God Told Me To

In the heart of New York City, chaos erupts when a gunman perched atop a water tower unleashes a devastating barrage of bullets upon the unsuspecting crowd below, claiming the lives of 15 innocent civilians. Amidst the carnage, Peter Nicholas (character), a devout Catholic detective with the NYPD, dares to climb the treacherous tower in an attempt to engage with the sniper and understand the motivations behind this senseless violence. As he reaches the top, the gunman's parting words - "God told me" to commit these atrocities - haunt him long after the killer takes his own life.

The traumatic experience only serves as a precursor to a series of seemingly unrelated murders that unfold across the city. A gruesome mass stabbing at a local supermarket, a police officer's deadly rampage during a St. Patrick's Day parade, and a tragic domestic massacre all share one eerie commonality: each perpetrator claims that God has commanded them to carry out these heinous acts. As Nicholas delves deeper into the investigation, he uncovers a thread that connects these seemingly disparate crimes - a young man named Bernard Phillips, whose enigmatic presence seems to be at the center of this maelstrom.

Nicholas' search for answers takes him to Phillips' doorstep, where his mother awaits with a knife in hand. Despite her ferocity, she ultimately meets her demise in a bizarre turn of events, plummeting down a staircase as if propelled by some unseen force. What's more, an autopsy reveals that this erstwhile assailant was, in fact, a virgin who had previously professed to have been abducted by aliens.

The NYPD hierarchy is loath to acknowledge any religious motivation behind these murders and instead chooses to suspend Nicholas from the case. Undeterred, he decides to leak his findings to the press, sparking widespread panic throughout the city. Amidst this chaos, a corrupt high-ranking officer meets a gruesome end at the hands of Zero, a ruthless gangster whose actions are later disguised as another "God-inspired" killing. However, Nicholas remains unimpressed by this ruse and instead deduces that it is merely a clever cover for a murder unrelated to the others.

In each instance, the killers remain on the scene, accepting arrest or succumbing to their own mortality after confessing to their crimes under the influence of some higher power. These events serve as a stark reminder that even in the midst of chaos and destruction, there are those who would seek to manipulate the truth for their own nefarious purposes.

As Bernard Phillips' devotees become increasingly enthralled, they're acutely aware of his sinister influence over the murderers who carry out his heinous deeds at his psychic behest. When one cultist invites Nicholas to join their ranks, the inquiry into Phillips' maternal lineage sends the follower into convulsions and a sudden, fatal demise. In a subsequent attempt on Nicholas' life, another devotee fails in pushing him onto an oncoming subway train, only for Nicholas to exact revenge by compelling the would-be assassin to lead him straight to Phillips' inner sanctum - a fiery furnace room hidden deep beneath the earth. As they arrive, the follower's despair culminates in a gruesome act of self-decapitation via elevator shaft. A fleeting encounter with Phillips himself leaves Nicholas convinced that he, too, is special, and that his life has been spared for some unknown purpose.

As Nicholas delves deeper into his own adoption records, an elderly woman claiming to be his birth mother reveals the shocking truth: she was brutally impregnated by a strange, otherworldly energy while walking home from the 1941 New York Worlds Fair. The revelation sends both parties reeling with doubt and confusion, as Nicholas begins to grasp the true nature of his being - and the extraordinary abilities that come with it. He uses these powers to confront and eliminate Zero, marking a turning point in his quest for answers.

Nicholas' final confrontation with Phillips yields a shocking truth: both men are the product of "virgin births" brought about by an enigmatic extraterrestrial entity with advanced technology and supernatural prowess. While Nicholas' human DNA dominates, rendering him unaware of his true nature, Phillips is more akin to their unseen progenitor. The revelation sparks a desire in Phillips to create a new species with his "brother," but Nicholas refuses to participate, instead choosing to attack the hermaphroditic entity. As the building collapses around them, Nicholas manages to escape, leaving Phillips to meet his demise.

Arrested for Phillips' murder, Nicholas is led into court by police as a news reporter inquires about his motives. With unflinching conviction, he responds, "God told me to." The authorities subsequently commit him to the Matteawan State Hospital for the Criminally Insane, marking the beginning of a new chapter in Nicholas' journey.