SUPERNATURALOPEDIA - Page 2

Gabriel is one of five Archangels created by God. He was created alongside Michael, Lucifer, Raphael, and Metatron.

History

One of the five Archangels, Gabriel lives in Heaven until Michael and Lucifer's constant fighting over the creation of humanity causes him to seek refuge on Earth. He takes an unnamed vessel and hides as a trickster, embracing the lifestyle of a demi-god and meting out 'just desserts' to those he felt deserved punishment. During his time on Earth he becomes a friend to some the real pagan gods he encounters; they know him as Loki.

He first encounters Dean and Sam Winchester in his guise as the Trickster ^[1]. He antagonizes them from afar during their investigation, and survives their attempt on his life. A year later the Trickster traps them both in a time loop where Dean dies every Tuesday in different ways; he is trying to teach Sam that Dean cannot be saved from his deal, and to show him that Dean is his weakness, and his enemies will use this to manipulate him^[1].

It is nearly two years later that Gabriel traps the brothers in an alternate reality made of TV shows, so that they will "learn to play their roles"; he insists that they fulfill their destinies as the Vessels for Michael and Lucifer. Sam and Dean start to suspect that the Trickster is more than he appears to be, and when they trap him in a ring of burning Holy Oil, Gabriel reveals himself. He claims that he does not support either Michael or Lucifer, and that he only wants the fighting to end.

Later he sides with the Winchesters and confronts Lucifer. His older brother stabs him with his own Archangel Killing Sword, but he is able to leave a message for Sam and Dean on how to use the rings of Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse to open Lucifer's Cage in order to capture him.^[2]

Personality

As the Trickster, Gabriel behaved in a mischievous manner, enjoying his games. He embraced a hedonistic lifestyle, including the "sweet tooth" for which that type of demi-god was known. Even after revealing himself to be an angel, he still used misdirection to achieve his goals and to protect himself. He is often sarcastic. Gabriel's manner is the most human of any of the angels, perhaps because of his long sojourn on earth, and he has an appreciation of what humans can achieve.

Nothing is known of his Vessel, though the pagan gods' familiarity with it indicates Gabriel has possessed him for a long time, possibly centuries.

Characteristics

Powers and Abilities

Gabriel can:

• Teleport himself and others to any location, and can also banish or imprison lesser angels.
• See glimpses of the future.^[2]
• Create illusions, including copies of himself.^[3][2]
• Transform objects into something else, and transform the appearance of his vessel.^[1][4][2]
• Alter reality to create time loops/pocket universes; he also can choose who is aware of what is happening.^[1][5]
• Revive the dead.^[1]
• Harm other archangels^[2]

Weaknesses

• Holy Fire can bind Gabriel to a fixed location.
• An Archangel Blade can kill Gabriel.
• Other Archangels can harm Gabriel.
• It is possible to bind Gabriel with magical spells, as the goddess Kali did by using blood magic.^[2]

Appearances

2.15 Tall Tales

Sam and Dean investigate a series of strange deaths based on urban legends, but have no success figuring out who is responsible. They unknowingly encounter Gabriel in disguise as the school's night janitor during the course of the investigation. It isn't until Bobby suggests that they are dealing with a Trickster, based on the number of tricks that have been played on the brothers, that they track him down. However, the 'Trickster' is waiting for them, and he offers them a peaceful resolution so long as they let him leave to terrorize another town. Naturally, the Winchesters refuse and attack him, with the help of Bobby. However, the Trickster easily rebuffs them by conjuring beings (scantily clad women, chainsaw wielding psychopaths) to fight for him, while he sits back and enjoys the show that is put on before him. Nonetheless, Dean manages to stab him (a bloodied stake will kill a Trickster) while he is distracted, causing his creations to disappear and the fight to end. Although the hunters believe they bested him, the Trickster survives the ordeal, having created a copy of himself for Dean to kill.

3.11 Mystery Spot

Sam and Dean get caught in an infinite time loop, where Dean dies each day in increasingly strange ways, and only Sam remembers when the day restarts. Sam continually fails to save Dean despite his memory of the previous days. It is only after a hundred or so repetitions of the day that Sam realizes that it is the Trickster at work and manages to locate the culprit. He threatens their tormentor with a blood covered stake, causing the Trickster to reveal himself and agree to break the loop. However, immediately after the loop is broken, Dean once again dies, and remains dead.

Throughout the next several months, Sam becomes a far colder and more calculated person as he attempts to track down the Trickster, killing whatever threat he can along the way. Eventually, it is the Trickster who calls the younger Winchester to him, where he tries to drive in a point: that the two brothers continually sacrificing themselves for one another would bring no good, and that their enemies will use this to manipulate them. Nonetheless, Sam pleads with him to turn back time to that Wednesday so that he can save Dean. Reluctantly, the Trickster agrees, lamenting that the whole situation had become boring months ago for him anyway.

5.08 Changing Channels

The Trickster traps Sam and Dean in a series of TV shows in an attempt to drive home the lesson that they must play their roles' as Michael and Lucifer's vessels. When Castiel tries to rescue them, the Trickster easily imprisons him. Sam and Dean finally work out that he is an angel and trap him in a ring of Holy Fire. He confirms that he is indeed the Archangel known as Gabriel. A long time ago, he left Heaven to live on Earth, as he could no longer bear the sight of his brothers fighting each other. He then tells the Winchesters that they are destined to be the vessels of his brothers, as they mirror the relationship between Michael and Lucifer. He says he's sorry they couldn't have a happy TV show-like ending, but it's a destiny they must face. The brothers refuse to accept this, and begin to leave. Gabriel calls after them and asks if they really plan to leave him there forever. Dean replies that they wouldn't, since they don't "mess with people" like he does. Dean then extinguishes the fire by turning on the fire sprinklers, and leaves Gabriel with a final thought: in the end, this wasn't about his brothers' fight or about the Winchesters' destiny, but how the archangel was too much of a coward to stand up to his family.

5.19 Hammer of the Gods

Gabriel turns up at the meeting of the gods who are trying to work out a way to stop the Apocalypse. They know him as Loki, The Trickster, and don't realise he is anArchangel. Gabriel explains to Sam and Dean that he is there to save them, and he once had a relationship with Kali, and doesn't want her, or the other gods, killed. Gabriel tells Sam and Dean that Kali has bound Sam and Dean to her with a blood spell. He goes to her room, pretending to romance her in an attempt to retrieve the boys' blood, but she is not fooled by his ruse and draws his blood, binding Gabriel to her also.

In front of the other gods, Kali reveals that Gabriel is an Archangel, and she uses what she thinks is his Archangel Killing Sword to stab him. He appears to die, but instead sneaks out of the hotel. While hiding in the Impala, he tells Dean to get their blood from Kali so they can escape. Dean suspects that he cares for the other gods, but Gabriel is unable or unwilling to use his blade to kill Lucifer.

Lucifer arrives at the hotel some time later and kills most of the gods. He is about to kill Kali when Gabriel intervenes. He tells Lucifer that he has no legitimate grievance, and he is only jealous that humanity replaced him in God's affections. Gabriel says he is not on Lucifer's side, orMichael's, but that he has come to agree with God, that humanity is better than them, noting that they are a flawed race that at least tries to do better when they fail. Gabriel then tries to kill Lucifer with his Archangel Killing Sword, sneaking up on him from behind while a Gabriel copy is speaking. However, Lucifer recognizes the trick, claiming he taught his "little brother" everything, and turns the sword on the real Gabriel, killing him. Lucifer is shown to grieve for his brother's death, staring down at his body.

After their escape, Sam and Dean play a Casa Erotica DVD that Gabriel gave Dean. In it, Gabriel tells them they may be able to re-imprison Lucifer, and that the keys to his cage are the rings of Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

6.06 You Can't Handle the Truth

It is suggested that Gabriel's Horn of Truth compelled people to speak the truth during one of the Winchesters' investigations, but it is not responsible.^[6]

Gabriel in Lore

Lore portrays Gabriel in a variety of classes and ranks. In some religious books, he is described as an angel while others cast him as an archangel. In either case he serves as a messenger of God, particularly delivering prophecies and visions to prophets. His name (???????????, Gavri'el) means the "Strength of God".

He first appears in the Book of Daniel, delivering explanations of Daniel's visions. In the Gospel of Luke Gabriel foretold the births of both John the Baptist and of Jesus. Christians of the Catholic traditions refer to him as Saint Gabriel the Archangel.

Islam believes that Gabriel ( also called Jibril or Jibrail) was the medium through whom God revealed the Qur'an to Muhammad, and that he sent a message to most prophets, if not all, revealing their obligations. He is called the chief of the four favored angels and the spirit of truth.

He is called the created Holy Spirit (Islam) that spoke to Muhammad, which is not to be confused with the Holy Spirit of God in Christianity who is revered as God Himself.

In Rabbinic traditions Gabriel is one of the four sarei ha-panim, high angels that stand at the Throne of Glory, with Gabriel standing at the left hand of God. He is the angel of revelation, a role he fills in Christian and Islamic traditions also, as well as the Prince of Fire (I Enoch; Dev. R. 5). The color red is linked to Gabriel, signifying he is a manifestation of God's Judgment (Sitre Torah, Zohar 1:99a), he is also listed among the six angels of death; his role is to function as the messenger of death for kings.

Gabriel is also mentioned in Bah' Faith texts, specifically in Bah'u'llh's mystical work Seven Valleys.

In Enoch 10:13 Gabriel was the one who instigated wars among the Giants (the children of the Watchers), as God commended him to "Let them perish under mutual slaughter; for length of days shall not be theirs." While Enoch 40:9 states that Gabriel presides over "all that is powerful."

According to the Biblical verses which specifically refer to him, Gabriel is likened to a mortal male, but is sometimes portrayed as androgynous or female, as in some New Age beliefs or contemporary art imagery.

"Why should we give you anything? After everything you've taken from us!"

Hester is an angel from Castiel's old Garrison

Appearances

7.21 Reading Is Fundamental

Hester descends to Earth alongside Inias to secure the new prophet, Kevin Tran; only to find him being guarded by Meg. Hester slams the demon against a wall out of disgust. Meg retaliates by slicing Inias' hand with an angel blade, outraging Hester. Castiel appears and attempts to calm his former comrades.

Inias is glad to see his old captain again, but Hester becomes aggressive when she realises Castiel has lost his mind; the result of absorbing Sam's torment. Before they can seize Kevin, however, Dean uses an Enochian banishing symbol to send the angels away.

Hester later appears at Rufus' cabin with Inias and other unnamed angels for backup. Inias seeks a peaceful resolution but Hester loses her temper and beats Castiel before threatening him with her blade. Inias begs her to spare Castiel, stating that they've lost enough angels already, but she tries to kill Castiel with an Angel Sword regardless.

Before she can stab Castiel, Meg stabs Hester from behind with an Angel Sword of her own, killing Hester and saving Castiel.

Note

• Hester is shown to be unusually volatile for an angel, displaying flashes of anger and emotional instability. This is most apparent whilst attacking Castiel, where Hester appears to be overwhelmed by the current conditions she and the other angels find themselves in after the apocalypse.

Inias is an angel from Castiel's old Garrison.

Appearances

7.21 Reading Is Fundamental

Inias descends to Earth alongside Hester to secure the new prophet, Kevin Tran. He attacks the demon Meg who is harboring Kevin and Inias' former captain; Castiel. Meg retaliates by slicing Inias' hand with an angel blade, giving him and Hester pause. Castiel appears and attempts to calm his former comrades.

Inias is glad to see his old friend again, but Hester becomes aggressive when she realises Castiel has lost his mind; the result of absorbing Sam's torment. Before they can seize Kevin, however, Dean uses an Enochian banishing symbol to send the angels away.

Inias later appears at Rufus' cabin with Hester and other unnamed angels for backup. Inias seeks a peaceful resolution but Hester loses her temper and beats Castiel before threatening him with her blade. Inias begs her to spare Castiel, stating that they've lost enough angels already.

Hester is then killed by Meg and the Winchesters allow Inias and the angels to take Kevin once he has deciphered the stone tablet containing The Word of God. Inias asks Castiel to join them, but the fallen angel politely declines.

Inias then leaves with Kevin, but is not seen with the other two angels when they visit Kevin's parents and are subsequently killed by Edgar who is waiting there disguised as a police detective.

Joshua is an Angel of Heaven who Castiel introduces as an angel who talks to God. Joshua is the only angel Castiel knows of who has kept in contact with God. He occupies Heaven but his initial rank in The Host of Heaven remains unknown - Zachariah holds authority over him. He often spends his time contributing to Heaven's Garden.^[1]. Although, Zachariah holds more authority over it, as he threatened to fire him. He saves Sam and Dean from Zachariah and tells them that God is on Earth, and will not intervene further in the Apocalypse. On God's request, he allows them to remember their time in Heaven and sends them back to Earth.History

Characteristics

Powers and Abilities

• Can revive dead people.^[1]
• Can communicate with God, though not face to face.

Weaknesses

• Angel Killing Sword
• Angel Banishing Sigil

Appearances

5.16 Dark Side of the Moon

Joshua is first mentioned in episode 5.16 The Dark Side of the Moon, when Dean and Sam are in Heaven and are contacted by Castiel through a TV. According to Castiel, Joshua is someone that the brothers must find: He is the only angel he knows of that talks directly to God and has maintained contact up until now. If they were to locate him, they could potentially extract the exact position of God himself, and essentially end the Apocalypse. After the Winchesters get into a dangerous position with Zachariah, Joshua finds them restrained and asks Zachariah to let him deliver a message to Sam and Dean. After Zachariah refuses, Joshua tactfully pulls rank on him, hinting that a higher authority (God) has ordered this event, and quietly implies that should he not comply, God's wrath would be likely punishment.

Whisking the brothers away to the center of Heaven, the Garden, he delivers the message that God is indeed the one who rescued them from Lucifer, raised Castiel, and granted salvation to Dean and even Sam. He also reveals that God is on Earth, somewhere. When asked why God would choose to speak to Joshua and not to anyone else, Joshua speculates that because God and he are both "gardeners" to a degree, God must feel that Joshua can sympathize with him better than anyone else, adding that God is also on the lonely side.

Telling them that God wants them to "back off", he reveals that God seems to feel that the Apocalypse is not his problem, and he will not help. Joshua seems genuinely sad to be the bearer of bad news, but assures them that this is no lie. Sending them back to Earth, he parts with the words that God wants them to "remember". Presumably, he means that God meant for them to remember their stay in Heaven this time around, rather than forget, as they have done, presumably, many times before.

Joshua in Lore

• Joshua may be comparable to the Judeo angel Camael, whose names means "He Who Sees God".
• The name Joshua (Yehoshua) is a Hebrew name of which the Greek-Roman form is Jesus. The most famous Jesus is of course Jesus of Nazareth (Jesus Christ), who in mainstream Christianity is the 'Son of God', not an angel. This Jesus does not figure in Supernatural's mythology, but the angel Joshua seems to have borrowed some of Jesus' traits along with the name. Firstly, of Jesus it is said that he is the only one who has seen the face of God the Father (John 1:18, 6:46) -- and the show's angel Joshua is the only one who speaks with God (be it not face to face). Secondly, after Jesus rose from the death, one of his female disciples did not immediately recognize him and mistook him for a gardener (John 20:15) - and in the show, the angel Joshua is called a "gardener".

Trivia

• Joshua is the only angel that Sam and Dean have not met on Earth; considering that Joshua has therefore never taken a Vessel to meet them, it is unclear whether his appearance in Heaven was based on a specific past vessel- similar to how Zachariah appeared to the Winchesters in Heaven in the form of his vessel on Earth-, or if Joshua's appearance was just chosen to present a reassuring manner.
• The notions revealed by Joshua that God is on earth and is "lonely" strongly reminds one of the pop song "What If God Was One Of Us" (1995) of Joan Osborne. It contains the refrain "What if God was one of us, just a slob like one of us, just a stranger on the bus, trying to make his way home, trying to make his way home, back up to Heaven all alone, nobody calling on the phone, 'cept for the Pope maybe in Rome."