Issue(s): Ghost Rider #9
Cover Date: Jan 91
Title: "Pursuit"
Credits:
Howard Mackie - Writer
Javier Saltares - Penciler
Mark Texeira - Inker
Gary Barnum - Assistant Editor
Bobbie Chase - Editor

Review/plot:
Danny Ketch is riding through the Cypress Hill cemetery, thinking about the death of his sister and all of the strange recent attacks on his community. He's being secretly followed by Blackout, who is harassing Ketch by killing random people that Ketch comes into contact with. Right now that means a homeless man that Ketch saw sleeping in a bush. As Blackout attacks the homeless man, the gas cap on Ketch's motorcycle starts to glow. Ketch transforms into Ghost Rider and turns around to battle Blackout. But then Ghost Rider is shot at by the agents of HEART.

A couple of notes: first, the homeless man was not killed, so it does seem to be the case that blood only literally needs to be "spilled" before Ketch can transform. Second, HEART's weapons can hurt Ghost Rider, and he is surprised to notice that he's feeling pain.

Ghost Rider is rescued by some Morlocks, and brought into tunnels underneath the cemetery. These Morlocks have also been behind the recent kidnapping of babies; they are protecting them from something else.

Word of the missing babies has made its way to X-Factor, who worry that it could be the work of Nanny or maybe some leftover Inferno demons. So they decide to investigate.

The Morlocks that Ghost Rider first met are actually humans that have been messed up by Masque. But they are led by an actual mutant, named Pixie. She's been mutilated by Masque as well. And they've been kidnapping the babies so that Masque couldn't get to them.

When X-Factor arrive, they're attacked by HEART.

And Blackout shows up again to attack Ghost Rider.

In the entry for Alpha Flight #91, i talked about the overwhelming use of speed lines. Javier Saltares is using speed lines in this story as well, but in contrast to the cluttered mess on Alpha Flight, the art here remains clean, and the lines do what they are supposed to do, indicating motion and direction.

That said, the story here just kind of fizzles out. HEART retreats, Blackout is unconvincingly buried (and he'll be back in a few issues), and X-Factor stand around with their thumbs up their butts. They learn from the Morlocks that Masque was behind the attacks on babies, but you can be sure that it doesn't prompt them to go after him. It's got to be one of the more pointless guest appearances in Marvel's history.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: The MCP have X-Factor here after X-Tinction Agenda. This story follows up on the events from last issue, but it's not clear to me if they're meant to take place the same night or the next day (or later). I have issues #8 and #9 in separate entries but i've placed both after X-Tinction Agenda.

References:

• When X-Factor arrives at the cemetary, Iceman makes a joke about Night of the Living Dead, but Beast tells him to cut it out because Jean was traumatized by N'astirh in a cemetery in Uncanny X-Men #242.
  
• Also living with the Morlocks is the gang member that hid one of the canisters in Ghost Rider #2-3.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Fnord, you're not the only one confused about the parameters of the "innocent blood" requirement. In Ghost Rider's appearance in Quasar, Ketch doesn't turn into Ghost Rider until Wendell dies, although he's clearly bleeding beforehand.
"Beast tells him to cut it out because Jean was traumatized by N'astirh in a cemetery in Uncanny X-Men #242."
Except that there was no cemetery in Uncanny X-Men 242 and Jean wasn't traumatized by N'astirh in that issue. MADDIE was tramautized in Uncanny X-Men 241 after meeting with N'astirh in a cemetery but she was actually traumautized in an orphanage.
We're TOLD that Masque planned to start turning surface children into monsters but we're not shown any evidence of it in the story.

Damn Wilson sisters are always sending their agents after people!

Despite the fact that the MCP has this issue after the X-Tinction Agenda, I think this makes more sense before. At the beginning of Uncanny 273, the X-Men, X-Factor, and the New Mutants are all clearly still together after that mission, so it's weird to have an excursion where X-Factor is alone on their ship and everything is business as usual with no references to what they just went through plugged in right before that. This would fit much more smoothly sometime after X-Factor #59 and before X-Tinction starts.

If you look closely at X-Factor’s costumes, they have the new designs that debut in X-Factor 63 but with their old colours. Since X-Factor is already doing stuff away from the other teams, in X-Factor 63-64 where they debut their new blue & yellow uniform design, there is no problem placing this right before that. Not sure why you are advocating a move. I think the footnote in X-Factor 65 which refers to The Uncanny X-Men 273 just happening should be ignored and push UX 273 before this and X-Factor 63 to keep X-Factor’s uniforms from changing back & forth.

Oh wait! Nevermind, just double checked and X-Factor 63 IS after The Uncanny X-Men 273. X-Factor 63 has X-Factor in the new Whilce Portacio designs and is cover dated Feb 1991.
I believe the cover date on this issue is a misprint as it was supposed to be Jan 1991. Issue 8 is Dec 1990 and issue 10 is Feb 1991.
Personally, I’d place this right after X-Factor’s appearances in UX 273-274 and before Masque’s appearances in The New Mutants 98-100 where he is making more aggressive power bids outside the tunnels. But that would mess up the placement of the Marvel Comics Presents team-up with Wolverine after this... ugh.

It is Jan 91; that was a typo on my part.

In terms of placement, for the purposes of my project it seems like this is fine where it is. There shouldn't be a problem with X-Factor stepping away from the other X-teams to investigate something (they think is) related to Nanny. And since the costumes are a unique variant no matter what (drawn to be one costume but colored to be another) it shouldn't affect placement.

That's not to say other people's preferences for placement aren't valid, but i don't like to move things once they are set due to the possible dependencies (as Jay notes about Marvel Comics Presents).

That's fair.