Most Wanted is a Grifter storyline published as part of The New 52. Following the timeline reboot in Flashpoint, the Wildstorm Universe was merged into the DC Universe establishing the Prime Earth continuity. This storyline presents an entirely new origin for the popular WildC.A.T.s character Cole Cash. It's the debut arc of Nathan Edmondson and Cafu on their Grifter volume, leading into Rob Liefeld's run in Newfound Power.
Synopsis
Cole Cash is a New Orleans con artist going on the run with his girlfriend Gretchen Reese, when he's kidnapped by aliens called the Daemonites. They attempt to transfer a Daemonite into his body as a host, but he breaks free of the procedure and finds that he can now see Daemonites although they are disguised as humans. He makes it to his flight, although he's forced to commit three murders and stage a terrorist attack because the Daemonites are trying to kill him. Gretchen reveals that although he believed he was knocked out for 17 minutes, it was actually 17 days. Cole's brother Max Cash in the Special Forces is sent after him, and Cole begins wearing a mask of the bloody rag from his first kill.[1] He explains his history in Delta Force and the voices he's been hearing to his girlfriend, although she leaves him for Gotham when he kills a Daemonite police officer. His brother tracks him down outside Baton Rouge and they have a shoot-out, although Cole escapes when he lodges a bullet directly in Max's rifle.[2] The military begins investigating the Daemonites, and Max catches up to Cole again. It's explained that Cole allowed this to happen so Max could see the Daemonites for himself, but this backfires when they kill Max in a helicopter explosion. The alien Myev explains that humans look alike to him, and Cole explains that he'll wear his mask so they remember his face. He kills Myev, then forces his back-up Tsavo to take him to his employers in Seattle. In Gotham, Gretchen is picked up by the GCPD and taken to a secret interrogation room.[3] Believing that the Daemonites work for Q-Core, Cole bursts into their headquarters guns-drawn and is attacked by Green Arrow. They have a shoot-out as Arrow chases Cole through the streets until he's finally arrested by the police. However, a Q-Core employee named Sofia Cordon rescues him and they escape on her motorcycle. It's shown that Gretchen was kidnapped by Daemonites as well, to interrogate her about Cole Cash.[4] Sofia explains that she has been working inside Q-Core to hunt down Daemonites and would like Cole's help. Tsavo is pulled off the mission by his superior Carver, but he sets an ambush for Cole anyway. Cash and Sofia wipe out most of the Daemonites that attack him, although Tsavo attempts to address him peacefully. Carver interrupts and abducts Cash, reuniting him with Gretchen on their ship where she plans to summon the Black Curate.[5] They open a portal allowing the powerful Curate to come through, intending to offer Cole as a sacrifice. However, Cole fights back revealing that he can wield their telepathic weaponry due to his powers. Sofia sneaks onto the ship to help them escape, although Curate kills Carver for her failure and drags Gretchen back through the portal. They barely survive jumping out as the ship crashes into the Himalayas.[6] Having heard a telepathic distress signal, Grifter travels across the snowy mountains until he reaches an energy source. Midnighter of Stormwatch arrives to assassinate Grifter and stop him from revealing their secrets to the world. They fight and Midnighter apparently Grifter, but Grifter survives. It's shown that the Daemonite lord Helspont escaped from this wreckage, and Grifter decides he will destroy them by making the world think he's a villain.[7] Fleeing the country to Paris with Sofia, the plane they're on is hit by a Daemonite terrorist attack and explodes mid-air. Sofia is apparently killed but Cole makes it out alive. The Daemonites close in and Max appears again, his corpse having been possessed by Myev. They battle to the top of the Eiffel Tower, where Myev confronts Grifter about his fear of death and Max telepathically urges Cole to kill him. He shoots his brother in the head and leaps off the Eiffel Tower gunning down Daemonites, saying that they have made him more dangerous than ever. Back in Seattle, Tsavo explains to his partner Ynos that he's been intentionally guiding Grifter to take down the Curate and his other Daemonite enemies.[8]
Issues
- Grifter (Volume 3) #1
- Grifter (Volume 3) #2
- Grifter (Volume 3) #3
- Grifter (Volume 3) #4
- Grifter (Volume 3) #5
- Grifter (Volume 3) #6
- Grifter (Volume 3) #7
- Grifter (Volume 3) #8
Recommended Reading
Links and References