To understand Spirit Rider #1, you must first understand the origins of Demon Rider and Ghost Rider. Kushala was the only survivor when U.S. soldiers massacred her Apache tribe during the 1800s. A spirit of vengeance engulfed her as she raged war on her enemies. Afraid at what she had become, Kushala agonized for years about this demon inside of her. She became known as the Sorcerer Supreme of her time period. She became lost in the modern era when Doctor Strange enlisted her to be a part of a team of Sorcerer Supremes.
Meanwhile, Johnny Blaze was raised within the carnival world. Adopted by Crash Simpson after his father died and mother left him, Johnny struck a deal with Mephisto to heal his ailing guardian from the cancer that struck him down. Mephisto didn't keep his end of the deal as Simpson died and Johnny ended up being overrun by the Spirit of Vengeance. Taboo and B. Earl tell the story of how these two reluctant hell riders are brought together by Doctor Strange. Paul Davidson drives the story with his fire-enhanced artwork, with Jeffrey Veregge assisting. The cover artwork is craftily done by Takashi Okazaki and Rico Renzi. In my opinion, it would make a great poster in anyone's home with a black light shining on it.
It turns out that the demon inside of Johnny is somehow connected to Kushala. The dilemma is how do you get rid of this demon spirit with all of the darkness that is already inside the soul of Ghost Rider. During the extraction, Johnny revisits the carnival experience with his dad, at the same time seeing his younger self. However when he returns home to his mom, he doesn't want Kushala to continue. Instead, he wants her to leave him there, which of course would be very dangerous.
Kushala keeps reminding Johnny that nothing he is experiencing is real. As Johnny is struggling with his own memories, Kushala's past enters the picture. It is when Kushala's deceased mom convinces her to let go of all this anger and vengeance that Johnny is able to be set free and Kushala is no longer being consumed by a demon. She has become a Spirit Rider. The story is magical and mystical at the same time, but most of all it is thought-provoking!
