- John Constantine, the Laughing Magician - One of the world's foremost supernatural experts, a powerful magus, a humanist who will defend humanity against the machinations of both heaven and hell; he is all of these things.
- John Constantine, the Constant One - Con man, liar, trickster, opportunistic bastard; he is all of these things too.
- Born in Liverpool, England, the only surviving twin of two (having strangled his twin in the womb), John never knew his mother's love. She died giving birth to him, an event that left him forever estranged from his father. Raised with his older sister by their aunt due to his father's alcoholism, it wasn't until his teens that he began to learn of his magical lineage, and to experiment with the occult.
- The Spectre's judgement, however, prevented him from developing actual magical power, even kept the true gift of his bloodline, the mantle of the Laughing Magician, from truly activating, which forced the budding magus to have to sharped his skills as a con-man and liar at least as much as his knowledge of sorcery.
- Traveling around Europe, he sharpened his meager magical skills, his budding talents with Synchronicity, and formed his punk band, Mucous Membrane, while doing some stints as a stage magician.
- His first attempt at doing something 'heroic' with his occult knowledge, however, was a total disaster, resulting in the deaths of several of his friends and band members, and the damnation to hell of a little girl, Astra, as he accidentally stumbled into one of the 'cracks' in the Spectre's Judgement that allowed powerful demons to come through. The fallout from that event landed him in Ravenscar Asylum, where he nearly finished losing what was left of his mind after witnessing this.
- It was during his time in Ravenscar that the judgement was lifted… and Constantine truly came into his power. The Synchronicity freeway called to him, the seductive song of magical power thrummed through him, all his years of study and theory suddenly becoming very, very applicable.
- Escaping from Ravenscar thanks to his newfound gifts, John dedicated himself to trying to do some good with his knowledge and power… even if that good often came at too high a price. He's a powerful magus now, but he knows better than most the cost of such power, and he knows that it can be taken away as quickly as it arrived. He focuses more on his birthright and his skills as a liar and con-man than his magic, for the price of magic is one that the people around him tended to end up paying more often than him.
- Throughout the years since rising to his true power, John's gone up against some of the heaviest hitters of heaven and hell, and through guile, deceit, and just a touch of magic here and there, bested them all. How long this streak will hold out, no one knows.. and the victories have never come without a harsh price, not least of which is the demon's blood that now courses through his veins.
- What he's doing away from his usual haunts, and here, is a mystery to everyone.. perhaps including himself. But where the Laughing Magician walks, trouble can only follow.
Humanist
Constantine is a compassionate and strident humanist, dedicated to, at almost any cost, defend humanity against the supernatural threats that try to control and prey upon it, whether those threats come from heaven or from hell.
Bastard
A cynical, foul-mouthed, nearly broken shell of a man even at the best of times, Constantine harbors few illusions about the nobility of humanity or the price to pay to defend it. Some things just need to be done, and if he has to lie, cheat, and betray almost anyone to do them, he'll do it. He'll regret it, but he's used to the guilt by now.
Motivation
Outwardly, John may be seeming to try to be a hero, to defend humanity against occult threats, but deep inside he knows the truth: he's an adrenaline junkie, living for that thrill and danger that only the occult, the supernatural, can give him. He'll ride the synchronicity freeway right into the Devil's maw and right back out again, laughing and cursing and smoking the whole time, and when it's done, he'll hop back on for another ride.
Goals
Even John isn't entirely sure what his goals here are. The Synchronicity Wave brought him here: as much as he can control destiny through it, destiny often pulls him where he needs to be as well. Something's going to happen here, he knows it.. and whatever it is, he's here to see it.
Magic
Constantine is a magician of remarkable skill, possibly one of the greatest on Earth, but he rarely uses it, especially in combat, preferring to rely on his wits and deceit. Still, his magic repertoire includes: Divination, Demon Summoning, Curses, Spirit Wards, Golemancy, Necromancy, Illusion Casting, and Mind Control. If pushed, he can also rely on his skill at pyromancy (a gift, perhaps, from his demon blood) for combat.
Demon Blood
During one of his many misadventures, Constantine ended up with the blood of the demon Nergal coursing through his veins. While this retards the aging process and gives him an almost supernatural ability to take and survive damage, it also marks him as demonic to those who can sense such things. It is rumored his blood can be a powerful healing agent for others.
Synchronicity Wave Travelling
An instinctual ability that only those who bear the title of the Laughing Magician can use. It's the ability to be in the right place, at the right time, instinctively. When he rides the synchronicity freeway, things just seem to go his way, bullets miss, things work for him, things work against his enemies, and everyone involved is in for a ride. His ability to survive through almost anything, including going toe to toe with some of the biggest names in hell, and coming out on top. Unfortunately, the protection this affords him does not usually extend to those around him, who often end up paying for it.
Deception
John is an amazing con artist and negotiator, a liar and a cheat par excellence, skills that he tends to rely on more than his magic to get him out (or into) trouble.
Trenchcoat
John's trenchcoat is a lot like Indiana Jones' hat: he never loses it for long. It's marked on the inside with hidden demonic symbols, secret pockets containing the tools of this trade, and always at least one pack of Silk Cut.
Contacts
Through his Synchronicity ability, John always seems to know just the right person to call, and can often find them when he needs them. They may not always be too happy to see him, but that's a whole other matter. In the end, wherever he is and wherever he goes, he's quite likely to either know, or randomly bump into, a person from his past who just might be able to help him achieve whatever his goal is. These contacts rarely survive the experience unscathed.. or, sometimes, at all.
Occultism
John is one of the world's foremost occult experts, knowledgeable in almost every area of the occult and supernatural, especially when it comes to magic and demons.
Stage Magic
Constantine is very knowledgeable in all the tricks of the stage magician, prestidigitation, etc.
Hypnosis
John is a capable hypnotist, able to use his skill to implant suggestions, help people access their subconscious, etc.
Escapology
Perhaps as part of his knowledge of stage magic, there's very few locks, handcuffs, or straitjackets that can hold Constantine for very long.
Hypnosis
John is a capable hypnotist, able to use his skill to implant suggestions, help people access their subconscious, etc.
Demon Blood
Though it is a power/advantage as well, the demon blood that courses through his veins also marks him as a target to many who can sense such things. And while it gives him additional endurance and the ability to take massive amounts of damage, punishment, and pain and practically walk it off, it also plays hell with attempts to heal him, especially with magic.
Guilt
Constantine is wracked with the guilt of all the lives that have been lost or ruined merely for being around him, for caring about him, or for being his friend. He has tried to make amends, but reminding him of all the pain he's caused those who trust him is a sure way to knock him off his game.. or to make him mad, and even more dangerous.
Constantine's reputation precedes him: everyone who knows of him, knows he's not to be trusted, that he'll lie and cheat and steal and betray you and won't even miss a step doing it. It's a testament to his skill that despite this, he still manages to gain the trust of so many of those same people. Again.
