Comic Book Transfusions: John Constantine

September 9th, 2007

Filed under: Comics, Medicine

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One cannot take a look at memorable transfusions in comic book history without considering John Constantine’s transfusion from Hellblazer #8. Injured after jumping from a speeding train, John wakes up in the intensive care unit of the hospital, gravely injured. The demon Nergal requires John’s assistance to complete his nefarious plans, so he gives Constantine some of his own demon blood, instantly healing him.

Subsequently, when John visits and sleeps with his old lover Zed, the demon-portion of his blood taints her so that she can no longer carry out her destiny, to be the mother of the new Messiah.

Of course, Zed’s not the only one tainted. When the Swamp Thing and Abby wanted to conceive a child, Swamp Thing “borrowed” Constantine’s body to complete the task. He was unaware of John’s corrupted blood and ended up passing on the taint to his own daughter Tefé.

There are a number of infections that can be passed from mother to unborn child (commonly known as the TORCH infections1), but apparently demon blood — though not strictly an infection2 — is the only bloodborne condition that can be passed from father to child3.

Other transfusionsOther Comic Book Transfusions

Notes:
1I was taught that TORCH stood for Toxoplasmosis, Other (i.e. Syphilis), Rubella (also known as German measles), Cytomegalovirus, and Herpes, though there are several other versions of the acronym.

2There’s no infectious agent in demon blood (that I’m aware of), so I don’t think it could really be classified as an infection. It’s a long term condition though, so I’m going to classify it as a PABA-N (Persistent Acquired Blood Anomaly – Nefarious) — as opposed to Peter Parker who has a PABA-R (Persistent Acquired Blood Anomaly – Radioactive).

3I wonder how long the taint persists. Could Tefé pass it on the her children?

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6 Responses to “ Comic Book Transfusions: John Constantine ”

  1. elessar787
    September 10th, 2007 at 1:28 am

    I wasn’t aware that the study of demon blood was taught in med school.

  2. Gun-Fu Grip
    September 10th, 2007 at 3:57 am

    Can we expect a follow-up analalysis of Constantines Treatment, recovery and subsequent reinfection of his PABA-N?
    and if its sexually transmitted it seems John would have infected half of LA with it in #173 (the one where he sets himself on fire to fake his death in an underground LA sex club, only in a vertigo book, only ever in a vertigo book)

  3. Jared
    September 10th, 2007 at 6:30 am

    I checked among my Army friends, and they say the taint lasts until you’ve been completely decomposed.

    -SSG J

  4. Keith
    September 10th, 2007 at 7:55 am

    So…where is this hospital where they use easy-refill, open-topped IV containers?

  5. David Oakes
    September 11th, 2007 at 6:27 pm

    Lycanthropy – at least in the Marvel universe – also passes from father to son, and can even be contracted by just reading about it! (Admittedly, from a big, dark Book of Magic Stuff.)

    Of course, all superhero universes are more Lamarckian than Mendelian, with any number of traits inheirited during one’s life time – radioactive spider-powers, super-speed, power-rings – being passed on to any and all decendants more or less intact.

  6. Coyote's Own
    September 14th, 2008 at 4:59 pm

    I discovered this blog recently, and greatly impressed.
    I just wanted to note that the taint (which is probably supernatural in nature) can passed also via sexual intercourse as John used Ellie, the succubus, to taint his soul in the Critical Mass storyline (HB #96)

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