John Constantine

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

John Constantine first appeared in 1985 as a recurring character in Swamp Thing, acting as a 'supernatural advisor' to the main character. In these early appearances, he was depicted as a sorcerer of questionable morality, whose appearance was based on that of the musician Sting (specifically, as Sting appeared in the films Brimstone and Treacle and Quadrophenia). Alan Moore created the character after artists Stephen R. Bissette and John Totleben, who were fans of The Police, expressed a desire to draw a character who looked like Sting. In his earliest Swamp Thing appearances, the character is drawn with a marked resemblance to Sting, and in Swamp Thing #51, Constantine appears on a boat with the name The Honourable Gordon Sumner on the bow. Sting's connection to Newcastle (the singer's childhood home) was also incorporated into the character's story. Moore described Constantine as being drawn from a number of 'really good ideas ... about serial killers, the Winchester House, and ... want[ing] to draw Sting in a story'. Calling these disparate strands a 'big intellectual puzzle', Constantine was the result of 'fit[ting] it all together'. Initially created 'purely to get Sting into the story', by the time of the 1985 San Diego ComicCon, Moore stated, 'It's turning into something more than that now.' Veitch's contribution was to give Constantine an earring, something he considered risque for 1985.

In Their Own Story

John Constantine was born in Liverpool on 10 May 1953, the son of Mary Anne and Thomas Constantine. Mary Anne died giving birth to him and his stillborn twin brother because an earlier abortion, forced on her by Thomas, had weakened her womb. Since he was unable to accept responsibility for his wife's death, Thomas blamed John, so that from early on, the pair had a deep dislike for each other. While in the womb, John strangled his twin brother with his own umbilical cord; in a parallel universe, the twin survives to become the well-loved and well-adjusted magician John never was. In their childhood, John and his older sister Cheryl lived briefly with their aunt and uncle in Northampton to escape from their father's alcoholism and subsequent imprisonment for stealing a female neighbour's underwear. They moved back to Liverpool when their father was released. John's bloodline and ancestry were known as the Laughing Magicians, legendary mages who have the power over synchronicity and were infamous for bluffing and tricking gods. One of John's first acts of magic, as a child, was to hide all of his childhood innocence and vulnerability in a box to rid himself of it. Later, in the 1960s, a teenaged John ran away from home after a botched curse caused his father to become withered and frail. John eventually made his permanent home in London in 1969, rooming with Chas Chandler, who would later become his closest and longest-surviving friend. During the 1970s, John became involved in occult circles in London. He travelled to other countries and visited San Francisco, where he began dating Zatanna Zatara, a female magician.

Reader's Guide

John Constantine is a working-class warlock, occult detective, exorcist, and con man from Liverpool stationed in London. He is known for his cynicism, deadpan wit, ruthless cunning, and constant chain smoking, but also as a passionate humanitarian with a deep desire to make a positive impact. His magic is practical and streetwise—Moore described him as 'an almost blue-collar warlock ... streetwise, working class, and from a different background than the standard run of comic book mystics.' Constantine's defining trait is his ability to manipulate and outwit supernatural entities through deception and loopholes, rather than brute force. He won the Eagle Award for 'Favourite Supporting Character' twice in 1986 and 1987. The character made his live-action debut in the film Constantine (2005), played by Keanu Reeves. On television, Constantine was played by Matt Ryan in the series Constantine, who later reprised the role in 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 Sandman television series.

Did You Know?

• John Constantine's appearance was based on the musician Sting, specifically as he appeared in the films Brimstone and Treacle and Quadrophenia.
• In Swamp Thing #51, Constantine appears on a boat named The Honourable Gordon Sumner—a reference to Sting's real name.
• Constantine won the Eagle Award for 'Favourite Supporting Character' twice, in 1986 and 1987.
• The character was created by Alan Moore, Stephen R. Bissette, and John Totleben, first appearing in Swamp Thing #37 (June 1985).
• Jenna Coleman portrayed a female version of the character (and her ancestor) in the television series The Sandman.