Zed

Creation

Zed made her debut in Hellblazer #4 from writer Jamie Delano and drawn by artist John Ridgway.

Major Story Arcs

Waiting for the Man

Zed and John Constantine first met in the streets of London, in the story “Waiting for the Man” (Hellblazer #4), in which she helps Constantine save his niece Gemma. Zed uses her psychic powers to draw a sketch of the home where Gemma is being captive while holding some of her marvels in her hand.

Resurrection Crusade

While John Constantine and Zed are involved in a romantic relationship, two organizations are looking for her: the Resurrection Crusade and the Army of the Damned, both against each other and searching her for different reasons. Preventing the two organizations from find Zed, Constantine keeps her hidden in a close friend’s house.

The Resurrection Crusade is a religious group headed by Zed’s father who believe in a prophecy that’s been found engraved on a stone, in which a new born child, son of God will born of a woman, called Mary (Zed).

Constantine finds himself in a hospital after throwing himself from a moving train when he is visited by the demon Nergal. He forces Constantine to join him to avoid the prophecy from happening and also let him know that his friend Zed has been abducted by the Resurrection Crusade. He also informs him that his other friend, Ray Monde, who was taking care of her, has been killed while in the hospital. Constantine finally accepts under two terms: some time “to take care of business”, and the help from Nergal to fix his body; Nergal agrees to both terms and fixes Constantine’s body by giving him a transfusion of his own healing blood. Nergal heads the Army of the Damned.

Mary is in Blastonbury, in a sanctuary of the Resurrection Crusade; since she was abducted, she was subjected to various psychical and psychological procedures and she barely remembered that she was once Zed and she had a relationship with John Constantine and, we assume, her past in general. Constantine finds her and she remembers him, after agreeing it’ll be the last time, they have sex to say goodbye. He leaves her sleeping, knowing that having sex with her after the demonic transfusion would poison her body, accomplishing the task of helping Nergal.

The day of the prophecy has finally come and the Resurrection Crusade, also known as Tongues of Fire are ready for it to happen, they’ve also prepared Mary to receive the son of God. The gate of heavens open and an angel descends to “fill her with gorgeous light”, but the union of Mary with the angel brings unexpected consequences.

The Fear Machine

Zed later appears as as a pagan sorceress living on the coast of Scotland where she remains.

Other Media

Angélica Celaya as Zed
Angélica Celaya as Zed

Constantine

In the NBC Constantine television series, Zed is played by Mexican soap actress Angélica Celaya.

She is first introduced in a cameo at the end of the first episode making various sketches of John. Her full debut comes in the second episode “The Darkness Beneath” as a woman with the ability to see premonitions and seeks Constantine’s aid. She is the replacement for the pilot episode’s female lead, written out in favor of Zed’s stronger character.

Like in the comics, she is a psychic and is able to tap into occult energy around her, though she has little control or practice with her skills. Also like the comics, her back story with the Resurrection Crusade is major plot element, and she has spent most of her life running away from her father and his cult.