John Constantine

For the television character, see John Constantine (Arrowverse).

John Constantine
Textless cover of John Constantine, Hellblazer #1 (January 2020).
Art by John Paul Leon.
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceSwamp Thing #37 (June 1985)
Created by
In-story information
Team affiliations
Partnerships
Abilities
  • Genius-level intellect
  • Extensive knowledge of the occult
  • Expert user of magic (i.e. telekinesis, necromancy, pyrokinesis, illusion projection, teleportation and chronokinesis, among others)
  • Expert tactician and manipulator
  • Master con artist
  • Expert detective

John Constantine (/ˈkɒnstənˌtaɪn/)[1] is a fictional antihero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Constantine first appeared in Swamp Thing #37 (June 1985), and was created by Alan Moore, Steve Bissette, and John Totleben.

The titular Hellblazer,[2][3] Constantine is a working-class warlock, occult detective, and con man from Liverpool who is stationed in London. He is known for his endless cynicism, deadpan wit, ruthless cunning, and constant chain smoking, but he is also a passionate humanitarian driven by a heartfelt desire to do some good in his life. Originally a supporting character who played a pivotal role in the "American Gothic" Swamp Thing storyline, Constantine received his own comic in 1988. The musician Sting was a visual inspiration for the character.[4]

The Hellblazer series was the longest-running and most successful title of DC's Vertigo imprint.[5] Empire ranked Constantine third in their 50 Greatest Comic Characters of All Time,[6] while IGN ranked him number 29 in its Top 100 Comic Book Heroes, and the character ranked number 10 in Wizard's Top 200 Comic Book Characters of All Time.

The character made his live-action debut in the film Constantine (2005), played by Keanu Reeves. On television, Constantine was played in the television series Constantine by Matt Ryan, who later reprised the character in the Arrowverse series Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow, and The Flash, and several animated productions. Jenna Coleman later portrayed a female version of the character (and her ancestor) in the television series The Sandman, adapting both Constantines' roles from the comic series.

Some writers who have written his stories have claimed to "see" him.[4][7][8]

  1. ^ Swamp Thing (vol. 2) #73, John corrects Chester Williams's "Constanteen" pronunciation; Hellblazer #34, letters column; Hellblazer #40, rhymed with "design" in a song.
  2. ^ Scott Collura (October 20, 2014). "Comics History 101: Constantine". IGN. October 20, 2014
  3. ^ Alexander C. Irvine (2008). The Dk Vertigo Encyclopedia. Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 978-1-4053-2890-6.
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference interview was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Irvine, Alex (2008). "John Constantine Hellblazer". In Dougall, Alastair (ed.). The Vertigo Encyclopedia. New York: Dorling Kindersley. pp. 102–111. ISBN 978-0-7566-4122-1. OCLC 213309015.
  6. ^ "The 50 greatest comic-book characters". Empire. September 12, 2016. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  7. ^ "Hellblazers". Tabula-rasa.info.
  8. ^ Riesman, Abraham (October 23, 2014). "The Secret History and Uncertain Future of Comics Character John Constantine". Vulture. Retrieved February 2, 2014.