Issue(s): Ghost Rider #30
Cover Date: Oct 92
Title: "Nightmares of truth"
Credits:
Howard Mackie - Writer
Andy Kubert - Penciler
Joe Kubert - Inker
Bobbie Chase - Editor

Review/plot:
In Spirits of Vengeance #2, we saw Ghost Rider collapse, with his flames extinguished. It turns out that he's been forcibly brought into Nightmare's realm.

He also pulls in a number of Danny Ketch's friends and loved ones, and Ghost Rider has to fight to save them or whatever. But he also gets a number of revelations from Nightmare, starting with the fact that Danny Ketch is still alive (note also the unfootnoted reference to his encounter with Deathlok).

Nightmare has also confirmed at this point that this Ghost Rider is not Zarathos. He's attacking Ghost Rider now because he approves of what Lilith is doing, since she's spreading fear on Earth. As to this Ghost Rider's true origin, Nightmare knows it, even though Mephisto "is only beginning to guess".

He suggests that Ghost Rider should sought out the "soul crystal" if he wanted to know about his origin. But, as Nightmare kind of notes, Ghost Rider hasn't really been too concerned about learning his origin. He's a pure vengeance machine.

Nightmare also talks about Danny's parents and sibling.

But bringing Danny and Ghost Rider back together seems like a miscalculation on his part. Together they are able to defeat him, saying that he'll "never" be able to bother them again. And when Ghost Rider wakes up in the real world, he'll now know that Danny is alive, and he says that he'll go to Dr. Strange to bring him back after the Midnight Sons crossover is over.

I don't like Nightmare stories, but i'll never forget when i first met him, awesomely depicted by Sal Buscema and Gerry Talaoc in Hulk #299. The bland, generic looking Nightmare appearing here is a real disappointment by comparison, and that's especially odd considering this a horror comic, where you'd expect a more creepy looking Nightmare than in the Hulk.

Quality Rating: C-

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: This takes place during Spirits of Vengeance #2. Based on the reference to Deathlok, this (and therefore a lot of Ghost Rider issues, and all of the Rise of the Midnight Sons story) must take place after Deathlok #9-10.

References:

• We saw Ghost Rider unnaturally fall asleep in Spirits of Vengeance #2.
  
• Danny Ketch was seemingly killed by Blackout in Ghost Rider #25.
  
• Ghost Rider met Deathlok in Deathlok #9-10, which also featured Nightmare.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Interesting how Nightmare talks of Danny's "sibling" and doesn't seem to be referring to his dead sister- that'll pay off in a year. I wonder how much of Ghost Rider's origin was planned at this point- there's a reference to the soul crystal, which has nothing to do with the origin we'll see in a year.