The Gift #9
"Corrupt," a standout issue from The Gift #9 (2004), delivers a raw, supernatural twist on teenage survival and vengeance. Written by Raven Gregory and illustrated by Tyler Kirkham, with inks by Sonia Oback, colors by Jason Keith, and letters by Robin Spehar, the story follows Vannie after a violent police raid claims her friends. Cornered and offered a terrifying choice by the Ancient One, she takes his gift—a joint that transforms her into a smoke-like wraith—just as the corrupt officers close in. The cover by Tyler Kirkham captures the haunting intensity of the moment.
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Vannie and her friends regularly hang out in an abandoned house, smoking joints and having sex. But one night a police raid hits the wrong house and all of Vannie's friends are killed while she hides behind a counter. Vannie tries to escape when she encounters the Ancient One. He says she must either accept his 'gift' and extract vengeance or join her friends. As the police close in she accepts his 'gift' (in the form of a joint). Vannie temporarily turns into a smoke-like wraith and kills the leader of the corrupt police unit.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).