Spot The Easter Egg In The New 'Constantine' Trailer

There's a new trailer for the NBC series Constantine, and it has a nice surprise for long-time comics readers. The show features Matt Ryan as the lead character, the rakish magician and occasional protector of the innocent John Constantine. This second trailer uses some of the same footage as the first, and adds a few new shots of magic and the supernatural. But one particular shot should catch the eye of anyone with more than a passing knowledge of DC's characters. Catch the Constantine easter egg below.

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In the event you're not a long-time DC Comics reader and wonder what the fuss is all about, it's that shot at 0:48, in which Constantine picks up a dusty helmet. That's the helmet worn by Doctor Fate, a character introduced in the '40s, but really refined in the '70s and '80s. He appeared in Smallville, and has shown up in some of the DC animated movies, too.

The first Doctor Fate, Kent Nelson, got his entry into the world of magic when he and his father opened the tomb of Nabu, an Egyptian wizard. Given the helmet, and a cloak and amulet by Nabu — not to mention an education in magic — Nelson becomes Doctor Fate. He's the first of a few Doctor Fates, the most interesting being a husband and wife team who joined together for one incarnation of the character. He's not quite the equivalent to Marvel's Doctor Strange, but similar enough. Given Constantine's magical leanings, there's reason to guess that this helmet is more than a mere prop thrown into a scene.

Trailer via io9. Constantine premieres Friday October 24, at 10pm.

Based on the wildly popular comic book series "Hellblazer" from DC Comics, seasoned demon hunter and master of the occult John Constantine specializes in giving hell... hell. Armed with a ferocious knowledge of the dark arts and his wickedly naughty wit, he fights the good fight – or at least he did. With his soul already damned to hell, he's decided to leave his do-gooder life behind. But when demons target Liv, the daughter of one of Constantine's oldest friends, he's reluctantly thrust back into the fray – and he'll do whatever it takes to save her. Before long, it's revealed that Liv's "second sight," an ability to see the worlds behind our world and predict supernatural occurrences, is a threat to a mysterious new evil that's rising in the shadows. And now it's not just Liv who needs protection; the angels are starting to get worried too. So, together, Constantine and Liv must use her power and his skills to travel the country, find the demons that threaten our world – and send them back where they belong. After that, who knows... maybe there's hope for him and his soul after all.