Chas Chandler (comics)
| Chas Chandler | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Hellblazer #1 |
| Created by |
Jamie Delano (writer) John Ridgway (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Partnerships | John Constantine |
| Abilities | Capable brawler with some knowledge of martial arts Expert knowledge of London's streets Great marksman |
Frank William "Chas" Chandler is a fictional character in the Hellblazer series published by DC Comics' Vertigo imprint. Chas is John Constantine's closest and longest surviving friend, who acts as his sidekick and cab driver. He first appeared in Hellblazer #1.
Born Francis William Chandler, but nicknamed "Chas" after the famous bassist for The Animals. The roots of their friendship can be traced back to the late sixties, when a sixteen-year-old John Constantine arrived on the streets of London for the second time in his young life, with nothing to his name but an overly sarcastic sense of humour and a half-empty pack of Silk Cut cigarettes. Eager to get a cheap roof over his head, John leapt at the chance to move in with his new-found mate, even if he did live with his mother. John's housewarming consisted of a tense meeting with Chas' obese mother Queenie and her vile monkey familiar Slag.
Unable to put up with his miserable existence at the hands of his mother and her simian familiar, Chas broke down and told John all about his pitiful life – revealing how Slag appeared on the scene shortly after his brother was hanged and his mother killed his father. A dabbler in petty magics, Queenie made her wage by holding the occasional séance and the like. Chas' real problems came from Slag, the chimpanzee delighted in ruining his life, using her obnoxious body odor to great effect in alienating him from his mates as well as putting paid to what was already a pretty pathetic love life.
Constantine decided to get involved. He seduced Slag, conning the monkey into thinking that he loved her so he could lure her down to the docks, where he drowned her. Aware of the symbiotic link that existed between witch and familiar, John knew that by killing Slag he'd be killing Queenie too. From this one act, Chas felt beholden to Constantine for over thirty long years – though truth to tell it's their deeply held sense of respect and friendship that has seen them willingly face all kinds of stark raving lunacy to help each other out. He later joins John and his band Mucous Membrane as a roadie.
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Wikipedia