Bonus Round!

[jack_babalon]

1- When you look at the above splash page what do you see...?
a) Cosmic Hippy Jesus being saved by Ghost Rider from a quintet of super villains... duh!
b) Blasphemy!!!
c) The start of one hell of an interesting slash fiction story
d) A new side project by a member of The Residents perhaps
e)_______

2- Sure we all know Ghost Rider's and Jesus' powers from old issues of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (Jesus can walk on water, forgives all sins, transform water into wine and can bench/press up to 20 tons) - but what powers are wielded by The Orb, Snake-Dance, The Miracle Man, Aquarius and The Trapster?

3- Ghost Rider isn't the first superhero Jesus (aka "Ol' Thorn Head") has had to team-up with... having briefly replaced The Human Torch in the Fantastic Four for a year, being made an honorary Avenger by Cap and arm wrestling Galactus for the fate of the world, etc... what has been your favorite Jesus-Superhero team up in comics?

4- Without rifling through your back issue collection, how does this story end?

5- Oft I must strive with wind and wave, Battle them both when under the sea
I feel out the bottom, a foreign land. In lying still I am strong in the strife;
If I fail in that they are stronger than I, And wrenching me loose, soon put me to rout.
They wish to capture what I must keep. I can master them both if my grip holds out,
If the rocks bring succor and lend support, Strength in the struggle. Ask me my name!

Comments

[catwalk.livejournal.com]

i'd answer your questions, but i'm distracted by the presence of the trapster.
ghost rider's 'old friend' is being held by villains who seem to represent
mind control, shamanism, snake oil, astrology, and...
a dude with a goopy glue gun?
all the others, including gr and jc, speak to spiritualism or belief/faith.
the trapster? ... ???

i have an ish of spider-man and gr capturing the trapster,
and gr hellfires him so that trappy's mind and soul, while still intact,
are tormented by hell istelf.

i shared spidey's discomfort with the moment.

[jackbabalon23.livejournal.com]

Poor Trapster... a third-rate Paste Pot Pete (who was himself a third-tier Fantastic Four villain). Imagine how he felt graduating the Super-Villain academy and being assigned Ghost Rider as his first villain...

Leap Frog: So, like, who'd you get for your first arch?

Trapster: Uhhhh... someone called 'Ghost Rider'.

LF: Dude no way! You. Are.So.Dead!

T'ster: Why is he tough?

LF: He's only the guy with the flaming skull, riding around on Satan's own Harley while shooting hellfire out of his hands!

T'ster: Wait that's him! I thought he was like a supervillain or something?

LF: Noooo.... no, no, no...

T'ster: Well what kinda superhero has a flaming skull?

LF: There was the Blazing Skull in the 40's...

T'ster: Aw, this is gonna suck...

[jackbabalon23.livejournal.com]

Also to fit your mystical team-up metaphor of heaven n'hell versus the spiritual competion theme - perhaps the Trapster represents the senses/materialism the glue of maya that binds us to the illusion of life that all most overcome before reaching true enlightenment.

Who says this isn't the age of Merry Metaphysical Marvel Madness?!?!

His name-

[rick-jackson.livejournal.com]

Is "Snake Dance"!?! oooooooooooooh.

Re: His name-

[jackbabalon23.livejournal.com]

Remember there are no 'bad characters', Rick... only bad writers.

Why just think what Brian Michael Bendis could do with old Snake Dance here: All you need is a bit of creative re-imagining, some terse David Mamet-esque dialologue and a spot on the Dark Avengers (who knows... maybe he's dark Red Wolf or American Eagle?) and you could be looking at Wizard Magazines Villain of '09!

Re: His name-

[rick-jackson.livejournal.com]

I repeat, "His name is 'Snake Dance' ". And why hav their not been any jokes about Speedball doing cocaine? Or have I just missed them?

Re: His name-

[jackbabalon23.livejournal.com]

Well how 'bout we change his name to "TROUSER SNAKE" then... would that be better?

You're so insensitive... it was Speedball's behind the panel addiction to what the kids call 'the blow' that helped lead to that horrible day in Conneticut that started the Civil War. To quit the 'good stuff' (in the parlance of the local youth) he had to have Warren Ellis put him in a special 'Stabbity-Suit', shave his head and change his name to PENANCE. "Jokes" indeed, Sir!

Of course I have no idea what makes you mention Speedball in the first place...?

asking you your name!

[vgo.livejournal.com]

aren't jesus-friend and the miracle man the same guy?

Re: asking you your name!

[jackbabalon23.livejournal.com]

They're most likely twin brothers separated at birth.

Cryptic Cporporation.

[ammutbite.livejournal.com]

A comic book panel out of a major graphic novel about the band, explaining the transition of Mr.Red Eye to Mr.Skull, following the 13th anniversary show of the Residents.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Residents

Re: Cryptic Cporporation.

[jackbabalon23.livejournal.com]

I followed the link to wikipedia but didn't see the panel you mentioned. Was it linked from there perhaps?

Re: Cryptic Cporporation.

[ammutbite.livejournal.com]

uhm...that would be because there is no such thing.
I prefer my BS interpretation to Jesus meets Ghostrider reality.