The Golden Boy (Hellblazer)
| “ | "I am still the shining one - while you remain no more than the banished sickly boy grown old in grotesque parody of my righteous life." | „ |
| ~ The Golden Boy on John Constantine. |
The Golden Boy is a powerful British magician and the twin brother ofJohn Constantine. He is depicted as the more idealized and flawless sibling who died in the womb.
He tried bargain for the right of birthright of Constantine theLaughingMagician to restored your worlds. The Golden Boy first appears in "Hellblazer" #39.
History[]
The Golden Boy was born in Liverpool, England. His existence was revealed to John through a vision while he was investigating his past. It was revealed that he was born as a twin, but his brother did not survive along with their mother. Their father blamed John Constantine for the incident, but the true cause was actually their father’s use of abortifacients, which led to the deaths of the twins, with only one fetus surviving miraculously.
Later, it was revealed that in an alternate reality, it was Constantine who died in the womb, and it was The Golden Boy who survived. Unlike his counterpart, Golden Boy was loved and accomplished great things. He used his abilities to their fullest extent and became the greatest magician in that reality.
Childhood[]
John was frequently visited by an imaginary friend, a luminous boy whom he called The Golden Boy. This figure was pure and immaculate, everything John was not. At one point, John felt envious of The Golden Boy. As a result, in his own universe, The Golden Boy, sensing John's darkened will and gaze, severed ties with the shadowy boy and banished him.
Through a ritual, they encounter each other again. The Golden Boy, through his influence, tries to merge himself with his twin brother. However, upon realizing that everything was orchestrated by The Golden Boy himself, Constantine breaks free from his influence and severs his connection with his counterpart.
What Makes The Golden Boy a Villain[]
The Golden Boy is a master of manipulation and exhibits an extreme level of egocentrism, even more so than one might expect. While he is not dishonest like his brother, he is still deeply self-centered, though his actions often seem to be driven by a seemingly noble cause. His polished, refined, and warm demeanor hides a calculating mind. He has been scheming and subtly influencing John for years, leading to a situation where Constantine was eventually coerced into merging their souls. Despite the immense power of John’s Laughing Magician, The Golden Boy was driven by a desire for even more power and influence.
This manipulation had severe consequences for Constantine, including the development of cancer and a series of other unfortunate events in his life. The Golden Boy views himself as more significant than Constantine, regarding his own merits as superior. He argues that it would have been better for everyone if they were merged into one entity, suggesting that his survival in Constantine’s place was a mistake and that he is merely a parody of Constantine’s profoundly noble life.
Though The Golden Boy appears to offer relief from Constantine's burdens, his true intention is to demean and belittle him, diminishing Constantine’s value and accomplishments in the process. Hypocrite: John himself asserts that despite the immense burden he carries for the sake of his reality, he and The Golden Boy are cut from the same cloth and not fundamentally different.
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