aquarian

I just think he's not the kind of person to let a little kid drown in shit (assuming when you say gutter, you mean the drain beneath the surface of the road).

 

He wouldn't give the last cig though, unless he knew the person or was feeling particularly compassionate at the time.

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Right. Thanks again, James, that was particularly helpful. Although, I don't think his Silk Cuts would have been anything good to give someone short of their last breath. :( [That wasn't even remotely funny...]

(a) Help lady rescue child who fell into sewer gutter

5

 

(b) Give a dying man a cig (out of pity? or spite? sheer amusement?)

4

 

Right, thanks. Does the 5 on the former mean JC's got a bit of a hero complex, or just that he's not averted to random acts of kindness? And, for the latter, I was wondering if JC's actually the type to surrender his last stick to a complete stranger who looks like he doesn't even have the time to finish it. Is JC more practical and calluosly realistic or compassionate? I don't mean for you, James, specifically to answer these, but you've got the ball rolling, so thanks.

Could you kind people please help me out with this moral dilemma?

Out of these situations, what would John Constantine most likely do?

Rank 1-5 with 1 being lowest, feel free to comment.

(a) Help lady rescue child who fell into sewer gutter

(b) Give a dying man a cig (out of pity? or spite? sheer amusement?)

© Laugh in public about something he saw or heard (may or may not be funny)

(d) Sing a song, must be out loud with at least one audience

(e) Give someone he is acquainted to or close to a gift, with no strings attached

There are some things I want to see clearer about Constantine's personality. People seem to agree that he's much of a loner, perhaps a sociopath, and somewhat of a user. Has he ever given, without wanting something in return? Has he ever lived his life in a carefree manner? With all the darkness of humanity that surrounds him, one wonders if he's permanently affected by those evils. Those of you who replied to my previous question seemed to agree that Constantine is generally an anarchist, but does this mean that he simply desires freedom from all forms of authority, or does he want to feel superior, in a way, to all men/beings who want to subjugate him?

Yeah, it would be interesting for John to tangle with the disciples of La Santa Muerte. 

 

http://www.azcentral.com/specials/special0...18Reaper18.html

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This suggestion gave me a fantastic idea. The article was written last year though, but it got me interested so much that after this I'm going to research more on it. Death as an icon of worship, I understand, has been explored already (to an extent I am unaware of) in HB. (This knowledge is c/o the PhD thesis thread here, as posted by James.)

When a town's death instinct is brought out, its vicar is transformed into a religious diety and symbol of death. WRITTEN BY GRANT MORRISON (#25-26)

I've also been recently curious about JC's political opinions--specifically, if he's ever cared enough to speak some memorable line or such about Third World poverty (recalling his trips to South America among other such places) and graft and corruption in any government.

Care to help a poor (ignorant) fan, anybody?

Thanks for all the fish, folks. And the help, too. If I come across any more curiosities that my brain wishes to link to John Constantine, I'll be sure to let you know.

Was the topic only ever explored in JC's home country, or did it also involve, like, the sacred sites of the world or something that extended beyond England, or possibly even beyond Europe?

I'm sorry that I'm being such a nuisance with these little details, but where I'm from, it's really hard to get HB, in good form or otherwise. (->.<-) [embarassed!]

Was the subject of 'leylines' ever mentioned in HB? I'm very curious, especially since this theory was started in the UK.

I would love for him to tackle some of European traditions and magic customs...

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Has Constantine ever encountered gypsies? Was there ever any mention in HB about the vampire myths of Romania? This is all very interesting suddenly, though I must admit that I can't see much of JC being some sort of magical crusader out to hunt down the mythical beings of the world. The idea of stumbling upon Nessie is funny to me, but then again, capital ideas like Black Plague theories and Illuminati conspiracies and even Nazi occultism could be fascinating.

It would perhaps be a gamble, at best. But then again, if someone can pull it off, a spin-off can attract a new breed of fans from other genres into HB. (Take me, for example. The movie was worth it, in that aspect.)

For what it's worth, I absolutely adored Rogan's "Divine Comedy Travelogue". For some reason, an image of Travelocity's infamous gnome popped into my head, with a voiceover saying, "Dropping down the Nine Circles can be a hell of a ride. But, getting tangled in bungee cord at the Pit is not fun alone. Wish you were here!"

But, seriously, I don't imagine JC is ever one to stick to the status quo, so I don't think there's any hope for him being a straight-laced demon. I actually think he's the type to get booted out of Hell, and then manage to make it look like he's walked out of there in style.

And then, there is this other idea that just occured to me. It seems confusing at best, but perhaps someone will pick it up and sort it out for me. I was thinking, since HB primarily delves into the darker shades of mysticism and the occult, maybe this Demon Constantine can work with spiritual philosophies and new age cults and societies, where he acts as a quasi-Devil's Advocate to people who think they've gotten the modern man's thinking down to a pat. But then, I imagine, this could only give birth to a massive dialogue-heavy brain tumor that might as well just be a book to save on the ink...

Oh well, I tried.

though now that I think of it, he could go on some kind of avenging spree - or some demon could do it - against all the drunk turists, the kind that only goes to Mexico to get wasted.

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What is the likelihood of JC stumbling into a supernatural disaster/conspiracy in Mexico? I don't think he's even enough of a hero to care about US gringos dying all over the place. But then again, I'm not really much acquainted with Constantine. Would it be like him to have 'friends' in the country? Or perhaps 'neutral' acquaintances? There's Catemaco, the capital of witchcraft in the country, for instance. Although, I've no idea what he thinks of witches. The only encounter I can remember he's had was with Chas' mother, and that didn't end pretty.

Well, to be fair, Mictlantecuhtli plays a pretty major part in the entire All His Engines book. It's not just that page...

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Thanks for the info, Red. What's the Aztec god of death to do with it all?

And thanks to Hmpf for that fascinating comment. Now we know the great lengths Constantine will go not to part with his trenchcoat. Heh, it reminds me of his stint in the Books of Magic prequel...it made his "trenchcoat brigade" ridiculing all the more funny and self-deprecating.

I read about that just a while ago in another topic. But I don't think the Brueja is from Mexico. Down south, I believe, or else it would have been "bruja" instead of "brueja". Hmm...dismal, really. But that's not to say that there isn't a chance that Mexico won't ever appear in HB. Here's to hoping, someday.

It's to do with the Beast of the Apocalypse having set himself up in the collective unconscious of humanity, and fucking with everybody's heads in a big way. More or less.

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Hmm...so I guess there's no specific reason there why the Mexicans kill themselves. Oh well, I guess that narrows down the list of significant references to one, again. So far, only that AHE page has any hint of Constantine's knowledge of Mexican occult, and it's not a very good one.

Thanks, Mark!

Why are they killing themselves anyway?

Oh, mostly curiosity. Although it's to do with the movie more than the comic. Some of my chat friends who read Constantine fics in the net have been recently bitching about the movie's messed-up story and we've been wondering whether the original Constantine would ever believe that Nazi occult relics can be found in Mexico. That, and if Mexico has ever been explored in the HB world. The place is just steeped in the occult, and the movie just managed to make a joke of the place, really. :(

Oh, wait! I'm terribly sorry. What I meant was that bit on "Staring at the Wall" that James mentioned. But since there isn't any chance of getting the page on that...

Thanks anyways for all the help, all of you!

Thanks very much, Rogan.

I was wondering if you could still put up that bit in AHE that you mentioned. If it's alright with you. :)

Thanks again for the help. :)

I really appreciate you all for helping me out. That tip about the Atzlan was particularly helpful. :)

So Constantine's been to Brazil? (Though my curiosity is piqued, I think I wouldn't want to overdo my research..)

If this is really all there is to say about Constantine and Mexico, then thanks a bunch to all you guys who helped me out!!! :) Please do tell me if you happen to find more info.

Thank you guys!!!

Mexico featured very briefly in the shitty film "Constantine", but it might as well have been anywhere else in the world. And that movie was so far divorced from the comic I don't know why I mentioned it.

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Thanks for your input, James. I appreciate it.

Umm, about that Mexico thing in the movie, I recall reading something about Nazi occult relics being unearthed in some place in Mexico (or were they only suspected to be Nazi-related?).

That would be beautiful, thank you! Although, I wouldn't really mind if you wouldn't busy yourself too much with this small request of mine. It's just that, I need to know if the DCverse takes Mexican occult more seriously than a footnote. If Constantine knew anything specific about Mexican witchcraft, or if there was any hint that the place means more to him than a piece of land he's never set foot on (I am quite expecting him to have contacts in Mexico, being something of a world-class con artist) then I would very much appreciate it if you could tell me about it. I guess I should be asking if any of you guys who could still remember these kind of things know if Constantine had any significant or personal knowledge of Mexico. It's just this thing that I really want to know about Constantine that I know is going to be a bother if I don't find out about it sooner rather than later..

Thank you, Rogan, for replying so fast. I hope I'm not making a nuisance of myself with this.. please, can anyone help me work this thing with Mexico once and for all?

Once again, thanks!

Can anybody please help me find out if -any- of the comics in Hellblazer has even the slightest reference to Mexico? Please? It would be even better if you can tell me about a reference to Mexico from any other comic book in the DCverse--so long as it still comes from the world where Constantine exists.

I know this sounds too demanding a task, to have to scrounge up something most probably of miniscule worth (or even none at all) to Hellblazer and the DCverse even. And I can't really claim that it's on urgent, dire and ultimately life-threatening business that I seek out this information. (*sigh*) Truth is I'm just some insignificant nobody of a fan of fanfiction, and there's this plot bunny that bit me...and it got me just that little bit curious whether John Constantine is or is not aware of Mexico's strong ties with the occult. Just say that I want to get the facts straight.

Please, anybody, could you drop me a line on this asap?

Thank you!