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John Constantine was born in [[Liverpool]], [[England]]<ref name="The Darkness Beneath" /> on 10 May 1982, as the only son of [[Tommy Constantine]] and [[Mary Anne]]. His mother died giving birth to him, causing his father to develop a deep resentment towards John, whom he derisively referred to as "Killer" his whole life. Whenever Tommy came home from drinking, which John stated was "every night", he would physically abuse his son, reminding him that Mary Anne died because of him. Also, to punish him, Tommy would put out cigarettes by burning them on John's arms. |
John Constantine was born in [[Liverpool]], [[England]]<ref name="The Darkness Beneath" /> on 10 May 1982, as the only son of [[Tommy Constantine]] and [[Mary Anne]]. His mother died giving birth to him, causing his father to develop a deep resentment towards John, whom he derisively referred to as "Killer" his whole life. Whenever Tommy came home from drinking, which John stated was "every night", he would physically abuse his son, reminding him that Mary Anne died because of him. Also, to punish him, Tommy would put out cigarettes by burning them on John's arms. |
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After [[Oliver Queen]] died, [[Sara Lance]], [[Barry Allen (Earth-1)|Barry Allen]], and [[Mia Queen]] asked John to use his magic and find a [[Earth-18|Earth]] with a functioning [[Lazarus Pit (Earth-18)|Lazarus Pit]]. When they leave Sara has Constantine make sure when Oliver's brought back, he brings his soul but due to the deaths of the [[multiverse]], his magic was failing. |
After [[Oliver Queen]] died, [[Sara Lance]], [[Barry Allen (Earth-1)|Barry Allen]], and [[Mia Queen]] asked John to use his magic and find a [[Earth-18|Earth]] with a functioning [[Lazarus Pit (Earth-18)|Lazarus Pit]]. When they leave Sara has Constantine make sure when Oliver's brought back, he brings his soul but due to the deaths of the [[multiverse]], his magic was failing. |
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==Early Life== |
==Early Life== |
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{{Section stub}}After [[Mobius]] was defeated by the seven [[Paragons]] and the [[Oliver Queen|Spectre]], Constantine was restored on [[Earth-Prime]]. |
{{Section stub}}After [[Mobius]] was defeated by the seven [[Paragons]] and the [[Oliver Queen|Spectre]], Constantine was restored on [[Earth-Prime]]. |
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Revision as of 23:26, 13 May 2020
- For others characters with the same first name, see John (disambiguation).
- For others uses of Constantine, see Constantine (disambiguation).
- "My name is John Constantine. I am the one who steps from the shadows, all trench coat and arrogance. I'll drive your demons away, kick 'em in the bollocks, and spit on them when they're down, leaving only a nod and a wink and a wisecrack. I walk my path alone because, let's be honest... who would be crazy enough to walk it with me?"
- —John Constantine[src]
John Constantine (born May 10, 1982[1]), aka El Diablo (the Devil) among the gangsters of Mexico City,[2] is an exorcist, demonologist, and warlock, self-styled as "master of the dark arts".[3] John is the son of the late Tommy Constantine and the late Mary Anne, the brother of an unnamed woman, a descendant of Konstentyn, the ex-lover/good friend of Sara Lance and Gary Green, and the ex-boyfriend of Desmond and Natalie. Having been raised by an abusive father since his mother died in childbirth, John grew up highly cynical and cunning, soon developing an interest in the dark arts.
In his teenage years, John was introduced into the occult world by Anne Marie. He learned various spells and became an exorcist with the hopes of one day using his powers to resurrect his mother. John became a figure of respect among the dabblers of magic.
However, one night, John attempted an exorcism on a young girl named Astra by summoning the demon Nergal, only for the demon to kill Astra and drag her soul to Hell, damning her for eternity, an action which damned John's soul for Hell upon death. Overwhelmed with guilt, John initially retired but after hearing of the Rising Darkness from the angel Manny, he returned to face this threat, with Manny giving John hope that, should he succeed, his soul may be spared eternal damnation.
After the Legends allowed Mallus to escape his prison in order to destroy the demon, it opened a door to other evils. Joined by Gary of the Time Bureau, Constantine confronted the Legends about their latest screw-up. Five months later, he would assist the Legends in capturing the escaped magical "fugitives", sending them to Hell. He initially refused to join the team, but after being pursued by a demon named Neron in 2018, John agreed to move into the Waverider, though still insisted that he's "not a bloody Legend".
While helping the Legends return Encores to hell, Constantine nearly had his life cut short by Astra, who sped up the 10 years of lung cancer he would accumilate. However, John got his life back by promising her to find the Loom of Fate and force Charlie to alter the Logue family's fates.
Biography
Original multiverse
Early life
John Constantine was born in Liverpool, England[1] on 10 May 1982, as the only son of Tommy Constantine and Mary Anne. His mother died giving birth to him, causing his father to develop a deep resentment towards John, whom he derisively referred to as "Killer" his whole life. Whenever Tommy came home from drinking, which John stated was "every night", he would physically abuse his son, reminding him that Mary Anne died because of him. Also, to punish him, Tommy would put out cigarettes by burning them on John's arms.
John had an older sister, though she eventually abandoned him for unknown reasons.[4]
During John's teenage years, he met a nun named Anne Marie, who introduced him into the occult world. The two also became lovers for a time.[5] John then began reading every book he could find on the occult, learning how to conjure dead beings in the hopes of one day conjuring his mother.[4]
At some point in his life, John met and became friends with both Chas Chandler[6] and Esrin Fortuna, the latter of whom he eventually came to owe a substantial sum of money.[7]
John once had a brutal encounter with a sorcerer, Felix Faust. He survived, but left Faust with a grudge against him.[6] John also became bitter enemies with voodoo priest Papa Midnite after several nefarious dealings.[8] At one point, John came to learn of Damien Darhk, a practitioner of dark magic who was the leader of H.I.V.E.. He came to fear Darhk so much he considered leaving whatever the latter sought to destroy as a preferable option than facing him.[9]
Constantine once put Beebo under a spell that made the toy sentient. Apparently, Beebo told him things that "will make your toes curl".[3]
Visit to Lian Yu
Seeking an artifact called the Orb of Horus, an ancient spell book, John traveled to Lian Yu to retrieve it, but was caught by Baron Reiter's men and brutally interrogated. Conklin interrupted the interrogation to tell Reiter of an A.R.G.U.S. communications device he found and accused newcomer Oliver Queen of being a spy. Reiter presented Oliver with a map John possessed and after confirming his knowledge of their locations, John performed a spell to free himself from his handcuffs and held Oliver at gunpoint and used him as leverage to escape Reiter's compound. He had Oliver forcibly take him to the area he sought and performed a spell to uncover the hidden passageway, much to Oliver's shock.
Oliver Queen and John Constantine.
Once inside, they explored the cave where John explained that there are areas of the world as old as it including Lian Yu, possessing things corrupt men aren't supposed to have such as Reiter. John eventually found what he sought and retrieved it but set off a trap which Oliver saves him from being killed by, insisting he's not one of Reiter's men. After exiting the cave John thanked Oliver for saving his life and broke off the crystal off the rod to give to Reiter, as the rod itself is what contains the magic. John also warned Oliver about Reiter, insisting his narcotics aren't his only interest for being on the island. As insurance, John also used the rod to transfer a spell on his arm onto Oliver's torso, insisted he'd know what to do when the time came and on Oliver's request, John punched him out cold as part of his "escape" and left on his boat, but the two would keep in contact.[9]
Incident at Newcastle
While at Newcastle, John accidentally damned Astra's soul to Hell trying to extort the demon Nergal into fighting another demon for him.
A demon possessed a girl named Astra, the daughter of a friend of John's and he and his friends Anne Marie Flynn, Gary Lester, Ritchie Simpson, Judith, and Chas Chandler attempted to stop it. John, however, decided to summon a more powerful demon named Nergal and extort him into dragging the lesser demon back to Hell, but unfortunately, Nergal was able to seize Astra and violently pulled her into Hell in front of everyone, damning her for eternity. This action also damned John's soul for Hell upon his eventual death. This action severally traumatized John and he placed himself in Ravenscar Psychiatric Facility for the Mentally Deranged out of guilt. The rest of the crew also came to resent John, some more than others. Because of his actions and what happened to Astra, the group was haunted for the rest of their lives.[4]
Paying an old debt
A few months after his voluntary internment, John discovered a possessed woman writing something on a wall. After exorcizing the woman, John saw that she wrote the words "Liv Die". Remembering his promise to his friend, Jasper Winters, John left the hospital and went to the United States. There he met Liv Aberdine, the daughter of his friend who (like her father) could see the true nature of supernatural things when in contact with an amulet. They soon learned that the demon Furcifer pursued and wanted to kill her. John decided to ask the help of Ritchie to defeat the demon. The three then prepared a trap for the demon. As John began to recite an incantation to send the demon back to hell, Astra appeared. Furcifer then made an offer to John: if John freed him then Furcifer would release Astra's soul from Hell. As John was about to free Furcifer, Liv discovered that it was not Astra, but a demon disguised as her. Learning this, John performed an exorcism and sent the demons back to Hell. Liv then left John's company to go and live with a friend, but not before performing a scrying ritual on the map of the United States, leaving lots of blood on the sources of the strengthened dark magic. Meanwhile, John made the decision to help Manny to discover the nature of the thing that was causing the supernatural world to go wild. He and Chas Chandler decided to tackle on the country's supernatural problems, hoping to save John's soul along the way.[4]
Hard-traveling exorcists
John Constantine on a mission in Heddwich.
Traveling to the town of Heddwich without his partner (Chas had to stay out of the State of Pennsylvania due to an incident involving a Succubus and a trainwreck), John ended up meeting Zed Martin, who's been seeing Constantine in her dreams, along with visions of demons. Although he didn't trust Zed at first, her specific skills and a talent for clairvoyance magic made her an asset to John. Ditching Zed at the hotel, Constantine traveled to the wake ceremony in remembrance of late Lannis Cadogan with a Hearty Cuisine Chicken Dinner as a gift, using the situation to snoop around the house and look for clues.
John encountered Lannis Cadogan's wife, who told him her sob story over marrying a deadbeat husband who tried to woo her as a "captain of industry", and then tried to seduce John. When he didn't respond to her advances, the widow shouted at him and made a scene in front of the guests, publicly showing Constantine out of her house. Having to fight off the mining company's goons, John left the premises, but not before letting Thad Bowman, the boss of NorPenn Mining Company know that he uncovered the secret behind the unnatural happenings at the mine. At first, John suspected the local disenfranchised preacher to be the one who enchanted the Coblynau to do dark deeds, but later investigation along with Zed convinced him that the man was innocent. Venturing into the mines while following Thad Bowman and his son, John and Zed encountered the Coblynau trying to attack the two men, but John was able to break the dark spell and remind the spirit of its good nature, though not before it killed the father. Finally figuring it out, John came back to Lannis Cadogan's widow, revealing his suspicions about her use of Gypsy black magic. She tried to sic Coblynau on Constantine but forgot the fact that Coblynau is spirits of dead miners, which allowed John to summon her own husband as one, to take its revenge on the one who killed him. The Coblynau-turned Lannis appeared out of the ground and dragged his wife under it together with him.[1]
Later on John, Chas and Zed traveled to the city of Chicago to deal with the hunt of the acetate containing a recording of the voice of the Devil himself, Satan. They were opposed by Papa Midnite, who saw the acetate as an artifact of demonic energy.[8] John was able to use the disk's own Dark Magic to send it back to hell where it belongs, which completely foiled the Vodoo Sorcerer's plans and left Papa Midnite with a grudge against him.
Masterminds of the Rising Darkness
John possessed by Pazuzu.
After defeating the demon Lamashtu, John found out that the cause of all the supernatural events that have been happening was because of "The Rising Darkness". The rising darkness was a plan by the Brujería, to merge Hell and Earth together. The Brujería found a way to break the boundary that kept Earth and Hell separate. This would allow demonic creatures to roam freely across the land. Among Brujeria's creatures that John encountered were Lamashtu, Invunche and Nahash. To combat them, John used the Icon of Pazuzu to strike a deal with Satan, welcoming Pazuzu to possess him in exchange for regeneration and power.[2][5]
Afterward, John had to remove the demon from his body while trying to escape from a prison in Mexico City, where he ended up for Pazuzu's murder of the members of Santa Muerte gang while possessing John. In the prison John met with Stanley Gibson, an employee of the British consulate, along with the local fence Julio, whose actions led to another release of Pazuzu and the murder of more Santa Muerte gangsters, leaving the other prisoners to consider John the one in charge, giving him the alias "El Diablo". Zed Martin, Chas Chandler and Anne Marie Flynn, a former Newcastle Crew member, now a nun of the Catholic Church, eventually got John back to Jasper Winters' millhouse and exorcized him, removing Pazuzu from his body.[2]
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Felix Faust had a grudge against John.
Learning about the Resurrection Crusade's attack on Jasper Winters' millhouse, he covered it with a duplicity spell, but Zed was still distraught over them revealing its location in the first place. John and Zed then went to New York City and assisted Chas in saving his daughter, Geraldine, who was left soulless after being targeted by the Soul separating spell. Enlisting the local medium Fennel, the team found out the location of a dark mage's hideout, with the mage turning out to be none other than Felix Faust, an ancient black mage with a grudge against John.[6]
Faust agreed to release Geraldine's soul if John sent the demon Karabasan back to Hell. Chas refused to cooperate with the man who took his daughter's soul and was angered by the fact that John didn't know how to fight Faust, now empowered by many stolen souls and the power of the Rising Darkness. John and Zed went alone and succeeded in killing Karabasan. However, Faust announced that since John killed the demon, instead of banishing it, he didn't have to do his part of the deal. In turn, Chas showed his powers to Faust and offered another deal: his daughter's soul in exchange for 31 other souls that he had on him. When Faust eagerly grasped at the opportunity, Chas chained him to himself with an unbreakable sinew from Achilles' heel and blew them both with a grenade. Faust's death broke his spells, restoring the souls of the people in comas, Geraldine included.[6]
Restoring Sara Lance's soul
John preparing to restore Sara's soul.
In late 2015, John received a call from his old friend Oliver Queen asking him to come to Star City to help him restore the soul of his friend Sara Lance which he accepted. He met with Team Arrow and explained that Sara needed restoration of her soul, not an exorcism, as her sister Laurel mistook it for. John also commented on the number of pretty girls Oliver had surrounded himself with, which made them feel somewhat uncomfortable. Much to Felicity's confusion, he requested a peacock feather, which he used only to scratch his back. John explained that the ritual would transport them to the "other side" where Sara's soul was trapped, and transported himself, Oliver and Laurel. Upon entering the spirit world, in the shape of Nanda Parbat, John, Oliver, and Laurel found the room where Sara was trapped in the Lazarus Pit. John held off the spirit of a League of Assassins member, as Oliver and Laurel freed Sara. All of them returned safely, with Sara restored to life. As John left, Oliver thanked him for his help, but John also told him he'd had a dark feeling since being in town, Oliver confirming it as their newest problem Damien Darhk. John, however, warned Oliver to be careful around Darhk and advised he leave town while he still could, before departing.[9]
Hell
By late February 2016, John somehow found his way to Hell,[10] presumably to fulfill his promise of saving Astra Logue.[4]
By May, John had escaped Hell, allowing Oliver to finally get in contact with him again, asking for a means to defeat Darhk's magic. In response, Constantine sent Oliver to meet with Esrin Fortuna, who had a better understanding of Darhk's magic, and could possibly teach him to defend against it.[7]
Meeting the Legends
John meeting Sara on the Waverider.
In late 2017, John had encountered a demon that was possessing a little girl who knew about Sara Lance, so he infiltrated the Waverider as Sara dropped off Jax. Stating she had a debt to repay to him after he saved her soul two years ago, he requested her help to face it.[11]
With their help he learned that the girl was Nora Darhk who was slowly being taken over by a demon called Mallus. However, the second exorcism again failed, with Constantine, Sara, and Leo Snart being sent back in time by Mallus.[12]
John kissing Sara.
Sara found herself being plagued with visions courtesy of Mallus. Although Constantine was able to banish them away and the two talked about their past and sins. The two flirt with one another leading to the two having sex. After their encounter, they saved Leo from being lobotomized, and Sara decided to travel to Mallus' spirit world again to use the connection to power up the same transportation spell that was used to send them to the past. They eventually returned to 2017 however Constantine couldn't save Nora once they were back due to the emotional manipulation of her father who told her that the order would help her. Before he left the Waverider he confided in Ray Palmer that despite Sara's strong will she would eventually succumb to Mallus as Nora did. He also said if that was ever to happen, then Ray should kill her.[12]
Sometime later, he gave the Legends information on the Death Totem, which was in the possession of Elvis Presley.[13] He then attempted to assist Ava and Gary in tracking down the Waverider after Sara Lance was possessed by Mallus via the Death Totem. Using the Egyptian dream temple technique, John managed to locate Sara's soul in Mallus's realm.[3]
Joining the Legends
Following the Legends' victory over Mallus, Constantine, accompanied by Gary who was dressed as the former, found the Legends vacationing in Aruba and presented them a severed dragon head. After confirming that it was Sara's idea to release Mallus, John informed them that Mallus wasn't the only evil they released.[14] Following their "introduction" to the dragon, the Legends stayed on a lookout for magical creatures for 5 months, but met none, and decided that John was wrong. Meanwhile, Constantine went on his own, although he interacted with Gary, with the two men having an intimate relationship of some sort; although, according to John, by the rules of magic Gary was still considered a virgin.[15]
At some point during the five months, Constantine spent some time in New Orleans. At a local bar, he was served by Desmond, and the two shared an instant connection. They spend the night together and, despite John's aversion to any emotional attachment to others and in spite of himself, he fell in love. The two started a relationship and soon moved in together in a loft they rented in New Orleans. Not long after, John was being targeted by the demon Neron, who owned the deed to Constantine's soul, that wanted his help in usurping the triumvirate ruling Hell. Worried by his boyfriend safety, John squeezed a promise from Dez that the man would leave town and stay away from him until it was over. Instead, unknown to Constantine, Dez decided to make a deal with Neron and bond his soul with the demon in exchange for sparing John's life. The deal was later made public to John when in an attempt to send Neron to Hell, he had to sent Dez there as well. John does, for the sake of the world, and he later crumbles with grief in heartbreak as Desmond is thrown into hell.[16]
Sometimes later, 5 months after his last meeting with the Legends, he approached Sara, informing her that the danger was still there and the release of Mallus has accelerated the Rising Darkness. He left her with the enchanted bones of a saint so that she'd be able to divine disturbances across the timeline. The disturbance ended up in the appearance of a Hellish Unicorn in 1969's Woodstock, leading to the aberration of "Woodstock Massacre", where many attending hippies were slain by the beast. Sara asked John to help, as the two went on a search for the unicorn and the other Legends affected by the unicorn glitter. The two got in a fight, John saying that Sara should not pursue love and long-lasting relationships, as the people of their craft are cursed to hurt their loved ones, while Sara stated that it was John's own character that made him hurt and leave behind the people he loved, and in fact the loved ones made the heroes stronger for their connection. John ended up instrumental in figuring out the potion and the ritual needed to unmask the beautiful unicorn as a hellish nightmare horse, and then drag it to hell. Using Gary Green as bait, John managed to exorcise the hellish unicorn, at the expense of Gary's nipple. John tried to comfort Gary, joking that if his soul is going to hell, it's gonna meet Gary's nipple right there, before the two discussed personal relationship problems. John was later asked to join the Legends team, but declined, returning to his hotel in 2018 and drinking himself to sleep. He was suddenly attacked by an invisible force, before the bloody letters spelling "I'm coming for you, Johny" appeared on his mirror.[15]
The mysterious attack prompted John to accept Sara's offer and sneak upon the Waverider, bringing a large case of his stuff on board and making a "contract" with the Legends: full benefits, a paid holiday, no cheesy costumes, in exchange for his help with the mystical fugitives. Secretly, John was hoping to find a way to save Dez by using the Waverider.[16] Although calling himself "no bloody Legend", Constantine has indeed enjoyed the benefits of Waverider, coming into conflict with Mick Rory over their use of the ship's facilities. He would be instrumental in figuring out the mystery of the Salem witch trials aberration, noting that the spells used on villagers needed to have a vocal component in them, and if the mother could not cast them, then it must have been the work of her daughter, Prudence. As it turned out, the accused "witch's" daughter has made a contract with a time-displaced the Fairy Godmother, angry at humans for banishing her into Mallus's realm. Instead of granting the wishes of shoes of glass and various trinkets, the Godmother was eager to help the girl's revenge against the villagers, trying to seduce her into using the fairy's power to bring fire and brimstone upon the angry Puritans. John wasn't able to banish the Fairy Godmother, as her spellcasting was much quicker, allowing her to overpower the Legends. When John tried to stop Fairy Godmother and Prudence from leaving the ship, he was silenced by the fairy's spell, sealing his mouth shut. After Zari Tarazi and Sara Lance managed to convince Prudence to call off the Fairy Godmother, the girl released her from their contract, allowing John to incapacitate the mystical witch. He then brought her to the forest and discussed the Godmother's fate, offering her a deal: others she enters a contract with him, or he sends her to Hell. Although she was scared of Hell, the Fairy Godmother chose to refuse John's offer, saying that she'd rather take on the forces of Hell than on the being that is currently pursuing Constantine. She taunted him on being "far more damned than she is" before John opened a portal that siphoned her into Hell.[17]
Anti-Monitor Crisis
After Oliver Queen died, Sara Lance, Barry Allen, and Mia Queen asked John to use his magic and find a Earth with a functioning Lazarus Pit. When they leave Sara has Constantine make sure when Oliver's brought back, he brings his soul but due to the deaths of the multiverse, his magic was failing.
New multiverse
Early Life
After Mobius was defeated by the seven Paragons and the Spectre, Constantine was restored on Earth-Prime.
Personality
- "I'm John Constantine, and I am devious to the core."
- —John Constantine[src]
Having witnessed the horrors of the world, John is very cynical and seemingly unconcerned with the value of human life, often deflecting his real feelings with sarcastic jokes even towards the possibility of his own death. Due to the number of people who have died around him John prefers to work alone and anyone he does work with, he avoids attachment so he won't be as hurt if they get killed. He is also known for having a very dry sense of humor.
John is noted for being brutally honest with individuals, even angels and never being shy of expressing his attraction to individuals he encounters. It has been seen a few times, that he openly expresses an attraction to Zed Martin, after meeting Team Arrow he openly refers to all the female members of the team, such as Laurel Lance, Felicity Smoak and Thea Queen, as "pretty girls", and even openly flirted with Leo Snart.
Despite John's bleak view of the world and cynicism, he is a very honorable man as he is always there for the few friends he has, helping Chas to retrieve his daughter from Felix Faust and helping Oliver Queen to restore Sara Lance's soul, he also did a protection spell on Oliver despite his refusal to have attachments to individuals when he saw Oliver had a pure heart. He also has a strong capability for regret and remorse, as he was so overwhelmed with guilt after Astra was damned to Hell that he placed himself in Ravenscar Psychiatric Facility for the Mentally Deranged and seems to express some kindness to those who suffered because of him, as he was shown to be trying considerably to make amends with Anne Marie Flynn when they reunited as he knew of the pain he inflicted on her and the anger she felt for him.
John tends to be a pessimistic realist as when Oliver thanked him for bringing Sara back he simply told Oliver he owed him only for Oliver to rebuttal that instead of that, they should always have each other's back when the need is, not as business acquaintances, but as friends.
However, John is arrogant and overconfident in his bluffing, to the point of having questionable morals, such as when he threatened the life of an innocent child, Diego, to get Lamashtu (one of Eve's sisters) to reveal why she was working for the La Brujeria, which forced his ex-lover, Anne Marie Flynn, to shoot him and leave John to be eaten by an Invunche.
As John's journey to stop the Rising Darkness continued, he appeared to have developed possible genuine romantic feelings for Zed Martin, as observed by Manny, who pointed out that John was jealous upon seeing Jim Corrigan kiss her, since he seemed to be genuinely shocked and upset to see it. He also admitted that due to rarely encountering evil humans, he was troubled by the La Brujeria as they were quite possibly the worst of humanity, which worried him.
John has caused so much pain to those closest to him that if there is ever a chance to end that pain he would accept it in no matter what the consequences are, this is best seen when demons stated they would release Astra from hell should he stop interfering in their plans. Also, when he went back in time to save his boyfriend, Desmond from being sent to hell even though it could cause damage to the timeline.
Powers and abilities
Powers
- "I'm an accomplished warlock, an expert of the occult, and a master of exorcism. I'm also a Taurus, for those of you taking notes."
- —John Constantine[src]
John produces fire from his hands.
- Magic: While referring to himself as merely an "occasional dabbler" after his failed exorcism, John is a master of the occult and mystic arts. Since his teenage years, John has accumulated vast knowledge and skill of magic, mysticism, and the supernatural. He is well-versed in various forms of sorcery, including dark magic. John knows words and phrases of multiple ancient languages, such as Latin, which he will usually chant while performing certain rituals or incantations. Many incantations give him the ability to affect physical forces, such as the inner workings of mechanisms, and the movements of others, allowing him to move objects and control their motion and momentum with the proper incantation. Despite John being a master sorcerer in his own right, he finds the idea of facing Damien Darhk suicide; implying that Damien is far more powerful than the former.
- Binding: John is able to use his magic to bind people in magic.[18]
- Cloaking spell: John recognized and dispelled this magic at Felix Faust's hideout.[6]
- Dark magic: John is known to be highly skilled in the Dark Arts, having studied black magic lore while still young. His knowledge of the Dark Arts is often used to dispel dark magic spells, with him even knowing on how to call upon God's magic power to dispel even Satan's dark magic spells, as he did to banish an acetate containing the Devil's voice to Hell.
- Banishment: John is capable of banishing demonic and supernatural creatures to Hell through the use of various spells, as well as by opening portals to Hell.
- Phobikinesis: With help from Neron, Constantine is now able to use fear to power his dark magic to the point he can open a portal to Hell that people can now come back from; previously, he'd only been able to open portals that could send people to hell, but not get through from the other side.[19]
- Necromancy: John mentioned that he mastered necromancy during his teenage years. With the help of Papa Midnite, he was able to allow the spirits of the dead to move on to the afterlife. John is also capable of restoring a person's lost soul back into their body. He was able to restore Sara Lance's soul and mentioned he had restored a person's soul once before. He also performed a ritual to temporarily reanimate and speak with the dead at the Chicago morgue using the Hand of Glory artifact.[8][9]
- Corpse Reanimation: When John Constantine was under attack from Brother Voodoo he reanimated a corpse to trick Brother Voodoo.
- Summoning: John can summon various entities, and even control them. He has summoned demons to fight other demons for him, and once summoned a demon into his body to protect himself from a Invunche.
- Duplicity spell: John used this spell to cover the location of Jasper Winters' millhouse.[6]
- Exorcism: John can exorcize spirits that are demonic or ghostly in origin from their hosts by chanting incantations. Exorcism is one of John's most prominent abilities.
- Glamour: John is able to use his magic to glamour his appearance to make him look like other people.[20]
- Interdimensional travel: John, along with Ritchie Simpson, knew the Egyptian dream temple technique that would allow them to travel to the reality of Jacob Shaw. John also performed a ritual that transported himself, Oliver Queen, and Laurel Lance to the spirit world, to rescue the trapped soul of Sara Lance.[21] He later used this technique to help Ava Sharpe and Gary Green to locate Sara Lance across time and space, and gaze into the spirit world of Mallus.[3] He can also open a portal to Hell.
- Life-force transference: John was able to use a spell that allowed him to transfer a portion of his life-force energy into a child who had been drained of his own.
- Light magic: Although the full extent of his expertise is unknown, John is capable of using light magic and seems to be quite knowledgeable on how to use it, as he was able to give Oliver a magical tattoo to allow him to channel light magic to fight Darhk. He was proficient enough in light magic to be capable of subduing a demon as powerful as Neron when he was off-guard with ease.
- Amokinesis: With help from the legends and all the other people John has learned to use love to power his light magic. As such, using the love the Legends had for Nate Heywood, he was able to generate enough magic to bring him back.[20]
- Magic circles: John uses magic circles that can be used for rituals, as boundaries, or traps for certain creatures, such as when he used a magic circle to trap the powerful demon, Furcifer, so he could banish it back to hell.[4]
- Protection spells: John taught Chas Chandler the protective Eye of Horus Egyptian symbol technique to protect the apartment belonging to Liv Aberdine[4] John also used a Brittonic spell to give Chas Chandler the ability to resurrect himself from the dead, but only a certain number of times.[6] John also mentioned that he could hide Liv Aberdine from demons with a special spell.
- Pyromancy: John possesses some power over fire, as shown when he was able to create a small ball of fire from his hand, as well as when ignited his hands with a lighter, and suffered no harmful effects from his hands being engulfed in flames.[4] John was also capable of firing blasts of fire.
- Heat Generation: John was able to use a heating spell on a door to stop the agents from following him and the legends.[22]
- Revealing spells: John used a number of revealing spells and dispels.[6][21]
- Sleep spell: John used this spell to put Zed Martin to sleep.[6]
- Telekinesis: John once telekinetically closed and locked a door. He also used this power on a manifestation of a League of Assassins member, freezing its motion and suspending it helplessly in mid-air before killing it with a sword.[8][9]
Abilities
- Occult knowledge: John has acquired extensive knowledge of the supernatural. John is master of the dark arts and well versed in demonology. He has been studying the dark arts since his teenage years.
- Alchemy: John is proficient in creating potent enchanted potions that allow for magical effects to happen. He was able to create a potion that was able to temporarily transform Sara Lance and Ava Sharpe into children.[23]
- Skilled detective: John is a capable detective, specializing in paranormal investigation.
- Expert con artist: John has a well-known reputation of being a con man.
- Expert escape artist: John has shown that he can effortlessly break free from handcuffs when being interrogated by Jim Corrigan.
- Entomology: John was able to immediately recognize Khapra beetles implying he knows insects and could tell them apart very well.
- Extra sensory awareness: John had an uneasy feeling when he first arrived in Star City, which Oliver immediately claimed it was because of Damien Darhk. He was also able to sense Astra's presence when she atral projected invisibly from Hell to spy on him.
- Multilingualism: Aside from English, his mother tongue, John can perform spells in Italian, Assyrian, and Hebrew so it can be presumed he knows the languages fluently. It may also be presumed he knows Arabic and Sanskrit, due to being able to read text written in these languages.
- Skilled hand-to-hand combatant: John possesses some proficiency in fighting, occasionally resorting to physical fighting when he can't use a spell. He was able to knock out two opponents, both strong miners,[1] and he later landed a hit on Papa Midnite after a failed summoning.[24] He later fended off ghouls while Zed Martin reclaimed Imogen's angel feather from Zachary, improvising a nearby piece of plywood as a striking weapon, which continued until he defended Zachary from the residual Ghouls breaking into a church, however he was caught off-guard and was only saved from the restoration of Imogen's wings.[25] He also managed to stab Lamashtu with his switchblade while she was attempting to drown him in a fountain in Mexico City,[5] and later fought off an Invunche even after Anne Marie Flynn put him in a weakened state by shooting him, long enough to let Pazuzu possess him to properly fight off the Invunche. In a Mexican prison, he fought off the leading brother of Santa Muerte, despite the latter wielding a knife.[2] When Manny placed a bounty on John's head, he fought off a "voodoo zombie" controlled by Papa Midnite, but he was no match and had to be saved by a gun-toting Jim Corrigan. He later retaliated against Midnite when he snuck up behind him and knocked him down with a series of punches and knocked him out with two hits from the stock of the Ace of Winchester.[26] Years before, he warned Oliver Queen himself that he has "a hell of a right hook".[9] Analyzing all of Constantine's fights, it can be said that Constantine's fighting style is Bare-Knuckle Boxing.
- Skilled swordsman: During a spiritual adventure to save Sara Lance's soul, John demonstrated a degree of swordsmanship, able to hold his own against a manifestation of a League of Assassins member. However, he was quickly pressured enough that he had to resort to magic to defeat his opponent. He was also able to fight against his ancestor, Konstentyn, and ended the fight in a few moments before slicing his hand off.
Equipment
Original multiverse
- Bag: John has a bag of items that he may need for his investigations. Some items he carries in the bag are holy water, a police scanner, cemetery dirt, duct tape, and nails from the coffin of Saint Padua, which can be used as a tracking device.
- Business cards: John carries business cards that read, "John Constantine; Exorcist, Demonologist, and Master of the dark arts".
- Driving license: John carries around his United Kingdom driving license.
- Hunting knife: John carries a hunting knife.[23]
- Lighter: John uses a specific lighter to which he lights a cigarette. This particular lighter bears an Ace of Spades, possibly to show that he faces his conflicts by himself.
- Scry Map: John possesses a map in which he uses to find new supernatural events to investigate.
- Six of Diamonds magic card: John possesses a charming card that is able to take on the appearance of whatever its holder requires. John has used this card to imitate a credit card and health and human services ID.
- Stone of true seeing: John was given this artifact by Felix Faust to see the invisible demon Karabasan.[6]
Former equipment
- Icon of Pazuzu: John used this artifact to unleash Pazuzu's rage on Lamashtu. He then turned its powers onto itself, letting Pazuzu possess him, removing the artifact and leaving a symbol of Pazuzu on John's hand.[2][5]
- Ring of Solomon: John used this artifact to trap Mnemoth.[27]
New multiverse
Former equipment
- Hellfire gun: John had a gun from hell which had ignis inferni bullets. It could kill the living as well as the dead, with its bullets completely obliterating their targets on contact. The bullets could also jump from target to target.[28]
- Captain Cold's goggles: When John is going to South Pole, he wore the goggles. As he later realized he was tricked by Charlie, he took it off.
Weaknesses
- Antimatter: After the ritual to retrieve Oliver's soul failed, Constantine says that antimatter can block the effects of magic.
- Lung cancer: After Astra uses his soul chip to turn his burgeoning lung cancer up to 10, which causes him to collapse to the floor in a fit, coughing up blood. In other words, Constantine is suddenly dying. After making a deal with Astra, Constantine lung cancer has disappeared, though that doesn’t mean it won’t come back within that 10 year period.[29]
Appearances
Constantine
John Con Noir
- "Trash" (non-canon)
Arrow
Season 4
- "Haunted"
- "Lost Souls" (mentioned)
- "Unchained" (mentioned)
- "Taken" (mentioned)
- "Genesis" (mentioned)
DC's Legends of Tomorrow
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5 |
Batwoman
Season 1
The Flash
Season 6
Gallery
Promotional images
Constantine
DC's Legends of Tomorrow
Season 5
Trivia
- Constantine's lifespan was stated to only reach 2030. He was meant to die of lung cancer,[30] but has since given up smoking.[31] However, according to Astra, the cancer's already in his lungs,[29] so quitting smoking won't keep him from dying.
- It's possible Constantine wants to use the Loom to get rid of his cancer.
- He is bisexual as he was a lover with Sara Lance and Desmond although Desmond broke up with him.
- Constantine genuinely tries to avoid people he owes a debt to, having apparently earned at least a punch to the face for the last time he met said people.
- He's literally made a deal with the devil, specifically Earth-666's Lucifer Morningstar.[32]
- Constantine takes work where he can get it, so he will even perform a ritual to ensure a marriage if the customer pays him.[3]
- He won his apartment in a duel, which according to Constantine is "perfectly legal".[3]
- He is not fond of Doctor Who.[3]
- Constantine is a fan of Sting, even stating that "in the hands of a master, a lute is a formidable weapon. Just look at Sting."[33]
- This is possibly a reference to how Sting was the source of visual inspiration for Constantine's look.
- At 5'11", Constantine is the shortest male Legend (current or former), tied with Jefferson Jackson, Carter Hall, Scythian Torvil, and Rip Hunter. The next shortest is Nate Heywood at 6 feet.
- His motto is "relax and the work just flows".
- Charlie's nickname for him is "John-O", while Mick Rory calls him "Trench Coat" and "Weasel".
- Constantine can flawlessly impersonate an American accent.[33]
- He does not own a cell phone.[3]
- Constantine has a LinkedIn profile[34] that was shared by the official Constantine Twitter account.[35]
- He is of Northern-Irish descent through his mother and English descent through his father.
- His favorite among the Triumvirate of Hell is Beelzebub.
- Unlike the source material where his name is pronounced "Constan-tine" (rhymes with fine), this iteration goes by "Constan-teen".
- This is brought up as a joke when Constantine went to Earth-666 to collect his favor Lucifer Morningstar.
Behind the scenes
- In DC Comics continuity, John Constantine is a famous warlock, sorcerer and investigator of magic, first appearing as a supporting character in "Swamp Thing" and later on as the star of his own book "Hellblazer".
- During the early development of the Dark Universe film, Mexican film director Guillermo del Toro expressed interest in casting Matt Ryan as John Constantine in the DC Extended Universe (despite the fact that the DCEU and Arrowverse were separate multiverses), saying that he was in talks with Warner Bros. to make the Constantine TV series canonical with the DCEU (this was reported before Constantine was made canonical with the Arrowverse; it is not known if this would have made the Arrowverse canonical with the DCEU, or whether Constantine's inclusion into the Arrowverse would even have been possible if del Toro's proposal had been accepted).[36] However, Constantine was cancelled before Warner Bros. could give its approval. With del Toro's departure from the project and Doug Liman's arrival on it, it is likely that the idea has been scrapped.[37][38]