Marvel Comics Presents #138
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeMarvel Comics Presents #138 carries the distinction of introducing Tsin Hark — a Chinese necromancer antagonist — to the Marvel Universe in its Ghost Rider segment, while simultaneously launching the five-part 'Spellbound' arc that served as the long-delayed narrative conclusion to Louise Simonson and Carl Potts's 1988 limited series, finally resolving the fate of Erica Fortune and her family more than five years after that story ended. The issue also represents one of the final chapters of Marvel's editorially mandated Wolverine-in-every-issue run, which stretched unbroken from MCP #38 through #142, a streak born from sales data rather than creative planning. As a flip-book anthology housing four concurrent serialized stories, it demonstrates how MCP functioned as a pressure valve for mid-tier and obscure characters who had no other ongoing home in the early 1990s Marvel line.
In "Rumble in the Jungle Part Two: Arena," Logan awakens trapped in a brutal gladiator arena, forced to battle a blue gorilla possessed by alien entities. When the fight takes a shocking turn, one of the aliens attacks him directly—only to reveal a startling truth when his mask shatters, exposing him as the mysterious Doctor Leonard Samson. Written by Erik Larsen and Chris Marrinan, with art by Marrinan and colors by Joe Andreani, this 1993 issue delivers a tense, surreal showdown with a twist that redefines everything. The cover, a dynamic collaboration by Colin MacNeil and Fred Harper, captures the chaos of the arena in bold, high-contrast lines.
In "Rumble in the Jungle Part Two: Arena," Logan awakens trapped in a brutal arena, forced to battle a blue gorilla possessed by alien entities. When the fight ends, one of the aliens turns on him—revealing the masked assailant to be none other than Doctor Leonard Samson.
In "Zxaxz's Escape Part 1 of 5," the desperate and cunning Zxaxz, fueled by madness and a thirst for power, turns his gaze to Erica, capturing her and imprisoning her within a shard of crystal. With her fate sealed and his plan unfolding, he transports her to Earth, where he sets his sights on her family and friends—setting the stage for a dangerous reckoning.
In "Fellow Travelers Part II: Lightning Swords of Death," Ghost Rider clashes with the enigmatic Masters of Silence in a tense, blade-wielding duel that quickly shifts when both sides recognize a greater threat. As the fight ends in uneasy truce, they stumble upon a hidden storage room filled with barrels of innocent human blood—each one a chilling mystery waiting to be unraveled.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
By mid-1993, Marvel Comics Presents was well into the 'co-lead' flip-book format it had adopted starting with issue #90, pairing Wolverine on one side with Ghost Rider (Danny Ketch) on the other — a structural change driven by Ghost Rider's early-1990s sales surge. The Wolverine story, scripted by Erik Larsen and Chris Marrinan with art by Marrinan, continued the 'Rumble in the Jungle' arc, while editor Bobbie Chase scripted the Spellbound revival herself, reuniting with penciler Terry Shoemaker and inker Carl Potts — the same artistic team from the original 1988 series. Len Kaminski and artist Reggie Jones handled the Ghost Rider segment, with Richard Ashford as story editor, and Matt Idelson contributed the standalone Spider-Man backup. Tom DeFalco served as Editor-in-Chief across the line at the time.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Contains four serialized stories in Marvel's flip-book anthology format: 'Rumble in the Jungle Part 2: Arena' (Wolverine), 'Spellbound Part 1: Zxaxz's Escape' (Spellbound), 'Fellow Travelers Part 2: Lightning Swords of Death' (Ghost Rider), and 'Deathurge' (Spider-Man).
- First appearance of Tsin Hark, a Chinese necromancer and blood-magic practitioner who serves as the primary antagonist for Ghost Rider and the Masters of Silence throughout MCP #138–142.
- Launches the five-part 'Spellbound' arc (MCP #138–142), the narrative finale for Erica Fortune (Spellbinder), Zxaxz, Snugg, Snaarl, Roy Fortune, Sally Fortune, and Andrew King — characters who had not appeared since Louise Simonson and Carl Potts's 1988 six-issue limited series.
- The Spellbound segment is scripted by Bobbie Chase and illustrated by Terry Shoemaker (pencils) and Carl Potts (inks), reuniting the core creative team from the original 1988 limited series.
- The Wolverine story is co-scripted by Erik Larsen and Chris Marrinan, with art by Marrinan; Doc Samson appears in a cameo/antagonist capacity, with the action set on the Pacific island of Koma Koi.
- Ghost Rider segment by Len Kaminski (script), Reggie Jones (pencils), and Fred Harper (inks); features Ghost Rider (Dan Ketch) teaming with the Masters of Silence — Inazuma (Arashi Wakayama), Kaminari (Kiyoshi Kurata), and Kaze (Meredith McCall).
- This issue falls within the Wolverine-in-every-issue editorial mandate that ran continuously from MCP #38 through #142, a streak driven by Marvel's sales department observing that Wolverine's presence reliably boosted numbers.
- Published in both direct-edition and newsstand variants; cover by Colin MacNeil; release date August 3, 1993, with an October 1993 cover date.
Cast · 22 characters
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Reprints
Reprinted in Die Spinne Comic - Taschenbuch #62 (1994), Wolverine Omnibus #4 (2023)
Key issues in Marvel Comics Presents
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