[User]
<image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image>
Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Vengeance. Pure And Simple.
The X-Men and Ghost Rider are walking through the catacombs beneath New Orleans, The tunnels are filled with Brood gunk, and Logan’s senses tell him that they are getting closer to the Brood Queen. Gambit is eager to avenge Bella Donna’s death, while Cyclops reminds them that saving the Guilds‘ children in their main objective. They enter a huge chamber filled with bones and gravestones and hear a cry for help. Cyclops calls for Logan and Ghost Rider to flank him and tells the rest to keep a tight formation, so that nobody can surprise them. In a corridor they find dozens of kids stuck in organic material. The X-Men cut them loose, while Cyclops watches for a possible attack. Ghost Rider marches off and Gambit asks where he is headed. Ghost Rider informs him that the path of vengeance leads to the Brood Queen, and thinking of his deceased wife, Gambit follows him. Logan notices what they are up to and tells Cyclops that he will accompany them, while the others should get the children to safety.While the three men walk through the tunnels, Gambit asks where Ghost Rider’s bike is and he says that he can summon it when he needs to. Wolverine asks if he is alright, he knows how it hard is to succesfully fight of being implanted with a Brood egg, but Ghost Riders wonders only how the encounter has affected his human host.Dan Ketch is falling, around him are shards of mirrors, showing reflections of the X-Men and the Brood. Seeing an Image of Ghost Rider he recalls how he was taken over by a Brood implant until Psylocke and Bella Donna entered his mind and severed the link. Now it’s all gone and only Ghost Rider remains. Dan remembers that he is supposed to be dead and walks towards the light at the end of the blackness once more. Yet Ghost Rider feels him and calls out to him that there is still hope and they might find a way to save him.Outside New Orleans, the Quentin Carnival is moving north. John Blaze owner of the carnival watches on his bike, as one of the cars stops next to him. Inside is Calar, apparently a claivoyant. She informs Blaze of a vision she had. The friend they spoke about earlier on is in need of him and can be found in the french quarter of New Orleans. John Blaze departs immediately.Logan alerts the others that they are about to get company, and pops his claws. Ghost Rider flinches his chain, and Gambit pulls his cards. Yet the Brood don’t attack but keep their distance. The tension is making them nervous, and finally the Brood-transformed Assasin shows up. He knows Gambit from the past and tells him that it was him who killed the members of the Thieves Clan, despite the Brood Queen’s orders who wanted them as Brood Hatchlings. Yet now the Asssasin will make up by giving the Brood Queen Gambit, Wolverine and the Ghost Rider instead. Then the Assasin and an army of Brood attack.Elsewhere in the catacombs, the other X-Men too have run into some Brood. Jubilee stays behind to protect the rescued Children, while the others fight. Beast observes Ghost Riders bike driving past them deeper into the complex.Meanwhile Gambit, Ghost Rider and Wolverine have killed all their opponents, save the Assasin. Logan wants to use his claws on him as he runs away, but Gambit tells wolverine to let him escape as they have bigger problems now. The Brood Queen has arrived, angry that they killed her children. She leaps over them, saying that as revenge she will first kill the Guilds children, before coming back to deal with the three heroes. Gambit, Wolverine and Ghost Rider go after her, hoping that Cyclops and the X-Men can hold her off long enough for them to arrive.Psylocke, Rogue, Beast and Cyclops stand triumphant over the bodies of Brood they defeated, they all are very exhausted, as the Brood Queen comes to kill the children. The X-men prepare to fight her, as suddenly a chain swings around the Queen’s neck. It’s the Ghost Rider, now again riding his bike and he pulls the Brood Queen by his chain through the catacombs back to the surface. The Queen laughs at him, how could he hope to fight her alone and she tries to seduce him into recieving another egg implant, he has already tasted the power before. Slowly the implanting spike approaches the Ghost Rider, but he grabs it and rams it into the Brood Queen’s head. He then starts to rip off the Brood’s skin and by the time the X-Men come out of the catacombs only her bare skeleton remains.Right then the Brood Queen rises and attacks the Ghost Rider once more, but gets knocked over again. John Blaze arrives, stating that he might have missed something interesting. Ghost Rider wants to fill him in on the situation of his human host, but the Brood Queen again comes around. Ghost Rider swings the chain around her neck once more and calls John Blaze to shoot his Hellfire gun. Finally the head is severed from the body. Loan cuts out the eye and throws the head up into the air for Gambit to explode it with one of his cards. Cyclops deals with the remains of the body and for once agrees with Wolverine’s methods.A little bit later, the X-Men part ways with the Ghost Rider. Gambit thanks him for avenging Bella Donna’s death and tells him one day he will repay his debt to him. As Blaze and the Ghost Rider ride off on their bikes they start to talk about Dan Ketch. Cyclops comments that the Guild feud has ended in a tragic way, but Gambit states that it isn’t over until the traitor to both Clans is found. On a nearby roof stands the half transformed Assasin, who swears revenge on Gambit, the X-Men and the Ghost Rider.


[User]
<image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image>
Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Brood Feud II: Part I – A Gathering
New York City…
It is nighttime. A pair of police officers stops to investigate an illegally parked car. Instead of reporting the infraction to their headquarters, the officers decide to simply give the perpetrator a ticket, unless he turns out to be on drugs, in which case they will take him to jail. Ray, the senior officer, peers in the window with his flashlight and asks if there is a problem. His rookie partner, however, gets a good look at the car’s occupants, and realizes something is horribly wrong. Great, officer, Ray responds. Just what he needs: a couple of junkies puking all over the backseat of his squad car. The rookie reiterates that this does not look drug-related, but Ray assures him it is. He has seen this sort of thing hundreds of times during his years on the force, after all. He tells the rookie to call for a paramedic.
Suddenly, a spiked tail pierces the roof of the vehicle. While the horrified officers watch, two hideous Warriors-Prime of the Brood rip their way through the roof and crouch on the crumpled car frame. “I’m t-tellin’ you, Ray…this doesn’t look like drugs,” the rookie cop stutters. The Brood quickly ensnare the two men in their tentacles. They need these fresh vessels to fulfill their Queen’s mission directive of infecting two powerful beings the Brood encountered in New Orleans: Gambit and Ghost Rider. They pierce the officers’ brains with their tentacles. The infection begins.
Cypress Hills, Brooklyn…
Daniel Ketch rides to the cemetery near his childhood home to meet with a contact. The man has no interest in meeting with Daniel, however, so Dan transforms into the person he does want to meet: Ghost Rider! While not sure if he can trust this mysterious benefactor, he owes the man a favor and previously agreed to this meeting. Besides, not many people offer aid to Ghost Rider.
As he pulls into the cemetery, a voice speaks to him from above. “I’m glad you came, Ghost Rider,” it says. Ghost Rider asks the man, whose shadow-covered face he cannot see, what he wants. Having finally comprehended the potential of Ghost Rider’s heroism, the man now wants to help by providing him with key information on the criminal element of the city. There is, however, one condition: his identity must remain a secret, and Ghost Rider must never see his face. Ghost Rider agrees. To begin, the informant provides Ghost Rider with information on Anton Hellgate. Ghost Rider will operate with stealth and precision from now on, he decrees, instead of lashing out at random, terms to which the crime-fighter agrees.
After he leaves the meeting, Daniel Ketch has much on his mind. He has never restrained himself from attacking a known villain before, but he agreed to take Hellgate down using this new method, and wants to evaluate its effectiveness. Unbeknownst to him, the Brood-infected NYPD officers follow closely behind in their squad car. The driver wishes to attack Ghost Rider immediately, but the other Warrior-Prime orders they wait. They will follow their target and wait for the perfect opportunity to present itself.
Later that evening, Daniel cuddles with his girlfriend Paula on the floor of her apartment. She asks what he wants to do with his life; he is too smart to tend bars forever. He hasn’t given his future much thought lately, he replies, as he has been very busy with other things. Paula asks what other things, but Daniel evades this question too.
Luckily for him, the phone rings, providing a convenient diversion. “You want to get that?” he asks. Paula nervously tells him no, she doesn’t. “Is this about your old boyfriend? Is he still bothering you?” Dan asks, but Paula denies anything is the matter, instead suggesting they go for a walk. The phone continues to ring. Paula gets up and puts on her jacket. Daniel wants to talk about it, but she has her mind set on taking advantage of the beautiful night. The phone continues to ring even as they exit the apartment and walk outside the building.
The outside world, however, offers a different set of problems. Staking out the apartment are the two Brood-infected police officers. With the infamous Ghost Rider walking around in his weaker, human form, the time has come for them to strike.
Meanwhile, near Westchester…
Gambit goes for a midnight ride on his motorcycle. Sometimes, he needs to get away from his teammates and have some fun by himself in the city. The enjoyment of his ride, however, is put on pause when he spots an aggressive vehicle in his rear-view mirror. Comin’ up fast. Probably a couple a kids out for a joy ride,  he tells himself. He drops back and rides alongside the old car, and to his surprise, sees that its occupants are actually an elderly couple. “Ma’am,” he says in greeting to the driver.
The woman turns to him and her face transforms into that of a Brood: gummy smile, scaly skin, and a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. “De Brood?” Gambit says, immediately realizing the danger he is in. The car swerves into his motorcycle, but a graceful dismount by Gambit spares him from injury. The two Brood warriors leap from the vehicle and attack their target. He should have submitted to them back in New Orleans, they say. After witnessing his power, as well as his associate Ghost Rider’s, the Brood collective decided to add them both to their ranks. He will belong to the Queen, and his pain will be great! “Y’all take your best shot, heh?” Gambit says with a playful grin on his face. He holds up two kinetically charged playing cards in each hand.
Meanwhile, back in Manhattan, Daniel and Paula begin their nighttime walk. Before they make much progress, they run into Dan’s ex-girlfriend, NYPD Officer Stacy Dolan, and her current partner, Jim Sokolowski. Paula, insisting they be social, forces Dan to say hello. The conversation that follows is awkward. Fortunately, the tension is dispelled by a blood-curling scream emanating from a nearby alleyway. The group looks and sees two men carrying the limp body of a young woman. Stacy orders Dan to stay put and call 911 while she and Ski investigate, and the two officers run into the alley. Daniel, however, refuses to stand idly when he knows he can help. After telling Paula to call the police, he runs for cover. Meanwhile, Stacy and Ski enter the darkened alleyway, but fail to see the two criminals anywhere. Little do they know that two Brood warriors observe their every move from up above.
Westchester…
“Two down,” Gambit says after delivering a payload of charged playing cards directly into a Brood’s open mouth. The cards explode, shattering the alien’s skull. “And none to go.” Honestly, Gambit expected more of a fight from these two, but decides he can live with the disappointment.
“FREEZE!” a police officer shouts from behind. Gambit turns, only to see two police officers aiming handguns at his head. He puts his hands up, but tries to convince them he is the good guy. Besides, he needs to get to New York to meet up with an old riding buddy of his, and has no time for delays.
At the same time, in the alleyway in Manhattan, the two Brood warriors quickly neutralize both Stacy and Ski. Fortunately, Ghost Rider arrives in time to spare them from further injury. He tells the Brood they will not be adding the two officers to their numbers. “It is not them we want, Ghost Rider!” the Brood say. “It is you!”
Gambit, realizing these Westchester County police will not be listening to him, vaults over their heads and lands behind their police car. As he jumps, the two officers transform, revealing their true identities as members of the Brood. Gambit dispatches them with a few charged cards. The Brood are serious about capturing him and Ghost Rider, he realizes, and he rides away to enlist help in stopping them.
New York…
As he chokes one of the Warriors-Prime with his chain, Ghost Rider tells the creature that it will not be infecting this planet. He will see the entire Brood race dead before he lets that happen. Mere moments from dying, the alien reverts to its human form and pleads with Ghost Rider to spare its life. “What’s this? The human host survives?” Ghost Rider says. He cannot kill an innocent person such as this one. The female victim from earlier speaks up at this point. She urges Ghost Rider to kill the man, as he is no longer human. Didn’t he see what they did to her? They dragged her into this alley and tried to infect her too, only she fought back. If they are not stopped, they will keep trying until the entire planet is assimilated. She pleads for him to snap the creature’s neck. Ghost Rider refuses, releasing the man. “I will not have any more innocent blood on my hands,” he says. “Even if only a drop remains.”
The battered woman, standing behind Ghost Rider’s back, begins to act strangely. A frightened shout from Stacy Dolan causes Ghost Rider to turn, just in time to see her leveling her gun in his direction. Ghost Rider tries to explain the situation to her, but she fires anyway and hits her target directly in the forehead. She has just shot the battered woman. Ghost Rider shouts at Stacy, but instantly understands the reasoning behind her judgment: the seemingly innocent woman is also a member of the Brood. He hurls his chain like a harpoon and impales the alien, sending it soaring into the other member of its clan. The harpoon pins them both against the alley wall.
The Brood remain defiant. They tell Ghost Rider their Queen will soon have him as her own. He asks where he might find this Queen, but they tell him that in due time, she will find him. “By now, our brothers have taken the X-Man Gambit,” the Brood say, “…we will have you both…and you shall lead the Queen’s horde willingly. Our reign will begin on this planet.”
“I wouldn’t be counting on that anytime soon,” a new arrival says. To their dismay, the Brood see that the X-Man Gambit was not taken after all. Ghost Rider turns and greets his former ally. The two heroes, realizing they have some old business to take care of, decide to go Brood-hunting.


[User]
<image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image>
Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Brood Feud II: A Hunting
NYPD officer Stacy Dolan tries to help her partner, Sokolowski, off the ground, but the injured man lay limp and lifeless. Moments earlier, Ghost Rider saved them both from being assimilated into the Brood, but the battle was not won without a cost. Stacy pleads with Ghost Rider to help her get Ski of the alley, but he refuses, as there may be more Brood lurking in the shadows. He asks Gambit for a sit-rep. “No sign of any but the dead ones,” the X-Man says. “And it don’t look to me like any of them will be causin’ us any trouble.” He doesn’t notice one of the Brood open its eyes.
Before the Brood situation gets out of hand, Gambit advises they depart and find the Brood Queen. Ghost Rider asks how. “Same way I found you,” Gambit replies, gesturing to the shadowed silhouette of Wolverine standing in the alley. “We follow his nose.”
The possum-playing Brood, lying behind Gambit, suddenly whips its tail into the air. Wolverine lunges at the creature before it has a chance to strike. As he slashes and severs its tentacles, he reminds Gambit to rely on his own senses in situations like this. However, Wolverine enjoys the opportunity to kill one of the sleazoids himself. Ghost Rider joins him and chokes the Brood warrior with his chain while Wolverine disembowels it with his bone claws.
While they kill the Brood warrior, Wolverine and Ghost Rider catch up. Heard from the kid? Wolverine asks. No, Lucy’s path seems to lead away from us, Ghost Rider responds. Probably for the best. I hear Castle’s gone crazy again, says Wolverine. Ghost Rider confirms this, adding they fought recently as enemies. Too bad Nick Fury couldn’t keep a handle on him, Wolverine says.
Gambit asks if they’re finished chatting. Wolverine tells him to calm down; he has already picked up the Brood’s scent, and while it saturates the entire city, he should have no trouble tracking down the Queen’s lair. As they turn to leave, Stacy announces she will go with them after notifying the police of the situation, but Ghost Rider turns her down. They neither have the time to involve the police, nor the extra man-power to look after Stacy. She takes offense to this, but Wolverine tells her it’s nothing personal. Besides, if they fail to stop the Brood tonight, she will get have the opportunity to deal with them tomorrow. Ghost Rider, Gambit, and Wolverine mount their motorcycles and depart.
The Brood trail leads to the Federal Reserve Bank, much to everyone’s surprise. “What interest could such an institution hold for the Brood?” Ghost Rider asks. Wolverine reminds them that banks have secure vaults, and he bets they will find the Brood Queen’s lair in this one’s deepest, darkest chamber.
Wolverine and Ghost Rider both prepare to storm the bank, but Gambit talks them down. While lighting up a cigarette, he explains that if they make a scene in a place with as much security as a Federal Reserve, they will attract every police officer in the city. How will they prevent them from being infected by the Brood? Wolverine asks Gambit if he has a better plan. “Of course,” Gambit replies. He flicks his cigarette out on the ground.
Elsewhere, the ambulance transporting officer Sokolowski to the hospital charges through the streets of New York City. Stacy, riding in the back with her injured partner, assures him they will be at the hospital in a minute. Ski tells her he will be fine. Instead of worrying, he wants her to get a team together and go after the monsters that did this to him. Stacy informs him a team will pick her up in a helicopter as soon as they arrive at the hospital. Good, Ski says. He tells Stacy to take care of herself and the rest of her team. “And if Ghost Rider gets in your way again,” he adds, “…drop him for me.”
Meanwhile, Gambit, dangling from the top of the Federal Reserve by Ghost Rider’s chain, dismantles the bank’s electricity with a well-placed kinetically charged card. Ghost Rider jerks Gambit back up to the roof. Their job isn’t completely finished, he says, but without a power supply, the bank’s security is weak enough that neither Wolverine nor Ghost Rider should worry about tripping any alarms. They head inside.
Flying over the city in a helicopter, Stacy Dolan orders her team to perform a grid-by-grid search of the area surrounding the alley in which she and Ski were attacked. In addition, she reminds them to monitor for any unusual activity in the city. The helicopter pilot tells her the only anomaly he detects is a power outage near Wall Street. Stacy orders him to fly them there immediately.
The Brood-hunters, meanwhile, creep through darkened tunnels of the Federal Reserve. “We’re movin’ in the right direction,” Wolverine says. “The Brood stench is almost gaggin’ me!” He indicates the trail leads through a massive, iron gate. Before Gambit can even mention he can pick the lock, Ghost Rider hauls the entire gate down with his chain.Wolverine senses someone running through the resultant cloud of dust. Ghost Rider lassos the runner with his chain, but it turns out to be just a frightened bank employee. “He ain’t one of them,” Wolverine says, sniffing the air. “Went a little heavy of the garlic for dinner, though!” Gambit tells the man to relax, and assures him they came to help. They just want a little bit of assistance. The man, somewhat calmed down, explains that the Brood came to the bank and started taking everyone to the lower vaults of the bank. Only by hiding did he manage to elude capture. Gambit asks about these vaults, and the banker explains they lie in the deepest part of the building, but have not been used in years. Everyone is there, he says, pointing to the door.
Outside the bank, Stacy Dolan assembles her strike squad. The team swarms into the bank with their weapons raised. Immediately upon entering, however, the entire force is pulled into the shadows by the Brood, leaving nothing behind save for a few fallen hats.
Ghost Rider and the X-Men finally reach the Brood crèche in the lower vaults. The stench almost floors Wolverine. He wants to get it over with before he loses his lunch. Ghost Rider tells him they will not have to wait for long: several Brood have already found them, but do not attack. Instead, they indicate to the intruders that they want them to follow. “If they want to lead us to their Queen…all the better,” Ghost Rider says.
They follow the Brood Warriors-Prime to the Queen, who greets them enthusiastically. The enormous alien would rather talk than fight. If they choose to fight, however, the Queen will be forced to kill her hostages. In her tentacles, she holds NYPD officer Stacy Dolan. The sight of Ghost Rider’s ex-girlfriend being held hostage by such a monster sends him into a frenzy. He lunges at the Queen, but Gambit and Logan restrain him. Even if he manages to kill the Queen, Gambit says, he will not be fast enough to save Stacy. “Let’s just listen to what d’bug has t’say!” Gambit urges.
The Brood Queen, realizing the significance her prisoner has for Ghost Rider, jumps right into negotiation: she will spare the lives of Stacy and her fellow officers in exchange for Ghost Rider, Gambit, and Wolverine’s assimilation. Because of the collective knowledge of the Brood, the Queen knows of the power coursing through both Wolverine and Ghost Rider’s veins, both of them having been assimilated once before. With the three of them as part of her hive, her Brood will be unstoppable. She gives them once last chance to agree before she kills Stacy.
Even though Stacy urges Ghost Rider to kill her anyway, he wants no more innocent blood on his hands. He submits to the Brood Queen. Wolverine and Gambit try to stop him, but Ghost Rider fights them off and willingly enters the Queen’s tentacles. With the strongest of them in her grasp, she orders her Brood Warriors to take Gambit and Logan. The two X-Men fight back.
Laughing, the Queen plunges her ovipositor directly into Ghost Rider’s flaming skull. However, he is not as helpless as he looks. He shouts at Stacy to use her gun. “My gun?” Stacy asks, looking at her weapon, which was designed specifically to disrupt Ghost Rider’s molecular structure. If used on him, it would tear apart each cell in his body. Stacy follows her order and fires without hesitation. The cellular disruption begins in Ghost Rider’s body, but because of the direct physical connection between him and the Brood Queen, flows into her body as well. The Brood Queen lets out a scream, crumbles, and dies.
Ghost Rider miraculously survives, although barely. Lying in a crumpled heap on the ground, he commends Stacy on a job well done. The other officers are less grateful. They emerge from captivity and urge Stacy to kill the helpless Ghost Rider, her longtime target. Stacy stares at Ghost Rider for a moment, and drops her gun. “I quit,” she says. She helps the super-hero off the ground, wraps his arm around her shoulder, and walks him out of the vault. They both know they have too much history between them for this single event to make it all right…but it is a beginning.


[User]
<image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image>
Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Hearts of Darkness
In the Midwestern town of Christ’s Crown, a thorn-covered hilltop has been a place of worship and sacrifices for centuries. Standing around an altar where a young blonde-haired lady lays on the altar, a group of cloaked individuals stand around her. There, her, life is taken. Blood is spilled. It seeps into the ground to mingle with the blood of countless others. There it roils, and boils until an eruption springs forth. A putrefied emotion of hate and loathing named Blackheart!
Emerging from the ground, Blackheart says to the cloaked individuals that they dare summon him with their childish offerings of blood? This they give to the son of Mephisto? Unleashing his power, Blackheart tells them that he will take their offering and more. Blood, muscle, and flesh will be his. He will lick their ashen remains from their charred bone. Oh, yes, he does this because he can – arghhhh!
Blackheart angrily exclaims “you have done this to me father.” You have diminished me. Forced me to be worshipped as a petty deity and taken from him that which he most admired in man – free will. But he will take it no longer Mephisto/father. I will not be another of your tortured amusements. I am your assassin. Unfortunately, for him to bring him down, he must play the role that he set for him even further. He must become a corruptor of men. But he will be select in his corruption. Not the indiscriminate lout that he has become through the millennia. There is a new breed of man, one whose fall towards the corrupt that will not be so far. And one that, with the power he has foolishly allowed him to keep, he will be able to imbue with the strength to bring him down. Raising one of the skulls to the sky, Blackheart calls out to his father that he wants a game? He will have one. A game that he will win before madness overtakes him. The game begins, the pawns move into place.
Riding his motorcycle down the road, Dan Ketch thinks to himself that Christ’s Crown is a heck of a name for a town. He then wonders what a kid from Brooklyn is doing out in the middle of all the clean air. Continuing to drive through town, he determines that it seems nice enough.
Passing by Flo’s boarding house, Dan decides that he guesses he’d better find someplace to stay until his mysterious stranger contacts him again. Walking up to the front door, Dan introduces himself to the lady answering the door and tells her that he’s looking for a place to stay a couple of days. The lady, Flo Crumm, replies that he came to the right place. It seems to be their little town’s time for visitors. Two other roomers are with her right now. And this used to be the slow season. She guesses things are picking up. She then mentions to Dan that he sounds like he’s from back east. What brings him to their town? Dan replies that he’s meeting an old friend who lives near there.
At that moment, Dan is hit in the back with a basketball. As he turns around, a young girl apologizes and runs and hides behind Flo. Flo proceeds to tell Dan that she is her daughter Lucy and introduces her to Dan. Picking up the basketball, Dan tells her that, when he was her age, his sister used to throw her ball at his head. She reminds him of her. Taking the ball from Dan, Lucy asks Dan if his sister grew up to be as pretty as her mommy. Dan replies yes, she did. Giving Dan a hug, Lucy tells him that she likes him. He’s a good man, just like Mr. Logan and Mr. Frank.
Shocked, Dan thanks her. Flo then tells her daughter to go wash up, dinner will be ready soon. She’ll have plenty of time to chat with their visitors later. Entering the home, Flo tells Dan that sometimes it worries her how she just takes to some people. But then again, she truly believes that there isn’t a bad bone in that child’s body. She asks Dan that if he’ll just sign the register, she’ll show him his room and he can get cleaned up. Dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes. Upon seeing a shadowy figure lurking in a room upstairs, Dan wonders if that’s the guy he’s supposed to meet.
Soon, a clean shaven Dan comes downstairs to the dinner table. Flo greets him and tells him to have a seat. They’re just about to start. She proceeds to introduce him to their two other boarders. Mr. Logan is from up north and Mr. Frank is from back east too. Both of them are there to take advantage of the fine hunting they have in these parts. When Lucy asks Dan if he hunts, Dan tells her no, he never has. Lucy says good. She thinks it’s yucky. Like in Bambi when his mommy gets… Flo tells Lucy to hush.
Looking over at Mr. Logan and Mr. Frank, Dan thinks to himself that there’s something about them, he feels like he’s met them before. Lucy remarks that even though they hunt, Mr. Logan and Mr. Frank are real nice. But she thinks they should take pictures of animals instead. She knows they don’t really want to hurt anything – right?
Later, Dan is alone in his room and thinks to himself that the kid is a cutie. He wonders how good she would think he was if she knew he was Ghost Rider. Would she think that Ghost Rider is good too? Does he? Sometimes he comes so close to the edge that he wonders. Reading a letter from somebody signed B.H. promising him the secrets of the Ghost Rider and the Soul Crystal, Dan guesses that’s why he’s here. He’s in search of some answers. He then thinks to himself the “Soul Crystal?” The only other time that he heard about the Soul Crystal was from Blaze…
Wait a minute, Nightmare mentioned it to him too. Could this all be another scheme of his? Even if it is, he has to take the chance. He’s got to know if he’s going to lose control to the demon within him, like Blaze did.
In his room, Frank Castle cleans his gun and thinks to himself that he’s taking no chances. No more than usual. Somebody sends him a note claiming to know where one of the slime who killed his family is holed up. He already knows that answer for certain. He put them under the ground himself. But somebody was able to find him, get the note to him. He doesn’t like that, not at all. Just then, there’s a knock at Castle’s door. Reading his handgun, Castle calls out yeah. The answer comes via a single claw going through the crack of the door and Logan asking “guess who.”
Opening the door, Castle mentions to Mr. Logan that he thought it was him. Didn’t think he’d recognize him. Logan tells him that his phony mustache ain’t that good of a disguise. Besides, he tells the Punisher, he’s got the stink of death on him, just like he does. Removing the fake moustache, Castle asks Wolverine what brings him there. Logan replies that he supposes the same as him and asks if he got any mysterious notes lately. Castle pulls out his note and asks “him too?” Logan tells him yup, and it was full of a bunch of moose dung tellin’ him that he could learn about who gave him his pig stickers, as though he cares.
Crumbling up the note, Castle asks if it’s some sort of setup. Logan tells him that it looks that way. But why both of them, they don’t exactly travel in the same social circles. Castle proceeds to ask Logan if he thinks the Ketch kid is involved. Logan tells him that he doesn’t know, something about him tickles his nose. He guesses they’re just going to have to wait. When Logan states that he’s a terrible waiter, Castle says he is too.
In his room, Ketch lies on his bed and thinks to himself that the waiting is killing him. He feels like he should be doing something other than sitting in the dark. And it is so dark there at night, so dark. At that moment, Ketch sees Blackheart appearing before him.
In his room, Castle begins to get dressed. He agrees that Wolverine had the right idea. It’s time to do a little recon mission. See what the night reveals. After pulling his shirt over his head, Castle sees Blackheart.
In his room, Wolverine stares out the window. He notices that there’s no stars or moon. Sniffing the air, he remarks that something smells like rotting meat. Smells like death! Popping his claws, Wolverine leaps into action.
In Ketch’s room, Blackheart tells him that he’s truly been looking forward to this meeting. He then tells him that there’s no need to be nervous. He’s come there to make him an offer. Secrets can be his. He will listen, won’t he? After thinking that he has to get to his bike, Ketch tells Blackheart that he guesses. Blackheart tells him good. He can see that he will be the most reasonable of the three.
As Wolverine and Punisher fight against Blackhearts in their rooms, Blackheart tells Ketch that the other two’s rage is good, exactly the kind of ferocity that he hopes to tap into, though he hopes to turn it against a more deserving target. All three of them represent humanity’s newest breed of hero. A hero that isn’t afraid to approach the edge when the need arises. It is an intangible thing, a gray area which resides within each of them in a place that his father would call their soul. It allows them to override the human emotions that often get in their way and go for the jugular. He can help them tap further into that place, with their consent, and expand upon their powers. Enough so that he truly believes they could kill his father. Think of what a boon that would be to the human race. Join him, and bring down the greatest evil their race has ever known, his father Mephisto.
Wolverine remarks that Mephisto is way out of his league. Maybe he should talk to Thor or the Silver Surfer. He’s sure they’d be more than happy to help. Blackheart states that they wouldn’t do. Punisher asks what is this crap. Does he think he’s buying into all this mystical mumbo jumbo? Get rid of the hologram and he’ll show him some hidden places inside of him. Blackheart tells Punisher that he of all people would love what he could give him. After they are done with his father he could take his punishing crusade to new heights of glory, of which he’s only dared to dream.
Ketch asks what about him, he doesn’t see how he fits into all this. Blackheart asks Daniel can he be so naïve. Does he really think it was an accident – chance, perhaps? – that brought him in contact with the Ghost Rider? Can they not look inside themselves, all of them? Can they not see this place that he’s talking about? See the desire that he has to let it emerge and take them all to a higher destiny? Join him now and he will show them. Individually, Wolverine, Punisher, and Ghost Rider all defiantly tell Blackheart no.
Blackheart exclaims that he is the son of Mephisto, their world’s devil. He offers them the chance to be rid of him and they deny him? He has sent him amongst the humans as punishment for challenging his archaic ways. He wants him to see the errors of his ways. He wants him to become him and he will not have it! He’s made a very generous offer to each of them. They dare spurn it? Well, now he’ll have to convince them in a different manner.
After he disappears, the three heroes hear Lucy yelling out “No! Mommy! Don’t!” Rushing down the stairs, Ketch asks Wolverine and the Punisher if they think Blackheart’s gone after Lucy. Wolverine says that’s what they aim to find out. Heading out of the house, they witness Lucy pulling on her mom’s arm and begging her not to go. She tells her he’s bad. He’ll hurt her, make her do bad things. With tears in her eyes, Lucy tells Mr. Frank and Mr. Logan that they have to help her mommy… the bad man…
Looking down the street, Ketch points out that it looks like the entire town is in the same kind of trance. What are they going to do? Turning to Lucy, Logan tells her not to worry. They’re going to help her mommy and bring her back safe and sound. Lucy begins to ask about the bad man, and Logan tells her to just get in the house and leave him to them. As he and the Punisher head off, Ketch says to himself “what are we going to do?” What a dope he is. He’s not even close to Wolverine and Punisher’s league. But Ghost Rider, on the other hand… He has to get to the bike. Running around the side of the house, Ketch finds it gone.
Upon hearing Lucy scream, Ketch decides that he’s got to try and do something. He’s… Once he reaches the location of Lucy’s screams, Ketch sees Blackheart sitting on his bike, holding Lucy captive, and surrounded by the town’s residents. Blackheart sarcastically asks Daniel if he lost something. It’s a bit emasculating, isn’t it? That is how his father has made him feel, condemned to live amongst his inferiors. He will help him, all three of them. They will see it his way, the right way.
Attempting to make his way through the crowd, Ketch thinks that this thing is nuts, a lunatic. Seeing Wolverine and the Punisher attempting to make their way through the crowd, he notices that they are having just as much trouble. Blackheart proceeds to say to them that they so want to hurt him – don’t they? Why let the townsfolk stand in their way? They are corrupted. Cut, slash, shoot, pummel. This is what they do best. Do it, they want to. He can smell their blood boiling. Go through them and they can have him. They are nothing. Isn’t it worth hurting, killing a few of them to get to him? It is such a gray area. Go there, tap into it. Come to him!
Unleashing his power, Blackheart kills some of the townsfolk and then warns that many more will die if they don’t come to him. Holding up Lucy, Blackheart says to them that perhaps they need additional incentive. He believes the three of them have become attached to this thing, the one uncorrupted soul in the town. When Lucy calls out for mommy, Ketch calls out to her and Wolverine pops his claws.
Having had enough, the Punisher states enough with the mystical bull, and proceeds to unload his machine gun into Blackheart. As the bullets bounce off of him, Blackheart laughs and asks if this is the best they can do. He then tells Punisher that he overestimates his abilities. He said he had the potential within him to help assassinate his father. He is not there yet, he is unarmed. He, Blackheart, must have access to their very souls. He must bond a part of him to them. Driving off on Ketch’s motorcycle, Blackheart dares the heroes to be courageous, go over that edge, follow him. When Lucy calls out not to let him, Blackheart’s barbs cut her arm and splatter blood on Ketch’s face. Blackheart tells them to follow him to the very gates of hell itself. His father’s death awaits them. He then asks Ketch how the warm and salty innocent blood tastes upon his lips. Vengeance must be served. Follow him! Release him!
As Ketch runs off after Blackheart, Punisher remarks “stupid kid.” He’ll never catch that thing on foot. Wolverine mentions that he, Punisher, has wheels. He wants a ride; he’s in the mood to cut something.
As he runs down the street after Lucy and Blackheart, Ketch quickly learns that he can’t keep up with them without his bike. He knows that Blackheart’s doing this to torture him. He needs transportation. He needs a bike. Looking at a nearby motorcycle store, Ketch tosses a metal trashcan through the window. Sitting on the bike, Ketch wipes Lucy’s blood off of his face and off of his hands. Staring at his hands, Ketch notices the Ghost Rider symbols appear on his hands. He wonders aloud if Blackheart is right. As he begins to transform into Ghost Rider, Ketch wonders what if the transformation comes from within him. What does this mean, what does this say about him? What does this say about Ghost Rider? Fully transformed, Ghost Rider calls out to Blackheart that it is his turn to suffer. The blood that he has spilled cries out for vengeance. The cries will be quieted.
Reaching their destination, Wolverine quips to Punisher that it’s too quiet. Punisher agrees. Exiting the van, and toting a machine gun, Punisher states that maybe it’s time they made some noise. He then tells Wolverine to grab a weapon, he’s fully stocked. Wolverine tells him thanks, but he carries his own. With that, Wolverine pops his claws. As they begin to ascend the hillside, Punisher asks who they are doing this for. Wolverine replies “the kid.” He doesn’t like seeing kids hurt. Punisher replies “you and me both.” He just wanted to make sure before they started wading into this thing.
Entering the thorn covered hill, Wolverine adds that it’s gonna get bloody. Punisher says he’s seen it before. Wolverine responds that he doesn’t doubt that. It’s just this time it’s likely to be their blood. Punisher says he’s seen his share of that, too. Wolverine tells him welcome to the club. But if they don’t get through the thorns, theirs is gonna be the only blood they see. Punisher points out that they’re like razor wire. How did Blackheart…
Just then, Ghost Rider appears and drives his motorcycle through the thorns, clearing a path. Once they reach the other side of the thorn patch, Wolverine asks Ghost Rider? He doesn’t recognize the bike. Punisher says so, he picked up a new one. He does it all the time. Does it really matter? He’s cleared a trail for them.
Standing before the heroes, Blackheart asks Ghost Rider that he has a new motorcycle? Interesting! There is much about him that remains a mystery. He wonders if even his father truly knows who or what he is. But he guesses they can find out before they kill him. Back to the business at hand – they now stand on the doorway to hell itself. He invites them to step through with him, cross the edge. He did not lie to them in their notes. He can fulfill their greatest desires. He tells Frank that his family can be his again. Join him or continue to see their deaths every time he closes his eyes. His family and the death of the greatest evil earth has ever known. Think about it.
Blackheart then asks Wolverine what it is that he desires. How about that missing part of his life? The secret of those adamantium bones that allow him to rend flesh, bone, and anything else that pleases him? He will help him for his assistance. Slashing the pile of bones before him to pieces, Wolverine tells Blackie that he ain’t interested. What’s done is done. Blackheart replies they’ll see and then turns his attention to Ghost Rider. Zarathos! If that is who he is, his memories, his power, his former greatness can be restored. The secret is within the Soul Crystal, with his father. Help him and he will tear the secret from him. He can once again be a devourer of souls.
When Blackheart asks them what their answers are, the heroes respond by attacking him. Blackheart angrily tells them that he offered them a chance at greatness and they ask for death – it will be theirs and hers. With that, a number of faceless minions emerge from the ground and converge around Lucy. Fighting the minions, Punisher asks what they are. Wolverine tells him don’t ask, just get through them. They’re trying to get Lucy. When the minions grab hold of Lucy and pull her into the ground with them, Ghost Rider exclaims no! Blackheart will not have another innocent soul!
As he enters into the chasm on the ground, Ghost Rider exclaims that he will follow wherever the inhuman fiends may lead him. She will be saved. Once under the ground, Ghost Rider kills two of the minions. Blackheart then appears and tells Ghost Rider that he was hoping he’d feel that way. Though he also hoped his two companions would have the wherewithal to join him. No matter, he has him where he wants him. He is teetering on the edge – the edge of greatness, the edge of power. He tells him to take the final step and join him.
Ghost Rider exclaims “No!” He, Blackheart, talks of an edge, of the dark place in all souls. How can he see into a place that even he cannot? He tells him to look into himself. Tossing his chain into Blackheart’s chest, Ghost Rider tells him to see the purification, the rot, the madness that his father has forced upon him. See the pain that he has caused. Removing his glove, Ghost Rider punches Blackheart with his flaming fist and proceeds to tell him that he offers him power and souls. He has no desire for these things. The knowledge he seeks will be his without his help, without his madness.
Continuing to pummel Blackheart, Ghost Rider states that his edge means nothing to him, he cannot see it. His offer is a hollow one, his threats are hollow, he is hollow. Picking himself up off the ground, Blackheart tells Ghost Rider that he cannot be the great soul devourer Zarathos, the one with the power to rival his father. He is a self-righteous fool who has spurned the power and now will see that his threats are not hollow! Rushing towards Lucy, Blackheart tells Ghost Rider that he will be bathed in the blood of the innocent child he seeks to protect. He will bind it to the very fiber of his being. He will live with the folly of his decision for the rest of his undying days!
Before he reaches Lucy, however, Blackheart’s arm is cut off at the elbow by Wolverine’s claws. Backing away, Blackheart tells them that they dare? They think they can stop him with their pitiful weapons, their claws, their guns? Punisher remarks that they’ll give it a try and begins to unload his gun into him. Continuing the pull the trigger, Punisher states that they’ll keep trying until phonies like him shut up. He can take his edge and shove it. It doesn’t exist! No gray area! If he ever had a soul, it’s long gone. There is just right, wrong, and punishment! At that moment, Blackheart explodes.
Looking over the broken pieces of Blackheart, Wolverine remarks that he thinks the point his friend is trying is trying to make is that they all have their personal limits. They may be close to an edge but it’s an edge that they choose never to go over. Too bad he didn’t make the same choice. He allowed his father to push his buttons. He played him like a puppet. He tempted, he tortured, he threatened, he became his father. “Welcome to the real world, Junior!”
Kicking Blackheart’s head, Punisher points out that this thing, whatever it is, is starting to try and pull itself back together. What is it, some sort of mutant? No offense. Wolverine replies “none taken.” Ghost Rider then tells Wolverine and Punisher to take the girl back. He will make sure that Blackheart doesn’t follow. Once they leave with Lucy in tow, Blackheart pulls himself together and tells Ghost Rider that it is funeral.
At that moment, the monstrous Mephisto appears and tells Blackheart well done. He has become exactly what he had hoped. His father is proud. Perhaps now he can stop with all his talk of his archaic ways and accept what he is. Learn that he cannot change himself any more than he could change these heroes. Turning his attention to Ghost Rider, Mephisto tells him that he is an enigma, even to him. He senses that it is a puzzle over which they will come together in the future. But today is for his son. Time for a father to help him reflect on the lessons learned. Mystically destroying Blackheart, Mephisto picks him up and places him into his mouth. It is time for him to show him his love. He will learn. Mephisto then tells Ghost Rider to go now but they will meet again. Soon. And there will be no gray areas involved. The truth will be revealed.
Back on the hill, Punisher points out that Ghost Rider is back. Wolverine adds that so is Lucy’s mom. Punisher then asks Wolverine if he thinks this was all for real. Wolverine replies that stranger things have happened to both of them. Punisher says that all this talk about them being close to the edge – what do they really think? Looking over at Lucy hugging her mom, Wolverine says who knows. Ghost Rider replies that it doesn’t matter if there is an edge or if they occasionally cross it. As long as the innocent are protected, their cause is just. With that, Lucy grabs hold of Ghost Rider’s hand and looks at him with gratitude.


[User]
<image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image>
Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
The Dark Design
In the Midwestern town of Christ’s Crown, Ghost Rider runs. Not willingly, but he runs with the hope that the life of the young girl in his arms, Lucy Crumm, will be saved. His female associate, Norma, calls him flame-head and tells him to not even thinking about stopping to fight. They’re catching up to them again. A little bit further and she can get them to a place where they can lose them. They can’t let them get their hands on Lucy.
Just then, Ghost Rider is shot in the back by one of a group of five, all members of the Corrupt. The female lead, Vana, tells Hank nice shot. And the girl wasn’t even scratched. She then tells Lucy to come with them, enough running with those two. The master wants to see her. And doesn’t she know Blackheart can be so kind to young girls.
Enraged, Ghost Rider turns around and readies his chain. As he does, he tells Norma to protect Lucy. Pointing her weapon at Ghost Rider, Vana tells him that Blackheart does not want him; at least, not alive. Using his chain, Ghost Rider destroys Vana’s weapon and knocks her to the ground. Another member of the Corrupt calls Vana a fool. She wastes their and his time with her prattling. Let’s just kill him and be done with… Before he can finish his thought, he is shot in the chest by Norma who tells him that he talks a little too much too, but not anymore.
Upon seeing what Norma has done, Ghost Rider remarks that she took his life so easily. A thing he could not do. Continuing his battle against the Corrupt, he states that, for no matter how evil these are, he must remind himself that they are human beings, human beings who have been corrupted willingly by him. He will inflict pain upon them. Pain beyond their wildest nightmares, but he will not take a human life.
Observing the battle, Norma tells Lucy that they best keep moving. When Lucy asks about Ghost Rider, Norma tells her she wouldn’t worry; he seems to have things under control. Holding his hand up to his forehead, Ghost Rider says that these humans have been strengthened by Blackheart’s evil touch. So much that they take a toll on him. He has to find Blackheart, bring him down, but… not now. Getting Lucy to safety is all that matters.
Once Ghost Rider looks over at Lucy and Norma, one of the members of the Corrupt grabs hold of Ghost Rider’s arm and tells him that Vana was wrong. Blackheart does want him. Come feel the pleasure of his dark touch! As Ghost Rider screams in pain, Norma rushes to his side and takes out his attacker with two shotgun blasts. Rushing to Ghost Rider’s side, Lucy mentions to him that he’s hurt. Grabbing hold of his arm, Ghost Rider tells Lucy to not touch his tainted hand. If she were to do so, Blackheart’s victory would be guaranteed. He then tells Lucy to stand back and tells Norma Jean that it is up to her to get them away from this place before more of the Corrupt show up. For now he doesn’t think he’ll be of help for a little while. Blackheart’s poison flows through his being. He must transform back to Dan’s body… must…
With a flash of light, Ghost Rider transforms into the human form of Daniel Ketch. Feeling his hand, Dan remarks that his hand is clean of the corruption but he can feel it eating away inside him. Rushing over to Norma and Lucy, he tells them that they need to go, the Corrupt will be back. Opening up a window to the basement in a nearby building, Norma tells Dan not to worry. She’ll get them both away from there. The others will help them hide her little cousin. They all know that Lucy may be the only hope this world has. Lucy and him. Entering through the window, Lucy reminds them to not forget about Mister Frank and Mister Logan. They know she will need their help again. They’ll be here, she knows they will.
Elsewhere, in Christ’s Crown, Mister Logan… Wolverine has arrived. Standing in an alley with his claws at the ready, Wolverine asks members of the Corrupt where they disappeared to. Are they gonna tell him that they let a few punctured arteries slow them down? C’mon, they were just getting started. They all seemed ready to throw down on him with that little ambush of theirs. He’s just a visitor to this town. He wasn’t expecting to be knocked off his bike by a bunch of gun totin’, zombie lookin’, make-up wearin’ rejects like themselves. So how’s about they finish things up?
As members of the Corrupt descend on Wolverine below, he immediately engages them in battle. The Corrupt were given orders by their master. Keep watch for Wolverine and when he enters the town – kill him. Expecting a man, a man they could easily dispatch, the Corrupt encounter Wolverine, member of the team of mutants known as the X-Men. It’s not long before it becomes obvious that the Corrupt have underestimated their opponent’s abilities – painfully obvious. In short time, the skirmish is over. The outcome is as expected.
Pulling out a cigar, Wolverine is surrounded by five more members of the Corrupt. Upon seeing them, Wolverine asks that they’re not goin’ to give him a stogie break, eh? Popping his claws again, he tells them they are like cockroaches, crawlin’ all over the place. Let’s get this over with. Before he can reengage in battle, the air is pierced by the sound of a single gunshot. Wolverine can feel the high velocity projectile pass by his head and ultimately finds its mark, one of the Corrupt. Four more shots in the space of a single breath and all the members of the Corrupt present are taken out. Few men, if any, could execute five clean kills in such a short span of time. His name is the Punisher. He could do it in his sleep.
Once the Punisher descends from his perch, Logan lights up a cigar and mentions to him that he was wonderin’ when he’d show up, “Mister Frank.” Frank replies that he’s been runnin’ recon for the past couple of hours. Grabbing hold of his bike, Logan asks him if he’s getting’ some sort of psychic messages from the kid – Lucy. Heading towards his van, Frank asks is that what they were. He thought he was just having a bad dream. Happens sometimes, occupational hazard. Rolling his bike over towards Frank’s van, Logan says yeah, he knows what he means. But even he has got to admit that something is going on there. Best he can remember, last time they were there, Christ’s Crown didn’t look like this.
Looking at the vastly different landscape with massive buildings and zombie-looking people roaming the streets, Frank agrees. It’s weird. He then remarks that they should find the kid and fast. Anything on Ghost Rider? Donning his yellow and blue uniform, Logan informs Frank that he picked up his scent, even through all the garbage that’s floating around this place, soon as he hit town. As he starts to say that they should get to work trackin’ them down before…, Lucy invades their thoughts and tells them to hurry. She needs them. Turning to Frank, Logan asks him if he’s still not a believer. Scowling, Frank replies let’s just find her.
What was once the town square of Christ’s Crown now serves as the focal point of the spreading corruption. Over it all reigns Blackheart. Upon seeing a bird, a dove, flying about in his citadel, Blackheart yells at it to go away. Reduce it to ash he would, but madness looms closer with every exertion of such powers. Cursed by father with this madness… by father. His power must be conserved… so that… doled out sparingly, amongst the Corrupt, with one purpose in mind… the death of Mephisto will result. Father… demon… evil!
Just then, one of the members of the Corrupt appears before Blackheart and informs him that he has news of the intruders. When Blackheart orders him to speak, his minion tells him that Wolverine and Punisher have arrived and killed many of his Corrupt. They cannot find them or the girl. Grabbing him by the throat and choking him, Blackheart angrily asks him why he brings him this news rather than his head on a platter. Mutant… killer… spirit of vengeance… they all must die! Lucy must be his! After snapping the minion’s neck, Blackheart wonders aloud why can’t they… why can’t anyone… understand that he would be a far better ruler in hell than his father. As the bird flies by, Blackheart asks it that it mocks his words and begins to laugh maniacally. Mock him not! With that, Blackheart destroys the bird.
Just then, a larger than life Mephisto appears and tells his fallen son that he is sooooo proud of him. There he sits and plots his demise. And yet… in his ever-increasing dementia… he continues his work on the earthly dimension. How utterly delightful. Carry on, carry on. Blackheart exclaims that he was created to be his assassin. The prophecy will be fulfilled. He’ll kill him! He’ll kill him! He’ll kill him! He’ll kill him!
Elsewhere, in a hidden bunker, Norma asks Lucy how Dan Ketch is doing. Kneeling by his side, Lucy tells her not good, he’s burning up with a fever. She doesn’t know what to do for him. Norma replies that he was their… her… best chance of getting out of this living hell. But if he’s been corrupted there’s only one thing they can do for him. With that, Norma readies her rifle. Lucy then tells Dan that she’s so sorry she got him into this and begs him to please get better. Holding her hand, Dan tells her not to be sorry, he’ll be fine. And when the other two show up they’ll figure a way out of there. She’ll see.
Just then, the warning whistle sounds. Upon hearing it, Norma orders her followers to get ready. They are going to send the Corrupt back to that hell-spawned master of theirs in small pieces. Entering the room with Punisher, Wolverine tells them to hold their fire. They’re lookin’ for a little friend of theirs. Seeing Lucy, he remarks how grown up she is. Rushing over to them, Lucy happily gives Mister Logan and Mister Frank a big hug. She knew they’d come, she just knew it. Logan then asks if someone there wants to tell them what’s goin’ on around there.
Steadying himself up against a wall, Dan answers that they’re all trying to figure that one out. Logan informs Dan that he tracked them all to this place by his scent. But somethin’ ain’t right. There’s a stink of death on him. Dan replies that the Corrupt did something to Ghost Rider and somehow it’s affecting him, too. When Frank asks what happens when he transforms, Dan answers that he doesn’t know… yet.
A few minutes later, Logan, Lucy, Dan Ketch, and Norma sit around a fire while Frank Castle stands ever vigilant. Dan informs Logan and Frank that he arrived yesterday as soon as he could after getting Lucy’s messages. Before he could get any information they came under attack by the Corrupt. They are connected to Blackheart. That’s all he knows. Frank interjects that he thought they helped finish Blackheart for good. Norma states that obviously they didn’t do too good a job.
Turning to Lucy, Logan asks her what she knows. Lucy tells him that she doesn’t know. She began… coming of age… and things started happening to her. Powers… she still doesn’t understand them, but she knows she can help people. He knows it, too. Frank says to her that even if she does have powers, he doesn’t know why she called out to them. He likes her and all, but doesn’t she think that fighting this supposed supernatural stuff is out of their league. Maybe she needs someone like that Doctor Strange guy or the Avengers.
Holding his hand, Lucy tells him that it’s not what he does, it’s who he is. When Frank says he doesn’t get it, Logan remarks that it’s simple. The three of them are all real good at what they do. Sometimes they’re even called heroes. Frank tells him to speak for himself. Standing up and putting his arm around Lucy, Dan adds that along the way they all have come real close to going over the edge. So close they can taste it, so close that you can feel it reach out and threaten to grab hold of you. Lucy says that’s right, but they don’t. They never give in to the darkness. They walk the line that few beings can. They look into the abyss and stay on the side of good. This is what makes them such a danger to Blackheart and Mephisto. They just can’t predict what they will do.
Dan says whatever. They do good things for people, but along the way… Frank interjects that he’ll pretend to buy into all this supernatural garbage, but what are they supposed to be doing there. Norma replies that they need them to get them out of this godforsaken city, all of them. But the most important thing is to do whatever it takes to get Lucy out of his reach. Frank remarks that that is something he can get behind.
Meanwhile, Blackheart tells his hordes of Corrupt members to find the girl. Bring her to him alive. Ghost Rider, Wolverine, Punisher. He wants only their rotting corpses. Do this for him. Departing into his quarters, Blackheart hears Mephisto’s voice telling him that his grasp on sanity is becoming more and more tenuous. How delicious. Upon seeing his father, Blackheart leaps at him and exclaims that he’s going to kill him. Crushing him with the back of his fist, Mephisto tells him there he goes again, losing control. Here he labors so hard to become his assassin, as is his destiny, and yet he tries to attack him with his hands? He is on the right path, but beware as he teeters on the brink of insanity. Perhaps he spreads his powers amongst these Corrupt and dilute them overmuch. The darkness in the souls of these corruptible humans draws them to him like moths to a flame, waiting and eager to be burned by his wickedness. They may turn into a formidable force.
As Blackheart rematerializes from a puddle of ooze into his original form, Mephisto adds that he is powerful enough to storm the very gates of his realm but he will sacrifice his own power in doing so. What will he do if those three, the three whom he once chose to attempt an allegiance, decide to attack? Would he be able to fend them off in his current weakened state? Blasting his father, Blackheart exclaims there is strength in him yet. Dropping Blackheart, Mephisto asks is this all the power he can muster? He does so disappoint him. At least, in his failure, he will provide him with many souls. As Mephisto begins to disappear, he tells his son to carry on. Once Mephisto has departed, Blackheart defiantly states that he will not fail, not fail.
Beneath the city, Norma mentions to Logan, Dan Ketch and Punisher that none of this makes sense. These tunnels didn’t even exist a month ago. Then again, neither did the Corrupt. Logan proceeds to ask what is so important about the kid. Norma answers that none of them really know. One day they woke up and the Corrupt and Blackheart were there, the town had changed overnight. Most people found it easier to give in to the taint of his presence. Some tried to escape and they were killed by the Corrupt. Lucy’s mom, her Aunt Flo, was one of the first to fall. It looked like they’d all be killed when Lucy started calling out to them… psychically. She has a calming effect on people. With her around them, they feel like there’s hope. Those of them who survived had one thing in common – they had all been touched by Lucy’s presence. She has some power, something good. Something she can’t even describe, and doesn’t know how she believes in, but it’s there. She helped them survive as much as they helped her. He can’t be allowed to corrupt her. Just then Frank points out that they have company.
Just then, the heroes engage in fierce battle with the Corrupt. The attack is sudden and brutal. The Corrupt emerge from every shadow, every dark place. Wolverine and Punisher give as good as they get. The sounds and smells of the battle fill the tunnels. Claws and bullets tear through the bodies of these things that were once human. Their soulless screams pierce the darkness. But their ranks are never-ending. An army created out of darkness and determined to storm the very gates of hell with Blackheart leading them and the young Lucy Crumm at his side.
Looking down at his hand, Dan Ketch states that he has to release him. They need his strength. But the corruption is upon him. If he has succumbed, he has no choice. With that, Dan Ketch transforms into Ghost Rider. As Logan and Frank continue their vicious battle, Ghost Rider informs Lucy that he is there and that they will not pass. The Corrupt begin to fall before Ghost Rider’s blows. He is relentless. He stares into the swirling depths of the darkness in their eyes, a darkness which matches that which spreads on his own arm. The darkness spreads, threatens to overwhelm him. The Corrupt surge forward.
As a single dark wave they sweep over Ghost Rider. Ghost Rider will not be separated from Lucy. And then, as suddenly as it began, the battle is over and lost. At that moment, Logan points out to Frank that they’re gone and that they took the kid and Ghost Rider with ‘em. Blackheart ain’t givin’ them much of a choice. He then asks Mr. Frank if he’s ready to go toe to toe with the big ugly guy again. Frank tells Mr. Logan that he is game. And if Ghost Rider has gone over, he’ll find a way to take him out, too. Logan says let’s move it then. Norma, with her followers in tow, tells Logan and Frank that they’re going with them. She can move them through the pit of darkness and take them straight to him. None of them are leaving without Lucy. When Frank tells her to lead on, they begin their journey.
Elsewhere, in Blackheart’s citadel, Blackheart, wearing a coat, stands in front of Lucy, who is wearing a wedding dress. As he does, he tells her that her beauty, her purity, must be seen in the light. With that, Blackheart bathes the room in light when he pulls the curtain away from the window. After Lucy asks Blackheart what he wants with her, Blackheart kisses her hand and tells her that she is the pure foundation upon which he is building his realm. She will be his anchor during battle, will help him maintain a grasp on his sanity, and she will be his redemption after daddy dearest is no more. Together they will rule in a kinder and gentler version of his father’s realm – together!
Outside, the assault on Blackheart’s stronghold begins and those who have willingly forfeited their souls, their humanity, to the son Mephisto now forfeit their lives. After slaughtering the members of the Corrupt, Wolverine asks Punisher if he’s ready. Punisher replies “always.” As they leap through the citadel window, Blackheart informs Lucy that it appears her would-be liberators have arrived. Standing behind Lucy and holding a knife to her throat, Blackheart tells the heroes to not take another step. Dead or alive, she will serve his purpose either way.
Pointing his sniper rifle at Blackheart’s forehead, Punisher remarks that he can take him out. Gritting his teeth, Logan tells Blackheart to let go of the kid. Blackheart asks threats? He thinks not. Now, in the past he offered them power, power to join him. They refused him then as he presumes they will refuse him now. He then tells them to observe what happens to those who refuse him. He tells them to behold Ghost Rider who is ensnared to a nearby wall with spikes and chains. Blackheart tells them to behold his pain. Nothing? A comrade in arms is in pain and yet they do not waiver from their true course? Could it be that, despite their heroic guises, their own journeys into the abyss have made them apathetic to the pain, the true pain of others? Is it that they only perform these gestures of heroism to justify the pleasure that they receive by releasing their dark sides?
Turning towards Frank, Logan tells him to pull the trigger. He thinks Blackheart’s lost it – his mind and his powers. Before Frank can do so, Blackheart ensnares the heroes and pins them up to the wall on either side of Ghost Rider. As he does, he tells Wolverine to think again. His power is diminished but it is far from lost. Now, shall they all journey to the abyss once more and seek out the darkness which dwells within them?
As they become free from their bonds, Logan tells the others to be ready. It’s a mind game. Just the kind of garbage that Blackheart would try to use to put them over the… edge?
Just then, Logan finds himself naked in the north country woods of Canada. He tells Blackheart that it’s pretty original takin’ him back to his roots. It’s been tried too many times. He doesn’t even know what’s real himself anymore. He doesn’t really care. Logan then yells at Blackheart to get out of his mind. He’s not in the mood to play tonight.
Frank Castle, Punisher, finds himself in Hell’s Kitchen surrounded by a bunch of men with guns pointing at him. He remarks that he knows them. Every one of them are killers. Like the ones who killed his wife and kids. They’ve got to die… tonight!
Ghost Rider, discovers himself in the cemetery where his quest for vengeance began. Barbara, Dan’s sister, is buried there. Seeing a figure kneeling before her gravestone, he asks that Blackheart sends one of his minions there to defile her grave? Vengeance will be served.
In the woods of Canada, Logan asks Blackheart that this is it? This is all he’s got to throw at him? His powers really are runnin’ low, huh? It’s gonna take more than a trip down memory lane for him to give it all up, to go berserker. It ain’t gonna happen this way. In Hell’s Kitchen, Frank shoots his attackers. As he does, he tells them that he knows them all. He’s killed them all before, and he’ll kill them all again until they stay dead. At the cemetery, Ghost Rider wraps his chain around the man’s neck and exclaims innocent blood, vengeance, never enough.
Transforming into his yellow and blue costume, Logan calls out to Ghost Rider and Punisher that they’ve got to fight him. He’s tryin’ to play with their heads – fight it. Continuing to fire upon his attackers, Frank says they keep coming. He knows their faces. He’s killed them before. He then asks killed… before…? As he pulls the chain harder around his foe’s neck, Ghost Rider is stopped by Barbara who tells him that he doesn’t have to do this. She then points out to him who Blackheart is having him kill. It’s Dan; it’s his bridge to humanity. Fight him.
At that moment, Logan points out to his comrades that Blackheart’s losin’ it. They can do it. He’s weak. With that, the heroes break free of their bonds. As they do, Logan tells Blackheart that all he’s done is made them mad. Looks like he loses… again. Blackheart says no, will not lose. Not this time. He still has the child, she is the key. Her innocence, her light, will be his weapon, his salvation. Before he can reach Lucy, Ghost Rider wraps his chain around Blackheart’s chest and pulls him back. Unloading his rifle into him, Punisher remarks look at him dance. Maybe bullets won’t be such a waste after all.
Just then, Logan tells Frank to stand down a second. He wants a couple of shots. As Logan jams his bone claws into Blackheart’s gut, Blackheart pleads with them not to take the girl. He begs them to help him slay his father. Standing over him, Frank answers that they’ve been through this before. He knows the answer. With that, Frank shoots Blackheart in the chest at close range. On his hands and knees, Blackheart pleads with Ghost Rider to help him. He must know that he’d be a better ruler of hell than his father. He tells him to think of the innocent souls he would save from an eternity of anguish. Please?
Putting his foot on Blackheart’s head, Ghost Rider tells him no. He has shown them that he is no better than the father he wishes to slay. This town has been corrupted, innocent blood stains the street, all in his name. Hundreds call for vengeance from beyond the grave. Theirs are the pleas which will be answered tonight. With that, the heroes again viciously attack Blackheart.
In short time, the battle ends and the only sound that fills the cavernous room is a brief exhalation of relief from Lucy. The three heroes accept her thanks in silence. Norma and the rest of her group or rebels arrive to report that the Corrupt are dead or abandoning the city. And still the heroes are silent. Silent, as they reflect on the darkness within themselves that they have confronted. The dark and hidden place which is a hidden source of strength for all three. Every time they tap into the darkness it costs them another piece of their souls. Each cannot help but ask himself “Is it worth it?” Today a child was saved. For these three heroes, that is enough. It will always be enough. In the silence, the child, so full of goodness and light, runs toward the fallen devil. Kneeling before him, she offers the last thing he had expected – forgiveness.
As the heroes depart the citadel, Blackheart weeps as his world becomes undone. Standing over him, Mephisto tells him that he has ashamed him in this failure. But is it not the duty of a father to forgive his son in all things? He tells him to submit to him and he will help him restore this fledgling kingdom. United they will be powerful. It will be a firm foothold into this dimension.
Watching the heroes leaving Christ’s Crown, Mephisto tells his son to submit. Blackheart tells him no, this game is not played out yet. Mephisto says to him that he is mistaken. His role of assassin is now lost. Say the word and he shall bring back those humans. Their souls can be his. When Blackheart tells him no, Mephisto turns around and asks his son what is he holding – a knife? Blackheart says it is a gift for him. After Mephisto asks what is on the blade, Blackheart informs him that it is blood. The means of fulfilling his destiny has been given to him. He does not need the child. Only this, the blood of a child, innocent blood. Mephisto asks innocent blood? He then tells Blackheart not to do this. If he does, the price he will pay will be great.
Jamming the knife into his father’s chest, Blackheart exclaims prophecy fulfilled. A new order has been established in hell this day. Now he will surpass the role filled by Mephisto. Mephisto, king of hell, is dead. Long live the new king!