John Constantine

Later learning that he was descended not only from the Roman emperor, Constantine the Great, but also from the legendary Laughing Magicians (including the ancient Brittonic king Kon-Sten-Tyn; the 1st century Byzantine practitioner of the dark arts, Constantine of Constantinople; the 17th Century conman & mercenary, Harry Constantine; the mid-17th Century Ukrainian Cossack magician, Pyotr Konstantin; the early-18th century colonial New York publican and petty magician, Hugh Constantine; the 18th Century aristocrat & adventurer, Johanna Constantine; the early 19th Century black magic practitioner & pirate, Dark Conrad and the 19th Century conman & opium dealer James Constantine), which explained his ability to perceive the true nature of supernatural beings at an early age, John grew up highly cynical and cunning with an interest in the dark arts. In his teenage years he was introduced into the occult and became a respected legend among the dabblers of magic. The Laughing Magicians would continue to the end of times with the last one being Jack the Fool.

Although not a family man (both his father & sister would be brutally murdered because of him) he would have a few long term relationships (e.g. Emma, Kit Ryan & Danita Wright) and he would eventually marry Epiphany Constantine; he is the biological father of (Swamp Thing & Abby's daughter) Tefé Holland, (via) Nergal's demoness daughter Rosacarnis he is also the father of the self-loathing Maria Constantine (her brothers Saul & Adam were destroyed by The First of the Fallen) & he is also, after a one-night stand with Liza Ikumelo, the father of Noah Ikumelo (who Constantine damned by getting him to take a life). He also has a niece Gemma, whose life would also fall apart due to her uncle John (she was raped by John's creation, his evil double, the Demon Constantine) & an illegitimate nephew Finn (whose life was ruined once John introduced him to magic). Incidentally, just as one of John's enemies, The Family Man, brutally murdered his father, another of his enemies, the King of the Vampires, had been responsible for murdering his grandfather (William Constantine) in the aftermath of the Battle of the Somme during WWI.

The main driving force in John's early magical life was his inability (mainly due to his own arrogance) to save a young sexually-abused girl named Astra Logue from a demon (Nergal) he'd summoned to save her from a weaker one ('The Newcastle Incident'); this event devastated the whole of the Newcastle Crew including John, he was left locked up at the Ravenscar Psychiatric Hospital where he was not treated well (since he had been blamed for the death of an young girl). 'The Newcastle Incident' would also set a precedent for his later life as one-by-one his acquaintances, friends & even ex-lovers would be hurt and even die mainly due to him.

It was after his release from Ravenscar, that Constantine would try to rebuild his life and in 1985 he would eventually meet Swamp Thing (leading to his first appearance in Swamp Thing).