Origin
The son of a plumber and a seamstress, Nick Necro was born and raised in Brooklyn. Seeking to escape his mundane and unhappy life, he became involved in magic. Proving himself extremely talented, he soon became the most skilled mage in New York, occasionally clashing with the Cult of the Cold Flame. During this time he met Zatanna, and later John Constantine, both of whom he grew very close to. He grew increasingly obsessed with the Books of Magic, ultimately allying himself with the Cult of the Cold Flame in his quest to find and possess them. He attempted to sacrifice Constantine and Zatanna to the Cult, feeling that they had betrayed him by falling in love, but was himself ensnared in a trap that sent his soul to Hell.
Creation
Nick Necro was created by Jeff Lemire and Mikel Janin. He made his first appearance in Justice League Dark #12.
Major Story Arcs
The War for the Books of Magic
Nick Necro is pulled out of Hell by Felix Faust, who uses up his youth in the effort. Together with Faust and Doctor Mist he plots to recover the Books of Magic, and simultaneously seek revenge on Constantine and Zatanna. He defeats Doctor Occult and takes control of the House of Secrets, travelling with it to the Amazon jungle where he attacks Zatanna and Deadman, and nearly defeats Constantine. Zatanna agrees to leave with him to save Constantine’s life, and he travels with her to Nanda Parbat. There, he is able to locate the Books, but cannot touch them while Tim Hunter lives. He is defeated when Constantine pretends to kill Hunter, actually Black Orchid in disguise, tricking Necro into attempting to touch the Books. He is taken into custody and held in a metahuman facility.
Forever Evil
Broken free of his prison by the arrival of the Crime Syndicate, Necro joins forces with Faust to create the Thaumaton, a magical weapon that uses mystically-powered beings as a power source. They kidnap dozens of magic users and begin experimenting on them in Nanda Parbat. When the Justice League Dark arrives he uncovers Deadman’s infiltration and assumes the form of Nightmare Nurse, pretending to lead Constantine to Zatanna. Constantine uncovers the deception, and they fight; Necro is rescued by Faust. He entraps Pandora in the Thaumaton, but she destroys it, causing the project to melt down. He successfully contains the breach by calling on the powers of Nanda Parbat itself through the angel Zauriel. He allows Constantine to escape, and possesses several of his allies, sending them after him in order to draw Constantine to himself. He ensnares Constantine in a magical trap to send him to Hell. As he falls, Constantine throws a mystic blade into Necro’s chest, killing him.
Powers and Abilities
Nick Necro is a mage of considerable power and skill. He is able to manipulate mystical forces to a variety of effects. Following his first trip to Hell he learned greater magic and became capable of absorbing or mimicking the powers of other magic users.