Zed (comics)
| Zed | |
|---|---|
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Hellblazer #4 |
| Created by |
Jamie Delano (writer) John Ridgway (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Mary Martin |
| Supporting character of | John Constantine |
| Notable aliases | The Mary |
| Abilities | Magic Artistry |
Mary "Zed" Martin is a fictional character in the Hellblazer series published by DC Comics' Vertigo imprint. A psychic artist who met John Constantine in a London alleyway, she was recruited by an extremist Christian group called 'The Resurrection Crusade' to bear the Second Coming, which Constantine stopped from happening. She first appeared in Hellblazer #4.
Zed met the British mage John Constantine in a London alleyway, and was instantly attracted to him. She brought John back to her apartment to show him her artwork. One of the sketches adorning Zed's wall was that of Constantine himself, even though she had only just met him. Moments after familiarizing herself with John, she assisted him in rescuing his ten-year-old niece Gemma Masters from a psychotic member of the Damnation Army.
Shortly thereafter, the demon Nergal sent his grotesque agent Ironfist the Avenger to Zed's apartment on a mission to kill Constantine. Fortunately, John's quick wit convinced the creature to destroy itself while Zed and he fled to safety. He brought her to the home of his friend Ray Monde where Zed spent the night. The following morning, Zed's father Elder Martin, the apparent leader of the Resurrection Crusade barged into Monde's home and abducted her. Bringing her back to the Crusaders headquarters, they prepared her for a spiritual ritual. The ritual required a virgin, but unfortunately for the Crusaders, Zed's evening with John Constantine robbed her of her "purity". She then helps stop the Fear Machine, and later assists John in finding out about his twin.
Zed later reappeared as a pagan sorceress living on the coast of Scotland, where she helps another pagan group who has recently been harassed out of England by a cabal of secret police. In this incarnation, Zed has embraced a sort of feminist, goddess worshipping spiritual inclination which plays a crucial role in Constantine's efforts to thwart another conspiracy, this time by a group of Masonic demon-worshippers who have infitrated the upper echelons of the British government.
Actress Angélica Celaya portrays Zed in the TV series Constantine. The female lead for the series, Zed is portrayed as a Hispanic-American character as opposed to her comics counterpart who is British. She gets visions from objects and people that she touches, and would often record these visions by sketching them. Constantine describes her as a "bitser", or someone with "bitser everything" in her, which in her case includes powers of precognition, retrocognition, and clairtangence. Her innate abilities bring on some powerful emotional connections and often put her at odds with Constantine, who is portrayed as an aloof loner who avoids all emotional connections.
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