Magic holds together many parts of the DC Comics universe, and no one is more familiar with its seams than John Constantine. As an impish occultist and magician with a skill for tricking both humans and demons alike, John Constantine has imbued comics with a gritty take on magic and its applications in the world. To Constantine, magic isn't so much a vehicle for wonder as it is for unveiling the disturbing truths about reality, and his adventures in both Hellblazer and Justice League Dark stories have proven this point time and time again. Constantine's view of magic is hardly the only perspective of it in comics–in fact, it contrasts sharply with that of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Magic in the MCU has been presented as a spectacle of wonder and awe that pushes the envelope of scientific understanding, seen in Doctor Strange and Thor films. Fitting the franchise's marriage between science and fantastic worlds like Asgard, Jane Foster in Thor states that "magic is just science we don't understand yet." And while this line of thinking perfectly captures the MCU's optimistic stance on scientific discovery, it is a perspective that John Constantine would disagree with based on the realities of the DC Universe.

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If this idea from the MCU is taken and applied it to Constantine and Hellblazer stories, it reveals a fundamental difference between how reality works in DC and Marvel Comics. The reason why Constantine and the MCU have such different views on magic is because their notions of reality are entirely separate. For Jane and other scientists in the MCU, science is used as a way to empirically understand the world around them. In other words, reality is a mystery that can be safely understood through scientific observation.

John Constantine on the cover of Constantine: The Hellblazer #9.

Constantine, however, lives in a universe where its awful realities are hidden from everyday people. Instead of science, it is magic that reveals the secrets of the universe in DC Comics. As Hellblazer comics have shown, there is an awful layer to reality filled with demons and other monsters that most humans are blissfully unaware of. In this case, science cannot be used as a way to unlock the mysteries of reality, because they are unobservable to average people in the first place. The reality of DC Comics is much darker than that of most Marvel stories because magic exists in the DC Universe as a symptom of the world's hostility.

Magic Allows Constantine To See The World As It Actually Exists.

John Constantine in Constantine: The Hellblazer #2.

Magic is used in Hellblazer stories as a way for Constantine to access demons and non-human entities that are otherwise imperceptible to regular people, breaking away from its reputation in comics as a source of wonder and awe. In Constantine: The Hellblazer #2, he describes magic as the "darker, more primal secrets of the world. The secret shadows that could eat you alive if you let them," which is a far cry from the definition that the MCU puts forth (written by Ming Doyle and James Tynion IV, art by Riley Rossmo, colors by Ivan Plascencia, letters by Tom Napolitano). For Constantine, magic is not a spectacle, but a nightmare lurking below the surface of reality.

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Constantine's definition of magic exposes another point of difference between how it is seen in the MCU versus the DC Universe. For Jane Foster and other scientists in the MCU, there is safety to be found in acquiring knowledge about the universe, because it throws off its cloak of mystery. Magic can be tamed through careful scientific observation. However, in Constantine's case, magic exists as a means for understanding how precarious life is in DC Comics. Unlike Jane Foster, Constantine is burdened with the knowledge that the universe is far more horrible than it appears to be, thanks to magic.

Magic Isn't Intended To Be Understood in DC Comics, For Good Reason.

John Constantine on the cover of Constantine: The Hellblazer #6.

For Jane Foster, magic in the MCU presents an opportunity to discover new explanations for reality. By framing magic as something that humans can collectively uncover the truth of, it comes off as a fairly innocuous endeavor. This contrasts sharply with Constantine, for whom magical knowledge is a curse. Aside from the burden of knowing that demons are constantly crawling out of Hell and into the real world, immersing himself in the secrets of the universe through magic has come at an immense personal cost to him. Due to his dealings with demons, Constantine has lost several loved ones, making relationships a point of contention for him.

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This comes to a head with the cover of issue 6 of Constantine: The Hellblazer, where John stands in Times Square with a man he had recently begun dating, Oliver (written by Ming Doyle and James Tynion IV, art by Riley Rossmo, colors by Ivan Plascencia, letters by Tom Napolitano). As the two of them pose for a selfie, they are surrounded by demons, unbeknownst to Oliver. This image illustrates exactly both the world that Constantine throws himself into with the use of magic, as well as the effect that it has on his own life. Though he enjoys his time with Oliver, he cannot help but wonder when his life as a magician will inevitably catch up to him, resulting in Oliver getting hurt. In this case, Constantine's knowledge of the universe through magic isolates him, because of how distinctly aware he is of all of the evil circulating around the world.

Constantine inspects a skeleton from Hellblazer

Magic greatly enhances both the DC Comics and Marvel Comics universes, providing a compelling alternative to more tangible forms of heroism and villainy. Behind both Jane Foster and John Constantine's attitudes is a very human drive to understand the world, and the role that magic plays in their thinking reveals two different visions of this concept. While the MCU has a very safe view of magic, Constantine's relationship with it provides a necessary counter that re-contextualizes it entirely. In both cases, it is clear how the pursuit of knowledge, whether it be scientific or in the realm of magic, is a dangerous path, evident in both Constantine's personal life as well as numerous characters in Marvel Comics. One of the most compelling aspects about John Constantine is the tension between his needs as a human and his nose for trouble, which are both directly impacted by his life as a magician. Perhaps then the greatest lesson that can be taken from Jane Foster's concept of magic in the MCU is that some things are best left discovered in the company and collaboration of others.

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