John Constantine is a character from DC Comics. He made his series debut in Brand of the Hawk.
Canon[]
John Constantine is a character from DC Comics, originally under the Vertigo imprint until 2011, where the DC Universe was relaunched under The New 52 relaunch which rebooted the entire universe.
An occult detective and conman notorious within the underground supernatural ranks in which he operates, Constantine is considered one of the foremost experts in dealing with supernatural oddities. His reputation has earned him not only ownership over the House of Mystery (which he sometimes wrestles with others in order to keep control over) but also leadership for a time over the Justice League Dark, a counterpart to the Justice League that specializes in supernatural phenomena. However, his methods and at times amoral attitude often causes him to come into conflict with others, most notably his former lover, Zatanna Zatara.
Pre-Convergence[]
It can be assumed that, even before his official debut in the series, Constantine was a looming presence behind the scenes, as it can be presumed he held ownership over the House of Mystery, the base of operations for the Multiverse Emergency Unit, and seems to often collaborate with its members, most notably Zatanna Zatara and Morrigan.
Shortly before the events of Brand of the Hawk, it is said that he, Zatanna, and Etrigan the Demon were engaged in a conflict with the dark sorcerer Felix Faust. During the fight, Faust attempted to escape, using a new magic he had discovered that he hoped would let him retreat into an alternate dimension, only for Etrigan and Zatanna to end up spiraling into the same location that Faust did, while Constantine was separated from them in between worlds for an unknown period of time, before he is saved by the Skull Knight, an enigmatic figure from the world of the God Hand, the ruling bodies of another world, in which Faust and the others had appeared in.
During this time, the Skull Knight explains that he senses the God Hand's intent to draw in and sacrifice a number of individuals from across the multiverse, and how it can be passed on if their brand is transferred to someone matching their inherent evil. Constantine agrees to aid the individuals, as the Skull Knight convinces him that this journey will lead him to who he is searching for.
Plot Involvement[]
Brand of the Hawk[]
Constantine is a consistent part of the event, between rescuing the group in the beginning from the God Hand and explaining to everyone the full extent of their situation; of how they are branded to be sacrificed, and the only way to rid of that brand is to transfer it to someone else, as can be done with a magical seal fashioned by Constantine himself.
He travels with the group wherever they go, and over the course of the first two chapters, it is demonstrated that he has something of a hidden agenda, between the revelation that he is hunting down Felix Faust, and later, when it is revealed that he is seeking to rescue Zatanna and Etrigan from his clutches as well.
In the fifth chapter, he and the group bump into Morrigan of the M.E.U., who is also seeking to rescue Zatanna, as she is a member of the organization's Coven, and decide to collaborate with her. In the final chapter, after rescuing Zatanna and Etrigan, as promised, he manages to brand Dracula with the seal, and the curse on the rest of the group is undone as a result. From there, he returns to the House of Mystery with Morrigan, Zatanna, and Etrigan.
It is mentioned in passing that soon, in the future, his controversial methods and personality will catch up to him and possibly further strain his relationship with the three of them.
Fighting of the Spirit[]
Constantine makes a brief appearance in the first chapter of the event, defending the House of Mystery when it comes under attack by the forces of the Revanchist, with Zatanna reluctantly fighting alongside him.
Character Relationships[]
- Zatanna Zatara - Another character from DC Comics. She and Constantine share a highly complicated history, having learned magic together in their younger days and even dated once upon a time, though they had broken up over sour terms. Even over the years, their relationship is rather strained, and can be described as love-hate at best. Despite this, they frequently work together, whether between the matters of their home world or the matters of the multiverse.
- Morrigan - A character from Dragon Age who first appeared in Monokuma Rising. Though Morrigan and Constantine share a less than openly friendly relationship with each other, the latter often feeling wary around Morrigan due to what he perceives to be a highly emasculating personality -- something that she seems to even have pride in -- to a degree, they appear to occasionally work together from time to time.
- Ben Tennyson - The protagonist of Ben 10 who made his debut in The Time Crisis. The two of them met during the events of Brand of the Hawk, in which their opposing views on heroism occasionally clashed, though were able to work together well. They briefly reunited in the first chapter of Fighting of the Spirit later on, as Ben and others helped Constantine defend the House of Mystery.
Trivia[]
- He does not know how to ride a bicycle.
- In the Constantine film, Lucifer Morningstar makes an appearance, simply referred to as "Lucifer." There, the two of them share a relationship that implies a long-standing rivalry, but no such relationship exists within the comics, or even the Convergence Series.
- In the Arrowverse, it is also shown that Constantine is acquainted with Lucifer as well.
- Like some other DC characters who have appeared in the Convergence Series, this incarnation of Constantine takes after his Prime Earth incarnation, but with some subtle changes, such as being acquainted with Jason Blood / Etrigan being a member of the Justice League Dark, which is only present in the animated film.
- Constantine is briefly mentioned in Right Hand of the Magic God as one of the countless deaths caused by the destruction of the Multiverse by the hands of Othinus. It’s presumed that he came back to life following the Multiverse’s restoration.