As fans, we love digging into every last detail of our favorite shows. During its short run on NBC, Constantine was chock full with Easter eggs. Here are a few of our favorites!
For Hellblazer fans, NBC’s Constantine gave some subtle and not-so-subtle nods back to its source material, giving the most devoted of comic book aficionados a challenge to pick up on every last one. Whilst this list isn’t a comprehensive look at every Easter egg that appeared during Constantine’s first season, they are definitely some of our favorites.
We also tried to not choose the more obvious items, locations or characters. So, in no particular order, here are five Easter eggs you may have missed on the show!
The Medusa Mask
Some eagle-eyed fans reported seeing the Medusa Mask as far back as the pilot episode of Constantine, but a clearer look at it was afforded in episode 7, “Blessed Are the Damned.”
The Medusa Mask itself was originally three separate masks, created by Charles Halstead to control a range of emotions. These masks were forged into one by the supervillain known as Psycho-Pirate. The single, featureless, gold mask was capable of controlling the emotions, memories, and minds of its victims.
Should the mask find its way out of the mill house, and into the Psycho-Pirate’s hands in Constantine’s future, it’d only spell trouble for John and company.
The Map
The map that John used to detect the ley lines in episode 6, “Rage of Caliban,” is filled to the brim with references.
The most obvious reference being that the map itself was created by Ken Ondaate, more commonly known amongst Hellblazer fans as… well, Map. Map was a powerful magician, who could have easily become the king of the magi, but opted instead to live out a quiet life clearing the rail lines on the London Underground. It’s the simple pleasures, huh?
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Along the coastline just to the right of the map’s credit is the name “Alex Holland.” Though this reference isn’t exactly the true name of the Swamp Thing’s host, it is close enough to “Alec” that we made the connection almost instantly. You could theorize that Holland had ancestors with a similar name, as the map is almost 250 years old, or equally that Ondaate knew Holland would be important at some point in the future.
Nothing is impossible with the occult, after all.
The Ibistick
You’d be forgiven for missing this particularly blurry Easter egg behind the more obvious Helmet of Fate. Given as a gift to Prince Amentep, the Ibistick is a mystical talisman and has near unlimited power. The catch? It is only capable of great feats when being used with good intentions and purpose.
The Ibistick also has some awesome protective measures, should it fall into the wrong hands. If an attempt is made to cause harm to the true owner, the Ibistick can backfire the “spell.” Pretty nifty, if you’re prone to misplacing your belongings and have some mortal enemies.
Both Amentep and the Ibistick have ties back to Shazam (and his Squadron of Justice), who’ll be appearing in his own self-titled Warner Bros and DC movie in 2019.
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‘More Than This’
Sure, you could assume that the backwards writing on the blackboard in Jasper Winters’ mill house were purely eccentric scribblings. Or even one of the set designers having a little bit of fun. But in the DC world, there is one character who is closely linked with reversed incantations — the magician Zatanna Zatara. With as many nods to the comics as Constantine had, it’d be hard to believe that the connection to Zatanna wasn’t intended.
Zatanna, for a time, was also involved romantically with Constantine — that is until John botched a séance that cost Zatanna’s father, Zatara, his life. Should she join the show in the future, it would be great to see their partnership play out on the small screen — and the introduction of more magical elements would widen the scope of Constantine’s universe.
Also hidden away in the mill house was the following flyer for Zatara’s stage show, solidifying the reference even further. Interestingly, the date on the flyer also coincides with the year that both Zatara and Superman debuted in Action Comics #1. Talk about attention to detail!
Science Showcase
Though Constantine hasn’t crossed over with either The Flash or Arrow — yet! — the show has still tipped its hat in the direction of its DCTV siblings. This one may have easily slipped under your radar, but in episode 12, “Angels and Ministers of Grace,” one of the patients at the hospital is reading the same magazine that Barry Allen shields himself from the rain within The Flash pilot.
Whilst not overt, it was a nice hint that these shows could all exist in the same universe. Stephen Amell, who plays Oliver Queen over on Arrow, has also expressed his interest in having John Constantine show up in Starling City. Now, there’s a meeting that we’d pay to see.
Another nod to a recent Arrow character is the inclusion of Ivy University, where the Ray Palmer of the comics both studied and was a professor of physics. Not too shabby.
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