Ultimate X-Men: Wild Card
Issue: #14
Writer: Chuck Austen
Pencils: Essad Ribic
Inker: Livesay
Colors: J.D. Smith

Four gangsters sit, drinking and playing poker. Suddenly a playing card shoots though the window followed by Remy LeBeau, kicking over the table and causing the gangsters to draw their guns. He’s looking for a little recently orphaned girl, kidnapped from him by an unknown assailant. A tall Cajun man obviously knows but refuses to tell Remy, who responds by charging a few playing cards and causing a massive explosion leaving all but one for dead, who tells Remy to look for a man named Silvermane and gives him a name.

Hammerhead.

In an alleyway, Charles Xavier and Storm catch Remy off guard and offer him a home at the institute but Remy refuses, referencing his less then savory encounters before hand at shelters, which upsets Strom. Charles hands Remy his card and Remy moves on.

The next day, Remy walks into Silvermane industries and (using a card) blasts a hole in the wall which is greeted by a firefight with Silvermane. Remy causes the whole office to explode, killing Silvermane but leaving his assistant to give him all the information he needs.

The child is being held at an abandoned factory, which Remy soon finds and begins hunting in for Hammerhead, who shows up with six armed men. Charging an entire pack of cards, Remy blows the men away and resumes chasing the fleeing Hammerhead. Remy is surprised by the large headed Hammerhead and is rammed, taken down and beaten. Remy shoves his hand into Hammerhead’s mouth and to the surprise of Hammerhead, charges his entire head, which explodes.

After finding and retrieving the little girl, he takes her to the religious recruiting men, but she won’t leave him. He gives her an umbrella and tells her to close her eyes; he’s going to let her fly. She eagerly agrees and Remy’s tearfully charges the handle which causes it to rise. When the girl, smiling and cheerful, comes back down… He is gone, she feels abandoned.

Weeping into her pillow at the shelter, she catches a flicker and sees a single playing card (Ace of Hearts) and watches as it explodes into another heart shaped cutout. She isn’t alone after all.

Submitted By: TwistedAngel