Shocktober 10/2/22

In the early 1970s, Marvel Comics brought back several iconic monsters to appear in their comic book line--Dracula, the Frankenstein Monster and the Wolfman (under the guise of Werewolf by Night) all had their own comics, with varying degrees of success. (Dracula ran for more than 70 issues, while the Werewolf hung around for 40-plus and poor Framkenstein just under 20).

They also brought back a wild west concept--The Ghost Rider--updated for the decade to a motorcycle-riding spirit of vengeance in the form of Johnny Blaze, who sells his soul to the devil to save the life of his adoptive father, who (SUPRISE!) dies anyway. At night, though, Blaze turned into a spirit with a blazing skull who could shoot bursts of hellfire.

Ghost Rider met various Marvel heroes, including Spider-Man, the Hulk and the superteam the Champions (whom he joined in adventures for their brief 15-issue run) and fought various supernatural villains over the course of his 81-issue run.

The trade paperback pictured above reprints his first appearences in Marvel Spotlight as well as the first dozen issues of Ghost Rider.