it. Jennifer Kale had convinced him to follow Ghost Rider to this mystical island in hopes of finding help and he'd be damned if he was going to let her down. He tossed the shotgun aside and raised his hands high. "I'm not an enemy. My name's John Blaze and--"

"Ghost Rider. I've read about you in the Avengers' files." The sword was lowered and its owner stepped into Blaze's line of sight. Tall and impossibly elegant in his enchanted armor, the man known as the Black Knight extended a hand in greeting. "Sorry about that. We're all on edge around here."

"No problem," Blaze replied, taking the offered hand. He gestured towards Ghost Rider's bike, which still stood next to his own. "I had a friend with me -- the real Ghost Rider -- but he was taken away by... an old enemy."

"I thought you were Ghost--"

"Not anymore," Blaze murmured. "And never again. Look, we were coming here to see if you guys had any idea what's going on with the wave of dark magic that's in the air. A bunch of magicians have been attacked, from what I understand, but you guys have a wizard who's untouched."

"That's right. His name's Wynter, but he's not here at the moment. As soon as he gets back, though, I'm going to ask him to take a look into the recent attacks. I was on the line with one of the Avengers when I noticed you and Ghost Rider approaching." Dane looked up into the night sky, hearing a rumble of approaching thunder. "You said he was attacked?"

Blaze grunted. "Yeah. And I'm not sure how I'm going to find him...." 

The sound of Ghost Rider's bike revving to life made both men pause and Blaze took a quick step towards the vehicle. The gas cap -- actually a mystic medallion linked to the Ghost Rider curse -- was glowing brightly. Blaze felt a quick stab of fear, wondering if Jennifer had somehow been killed... If she had, the bike might be signalling that it wanted him to touch it and call forth the Spirit of Vengeance in his own form. 

"What's going on?" The Black Knight raised his shield, guarding against whatever strange attack might have been coming.

"Don't know, but it can't be good." 

A ghostly apparition of a beautiful young blonde woman appeared, dressed in a long cloak and what could only be described as a metal bikini, which barely covered her curves. A quick glance down at her own form brought a look of sublime horror to her face. "Crapola! Why did I appear like this? I haven't dressed like this since I was sixteen!"

Eyeing the way she spilled out parts of the suit, Blaze whispered "Yeah... It looks a little snug...."

Jennifer Kale cast daggers at him with her eyes, pulling her cloak about herself. "My astral appearance aside, I'm here on important business...."

Ignoring the Black Knight, who still stood nearby, Blaze moved towards her. "What's going on?"

"Noble's in deep trouble. He convinced me that we should let ourselves get captured to try and find out who's been behind all our troubles... Well, we have and it's really, really big. I need you."

"And does Skullface know that you're here, asking me for help?"

Jennifer's astral projection shrugged. "Not really. But I'm not like Dan -- I'm not going to be stuck helpless in the void while he gets our combined butt kicked from one end of England to another! I'm a mage and if I think I can help us, I'm gonna do it!"

Blaze grinned. He liked Jennifer a lot, admiring her spunk and grit. He stepped over to the other bike, stopping only to retrieve his shotgun, and straddled it. "This thing can take me to him?"

Jennifer flickered, dimming. "Yeah. Just hang on and it'll know the way. I can't stay any longer...."

"Go on back, kid. And tell Ghost Rider to keep himself in one piece until I get there." 

As Jennifer disappeared with a grateful smile, the Black Knight said "Would you like some help?"

Blaze spun the cycle in a circle, kicking up a spray of sand. "Thanks, but no thanks. I'd rather you took care of my cycle until I can come back and pick it up." Without waiting to hear the Knight's response, Blaze kicked the cycled into high gear. It roared forward, Hellfire spewing forth from beneath its wheels. It moved across the surface of the water, causing a sizzle wherever it touched the tops of the waves and generating a cloud of steam behind him.

Hang in there, Jen. I'm on my way.

"Hang in there, Modred! Please!" Wanda Maximoff's voice sounded strained and weary, but she tried to appear strong as the man known as Modred the Mystic screamed out again in mental agony.

At her side, her former mentor and teacher, Agatha Harkness, looked as grave as Wanda felt. "We cannot last much longer like this, child. Our spirits have been gone for far too long from our mortal shells*. If this continues, we will begin to fade away -- just as Modred is now doing."

(*Most of the world's mages were struck down in Black Mass, with their spirits residing on the Astral Plane, cut off from the rest of humanity.)

"I thought Jennifer was going to help us," Wanda whispered.

"Perhaps she has been distracted by other things... Whatever attacked all of us has no doubt turned its attentions to her alone. We should pray that she has the strength to survive whatever onslaught has awaited her."

"Then it is a good thing that I may have found a means of escape."

Agatha turned to cast a kindly smile on Stephen Strange, Sorceror Supreme of Earth. "Pray tell us more, Stephen."

Strange glanced around at the other mystics in attendence, noting that many of them were listening in to their conversation. All of them considered Stephen their greatest hope of escaping this trap and he held their confidence close to his heart, warming it. He took hold of Modred's hand, squeezing it reassuringly before speaking. "As we have all noticed, it is seemingly impossible for us to contact anyone on the prime material plane. The magicks involved in this are enormous and can only be wielded by someone on the level of a High Lord of Hell. Even then, he would need assistance."

Wanda nodded impatiently. "We know this, Stephen. Please tell me you have something more to add...."

"I do." Stephen made a gesture in the air, creating a mystic impression showing the various levels of reality. The prime material and astral planes were highlighted, but so was another level, one just past the one on which they now rested. "The realm of the just dead is home to more than just those who have passed away and are awaiting assignment in the afterworld. It's also the meeting place for a number of spirits who frequent the prime material plane. I've discovered that it's possible for us to pierce the barrier here, on the side facing the realm of the just dead."

Agatha nodded with understanding. "And if we can make contact with someone who frequents the mortal realm, they can carry a message for us."

"We should send someone to the Avengers," Wanda said.

Strange pursed his lips thoughtfully. "I do believe that should be one of our goals, but I was thinking that we should make attempting to reach Jennifer our primary focus."

"But she's so young... and she's failed thus far to aid us," Wanda pointed out.

"The girl has a lot of ability. We must remember that. Besides, the being that I've been able to contact has a special connection to her."

That brought a look of surprise to many faces and it was Brother Voodoo, moving close, who asked "You've already contacted someone?"

"I have." Stephen pointed towards a shape slowly beginning to form nearby. It was hazy, distorted by the barrier that trapped the mages on the astral plane, but it showed an old man, with a long white beard. He wore robes of purple and an old-fashioned wizard's cap.

The old man smiled, opening his arms in greeting. "Ladies and Gentleman, Dakimh the Enchanter stands ready to serve."

Ghost Rider lashed out with his mystic chain, striking Blackheart in the midsection. The Spirit of Vengeance roared with a fury that made Jennifer flinch within him. It was not a side of Noble Kale that she had ever seen before, and it was not one that she enjoyed. "Liar! Deceiver! Again and again you and your father have plagued me, but no more! The scales of justice must be balanced!" He rushed forward, towards Blackout, the desire for retribution so strong that it threatened to overwhelm his sanity.

Blackout jumped from the darkness, landing on Ghost Rider's back. He dug his claws into the Rider's eyesockets, trying to twist the skull off Noble Kale's shoulders. Ghost Rider summoned forth the Hellfire that flickered forth around his head, raising into a burning bonfire that ran up Blackout's sleeves and engulfed his entire body in burning agony. The vampire fell to the ground writhing in flames and the Ghost Rider turned to face him, looking like the demon he was often feared to be. He raised his boot and brought it down hard on Blackout's skull, repeating the action until the crunching of bones could be heard, even over the flickering of the flames and the wailing of the vampire.

Blackheart moved back, feeling the ache of pain in his midsection. Of all the creatures on Earth, few were as fearsome as the Spirit of Vengeance when he was in such a state. The former lord of Hell raised a hand, motioning for Demogoblin to engage Ghost Rider in battle.

The demon need no further prompting, flying low over Ghost Rider's head and pelting him with flaming pumpkins that burst upon impact. The blows made Ghost Rider stagger and reduced his leather jacket to tatters, revealing the skeletal form beneath. "The lord has decreed that you are to die, Ghost Rider! Embrace the truth and it shall set you free!"

Ghost Rider stared at Demogoblin, feeling no pity for this poor, abused creature born of one man's overwhelming desire for power. The goblin had been formed out of Jason Macendale, the man once known as the Hobgoblin, but the demon had been sundered from its human self and become a religious zealot who sought to burn out all sin from the world. In a twist of cosmic irony, he now served the prince of lies himself. "Jennifer... Aid me."

Within him, Jennifer Kale fought to overcome her revulsion. She could still hear Blackout's screams of agony and, even though she knew he was a vampire and a being of pure evil, it made her shiver in horror. Still, she was now bound to the Spirit of Vengeance and even she knew that these beings had to be stopped... Now.

Wordlessly, the spells tumbled out into Noble's mind. Though he was no spellcaster himself, he was now merged with one of the most talented young mages on the planet. "Skirim donus explorum!"

No sooner were the words spoken, then the Demogoblin found his skin crystallizing as bits of ice began to form over his very flesh. He flew higher, trying to raise enough Hellfire to fight off the cold, but it was too little, too late. The spell of Frozen Death was a potent one, designed specifically for demons of the Demogoblin's caste. The villain crashed to the ground, shattering into a thousand pieces as his ice-encased body proved brittle, indeed.

Ghost Rider turned back to face Blackheart, the flames about his skull burning brighter than ever. With only tatters of his leather jacket remaining, the Ghost Rider summoned back his mystic chain and strode forward, aware that this next battle would not be so easily won. "The truth, demon! If you are capable of such... Why have I been plagued with doubts? When I first re-appeared on Earth after my sojourn as ruler of your realm, I felt that I was not myself. That Noble Kale was a lie*! I have sought to avoid such thoughts since, but I ask you this -- Am I Noble?"

(*See Peter Parker: Spider-Man # 93 for more on this, as well as our own first issue.)

The son of Mephisto laughed loudly, growing in size until he was twice the height of Ghost Rider. Rain began to fall, as lightning lit up the night sky. All over London, a storm began to brew... It was one that had been long in coming, but was now arriving in full force. "I'd planned to wait for all of this, old foe. I had everything on such a tight schedule, but I see now that I was foolish to wait. Why play games when you can smash the gameboard itself and claim victory?"

Ghost Rider's chain whipped through the air, the links separating out into individual shuriken. The diamond-hard edges dug into Blackheart's flesh, spilling out blood the color of black ink. "No more word-play! Answer my questions or I swear by all that I have that you will suffer in torment!"

"Bold words, Spirit of Vengeance! Let me cast you a few morsels to chew on... It matters not to me! Your mind was ill-prepared for your sudden return to the mortal plane. For beings like myself, it is no more difficult than crossing from water to land, but for one like you... It was enough to leave you unbalanced, especially without a human host! But have you given thought to your last days in my realm? Do you remember what final act drove you leave my realm and toss aside rulership?" The taunting way he asked made Ghost Rider grow concerned.

"I... remember that I grew weary of the horrors. Roxanne needed to return to her husband and I... I felt empty and without purpose." Ghost Rider hesitated, sensing that something more lay just outside his memory. What was it? What had happened?

"Do you not remember the long nights of boredom, Noble? The endless searches through the Libraries of Hell for something that you needed to know, though you never knew why? Do you not remember the Book of Erebus?"

Sudden, stark images flowed through Noble's mind. He saw himself in the great library, reading a book made of human flesh. A drawing of a being with a flaming visage, something about the Furies binding the soul of man to the Spirit of Vengeance and the angel Uriel granting still more power -- the power of Death itself. And there was more, the names of the Furies... Alecto, Megaera and Tisiphone.

Dimly, Noble realized that he had returned to Earth not just to escape Hell and not just to return Roxanne to her family, but to do something more. Something related to the Furies. "I do not understand. Why can I not recall this?"

"Well, I'm sure that Caretaker* could have explained it to you, but I don't think you'll get the opportunity to ask him!" Blackheart directed a powerful blast of eldritch energy that knocked Ghost Rider flying. Pain wracked the Spirit of Vengeance's body and even Jennifer felt the agony, floating as she was in the Void.

(*A member of the Blood, dedicated to protecting the Kale family line. He was last seen several years ago.)

Ghost Rider tried to stand, but the dark lord's power was too great to overcome. Since their meeting, Blackheart had tapped into abilities he'd never possessed before. "You... will not... destroy me!" The Spirit of Vengeance remained on one knee but he slowly began to summon forth the Hellfire which he would direct at Blackheart. He wished he could have unleashed his Penance Stare at the lord of lies, but he knew that Blackheart was immune to it, having grown a heart as cold as stone.

As the rains came down harder and harder, Blackheart tried to increase the amount of energy he was sending at Ghost Rider. "Die, damn you! Your usefulness ended years ago -- Now you are only a thorn in my side!"

"What's that make me? A gnat?"

Blackheart whirled about just in time to receive a powerful burst of Hellfire straight to the face. His head exploded in a spray of fine mist and his headless body toppled to the ground.

Ghost Rider looked up in confusion, seeing Blaze sitting atop the Spirit of Vengeance's bike. "Blaze... He is not dead. He will... reform."

Blaze walked over to Blackheart's body, shooting it five more times, until it was engulfed and burning in Hellfire. "Not tonight, he won't."

Ghost Rider rose, staggering. The rains were continuing to fall and he felt weary, so weary. "England is in peril. And I... I must find... the Caretaker." With those words, he fell forward into Blaze's arms.

And the storm raged on.

Next Issue : We take a one-issue break before "Isles of Magick" begins, which will cross over into all the Pendragons Universe titles! Will Dakimh and Jennifer be able to save the sorcerors of Earth? And how will Jennifer's first day of work go? All the answers await you in Ghost Rider U.K. # 6! It's a Christmas Special, Ghost Rider style!

Also: Don't forget to check out Pendragons # 6, also out this month! The Hellfire Club launches an assault on Lyonesse Island, while several of the Pendragons square off against Baron Blood!

AUTHOR'S COMMENTS

There you have it. Clive Winthrop's true identity has been revealed, after my having dropped numerous hints about it. Give yourself a No-Prize if you figured it out ahead of time.

About the Noble Kale/Ghost Rider stuff: When Howard Mackie reunited Ghost Rider and Dan Ketch in Peter Parker # 93, he was obviously trying to invalidate the GR stories written after he'd left the character. He insinuated that Ghost Rider wasn't really Noble Kale and he ignored the fact that Dan was supposed to be dead. So... What's the truth and what's not?

In the actual Marvel Comics, Devin Grayson wrote a piece of garbage entitled Ghost Rider: Hammer Lane that returned John Blaze to the role of GR and revealed that Zarathos had been the actual being inhabiting Daniel Ketch over the years. This is complete and utter nonsense and only shows what a total idiot Devin Grayson is. The Daniel Ketch Ghost Rider could not have been Zarathos. Not only was this repeatedly stressed throughout the Ketch GR series, but Zarathos himself appeared as a villain in the series and actually battled the Ketch Ghost Rider in one of the most dramatic battles in the series. How could Zarathos be the spirit within Daniel if he's also running around fighting Ghost Rider? The easy answer is he can't -- Devin just wanted an easy out, not bothering to explain any of it. And in the "new" Marvel, that's okay, because they value simplicity over continuity. After all, continuity is "hard."

When I began this series, I chose to ignore Hammer Lane. That still left me with the problems from Peter Parker, though, and I dealt with the Daniel Ketch questions in issue two. That still leaves the question of what Noble meant by saying there were "lies" about his origins. I'm keeping to the fact that Ghost Rider is Noble because a) I liked the origin just fine and b) there's no need for another origin story. I do plan to reveal some hidden secrets about his past, ones that led him to flee Hell in a confused and tormented state -- but they will not invalidate past continnuity, just build upon it.

So, you have my word that Noble Kale is Ghost Rider and I won't be revealing any more "true" origins. We have what we have and let's move forward. The mystery revolving around the Furies will, however, be a major subplot in the days to come....

And as for Blackheart/Winthrop, much more to come! Be on the lookout for "Isles of Magick" which kicks off in Ghost Rider U.K. # 7 and crosses over with Pendragons. Everything begun in Black Mass comes to a head and this little universe of ours will never be the same again. It's not hyperbole, it's a promise.

See all of you next issue,

Barry