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In July 2006, a new ongoing monthly Ghost Rider series, titled Vicious Cycle began. Written by Daniel Way with art by Mark Texeira and Javier Saltares, the same artistic team from the 1990 series. The storyline takes place after the Ennis miniseries, and features Johnny Blaze finally escaping hell.<br />
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Blaze's escape is a plot engineered by Lucifer himself, as when Johnny escapes from Hell the devil comes with him. During a battle at a gas station, Blaze defeats the corpse of a recently-deceased father that has been animated by the Devil, but after the body is defeated he is confronted by another, who tells him that he will have six hundred and sixty-five more chances to kill him.<br />
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Detecting the magical disturbance caused by Ghost Rider's escape, Doctor Strange investigates the situation, but, believing Doctor Strange to be Lucifer in disguise, Blaze attacks him, and for the first time he uses the Penance Stare, debilitating Dr. Strange. It is then that the celestial being Numecet appears and reveals the intent of Lucifer to Blaze.<br />
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She tells Johnny Blaze that he is stronger than he can comprehend and is a vital part of Lucifer's plans, as he intends for the Ghost Rider to kill each of the bodies he has possessed. It is revealed that when Lucifer traveled to the mortal realm his essence shattered and spread to recently deceased people—exactly six hundred and sixty-six of them to be precise—each one of them resurrected and imbued with a portion of the devil's strength.<br />
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In order to reform his body each one of the human hosts has to die, but they cannot die from suicide as that is a sin and would send the devil back to hell. As each one would fall the remaining will become even stronger as the demon's essence is reconstituted. Ghost Rider must be the one to kill them because, although initially just anybody could slay the bodies, eventually the remaining bodies will become so powerful that only Ghost Rider could kill them.<br />
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Numecet attempts to dissuade Blaze but to no avail. He knows that if he had the ability to cross to the mortal realm with Lucifer, he must have the ability to return with him as well. Resolved to force Lucifer into a single body and then drag that body back to Hell with him, Johnny Blaze sets off to destroy Lucifer.<br />
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Torrent contains issues 1-18 plus annual.<br />
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_Rider_%28Johnny_Blaze%29
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