Issue Description

Having influenced Dr. Fulton to take her to the train station, Mercury makes her escape from him. He knows he's been tricked, and that when she goes, his life's work will go with her. Within moments of her leaving, Fulton is arrested. In his jail cell, he admits to himself that he had expected her to do this to him. Despite her young age and his knowledge that she would become his nemesis, he had dreamed that they would become lovers. Yesterday, he had felt happy as she influenced him to run away with her, and they spent the day together. That morning, though, he knew that she would leave, and he knew that he would be killed for it.

Before seeing the Russian that Geoff Talbot is harbouring in his home, John Constantine and Simon Hughes agree to stop for a drink. John cannot get the word that was spoken by the man who leapt in front of a train earlier out of his head: "Jallakuntilliokan".

Talbot explains that the Russian had come to him after hearing of his fight with the Freemasons, claiming to be a paranormal scientist for the KGB. The Russian had claimed that the Freemasons were behind the train crash that John had survived just weeks ago. John is sure that this Russian is the same man that he pulled from the train. When they arrive at Talbot's place, this theory proves true, and the man is hardly happy to see him.

Elsewhere, Mr. Webster reports of Fulton's arrest to the director of Geotroniks, promising that justice will be done. The director is overwhelmed by how soon their plan will be coming into effect, so Webster advises him to stick to his smaller duties. As director, he must direct. As hangman, Webster must hang. Afterwards, Webster makes his way to the laboratories where the fear machine is being kept. Soon, will be the rise of his god: Jallakuntilliokan.

After resolving Sergei's confusion about John's motives, the group of men struggle to determine what they can do to stop Geotroniks. Despite each of their dramatically different backgrounds, each has a motive to stop these men who wish to unleash fear on the world. John is sure that it will take some kind of magic to stop this "Fear Machine". He pops off to the store for some painkillers before they get down to business.

Elsewhere, Davis, one of the Black Squad, is called to the office of Mr. Beale, who runs it. Beale reveals that he intends for the squad to take control of the country with the help of his visionary superiors. For months, the Black Squad has been weakening the peripheries of society in order to reduce resistance to the coming change. Beale then ordered Davis to form a death-squad and take out Talbot and the Russian he has been harbouring.

Elsewhere, Webster picks Fulton up from jail, and then, with no resistance from his victim, hangs the doctor to death from a suspended bridge - just as in Mercury's visions.

Returning too late, John watches as Davis drags Talbot out of his home and shoves him into the back of a van. Before they leave, John steps out and demands to know where he's being taken, under the guise of a CID officer. Davis dismissively gives John the extension for the home office. Despite having lost all of his team, John is sure that he can get a name with the number. He decides first that he should do some research on the Masons.

Elsewhere, Webster begins his ritual. He takes the boy Matthew Reilly from his room in the facility, and garrotes him to death in the room of the Fear Machine. Then after stabbing the corpse brutally, he uses the boy's blood to write "G.O.A.G." on one of the ley stones. This is all that was needed to call upon the creature growing within the Fear Machine: Jallakuntilliokan.

Hellblazer (1988)

Publisher

Vertigo

Volume Description

House Ad (art by Dave McKean)

Spinning out of the pages of Swamp Thing, popular supporting character John Constantine (created by Alan Moore) was given his own ongoing series first written by British writer Jamie Delano, who was handpicked by Moore and impressed editors with his long term plans for the character. The title was originally to be named "Hellraiser" but was changed to Hellblazer to avoid conflicting with Clive Barker's Hellraiser film released the previous year.

Delano set the tone for the series, which featured heavy social commentary of 80's England and grounded the magical and occult themes within the gritty streets of London. He also fleshed out John's origins first hinted at by Moore in Swamp Thing, which would be continued by later writers.

Many popular writers, most of them British, have had tenures on the title such as Garth Ennis, Warren Ellis, Peter Milligan and Paul Jenkins to name a few. Famous writers Neil Gaiman and Grant Morrison were also guest writers early on. The series' cover art was also acclaimed, many popular artists such as Dave McKean, Glenn Fabry, Tim Bradstreet, Lee Bermejo and Simon Bisley all provided memorable cover art work.

Despite its DC Universe origins, the series largely ignored the wider DC and Vertigo Universes but for a few occasions and guest-appearances. The series itself aged in real time, as did John, who would age to his sixties by the time the series had ended.

Perhaps best known as being Vertigo's longest-running comic book series because of the fact that it began before Vertigo was a publisher, five years before in fact and that it was also the Vertigo launch title which stayed in print the longest.

Unlike most Vertigo volumes, due to its extreme length, this one has had various writers (many of whom are better known for other Vertigo contributions), and oftentimes the series is judged within these writer's runs rather then as a whole since the series has changed through the decades.

On November 8th 2012 it was announced that Hellblazer will end at issue #300. John Constantine however will star in a new New 52 ongoing of his own called Constantine in March 2013. Before the cancellation, Hellblazer was the longest ongoing continuing monthly series without renumbering or cancellations/rebirths from either of "the Big Two" due to DC's New 52 and Marvel's reboot of Uncanny X-Men.

Hellblazer Annuals, Specials and Spin-Offs

Hellblazer Annual #1 (1989)The Horrorist #1-2Hellblazer Special #1Hellblazer Annual #1 (2012)Hellblazer: All His EnginesHellblazer: PandemoniumDark EntriesVertigo Secret Files: HellblazerHellblazer: Bad Blood #1-4Hellblazer/The Books of Magic #1-2Hellblazer: City of Demons #1-5Hellblazer Special: Lady Constantine #1-4.Hellblazer Special: Papa Midnite #1-5Hellblazer Special: Chas (The Knowledge) #1-5Collected Editions

New Editions

In 2011 DC/Vertigo began releasing new edition trades. These new volumes were larger, numbered numerically and contained every issue in chronological order which the previous editions skipped or had collected separately. Many of the new editions contain different issues from the originals.

Vol. 1: Original Sins (#1-9, Swamp Thing #76-77)Vol. 2: The Devil You Know (#10-13, Hellblazer: Annual and Horrorist #1-2)Vol. 3: The Fear Machine (#14-22)Vol. 4: The Family Man (#23-33)Vol. 5: Dangerous Habits (#34-46)Vol. 6: Bloodlines (#47-61)Vol. 7: Tainted Love (#62–71, Hellblazer: Special and a story from Vertigo Jam)Vol. 8: Rake at the Gates of Hell (#72-83, Heartland and pin-ups from Hellblazer Special)Vol. 9: Critical Mass (#84-96)Vol. 10: In the Line of Fire (#97-107)Vol. 11: Last Man Standing (#108-120)Vol. 12: How To Play With Fire (#121-133)

Original Editions

Hellblazer: Original Sins (#1-9)Hellblazer: The Devil You Know (#10-13, Hellblazer: Annual, Horrorist #1-2)Hellblazer: The Fear Machine (#14-22)Hellblazer: The Family Man (##23-24, #28-33)Hellblazer: Dangerous Habits (#41-46)Hellblazer: Bloodlines (#47-50, #52-55 and #59-61)Hellblazer: Fear and Loathing (#62-67)Hellblazer: Tainted Love (#68–71, Hellblazer: Special and a story from Vertigo Jam)Hellblazer: Damnation's Flame (#72-77)Hellblazer: Rake at the Gates of Hell (#78-83, Heartland)Hellblazer: Son of Man (#129-133)Hellblazer: Haunted (#134-139)Hellblazer: Setting Sun (#140-143)Hellblazer: Shoot (#144, 145, 245, 246 & 250)Hellblazer: Hard Time (#146-150)Hellblazer: Good Intentions (#151-156)Hellblazer: Freezes Over... (#157-163)Hellblazer: Highwater (#164-174)Hellblazer: Red Sepulchre (#175-180)Hellblazer: Black Flowers (#181-186)Hellblazer: Staring at the Wall (#187-193)Hellblazer: Stations of the Cross (#194-200)Hellblazer: Reasons to be Cheerful (#201-206)Hellblazer: The Gift (#207-215)Hellblazer: Empathy is the Enemy (#216-222)Hellblazer: The Red Right Hand (#223-228)Hellblazer: Joyride (#230-237)Hellblazer: The Laughing Magician (#238-242)Hellblazer: Roots of Coincidence (#243-244, #247-249)Hellblazer: Scab (#251-255 and a short story from 250)Hellblazer: Hooked (#256-260)Hellblazer: India (#261-266)Hellblazer: Bloody Carnations (#267-275)Hellblazer: Phantom Pains (#276-282)Hellblazer: The Devil's Trench Coat (#283-291)Hellblazer: Death and Cigarettes (#292-300 and Hellblazer Annual #1)

Other Collected Editions

Hellblazer: Rare Cuts (#11, #25–26, #35, #56, #84)Constantine: The Hellblazer Collection (Constantine: The Official Movie Adaptation, Hellblazer #1, #27 and #410.Vertigo Resurrected: Shoot (Contains the original #141, the censored story: "Shoot")Vertigo Resurrected: Hellblazer (#57-58, #245-246)Other Related MaterialHouse of Mystery Halloween Annual short stories set in the DCU/Vertigo universe.The Trenchcoat BrigadeThe Books of MagicVertigo EncyclopaediaVertigo Secret Files: Swamp ThingWinter's Edge #1-3. The Three Winter's Edge stories would be collected in Vertigo Resurrected: Winter's Edge.9-11 Vol.2

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