Salvation, Texas

Salvation, Texas is the name of a fictional town from the DC Comics Vertigo imprint Preacher comic book. It is the eponymous setting of Preacher Volume 7: Salvation (which collects issues 41-50) and also features in the final volume The Alamo (Volume 9).

Salvation was a small, mainly rural, community with a population of no more than a couple of hundred. Salvation suffered from a great deal of racial division with most African American's living in a small community outside of town and the Ku Klux Klan being influential in the surrounding county.

The millionaire industrialist Odin Quincannon (Often referred to as "The Meat-Man") built the centre of his business, an abattoir and rendering plant, on the outskirts of the town and quickly came to dominate the area. A small and unimposing figure, Odin attempted to make up for this by exerting as much power as he could over others, believing that he now "owned" Salvation. He openly admitted that he was corrupt (even involved in bribing a US President) and was himself a member of the KKK (though highly unpopular among other members). He often used threats of physical violence (carried out by his workers) to manipulate those he couldn't bribe. His plant spewed out pollution that destroyed the local environment and his workers were allowed to run amok. The workers would often go into town, drink heavily and cause trouble, often ending in violence against the local residents. Quincannon encouraged this believing that it made his workers happier and the town sheriff, afraid of Quincannon, did nothing to stop them.

Having mysteriously survived the fall from a jet seen in War in the Sun, (This is later revealed as a literal act of God) Jesse Custer recuperated for a time before tracking down his true love Tulip and his best friend Cassidy. Finding them now a couple, Jesse allowed them to continue believing he was dead and abandoned his quest for vengeance against the Lord.

Wandering once more through America Jesse eventually found himself in Salvation Tx eating at Jody's Bar and Grill. Looking for work and displaying his usual tendency to get into fights, Jesse was recruited by the towns sheriff. Jesse however declined instead insisting that he become sheriff. The incumbent, seeing an opportunity to free himself from the troubled town quickly agreed.

The previous sheriff packed his bags and left town quickly apparently going on extended vacation. In truth though he was gunned downed less than a day later by a corrupt state trooper in the employ of The Meat Man.

Jesse Custer finds that Lorrie, sister of his childhood friend Billy Bob, lives in Salvation with Jody, owner over the local bar. The Two women offer Jesse a room in their house. Through this Jesse comes to realise that Jody is in fact his mother, Christina L'Angelle. Instead of dying at the hands of Jodie and TC she had suffered brain injuries (and later an alligator attack) that prevented her from reclaiming her son. The only word she could remember was "Jodie" the name of her assailant which doctors mistook for her own name. Finding Lorrie and being reminded of her son's friend and Jesse but she had never recovered enough to rescue him and finally settled in Salvation.

Jesse and his African American deputy Cindy begin to dismantle Quincannon's empire. Qunincannon attempted to bring in the KKK as allies but Jesse destroyed their presence over the town by threatening to expose them if they continued to operate and handing over their "Grand Cyclops" to the African American community of Salvation for their own brand of vigilante justice. Quincannon then attempted to blow up the town with a series of bombs but was struck by lightning before he could. Jesse found The Meat Man recovering in his factories warehouse and making love to a giant female homunculus made out of various meat products his factory produced. Commenting that "Of all the fucked-up things I've seen, that takes the fucked-up cookie," Jesse broke Quincannons neck.

Jesse left Salvation soon after, a potential romance with Cindy made impossible by his love for Tulip. One of his final acts before he left was to give Cindy the position of sheriff.

In the final story "The Alamo" the town is visited by Arseface on the run following his fall from celebrity. We see that Salvation has now entered a new age of prosperity. Quincannons younger, far more benevolent, brother has taken over the factory and it now produces fertiliser from effluent. Cindy is still sherrif and the town is at peace. Arseface meets Lorrie and the two fall in love. Arseface decides to stay in Salvation with her and live out his days shoveling manure.