DC Adventures presents: Justice League Dark, Vol. 1

Issue 1: Cult of the Beyond

On the eve prior to the second millennium, there was a cult of misguided individuals. They believed that a woman named Angela Roth was going to give birth to a child that was half-human and half-demon. The name of the demonic father was kept a secret from all but the one in charge. The leader was a young fanatic named Joseph Perez. The ceremony took place in a small town named Houma in the state of Louisiana. As the child was born, the police raided the house and arrested the cultist. While Angela was found dead, but she had given birth to a baby girl.

In the present day at the Lovecraft Sanitorium in Rhode Island, the chief psychologist ran to the main entrance, seemingly worried about something. He opened the doors and saw a fellow wearing a tan trench coat standing outside. This man smoked a cigarette, then he turned to the chief psychologist.

“So, what’s the problem, mate,” asked the stranger.

“It’s Melvin Goverti, Mister Constantine,” the psychologist began to explain. “He has been acting rather strangely.”

“I don’t see why you had to call me.”

“You’ll have to see for yourself.”

The chief psychologist escorts Constantine to the door of Goverti’s cell. Constantine peeks inside, seeing a man sitting with his legs crossed. He was chanting a prayer in an unknown language. Constantine was only slightly shocked.

“I’ve seen this before,” he says. Constantine enters the cell. He starts drawing wards across all the walls and on the floor. “I can assume that you know who I am?”

The inmate started to chuckle. “John Constantine.”

“The very same one who has been hunting the other members of your cult.”

“You cannot stop us. We will release our lord so he may conquer this plane of existence.”

“All I want is to know is Blackfire’s plan. You were one of his original followers. Why is he trying to find the girl?”

The inmate laughs and starts to stand up, his limbs cracking and contorting. He stands up straight and turns to Constantine. “The Roth child belongs to our lord.”

“Roth. Thanks, mate. Time to join your lord.” He put his hands on the sides of the inmate’s head. He chants a spell that expels his spirit. Finally, Constantine shouts the spell, “Malko Uneak Azarath!” The inmate’s spirit is sent to another dimension.

In another location on Earth, a man was meditating in a room lit by candles. At the moment Constantine expelled the inmate’s spirit, a candle lost its flame. It was one of seven candles without flames. The man in the center of all of them was Deacon Blackfire. He leads the Cult of the Beyond. Soon he opens his eyes and smiles. “Let the game begin, John Constantine.”