John Constantine

John Constantine is a fictional character in the DC/Vertigo universe. An antihero, magician, occult detective, and con man, he was first mentioned in issue 2 of the Sandman series in The Sandman Vol. 2, though he didn't appear until issue 3.

He is descended from Lady Johanna Constantine who also had dealings with the Endless.

History
John Constantine is an occult detective and professional sorcerer from Liverpool but currently lives in London. He is a cynical, foul-mouthed, chain-smoking, anti-hero. He appeared in his own series, Hellblazer, for many years during which he aged in real-time. He has been a member of Justice League Dark, the Newcastle Crew, and the Trench Coat Brigade.

He has also acted as a supernatural adviser and ally to the Swamp Thing, appearing in Saga of the Swamp Thing #25.

He is mentioned by the three fates, who said Constantine had traded Morpheus' bag of sand to a demon. Morpheus tracks him down in the human world, arriving in London in a grand cloak which Constantine said would be "dead embarrassing" to be seen with on public transport. He assists in Dream's pursuit of the bag of magical sand, a pursuit that ends with the death of an old girlfriend. In return, Morpheus cures him of the nightmares he's been having.

Constantine is not seen again until issue 71 of Sandman. In Sandman Presents: Love Street, where a young John Constantine is seen in the house of Morpheus when Dream was still being held captive.

Appearance
Throughout the series he is usually portrayed with blond short hair (sometimes lighter or longer depending on the artist of the issue) and blue eyes. Some issues have him with facial hair while others have him clean shaven. While Constantine has worn many clothes over the years he was originally portrayed as often wearing a blue pin-stripe suit, tan trench coat and occasionally gloves.

As the series progressed his trademark attire became a grungier, more rumpled trench coat, white shirt and black tie. Constantine chain-smokes Silk Cut cigarettes, consuming thirty or so a day.

Personality
Constantine is known for his cynicism, deadpan snarking, ruthless cunning, and constant chain-smoking, but is also a passionate humanist, driven by a heartfelt desire to do some good in his life.

Powers

 * Magic: John is a highly skilled sorcerer, having been practicing magic since he was a teen. He quickly mastered all the magic that Europe had to offer and went to America to train under Nick Necro, a notable magician. John is skilled in various forms of magic, most notably Black Magic, a dangerous and malevolent sort of magic that is known to come at a high cost to it's practitioner.
 * Astral Projection: John is able to create astral projections of himself.
 * Demon Summoning: John is capable of summoning demonic entities through various spells.
 * Dimensional Travel: John is capable of creating portals to other dimensions and realities.
 * Divination
 * Exorcism: John is able to forcibly remove possessing entities such as demonic spirits from the body they are possessing.
 * Magical Sense: John is able to sense the presence of magic.
 * Necromancy
 * Pyrokinesis: John is capable of using magic to manipulate fire. He is able to engulf his hands in flames, as well as turn the small flame from his lighter into a flamethrower.

Abilities

 * Deception: John Constantine is an excellent con artist and negotiator. These skills are often more useful than his magical ones. Constantine faces most of his challenges relying primarily on his cunning skills.
 * Escapology
 * Hypnosis
 * Indomitable Will: John possesses the willpower to resist being possessed by Deadman and was not corrupted by Pandora's box.
 * Intimidation
 * Investigation: John is a highly skilled occult detective.
 * Prestidigitation
 * Hand-to-Hand Combat

Behind the Scenes

 * When he possessed demon blood, John Constantine was considered the strongest of the "Magic Blood" classification, magic users who carried the blood of magical beings and are able to withstand a level of magic that a human body cannot normally handle.
 * Constantine doesn't know how to ride a bicycle. He never learned.
 * Constantine hates the word "moist". He admits he'll jump through verbal hoops to avoid saying it.
 * Constantine doesn't like the band Coldplay. He considers their music to be "for bedwetters".