John Constantine (New Earth-Forty Three)

Origin X
John Constantine was born the son of English couple, Thomas and Mary Constantine, who lived in London, England.

John's mother would die, when John was two years old and his father would be sent to jail when he was 7 after being caught stealing women's underwear. John was left to be raised by his elder sister who was 15 at the time and had to act as his guardian.

John would grow up obsessed with the occult and magic of the world along with a very anti-social personality that took the form of being as most people describe as a witty prick. John would leave home when he was 17 without a word and would begin living with his friend, Chas Chandler in a pursuit of studying the occult and would take up his well known habit of smoking during this period.

When John was 18, he would end up discovering The Cult of the Cold Flame, who were good magic users, who killed evil magics user to protect the world. John was not aware of this at the time and saved Nick Necro a dark sorcerer, who saw John magical potential and convinced him that he was good and the Cult was evil and even offered to train him as his apprentice. John would succeed in free Nick, through the later guiding him on how to free him. After escaping the Cult, John and Nick would depart from London and travel to New York City, where Nick would train John for as John described a literal "Year in Hell." Nick would teach John basic dark magic to help him do jobs for him, which involved John having to make deals with or kill demons for what Nick wanted.

The apprenticeship would end when Nick attempted to sacrifice John to a demon for a magical artifact. John was only saved however, due to offering a more powerful demon known as Nergal both Nick and his demons life as well as the magical artifact. The demon accepted the deal and killed the other demon and Nick as well as took the artifact and left John alive.

After the ordeal, John would stay in New York for 7 years using Nick's home as a base and his magic notes and books to continue his studies. John would also become a detective in the city, where he would solve both normal mysteries and magical mysteries. During this period the Cult of the Cold Flame would find John and interrogate him about Nick, but would let him go after he revealed what happened to Nick and what he has done since.

John would return to London shortly after the Cult freed him, where he continued to be a mystic detective and would make a name for himself among the superhero community with both his skills as a detective and magician.