Nahash

Nahash (from Hebrew נחש‎‎ nāḥāš; pronounced Na-Hash, meaning "snake"), also known as The Trickster and Vicente, The Tempter (by Anne Marie Flynn) and The Original Serpent from the Garden of Eden is a powerful tempter demon who was working for Brujeria.

Biblical Times
At some point Nahash was the original serpent from the Garden of Eden, as described in the Bible. It is unknown whether description is fully accurate.

Working with La Brujeria
At some point sorcerers from Brujeria unleashed Nahash (now known as Vicente) onto Earth to tempt John Constantine, who was at the time posessed by demon Pazuzu whom he summoned to heal a bullet wound and scare off Invunche.

Arriving in Mexico City, Vicente bribed the British consulate employee Stanley Gibson, tempting him to scrutinize John Constantine's situation with Mexican prison. After that he measured bewildered Gibson with his eyes and devoured him.

Later, taking the form of Gibson, Nahash arrived at the prison, where Anne Marie Flynn, Chas Chandler and Zed Martin tried to exorcise Pazuzu from Constantine. Breaking Chandler's neck, Nahash answered John's command request to identify himself in the name of God, then trying to tempt him to keep the demon inside. When prison guards arrived, Anne Marie stabbed Nahash with a Phurba, upon which his physical form dissolved into a pile of snakes.

Powers

 * Snake physiology: Nahash's true form consists of a pile of fully controlled living snakes. He can manifest certain serpent elements in his human form, as well, such as telescopic jaws (which allow him to devour a human being) and reptile-like eyes.
 * Temptation control/inducement: Nahash is able to destabilzie a person's own will, tempting him or her to sin.
 * Enhanced strength: Nahash is much more powerful then a human being, being able to punch people in the air and break a neck with relative ease and fewer movements.
 * Shapeshifting: Nahash is able to shape-shift in a person he had a physical contact with, which seemingly requires devouring that person. Replication includes both physical appearance and voice.

Abilities

 * Stealth: Nahash was able to sneak in Stanley Gibson's office in the heavily guarded British consulate with relative ease.
 * Measuring: Nahash is able to measure human being with his eyes to adapt his telescopic jaw for devouring.

Weaknesses

 * Phurba: Nahash could be seriously harmed with that Tibetan ceremonial dagger.
 * Limited replication: Nahash is not able to replicate costumes, only transforming his physical form.

Trivia

 * It might be presumed that after being defeated with Phurba Nahash went back to Hell but it was never specified whether the damage done to him was permanent.

Behind the scenes

 * Several key aspects and names used in Nahash are adapted from the DC comics characters:
 * The Tempter is a low-level demon "old as time itself", originating as an enemy of Hawkman and Superman and then appearing as a minor antagonist for Zatanna. Apart from having a similar set of powers he also resembles Nahash in physical appearance.
 * Ophidian, the Entity of Avarice in the DC comics is a demonic being with a similar snake physiology and set of powers, who is heavily implied to be the basis for a Biblical serpent, as well.
 * The Trickster is usually a legacy name of several villains of The Flash, most known James Jesse and Axel Walker.
 * Additionally the fact that serpent-natured Nahash steals the identity of Stanley Gibson might be a reference to Stanley Macklin also known as Serpentine, a snake-like enemy of Firebrand.
 * The fact that Nahash needs to eat victim's physical form might be a reference to Hannibal Bates's modus operandi in the comics, who ensures physical contact by cannibalizing the victim before taking his/her form.
 * Historically serpents are featured in the Bible often identified with the hubristic Satan, and sometimes with Lilith. The original serpent is known to tempt Eve and Adam in the Garden of Eden, prompting them to eat an apple from a sacred tree.