278 HELLBLAZER
was in Newcastle for a gig, Constantine had one of his fi rst traumatic experiences with
magic, when the failed exorcism of a young girl named Astra caused the girl to be
dragged into Hell. Constantine then spent several years in Ravenscar mental hospital
as a result.
Ennis followed Delano and introduced Constantine’s primary rival: “Th e First of
the Fallen,” a replacement for Satan, who could not be used at the time due to events
in Gaiman’s Sandman series, where Lucifer had recently abdicated the throne of Hell.
Th e mutual antagonism between Constantine and the First of the Fallen would develop
throughout Ennis’s run, and later writers like Paul Jenkins and Mike Carey would
develop it further.
A common strategy among the writers has been to run Constantine through a series
of trials and challenges that lead to his life crumbling apart or his rejection of magic,
which then sets up a new status quo for the next writer. At the end of Mike Carey’s run,
for example, Constantine burned his books and artifacts and destroyed connections
with the London magic community. Carey used characters from throughout the series
and unifi ed earlier plotlines into a larger metanarrative that places Constantine at the
center of a power struggle between the First of the Fallen and other demons for control
of Hell.
Constantine is a chain-smoking magician and con man in the hardboiled tradition.
Like the classic hardboiled detective, he functions on the outside of society and only
enters the public realm when his particular skills are needed. He often fi nds himself
reluctantly defending humanity from the forces of both Heaven and Hell, usually by
pitting both sides against each other. In this respect, many writers have treated him as
a trickster fi gure, who serves to challenge both the earthly and metaphysical authorities
who manipulate the lives of average humans. His moral complexity is one of his stron-
gest characteristics: he must often endure signifi cant personal losses in order to survive
or succeed, including ruthlessly sacrifi cing friends, family, and colleagues in his eff orts.
Constantine also moves smoothly between levels of the British class hierarchy: he can
be found at various times in aristocratic magic clubs and in London fl ophouses. He is
also one of the few serial comic characters who ages in real time, though his aging may
be retarded by Nergal’s demon blood.
Th e city of London also plays an important role in Hellblazer , and writers frequently
tap into the city’s history of crime, magic, and mystery. Most writers emphasized
Constantine’s connection to London, locating adventures in Brixton, Camden, Porto-
bello, Hamstead Heath, Paddington, and Peckham, among others. In particular, Ellis
created the character known as “Map,” a mage who lives in the London Underground
and represents the magical spirit of the city. Jenkins connected Constantine to the
broader realm of British folklore and mythology, while Mina moved him temporarily
to Glasgow, and Azzarello took him on a tour of the United States.
A group of associates, friends, and fellow magicians often assist Constantine, though
this group changes frequently due to the high mortality rate of his companions. Recur-
ring members of the cast include Chas Chandler, a London cab driver who remains in
