Jesse Custer
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Jesse Custer is a fictional character and the protagonist of the comic book Preacher, created by writer Garth Ennis and artist Steve Dillon (with a large percentage of the original cover art painted by Glenn Fabry), published by the Vertigo imprint of DC Comics.
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[edit] Character profile
Jesse is a small-town reverend who becomes fused with a powerful entity named Genesis, gifting him with the ability to order people to do whatever he commands. Using this power, he begins a journey of discovery and revenge across America, with the aim of forcing God to answer to his creation for his sins. Assisting Jesse in his travels is Tulip O'Hare, his gun-wielding girlfriend, and Proinsias Cassidy, a hard-drinking Irish vampire.
Standing in Jesse's way is a secret religious military organization mysteriously known as The Grail, as well as Jesse's own twisted family.
Jesse is a loyal devotee to the Western film genre (best epitomized by the guiding spirit of John Wayne, whom only Jesse sees), an accomplished fist-fighter, and a cunning strategist. His tragic flaw perhaps is his strict observance of his code of honor.
[edit] Character history
[edit] Early days
Jesse is the son of John Custer, a U.S. Marine, and Christina L'Angelle, a troubled runaway. The couple met when Christina, encouraged by the Vietnam War-protesting group she was traveling with, spat in the eye of the first soldier she saw returning from overseas. Despite the assault, the two recognized a sense of displacement in each other, and a relationship formed. Quickly, John and Christina fell deeply in love and gave birth to a son, Jesse.
It was in Jesse's early years that his father instilled a love of cowboys in him, and taught the boy to protect women, never tolerate fools, and "to be a good guy, 'cause there's way too many of the bad." Their happiness was short-lived, however, as Christina's family finally caught up with them with the intention of bringing her home. Psychotic thugs Jody and T.C. were prepared to murder John until they realized he was the father of Christina's son and were obliged to take him along.
Jesse was taken back to the family home and introduced to his maliciously intelligent, yet decrepit Grandma, who began to teach him to both love and fear God. John and Christina were married, although John secretly vowed to escape with his family after a suitably safe period of time had passed. Sadly, they were caught during the escape attempt, and Jody coldly murdered John in front of young Jesse's eyes. After further torment from Jody, Jesse vowed never to cry again.
After that, Jesse and a normal childhood were "ships that passed in the night," with the only nods being his loving mother, a pet dog, and his best friend Billy-Bob, a one-eyed, inbred swamp-dweller. Gradually, however, his family managed to cruelly take these from him, too. Jesse was educated largely by his mother, while the sadistic Jody taught him mechanics, fighting, and shooting. He was frequently punished by being placed in an airtight coffin and then submerged at the bottom of a river. Jesse's sanity was held intact by the company of a spirit taking the form of cowboy legend John Wayne. Whether this spirit is a genuine manifestation of the Western hero, or if it is simply a coping mechanism spawned from his movie-watching history with his father is uncertain. In either case, there's no question that "The Duke" held him together.
By his late teens, the death of his parents and his best friend Billy-Bob gave Jesse the necessary drive to escape the L'Angelle family and run away.
[edit] After Angelville
Jesse was a cocky young man, using his skills and good looks to get easy money and girls. Eventually, he ran into a woman who would change his life forever: Tulip O'Hare. The two fell in love and, along with Tulip's friend Amy, pursued a life of crime, stealing expensive cars and never getting caught. The three soon became indebted to a criminal who also stole horses to sell on the meat market. With the help of a former Marshal, Jesse and Tulip freed the horses and defeated the thieves, and Jesse hung the French meat-dealer for horse-rustling and murdering the Marshal, whom Jesse had grown to like and respect (as seen in "Preacher: Tall in the Saddle").
Jesse and Tulip enjoyed a high life of crime and sex on the highways — Jesse planned on proposing to Tulip but the sudden reappearance of Jody and T.C. prevented that. Threatening to kill Tulip if he ever spoke to her again, Jesse simply 'disappeared' from her life and was pressed into the clergy by his Grandma. Finally admitting defeat and turning to alcohol, he began practicing as reverend to an ungrateful and ignorant Texas town.
Soon enough, the John Wayne spirit that had appeared to Jesse now refused to talk to him, condemning him as a "faggot." Jesse's desire to point out the hypocrisy of his congregations' lives was finally resolved when he chanced to encounter the comedian Bill Hicks (in either Dallas or Houston, as Jesse was a trifle too drunk to remember properly). Watching the performance of Hicks' cynical, caustic yet utterly truthful wit inspired Jesse to live to a higher standard; when he heard of Hicks' death, he decided to confront his congregation in the local bar, where he pointed out the residents' dirty little secrets. Eventually, Jesse was cut short when he accused a drunk of having raped a hitchhiker. The rapist, whose father had paid off the judge, beat Jesse unconscious with a pool cue.
[edit] Finding God
[edit] Genesis
During a sermon, Jesse was suddenly struck by a supernatural force later identified as Genesis, grafting itself to Jesse's soul and releasing an explosion of energy that destroyed the church and the town, killing the whole population. By a well-timed coincidence, Tulip had hitched a lift with an Irishman named Cassidy after having just bungled her first job as an assassin. The two discovered Jesse among the rubble of the church and, after some discussion, agreed to help him to safety, although Tulip still did not trust Jesse entirely. The death of the townsfolk and the rumored appearance of a stone-faced, dual-pistol wielding cowboy brought the involvement of both local law enforcement and the FBI.
Through subsequent bloodshed and black humor, the following is revealed:
- Merging with Genesis has given Jesse "the Word of God," a power which forces the listener to obediently follow his commands, so long as the listener can hear and/or comprehend what is said. This power is signified by Jesse's eyes glowing an eerie red.
- The highly charismatic Cassidy, while appearing to be human, is actually a vampire well into his 90s.
- The mysterious cowboy is the unstoppable Saint of Killers, sent on a mission from Heaven to find Jesse and subsequently Genesis.
- Genesis is the result of a sexual union between an angel and a demon, something not defined by good or evil, and perhaps more powerful than God Himself. It escaped its confinement in Heaven and fled to Earth, finding Jesse.
- When Genesis was born, God left Heaven, and no one knows where He went or why.
Much of this information was forced from an angel using Jesse's newfound power. Besides this critical information, Jesse also found he trusted Cassidy after initially thinking he was an abomination for drinking blood. Unfortunately, Jesse also discovered he had incurred the wrath of the Saint of Killers, who would most likely continue to hunt him.
Following these revelations, Jesse decided he'd use his power to track God down and make Him face up to His own wrongdoings as Creator.
Jesse's quest for God would take on the form of an unconventional road trip. He visited many American landmarks, including New York, Texas, and New Orleans.
[edit] Family Reunion
While on the road, he was once again captured by Jody and T.C., who had almost given up on finding him again. This time, they took Tulip with them, too. No matter how hard he tried, Jesse's power would not work on his family. Jesse was returned to Grandma, who allowed him one final night with Tulip before Jody shot her dead in the morning. Broken by her death, Jesse lost all hope.
While the spirit of John Wayne tried to coerce Jesse into action, God visited Tulip's corpse and returned her to life. She was initially suspicious, believing Him to be using her resurrection as a bribe to get Jesse to end his quest.
After discovering that his power was working again, Jesse beat T.C. to a bloody pulp, and set fire to Grandma's clan, and fought Jody in a final showdown, eventually strangling him and reclaiming his father's "Fuck Communism" zippo. Meanwhile, Tulip shot T.C. dead, and Grandma was killed when the burning house ignited her oxygen tank, sending her into a fireball in the sky.
Reunited, Jesse and Tulip shared a passionate kiss, and continued their relationship.
[edit] Cassidy & The Grail
While helping Cassidy track down the man responsible for giving his junkie girlfriend a large amount of heroin to stash, Jesse met "The Grail," a sinister organization who have been tasked with finding and capturing Jesse. The secret society was headed by a pope-like figure named Allfather D'Aronique, and his right-hand man, The Sacred Executioner, a German military expert referred to as Herr Starr. While the All-Father wished to capture Jesse in retaliation for the death of his distant aunt (Jesse's grandmother), Starr heard of Jesse's power and planned to use him to bring on Armageddon so they could take over the world.
The Grail took Cassidy, believing him to be Jesse, and flew him to a hidden base in France named Masada, where Cassidy maintained the deception. He was found out, however, and the Grail repeatedly (and unsuccessfully) attempted to kill him. Jesse traveled to France to recover Cassidy, believing that they share a bond. He was unwilling to endanger Tulip's life in a rescue attempt, however, and left her while she slept.
Jesse rescued Cassidy, but not without incurring Starr's wrath and inadvertently helping to elevate him to the level of All-Father of the Grail. The Saint of Killers was now after Jesse for information regarding his past that might be locked into Genesis' memories. Cassidy, Jesse, and Tulip were reunited again, but Tulip was angry that Jesse did not trust her to handle herself in a firefight. When Cassidy made a clumsy pass at her, however, she returned to Jesse's arms and began to distrust the vampire.
Jesse realized that his only chance of finding God lay in the memories of Genesis. He traveled to Monument Valley, where he hoped a hallucinogen might hold the key to unlocking them. Starr found him, however, and used his Grail authority to order a massive military support, eventually deploying a nuclear strike. Attempting to flee the blast in a private jet, Jesse was thrown from the plane after ordering Cassidy not to risk his life saving him.
Much to his own surprise, Jesse found himself alive and well in the desert, having miraculously survived the fall. God appears and explained that He has saved Jesse to show that He loves him and that he should abandon his quest. Jesse refused and attempted to use his power; however, God attacked him, biting out his left eye and leaving him a wreck. Before finishing the job, God fled when He detected the Saint of Killers approaching. Though physically ruined, Jesse happily realized that God was afraid of the Saint.
[edit] Betrayal & Salvation
Jesse was found by a hermit in the desert, having lost his memory of his encounter with God. After recuperating for a month, Jesse set off to find Tulip and Cassidy. When he found them, however, he saw them embracing as a couple. Shocked, he temporarily put his quest for God on the back burner and found himself in a small town named Salvation.
The town was being abused by a local industrialist named Odin Quincannon, and Jesse was quickly given the position of Sheriff. There, he met Lorie, the sister of his childhood friend, Billy-Bob. Lorie lived with a one-armed woman named Jodie, whom Jesse eventually realized was his mother, Christina, suffering from amnesia from a gunshot wound delivered by Jody years previous. With added help from a former Nazi and his female deputy, Cindy, Jesse fought back at Quincannon's criminal activity, going head-to-head with corporate lawyer Miss Oatlash, an S&M fanatic who admired Adolf Hitler and secretly desired Jesse. After escaping Oatlash, Jesse confronted the tiny businessman who attempted to blow up the town during a storm, but before doing so is struck by lightning. Addled and defeated, Quincannon was subsequently hunted down by Jesse.
During his time in Salvation, Jesse became very close to Cindy, and the possibility of a romance blossomed between the two. However, both of them realized it would never work out, as Jesse was still in love with Tulip. This realization started Jesse on the road to forgiving Tulip, a process he began by setting out to learn what happened between her and Cassidy.
Meanwhile, Jesse's mother begins a relationship with the former Nazi. While Jesse initially believed the man's tale of escaping from Germany because he was against the Nazi regime, he eventually discovered his escape was the result of his full participation as an SS officer. Jesse gave him no choice but to hang himself.
Through another well-timed prompt from The Duke's spirit, Jesse realized he was going to get back on the job he set out to do and bring the girl he loved to meet his mother.
[edit] The End of the Road
Jesse eventually discovered that Tulip had never truly betrayed him to Cassidy, as he had kept her dependent on drugs and alcohol after she thought Jesse had died, and had escaped the vampire's control. Even though she was more hardened by the experience, she had returned to Jesse.
When Cassidy came to reclaim Tulip, he was surprised to find Jesse alive. He grew agitated when confronted with what he'd done, and took a swing at Jesse in anger. Jesse made him leave, agreeing to meet up on a certain date to discuss their grudge.
Jesse had spoken to an old acquaintance of Cassidy's and discovered the fullness of his sins, including beating women, theft, prostitution, murder, and addiction. While disappointed in Cassidy, he was more angry that he had been tricked into thinking that he and Cassidy shared the same code.
While devising a plan to finally catch up with God and challenge Him, Jesse realized that he would be putting Tulip in danger once more. Ashamed that he still couldn't bear the risk of hurting her, he sedated her and left her in a hotel room while he took care of business, knowing this would be the final betrayal and that she would not forgive him a second time.
Jesse met with Cassidy, and they discussed his troubled past. Jesse eventually forced Cassidy to fight him, meaning to show his former friend what it feels like to be as vulnerable as all the women he had abused. The fight was one-sided, as Jesse beat Cassidy to a bloody pulp. Beaten and ashamed, Cassidy asked Jesse for help, saying that if a good man like Jesse can offer him his hand, then that's enough of a reason to believe he has to change his ways. It was partially a ruse, however, as Cassidy knocked Jesse flying, incapacitating him.
Cassidy turned to face the sun as it rose and thanked Jesse for being his friend and offering him his hand. As he died in flames, Jesse was shot by a sniper hiding on a rooftop under order from Herr Starr, who had been watching the whole fight with glee. Tulip arrived in time to kill Starr, but not to save Jesse, who had died instantly.
[edit] Alamo
Shot down outside the Alamo, Jesse's death would not be in vain, or, as it turns out, final. Having faced down the Saint of Killers (something no one had successfully done before), he had struck a bargain with him. Jesse's death would separate him from Genesis, the only occasion that would cause God to feel safe in returning to His seat in Heaven, but God wouldn't know the Saint would be waiting with his twin Colts, guns that deliver wounds no less than fatal. When God returned to Heaven, He was shocked to find the Saint waiting for Him, and was unable to move him first with His holy wrath, and then with the promise of resurrecting the Saint's family. The Saint shot and killed the Lord Almighty.
Before his confrontation with Jesse, Cassidy had visited a church and struck a deal of his own, promising God he would hand Jesse over as long as his life was spared.
Jesse, now resurrected, sought out Tulip, who explained she cannot and will not forgive him for betraying her a second time. On the verge of parting ways forever, Jesse tracked her down on horseback. In an emotionally charged scene, he asked for her to take him back, and she does so. Seeing tears in his eyes for the first time since his father's death, she knew that he loves her and can change.
As they ride into the sunset together, Jesse explained that he always wanted to be a cowboy.
The last panels show Cassidy, now human after a deal with God, watching the sunset and talking to himself, or rather out to Jesse, saying that he will try acting like a man.
[edit] Powers and abilities
[edit] Skills and upbringing
After the death of John Custer, Jesse is raised in Angelville by Christina Custer, along with the influence of his grandmother and Jody. Along with his bible lessons, Christina snuck in additional more scholarly lessons. When he believes her dead, he is continued to be raised by his grandmother, but his parents already had a heavy influence on his personality and skills. Jesse is additionally taught to fight and became proficient in maintaining and fixing machinery, all taught by Jody.
[edit] The Word of God
When his soul merged with the angel-demon entity Genesis, its powers, that of which is greater than God's, would be focused into what Jesse Custer would refer to as "The Word of God." When he uses the Word, his eyes turn red and his voice changes that sounds like "nails scraping against [your] soul." Although, no one can resist his commands, his victims must be able to understand them. For example, animals would ignore his commands, and a group of attacking french-speaking soldiers were able to resist him.
[edit] Genesis
Genesis first appears as "a comet with the face of an infant." After the emergence of Genesis, Jesse is told that it knows the secrets of heaven and hell. It is sometimes a conscious exchange of information, but it also appears in the form of dreams and hallucenations. His "imaginary friend" John Wayne reappears since Custer became a minister, and for the first time gives Jesse information he could not have known on his own. He would regularly reappear to give Jesse general advice and notably telling him to leave Salvation because he's just treading water. After the death of Jesse, Genesis reemerges , but now has the face of an adult.
