SPAWN #188

PREVIOUSLY IN SPAWN
Al Simmons employs the one true way to kill a Hellspawn; blowing his own head off. This act alerts both Heaven and Hell that something is out of balance, and also creates an “anomaly” where he lay – a patch of earth where neither Heaven nor Hell holds power.

The Clown stumbles upon the body, and ponders how he can use Simmons’ death to his advantage. Similarly an angel also discovers the body.

At the exact moment of Simmons’ death, a young man wakes up in a hospital after years in a coma. Dubbed Patient 47, he is told his name is Jim Downing, but has no memory of his previous life. While disturbing visions haunt Jim, the attending doctors marvel at the supernatural pace of his recovery.

A young nurse, Sara, confesses that she has preyed over Jim nightly, hoping God would send her a sign by healing him. A trio of detectives wonders why a prominent attorney took his own life, and a mysterious intermediary makes arrangements for a super-powered thug to abduct Patient 47.

The “Extractor” bursts through the hospital wall, knocking Sarah unconscious. In the melee, the hospital is set on fire. As emergency services evacuate the building, the Extractor corners Jim. Under stress, a dark power dwelling inside of Jim manifests itself and vaporizes his attacker. Later, a dazed Jim stumbles out of the building and collapses.