Issue(s): Spirits of Vengeance #2
Cover Date: Sep 92
Title: "Steel Vengeance"
Credits:
Howard Mackie - Writer
Adam Kubert - Penciler
Chris Warner - Inker
Bobbie Chase - Editor

Review/plot:
The villain for this issue is Steel Vengeance, sister to Steel Wind from the original Ghost Rider series. She gets a call from Reverend Styge (also from the original series), saying that the "master" says that it's time for her to act against Johnny Blaze and Ghost Rider.

Blaze and Ghost Rider are currently busy beating up an abusive father/spouse. I can never figure out Blaze's stance on killing. One minute he's saying that Ghost Rider's penance stare isn't enough, and the guy has to die.

But then he says to leave the guy for the cops.

The boy's pleading is what changes Blaze's mind this time, but it's not the first time i've felt like he's gone back and forth.

In Ghost Rider #29, since it's Ghost Rider's solo book, Johnny Blaze went off and took a nap for a while. Ghost Rider returns the favor here, uncharacteristically falling asleep when he and Blaze get back to the Quentin Carnival.

So that leaves Blaze to face Steel Vengeance alone.

Steel Wind does toss Ghost Rider's inanimate body around a bit before giving up on him and going after Blaze.

But Blaze is not really alone. Because he runs a traveling carnival. And one group that you never want to mess with in the Marvel universe is carnies.

Blaze learns from Steel Vengeance that Centurious is free, and that means that Zarathos is free too (the characters aren't actually named yet).

Steel Vengeance then gets free, but that's when Ghost Rider wakes up.

Ghost Rider's penance stare doesn't work on Steel Vengeance, because she's already sold her soul. She flees, but seemingly accidentally drives off a cliff to her death.

Lilith is aware of all this, and she considers Steel Vengeance's master to be a potential ally for the future.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: At this point it's said that Morbius is the only one of the "allies" that Blaze and Ghost Rider have met. And at the end Ghost Rider says that the Darkhold Redeemers must be found. So this takes place after Morbius #1 but before Darkhold #1. Ghost Rider #30, which features an encounter with Nightmare, takes place during this issue, while Ghost Rider is slumped up against the trailer.

References:

• Steel Wind appeared in Ghost Rider #75 (the footnote is to the Original Ghost Rider Rides Again! reprint book, although i think it gets the issue # wrong. It says #5 instead of #4). It's worth noting that Steel Wind has appeared since that issue, in the "all lady villains" storyline in Captain America #387-392.
  
• The details of Ghost Rider's nap are shown in Ghost Rider #30 (incorrectly footnoted as #31).

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Steel Vengeance! Aaaagh! Just looking at her reminds me that we're in the 90s now...

Anyway, I don't quite understand why Mackie felt the need to create SV, considering he brought Steel Wind in one of the future issues? Especially as SV has exactly the same background as SW, also being an artist etc...

BTW. The Quentin Carnival cast is mind-bogglingly bad. Pure Mackie nonsense. Things are somewhat-sensible in this early issue, but in a few issues, that whole cast of characters is going to get quite absurd...

And I hate Wolf so much. Does every little person in the MU know how to do acrobatic kicks?