Issue(s): Ghost Rider #20
Cover Date: Oct 76
Title: "Two against Death!"
Credits:
Marv Wolfman - Writer
John Byrne - Penciler
Don Perlin - Inker

Review/plot:
Tony Isabella and Frank Robbins are off Ghost Rider, and this issue, a continuation of Daredevil #138, is handled by the same writer and artist responsible for the DD issue.

The story begins with a repeat of the last few pages of DD #138. Ghost Rider is confronting the Stunt-Master over kidnapping Karen Page, but the Stunt-Master convinces Johnny that he was an unwilling pawn of Death's Head. They then head off to where Daredevil is already fighting Death's Head (some questionable observations going on in that first panel considering Daredevil is blind).

Daredevil knows that Death's Head is really Death-Stalker, but that really wouldn't make a bit of difference to the Ghost Rider or the Stunt-Master. Death's Head flees, with Ghost Rider giving pursuit but failing to keep up with him.

DD and Karen say their hellos, Stunt-Master apologizes for his part in this, and then DD and Ghost Rider argue about whether or not they'll Team-Up (a rare typo in this panel).

They then split up so Johnny can check up on Rocky. But that's when Smasher, another goon working for "Death's Head", attacks, trying to kidnap Karen.

"Death's Head" shows up too, decides Smasher has outlived his usefulness, and kills him with a touch. He then reveals that he's really Death-Stalker.

Daredevil has always had trouble fighting Death-Stalker since he is incorporeal and has a "one touch and you're dead" power, but Ghost Rider shows up and his supernatural powers make him a better match.

Despite his big words in that third panel, Death-Stalker runs away.

Daredevil is dating Heather Glenn right now, so he says his goodbyes to Karen and she rides off with Johnny.

Since that Death-Stalker is eventually revealed to use technology that only fakes supernatural powers, i enjoy stories that pit him against real supernatural opponents like Ghost Rider or Doctor Strange.

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: This story continues directly from Daredevil #138.

References:

• Death-Stalker last appeared in Daredevil #128.
  
• Death-Stalker wants Karen because he thinks she has knowledge about her father's experiments. Karen's father died in Daredevil #57.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

This along with DD 138 is a little Bronze Age gem. Wolfman and Byrne deliver a great tale.

This was awful. Why does Ghost Rider talk like a cowboy this issue?

The original Ghost Rider was a western character. Marvel was trying to create a pseudo continuity with the previous version by styling Blaze as a modern western character at this time. This boiled down to Johnny talking like a ranch hand and referring to his Ghost Rider persona as a "spook act."

It's fun to compare Jim Mooney's inks in Daredevil #138 with Don Perlin's inks here. To me it looks like Mooney is staying truer to John Byrne's pencil lines, there, than Perlin is, here, and maybe being a little more careful at rendering the finer details. Both do a fine job. I like Mooney and, without making a big study of it, feel that his work has been steadily improving since he left DC for Marvel. This is without diminishing my opinion of Perlin's work at all.