Cover: Mike Ploog

Marvel Spotlight #8

Feb 1973 · Marvel · 0.20 USD

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“...The Hordes of Hell!”

★ 1st appearance — Sam Silvercloud★ 1st appearance — Snake-Dance

About this Issue

Marvel Spotlight #8 (cover-dated February 1973) is a structurally pivotal chapter in the early Ghost Rider saga: it closes out the Hell-bound confrontation between Johnny Blaze and the spirit of his adoptive father Crash Simpson while simultaneously launching an entirely new story arc set in the American Southwest — one that would feed directly into Ghost Rider's long-running debut series later that same year. Most concretely, the issue marks the first appearances of Sam Silvercloud and the Apache medicine man Snake-Dance, two characters who returned across multiple subsequent issues and Ghost Rider vol. 2, anchoring the 'Witch-Woman' multi-part storyline that defined the character's early Bronze Age identity. The issue also introduces a mysterious robed figure (listed as 'the Messenger') who opposes Satan, an early hint at the theological counterweight that writer Tony Isabella would later develop into a years-long subplot, making this single issue a quiet but consequential node in Ghost Rider's mythology.

writer Gary Friedrich · artist Mike Ploog · inker Jim Mooney · letterer Shelly Leferman · cover Mike Ploog

ComicBooks.com Value

Our Model is In Beta

Raw (Fine) $22

CGC 9.8 · 22 in census $660

CGC 9.6 · 55 in census $255

CGC 9.4 · 67 in census $139

CGC 9.2 · 52 in census $105*

CGC 9.0 · 49 in census $105

CGC 8.5 · 60 in census $77

Show all 19 grades ▾

CGC 8.0 · 47 in census $77

CGC 7.5 · 40 in census $50

CGC 7.0 · 24 in census $45*

CGC 6.5 · 21 in census $41

CGC 6.0 · 19 in census $41*

CGC 5.5 · 12 in census $25

CGC 5.0 · 7 in census $25*

CGC 4.5 · 7 in census $25*

CGC 4.0 · 4 in census $25*

CGC 3.5 · 2 in census $22*

CGC 3.0 none in existence

CGC 2.5 none in existence

CGC 2.0 · 1 in census $20*

* estimate — limited direct-sales data at this grade

Our model’s value — refined as new sales data arrives · CGC census counts shown where available

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History

Writer Gary Friedrich — co-creator of the Johnny Blaze Ghost Rider alongside Roy Thomas and artist Mike Ploog — scripted this issue as part of his sustained run on the character that began with Marvel Spotlight #5 (August 1972). The issue carries the dual-story structure common to Marvel Spotlight's Ghost Rider run: a 'Witch-Man' opener illustrated by Mike Ploog (pencils and inks) and a main 20-page feature, '...The Hordes of Hell!', penciled by Ploog and inked by Jim Mooney, with lettering by Shelly Leferman and editorial oversight from Roy Thomas. This creative team was consistent across the middle stretch of the Ghost Rider Spotlight run, which served as the character's proving ground before Ghost Rider vol. 2 launched in June 1973.

Trivia · 8 facts

Cover date: February 1973; published by Marvel Comics as part of Marvel Spotlight vol. 1 (1971 series), issue #8.
First appearance of Sam Silvercloud, an Apache man who opposes Johnny Blaze's canyon-jump stunt to protect tribal land from tourist development — a character who recurred through Marvel Spotlight #10 and into Ghost Rider vol. 2.
First appearance of Snake-Dance (real name: Littletrees), an Apache medicine man and villain with apparent power over serpents, who can seemingly transform into a giant snake; he is also the father of Witch-Woman (Linda Littletrees), who debuted in Marvel Spotlight #10.
First appearance of the Serpent-Men as depicted in this series: Apache warriors fighting under Snake-Dance's influence, distinct from the Hyborian-era Serpent-Men of Conan lore.
First appearance of 'the Messenger,' a mysterious robed antagonist of Satan whose introduction foreshadows the theological subplot that Tony Isabella would later develop in the Ghost Rider ongoing series.
The issue contains two stories: a 'Witch-Man Cometh!' segment (pencils and inks by Mike Ploog) and the main feature '...The Hordes of Hell!' (script: Gary Friedrich; pencils: Mike Ploog; inks: Jim Mooney; letters: Shelly Leferman); Roy Thomas served as editor.
Crash Simpson 'dies again' in this issue, with the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe later clarifying that the 'Crash' seen in the Spotlight run was actually a demon named Curly Samuels impersonating him — a continuity ambiguity flagged in multiple sources.
The issue has been reprinted in: The Original Ghost Rider #4 (1992), Essential Ghost Rider vol. 1 (2005), Marvel Classic (Panini France) #5 (2012), Marvel Masterworks: Ghost Rider vol. 1 (2019), and Ghost Rider Epic Collection vol. 1: Hell on Wheels (2022).