Issue(s): Spirits of Vengeance #23
Cover Date: Jun 94
Title: "An ending"
Credits:
Howard Mackie - Writer
Henry Martinez - Penciler
Bud LaRosa - Inker
Bobbie Chase - Editor

Review/plot:
This is the final issue of Spirits of Vengeance, it's immediately replaced with a Blaze solo series. This book has effectively been a solo title since the seeming death of Ghost Rider during Siege of Darkness, but now it becomes official.

In a symbol of how this series has failed to do anything with Blaze, Blaze's wife, Roxanne Simpson, was killed in Ghost Rider #50, and his children went missing. This series is left dealing with the aftermath of that, and isn't a direct continuation of that story.

Blaze asks Clara Menninger to search for his kids, but her psychic powers instead tell her that Centurious is still alive. Blaze goes to Steel Wind, who is still recuperating at his carnival, and accuses her of knowing about Centurious. But she's surprised.

As for Centurious, he's using Demons of Styge to collect people so that he can drain their lifeforce and recover from his injuries. He's also working with a "Witch Woman". I wonder if she is meant to be Linda Littletrees. Or maybe just an Easter egg nod to that character from Blaze's early days. Or, most likely, some random lazy word choice by Howard Mackie.

Blaze goes after Centurious but winds up getting caught by the demons. They bring him to their boss, who is about to kill him when Steel Wind arrives.

Centurious assumes that Steel Wind is ready to work for him again, but she instead helps Blaze.

Steel Wind considers killing Centurious for robbing her of her humanity. Blaze convinces her that doing so would be the opposite of what she needs.

However, Blaze doesn't see the same opportunity for redemption in himself.

It's a very grimdark kind of ending, and it's a weird contrast with the very end of the book, which says that Blaze is going to try to rebuild his carnival so that his kids will have a place to come home to.

I could see becoming a heartless killing machine and dumping the supporting cast, or showing Centurious mercy and rebuilding the carnival. But as written, the two events feel random and contradictory. Maybe Howard Mackie was constrained by what was already planned for Blaze's solo series (by Larry Hama). In any event, it's an appropriately thematically confused ending for this confused, messy series.

Quality Rating: D

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Takes place after Ghost Rider #50. It's been at least several nights since that issue.

References:

• Zarathos was trapped in the Soul Crystal with Centurious in Ghost Rider #80-81.
  
• Freed of the curse of Ghost Rider, Johnny Blaze married Roxanne Simpson and had two children. But he got mixed up with Ghost Rider business again circa the new Ghost Rider #10.
  
• Blaze's Hellfire "returned" first as an aspect of his shotgun in Ghost Rider #14, and then it was revealed to be a part of him in Blaze: Legacy of Blood.
  
• Blaze's carnival was shot up in Spirits of Vengeance #9-10.
  
• Roxanne was killed and Blaze's kids went missing in Ghost Rider #50.
  
• Steel Wind has been recuperating since Spirits of Vengeance #21.
  
• Centurious was wounded in Spirits of Vengeance #16.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A