DC75: Die Like A Sorcerer (Swamp Thing #50, 1986)

DC Bloodline's Truly Most Memorable Moments of the Dodranscentennial

Zatanna, her father Zatara, John Constantine, Mento, Baron Winter, Dr. Occult and Sargon the Sorcerer had all agreed to join in a mystic circle and project their collective energies into Hell itself to empower heroic champions there. Sargon's avatar fell, causing the Sorcerer to immolate from within on our plane, but not without a good deal of moaning and crying. A disgusted Zatara compelled, "Sargon, you are upsetting my daughter. For the honor of our profession, be silent and die like a sorcerer."



Casualties mounted as Zatanna herself began to burn, until her father cast a spell that saw him to his grave, instead. Although his daughter protested, "Too late, my love. Too late. Constantine... If you do not deliver my daughter safely from this place, my shade shall hound you through eternity. Is that understood?"



In order to maintain the circle of power, Zatanna was forced to continue holding her father's smoldering hand. The forces of good were ultimately triumphant, but Mento was left mad and Zatanna's romantic relationship with Constantine was over. Zatara, who had debuted in the same comic as Superman, perished a bit shy of his fiftieth anniversary in one of the tensest and most costly confrontation in comics to that point.



For the full story, read Swamp Thing #49-50 (June-July 1986), or check out more highlights from the past 75 years of DC Comics at The Truly Most Memorable Moments of the DC Dodranscentennial