POWER CULT
Membership: Frank Anders (former), Veronica Anders (former), Reverend Stryker, numerous unnamed others
Purpose: To survive an impending nuclear armageddon
Affiliations: None
Enemies: Veronica Anders, Red Fowler, Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze/Zarathos), the Greenwood Power Plant, Sheriff Kuhn
Base of Operations: A hidden bunker inside a mountain range in the town of Altro
First Appearance: Marvel Super-Heroes III#11 (October, 1992)
History: (Marvel Super-Heroes III#11 (fb)) - Years ago, a man named Stryker came to the town of Altro, bringing with him a strange survivalist cult and his daughter, Veronica. Veronica soon turned her back on the Cult but when her husband, fellow Cultist Frank Anders, refused to renounce the Cult, she killed him and let Stryker take the blame. Despite his daughter's turning against the Cult and the accusations against him, Reverend Stryker continued his plans to gain control of the Greenwood Nuclear Power Plant.
(Marvel
Super-Heroes III#11 (fb)) - Upon discovering her father's plans, Veronica
began following him and came into contact with a passing Johnny Blaze and
his friend, Red Fowler. Attracted to Veronica, Red convinced Johnny to help
Veronica stop her father's plans for the Power Plant. The two soon joined
Veronica as she led them into the Power Cult's hidden bunker, where they
witnessed a "sermon" by Reverend Stryker. Realizing that Stryker was about
to initiate a nuclear meltdown at Greenwood, Veronica impatiently ran out
to stop him, blowing the trio's cover and getting them captured. An angry
Veronica admitted to killing Frank Anders, but Stryker denied her truths,
exclaiming the "Power" killed Anders. Stryker then tried to "cleanse" Veronica's
"tormented soul" by burning her with his torch, at which point Johnny Blaze
released the spirit of Zarathos within him, hoping that Ghost Rider would
help. Instead, Zarathos released a massive amount of hellfire, causing the
Power Cult's headquarters to erupt in flames. With the Power Cult seeing
the Ghost Rider as their savior and proof of the "Power," Zarathos boasted
that with worshippers, he would now be invincible. He then attempted to take
the soul of Veronica Anders, who willingly offered it, in order to replace
his trapped soul in Mephisto's realm. Turning his back on the Cult in an
attempt to save his daughter's life, Reverend Stryker triggered a mass of
explosives hidden within the bunker, interrupting Zarathos. In an effort
to keep from being stopped, Zarathos absorbed all of the flames in the bunker,
but unfortunately for him, the act took so much out of him that he reverted
back to Johnny Blaze. The act of absorbing the flames also saved the lives
of the Power Cult members, who now began to question their lives. Johnny
and Red opted to not stay around town long enough to find out what answers
the Cultists found.
Comments: Created by Tina Chrioproces, Greg Larocque, and Vincent
Colletta.
One thing of note was that this entire story was a flashback that takes place
prior to the events in Ghost Rider II#80 (May, 1983).
Clarifications:
Frank and Veronica Anders had no known connection to
Sheriff Kuhn had no known connection to
The Power Cult had no known connection to
Reverend Stryker had no known connection to
FRANK ANDERS
Frank Anders was a member of the Power Cult who married fellow member and daughter of Reverend Stryker, Veronica. After a while, Veronica turned her back on the Cult and tried to leave with Frank. When Frank refused to leave the Cult, Veronica killed him, although the cause of death led the townspeople of Altro to believe that Reverend Stryker had killed him to punish his daughter for leaving.
--Marvel Super-Heroes III#11 (fb)
VERONICA ANDERS
Veronica was the daughter of Reverend Stryker who attempted to leave the Power Cult with her husband, Frank Anders. When Frank refused to leave, she killed him and let the townspeople of Altro point blame at her father. The death of Frank also gave the Greenwood Nuclear Power Plant bad publicity due to the cause of death and Stryker used the publicity in his favor in an attempt to gain control of the Plant. Realizing that Stryker was going to use the Plant to cause a nuclear meltdown that the Power Cult would survive, she became determined to stop him and the Cult. After a night of following Stryker, Veronica came into contact with a passing Johnny Blaze and Red Fowler. The next day, Veronica attempted to stop one of the Cultists from recruiting, only to have the Cultist get physical. Johnny and Red saved her from the fight that ensued between local townspeople and the Cultist and the trio rode off into the country, where Veronica explained her father's plans to Johnny and Red. She then showed the two where the Power Cult's hidden bunker was and the trio infiltrated it and overheard a "sermon" by Reverend Stryker. Hearing enough of Stryker's preachings, Veronica interrupted the "sermon," revealing her location and getting herself, Johnny, and Red captured. When Stryker attempted to burn Veronica's soul clean, Johnny released Zarathos and transformed into the Ghost Rider, hoping he could save her. Zarathos quickly took advantage of the Power Cult, gaining power from their worship and attempting to switch Veronica's soul with his own captive soul in Mephisto's realm. Eventually, Reverend Stryker could not stand by and watch his daughter willingly kill herself so he detonated hidden explosives within the bunker. Not wanting to be stopped from gaining power enough to free himself from Johnny, Zarathos absorbed the fire and flames of the explosions, causing him to weaken and transform back into Blaze. With the Cultists safe, Johnny and Red opted to leave and not find out what came next.
--Marvel Super-Heroes III#11 (fb)
SHERIFF
KUHN
Sheriff Kuhn was the local sheriff in the town of Altro. When Johnny Blaze and Red Fowler first arrived in Altro, Red almost hit Kuhn's police squad car with his motorcycle. Despite the Sheriff being lenient and saying that he'd let the two of them go if they answered what brought them to Altro, Red smarted off and got both himself and Blaze locked in jail for the night for reckless endangerment. That night, Reverend Stryker visited the jail to warn the prisoners of the evil of their ways, but Sheriff Kuhn taunted Stryker's "power." When Stryker mentioned Frank Anders, Kuhn cornered Stryker and warned him that he would find out what Stryker's connection to the murder of Frank Anders was. After Stryker left, Veronica Anders visited the jail asking about what was being done to solve the murder and Kuhn assured her that everything that could be done was being done. The two then went outside to get some air.
--Marvel Super-Heroes III#11 (fb)
REVEREND
STRYKER
Reverend Stryker was the head of the Power Cult who claimed that everyone in the Cult would be saved from a nuclear holocaust by "The Power." Using bad publicity generated by the death of former Cultist, Frank Anders, Stryker attempted to gain control of the nearby Greenwood Power Plant in the town of Altro. During a nightly visit to the Altro jail, Reverend Stryker warned the prisoners of the evil of their ways and how "The Power"'s wrath would claim them as it did Frank Anders. Sheriff Kuhn then confronted Stryker and warned him that he would find out his connection to Frank Anders's death. Stryker then made his exit and later led a "sermon" at the Cult's hidden bunker, not knowing that it had been invaded by his daughter, Veronica, as well as Johnny Blaze and Red Fowler. Veronica soon interrupted the sermon, getting herself, Johnny, and Red captured by the Cultists. Stryker then tried to burn the evil from Veronica's soul, causing Johnny to release the demon Zarathos and transform into Ghost Rider. Zarathos soon began drawing power from the worshipping Cultists and attempted to switch Veronica's willing soul with that of his own captive soul in Mephisto's realm, thereby freeing him from Johnny Blaze. Unwilling to let his daughter sacrifice herself so willingly, Stryker detonated hidden explosives within the bunker, but Zarathos absorbed the flames from the explosives to prevent him from gaining his freedom. Fortunately, the strain of absorbing all of the explosions forced Zarathos back into the form of Johnny Blaze, who left Stryker, Veronica, and the Cultists to question their beliefs.
--Marvel Super-Heroes III#11 (fb)
images:
Marvel Super-Heroes III#11, p5, pan1 (Veronica Anders)
p6, pan3 (Reverend Stryker)
p8, pan2 (Sheriff Kuhn)
p9, pan5 (Frank Anders)
p16, pan4 (Power Cult, 2nd pic, during ceremony)
p20, pan4 (Power Cult, main pic, group shot)
Marvel Super-Heroes III#11 (October, 1992)
Last updated: 02/05/06.
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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