How can I know something you've only told your nightmares? Because I can make nightmares talk to me. You might not believe in magick, Michael. But magick believes in you. 
Wildstorm: Michael Cray #8 is an issue of the series Wildstorm: Michael Cray (Volume 1) with a cover date of August, 2018. It was published on June 13, 2018.
Synopsis for "Michael Cray - Chapter Eight"
It begins with a meeting: Diana Prince is talking to a spokesman for a group of energy corporations. The spokesman knows she is going to showcase a machine that produces free energy, soon, in Athens. As such a machine would be detrimental to their profits, he want her to sell them the technology. Diana dismisses the offer, which causes the spokesman to move on to casually threatening the life of John Constantine, the man who is building the device, and who has a reputation for tragedy which would make his death easy to dismiss.
Diana becomes angry at this, saying that the spokesman's employers are an affront to the universe. Power is not something to be sold by men, but rather granted by an act of the gods. Invoking Zeus, Hephaistos, and Hera, she pulls out a sword, drives it up through the table, and then slams the spokesman down so that his body is impaled.
Elsewhere, Michael Cray wakes up to the voice in his head, mocking and berating him. It says it ordered him to kill John Constantine, in accordance with the mission, but now he is at Constantine's mercy. Constantine, seeing that he is rousing, wants to talk. Michael, taking stock - him tied to a chair in an empty restaurant, Constantine toting a large curved knife - demands to be set free. Constantine refuses, offering to explain the situation: while Michael was sent to kill Constantine, the real threat of the situation is Constantine's employer, Diana Prince, the woman who overpowered Michael Cray, and who has a plan.
One of Constantine's pet interests is free energy, as a means to empower the people. Diana Prince has a similar desire, which has made her enemies in the energy industry, but what these enemies don't know is that she plans to use her free energy device to enact Armageddon by summoning old gods and ushering in a new status quo of mythic horror upon the world.
Michael says that Constantine is mad if he believes this, and Constantine shoots back that Michael is very judgmental for a man who hears voices. At this Michael shuts up, as Constantine tells him his story: a young man with a fatal blood disorder, driven beyond science by his fear of death. Where he met intelligences, willing to make a bargain. Dr John Constantine is alive today because of the tragedy he lets befall those around him. He smokes cigarettes to remain in the shadow of his own death. And proximity to the intelligences grants him the insights that allow him to build his scientific career.
Michael Cray says he doesn't believe this, but he is distracted because the voice in his head is shouting that if he surrenders to it totally, it will free them and kill John Constantine. Constantine, watching his eyes, guesses what is happening, and makes his pitch: if he promises to kill Diana Prince, Constantine will teach him how to use his will, to become the master of this voice. As both talk once, Michael scowls, and refuses them both.
In San Francisco, Dr Homa Shahi walks into Christine Trelane's office and says she needs to contact Michael Cray, to make an appointment. Trelane says he is on assignment, but will contact her when he gets back. Dr Shahi underlines that the intelligence in his brain tumor is getting stronger, and as it gets stronger, it will become more likely to take him over. Trelane says that would be a scientifically-interesting outcome. Dr Shahi accuses Trelane of treating Michael as a guinea pig, but Trelane fires back that he is a soldier, a man who acts on instructions and other people's incomplete details - the very definition of a guinea pig. Trelane says she will write off Dr Shahi's outburst as evidence of Dr Shahi's professional interest in the patient, and that the next time they speak will be to arrange Michael's next appointment with her. As she leaves, Dr Shahi warns that the medical consequences could be dire. Musing at this, Trelane orders her secretary to get her copies of Dr Shahi's files on Michael Cray, and transcripts of all their personal conversations, and also all of their information about Diana Prince
In London, Dr Constantine states his case: Michael Cray is alive because Constantine told Diana Prince that he could be useful. In two minutes, assassins from the energy industry are going to try to kill him. If Michael kills them and saves Constantine, it will prove his worth to Diana Prince, and let him get the proximity to kill her. If he does this, then Constantine can help him. Michael refuses to co-operate, so Constantine decides to leave it to chance.
Suddenly, a trio of gunmen burst into the abandoned restaurant and open fire with long-magazine pistols. Reacting fast, Constantine cuts Michael's bonds and kicks his chair behind a pillar. As Michael struggles free, the voice in his head sneers that, because he ignored it, it will leave him to fail without its help.
As one of the gunmen pins Constantine behind an upturned table, Michael proceeds to beat the other two with chairs. Constantine mutters an invocation, asking for his bad luck to befall another. He steps out from behind the table, and the attacker puts the gun to his temple - and the gun jams. As the gunman processes this, Constantine lashes out with the knife, slitting his throat.
One gunman remains standing, and Michael takes a pistol from one of the fallen. As the voice in his head asks him to take pleasure in the killing, Michael unloads a full clip into the man's chest, his face a mask of stern resolve. Now of the opinion that he will need to kill Constantine & Diana Prince at the same time, Michael leaves with Constantine. Grinning, Constantine tosses him the keys to his car.
In the street, Michael pauses. The backup car is roaring down the street, a gunman leaning out of the passenger seat, a shotgun discharging. Methodically, Michael kills the passenger with a single headshot, then repeats the process for the driver. At this point, the voice takes over, leveling the pistol on Dr Constantine. Michael tries to fight, but the voice gloats - if it can make him kill Constantine, it will own him. Constantine tells Michael that he can control the interloper in his own mind. If he imagines himself beating it back, it will retreat- and amazingly, it does. Constantine congratulates Michael on his first exorcism.
Constantine takes Michael to Diana Prince. As he joins her cause, in San Francisco, Christine Trelane has assembled his team to ask them if they can kill him...
Appearing in "Michael Cray - Chapter Eight"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Executive Protection Services
- Christine Trelane
- Dr. Homa Shahi
- Leon Carver
- Hector Morales
- Victoria the sniper
Villains:
- Diana Prince
- Energy Industry Spokesman (Dies)
- Mercenaries (Dies)
Other Characters:
Locations:
See Also