Hellblazer Vol 1 1



 Hunger 


 * "C'mon then, you maggoty piece of Hell meat! Eat me! I'll bloody choke you!"
 * --John Constantine

Summary
Volume: 1 Issue: 1 Month: January Year: 1988

Credits
Editor in Chief: Paul Levitz Head Writer: Jamie Delano Cover Artists: Dave McKean Pencilers: John Ridgway Inkers: John Ridgway Colourists: Lovern Kindzierski Letterers: Annie Halfacree Editors: Karen Berger

Synopsis
Cast of Characters:
 * John Constantine
 * Ali
 * Chas Chandler
 * Dinkan Shaman
 * Eddie
 * Emma (as a spirit)
 * Gary Lester
 * Gino
 * Henry Wambach
 * Kenny
 * Marty
 * Mighty Mouse (behind the scenes)
 * Mnemoth
 * Mrs. M
 * Papa Midnite
 * Papa Midnite's zombie servant
 * Priest
 * Professor
 * Satchmo Hawkins (behind the scenes)
 * Sudanese boy
 * Wayne

Locations:
 * England
 * London
 * British Museum
 * London Heathrow Airport


 * Morocco (in flashback)
 * Tangier


 * Sudan
 * United States of America
 * New York
 * Greenwich Village
 * New York City

Items:
 * John's hypnosis pendant
 * John's Pith Helmet (behind the scenes; referenced only)
 * Gary Lester's Demon Bottle

First Appearances: Ali (a new shop clerk); Dinkan Shaman; Gary Lester (a drug-addicted occultist); Eddie (one of Mnemoth's victims); Gino (a hot dog vendor); Henry Wambach (a post office employee); Kenny (a Londoner); Marty (a diner); Mighty Mouse (John's neighbor); Mnemoth (a hunger demon); Mrs. M (John's landlady); Papa Midnite (a Haitian occultist); Papa Midnite's zombie servant; Priest (name unknown); Professor of the British Museum; Satchmo Hawkins (a writer for XS Magazine); Sudanese boy; Wayne (a Londoner)

Final Appearances: The Dinkan Shaman; Eddie (dies in this issue); Gino; Henry Wambach (dies in this issue); Kenny; Marty; Mighty Mouse; the Priest (dies soon after this issue); the Professor; Satchmo Hawkins; the Sudanese boy; Wayne

Synopsis: A demon of hunger known as Mnemoth has been released in New York City and begins infecting various people. Those infected by Mnemoth's influence become ravenously hungry. But the more they eat, the hungrier they become. Henry Wambach starves to death despite the fact that he eats copious amounts of food.

In London, John Constantine returns to his flat to find one of his old band mates from Mucous Membrane, Gary Lester in his apartment. Gary is sitting in his bathtub covered in bugs. John sprays him down with aerosol and tries to calm Gary down. Gary tells John, that he had tried to contain the essence of Mnemoth after a botched exorcism upon a young Sudanese boy. He mailed the bottled demon to the address of one of John's old girlfriends in New York (believing that John was still staying there).

First, John travels to the Sudan to consult with a medicine man as to the nature of Mnemoth. He then takes Gary and travels to New York to make contact with the Voodoo crime lord, Papa Midnite. He tells Midnite that it would be in his best interest to help him against Mnemoth. He asks Midnite to watch over Gary Lester.

John then goes to the apartment of his old girlfriend, Emma. The demon bottle is not there. He finds Emma's ghost who walks and chats with him for a while. John realizes that Mnemoth has been released and he follows trails of swarming insects to an old church. He faces off with Mnemoth in his full fury. John races out of the church, unable to stop Mnemoth.

Trivia

 * The original title for this series was Hellraiser, but it was changed prior to publication so as to not be confused with the 1988 Clive Barker horror film, Hellraiser.


 * The rear cover to this issue features a testimonial to the series written by Alan Moore - the creator of John Constantine.


 * This issue takes place in the month of November.


 * When speaking of Gary Lester's exorcism skills, John makes a tongue-in-cheek reference to William Friedkin. William Friedkin was the director of the 1973 motion picture The Exorcist.


 * This issue features a fictitious magazine article written by Satchmo Hawkins entitled, Faces on the Street. The column appears as a feature in XS Magazine and is partially printed on the inside front cover of this issue.

Recommended Readings

 * Hellblazer

Related Articles

 * Hellblazer cover art gallery
 * John Constantine image gallery
 * John Constantine appearances list
 * John Constantine quotes page
 * Newcastle