Constantine gets his groove back!
Previously on LEGENDS OF TOMORROW…
It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of John Constantine. From the moment I read the “Dangerous Habits” story arc, I’ve followed the rogue mage who only cared about himself. I’ve always thought that Matt Ryan’s portrayal of Constantine – first on his failed NBC series and then within the confines of the ARROWVERSE – has been spot on, bringing the character to life in a way I never would have expected.
But the John Constantine we see on Legends of Tomorrow isn’t really true to the character that Alan Moore created in the pages of The Saga of the Swamp Thing. It’s a watered-down version that fits within the world in which he inhabits. We see glimpses here or there, but the version of Constantine on Legends would get eaten alive by the ones written by Garth Ennis or Brian Azzarello or even Si Spurrier. But in this episode, it felt like we got closer to the true nature of Constantine than anything else we’ve seen on Legends this season.
John Constantine is a bastard. He’s selfish and cares only about his own survival. Yes, he may work for the greater good at times, but if the greater good come into conflict with Constantine’s needs, the greater good would be damned.
Stripped of his magic after he and the Legends re-trapped Aleister Crowley back in a painting in THE SATANIST’S APPRENTICE, Constantine has slowly become a dangerous, wounded animal, obsessed with the idea of finding the Fountain of Imperium, which he believes will restore his magic. Using a map obtained from a vampire banker named Noelle, Constantine takes the newest Legend, Spooner, back to Spain in the 1930s, where the fountain was last seen. Constantine and Spooner, along with a mute named Fernando imbued with the powers of the fountain, have to outwit Spanish fascists and rebels in order to meet their goals. But the Fountain doesn’t find Constantine worthy. Probably because he isn’t.
But John eventually does get some power back, by drinking a potion that the vampire banker had prepared for Crowley. The HELLBLAZER trades the painting holding Crowley’s soul for a supply of the potion, which probably doesn’t bode well for anyone.
Back on the Waverider, Mick is still impregnated after his encounter with alien Kayla, and he’s not handling it well, Ava and Sara are off planning their wedding and Baby Gus-Gus grows at a much faster rate than the Legends were prepared for, forcing the team to kick it off its ship and, I’m assuming, create the legend of Bigfoot in the process.
Nothing is safe from these lovable losers.
Does Constantine end up being the season’s big bad? We still have more aliens in the timestream to capture, but you can’t put it past the Legends crew to be throwing a bit of a misdirect.