The Shadow from the Stars (The Champions #11) (1977)

Script by Bill Mantlo

Inks by Bob Layton

And introducing the pulse-pounding pencils of John Byrne—artist 

The Champions make the acquaintance of Black Goliath, LA’s latest superhero, who has just helped them make a rough landing in a newly acquired but defective sky-car of his own design.

Meanwhile, Ghost Rider narrowly escapes a stampede of cattle, just as two mysterious exploding arrows trap the herd in a narrow ravine.

Naturally, the arrows belong to Hawkeye, who is traveling the West with the time-displaced Two Gun Kid and investigating a mysterious threat to the local ranchers. When the Champions hear about it on their “disaster-scan,” they take off to help.

Meanwhile, Ghost Rider and his allies have discovered the nature of the threat.

The Champions show up just as the three are about to engage in combat with Warlord Kaa, his shadow soldiers, and the humans they have possessed.

Iceman is pretty unrelenting when it comes to expressing his interest in Darkstar (I wonder if the Champs have an HR department), but at least they’ve hit on a theory about their enemy’s potential weakness.

The shadows try to turn our heroes against each other.

Kaa’s weakness is the need to be linked to his host’s shadow—no shadow, no Kaa.

Hawkeye's arrow, enhanced with Ghost Rider’s hellfire, takes care of the rest.

The celebration is cut short by a message from Bill Foster.

Despite John Byrne’s talents as a visual storyteller, much of the action involving Kaa and his shadow warriors is confusing. This comic features both the best and worst of Bronze Age storytelling—crazy ideas and lots of fun guest stars but almost zero characterization and a one-damn-thing-after-another kind of plot structure.