Origin

Lee was pregnant with Doctor Juris's child, but after being attacked by her henchman Shadow Boxer, she made it seem as though she had lost the child. She left Bete Noire for a few months and gave birth. She then entrusted the child to a nun she knows, Sister Mary Catherine, who lives in a convent in Massachusetts. Jude, now 20 years old and a man of God, waiting to be assigned a church. He was still living in a convent with nuns, before his life changed.

Character Evolution

One day, Jude receives a visit from Slate, who reveals many truths about his past and the city of Bete Noire. Jude learns that his father and mother live there, and that Lee had entrusted him to Sister Mary Catherine at birth. Slate explains that his mother, Lee, is extremely powerful and that no one truly knows her origins.

Jude feels betrayed by Sister Mary Catherine for having lied to him his entire life and decides to leave for Bete Noire in the hope of meeting his real parents and discovering his origins.

Jude first visits his father, Doctor Juris. Juris is surprised but overjoyed to learn that his son is alive. His greatest wish is to transfer the city's powers to Jude, as it can only be passed on to the firstborn son. However, Jude hesitates. While on a boat trip, the two continue discussing the matter when Lee appears, flying above the water, speaking to her son for the first time. She warns him to leave Bete Noire if he wants to survive.

As she tries to explain that coming there was a mistake, Malachi suddenly grabs Lee by the leg and pulls her underwater, engaging in a fierce battle for several minutes. Meanwhile, as a storm rages, Jude is thrown off the boat and nearly drowns. At the last moment, Lee manages to break free from Malachi, rescuing her son from drowning and bringing him back to shore.

Soaking wet, Lee takes them to the Jurors and requests hospitality from Dolf. In a room, Jude speaks with his mother, seeking answers about why she abandoned him, why God allows suffering and disasters. After hearing Lee’s explanations, Jude starts to believe that his destiny is to accept the power transfer from his father. Knowing that what happens in Bete Noire always has repercussions elsewhere in the world, Jude feels he has the ability to change humanity and make things better. Seeing that she can do nothing more to stop him, Lee accepts his decision.

Jude returns to Juris and tells him he is ready. The power transfer takes place, but afterward, Jude begins to doubt his choice. Juris tells him there is no turning back—it is too late. He also reveals that the only way to escape this role is to transfer the power to his own firstborn child. As a man of God who preaches chastity and celibacy, Jude cannot see how that would ever be possible.

Spirituality

One of Jude’s first ideas, now that he is managing the city, is to require all citizens to attend a mass every week. He wants to increase spirituality among the population. However, as he delivers his first mass, a bomb explodes in the church. Thanks to Ernie Schultz, the new law enforcer in town, everyone was evacuated before the detonation—except Jude.

Being protected from any harm since becoming a magistrate, he survives but with several injuries. Malachi, who represents the hierarchy, reminds Jude that the hierarchy was completely opposed to his idea of increasing the importance of religion in the city. For this reason, they minimized his protection during the explosion. Malachi warns Jude seriously that he must follow the hierarchy’s directives in the future because they have the power to kill him.

A few days later, Jude receives a visit from a woman whose partner was killed by a powerful drug—Glory—sold to him by Asia Minor. She demands justice, and Jude agrees to her request. He assigns his legal enforcer, Ernie Schultz, to gather men and arrest Asia Minor for trafficking and possession. Jude wants to clean up his city.

After Asia's arrest, Jude interrogates him in the tower where he lives, but Asia instead talks about the screams Jude hears in his head. He knows that Jude has been suffering from these unbearable voices ever since he became magistrate. Losing patience, Jude beats Asia until Schultz enters and separates them. Asia is placed in detention, awaiting trial.

Since Bete Noire doesn’t really have a justice system or lawyers, Jude calls upon the population to gather in one place to discuss Asia Minor’s fate. He is ready to listen to everyone who wants to speak and expects, in return, that they respect his verdict. However, the voices in his head take over, and he faints before the proceedings begin. Lee takes him home, and he later wakes up with Asia nearby. Asia has given him a pill that silences all the voices in his head. He is willing to supply Jude with as many as he wants in exchange for his freedom and the ability to continue his operations without interference.

The Descent of Jude

Not wanting to rely on a pill to silence the voices invading his mind and overwhelmed by the events unfolding since accepting his role as magistrate, Jude attempts to flee the city and his responsibilities. His half-brother despises him and seeks to harm rather than support him, while his stepmother, Xia, manipulates him for her own ends. All he wants is to return to his former life.

But Bete Noire does not agree with his decision. As he reaches the city's outskirts, an unseen force prevents him from leaving—whether on foot or by car. For now, he is trapped in his role and must quickly endure the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, despair, and acceptance.

Father Jude has spent much time reflecting and seems to finally understand that God helps those who help themselves. Slate suggests he seek advice from Black Mariah, who urges him to listen to the voices within him rather than trying to silence them. She advises him to communicate with them, to tell them what he wants.

In the days that follow, Jude begins handling his responsibilities more effectively and appears increasingly in control. However, he still fails to meet the expectations of the city's true power players.

Dissatisfied with Jude's work as a magistrate, the hierarchy, through its new agent Gilles de Rais, will invoke ancient powers and recruit Jubal to regain control of the city. They can count on the presence of Wilde, Black Mariah's brother who had a vengeance to execute. But their greatest asset is the demon Moloch. Moloch has returned to Earth through the body of Jubal, looking to seize Jude's mantle as the magistrate of Bete Noire.

Lee, helped by Asia Minor and his men, has led a big strike force on Jude tower to stop them and save her son. She has arrived too late; the city is now in the hands of Jubal-Moloch. Jude will have survived however and with Lee and Black Mariah, they will be able to leave Bete Noire which will remain only a bad memory.

The Recapture of Bete Noire

After several days of traveling in Black Mariah's plane and boat, and having fought against a demon, a sea monster and a huge shark, Lee, Jude and Black Mariah will be stranded on an island in the Middle East. An active volcano about to erupt is activated near them. Jude, listening to his instinct, will climb the volcano and throw himself inside, with Lee following him. Black Mariah will stumble and join them.

They will then find themselves in the City of life, which they were looking for. There, they will meet Nimrod, the only guardian of this city an original sinner. He told them they need the sword in the Babel tower. The trio will then enter the tower to retrieve the sword at its top. After a few traps, Lee will get his hands on the sword and by brandishing it towards the sky, a lightning bolt will strike them and bring them back to Bete Noire.

Unfortunately, Lee did not have what was needed within her for the sword to destroy Moloch, and he easily broke it. Jude picked up a piece of the sword and stabbed himself with it, giving him greater power to fight Moloch. It won't be enough and he is about to be killed by Moloch.

At that moment, God appeared to Lee to remind her of the agreement they had: He would protect Jude, her child, while she was supposed to help Him die so He could be freed from all the prayers and requests He received every day. God had believed that Moloch could have brought about the end of the world and thus killed Him, but Lee makes Him doubt that this is the best scenario.

He offered Lee the chance to resume her role as guardian angel, but all Lee wants is for Jude to survive Moloch. God agreed, but in exchange, He made Lee the new magistrate of Bete Noire. Jude, for his part, would later take on the role of "savior of humanity" that Lee once held.

Return of the Son

Through the clients he helps in his new role, Jude has lost his faith and no longer truly believes in spirituality. He frequents prostitutes and kills people outside the city whom he deems dishonest. Eventually, he will meet Enoch, the grandson of Cain, the founder of Bete Noire. To help him understand his past, Enoch will take Jude back to the past version of Bete Noire, which was once a city of light, unlike the city of darkness it has become.

Enoch was the most powerful of the three cities of power—it was God's city. During this journey through time, Enoch reveals to Jude that his mother, Liandra, had been sent by God to be by his side and to carry out His will. However, Enoch had an intimate relationship with her, which provoked God's wrath upon the city. They begged for forgiveness, but God gave Enoch two choices: either he could spare Lee, or he could spare the city. Enoch chose Lee. As a result, the city of light became the city of sin.

God took Lee back and erased Bete Noire and Enoch from her memory. At the time, Enoch did not know that Lee would later be punished and sent back to Bete Noire, where she would give birth to Jude.

Enoch explains to Jude that if he wants to reclaim his role as a magistrate, his only chance is to speak to Lee and try to make her remember her past. To help him, he gives Jude a scroll that only Lee must read. When she receives the scroll, Lee is thrown into the void, landing in the city's cemetery.

A few moments later, while Jude is with Benny, a massive cosmic explosion destroys everything around them. Benny conjures a shield to protect them, but it marks the end of Bete Noire.