Abaddon

You've been very entertaining, my dear. But I don't need your permission. Abaddon takes what she wants. And right now, she wants everything. – Abaddon, 9.17 Mother's Little Helper

History

As a human, Abaddon was handpicked by Lucifer himself and turned into a demon by Cain to become one of the Knights of Hell who followed Cain in causing mass destruction and death. During this time, Abaddon had some form of intimate relationship with Cain, before he fell in love with a human -- Colette Mullen -- and stopped killing. In 1863, the Knights kidnapped Colette to try to get Cain to return to his old ways, with Abaddon possessing Colette. In response, Cain slaughtered the Knights until he reached Abaddon. When he refused to return to her, Abaddon tricked him into killing Colette out of spite. Although Cain wanted revenge against Abaddon, Colette made him promise to give up violence for good, which he did.

In 1958, after killing Father Max Thompson for experimenting with ways to "cure" demons of their inhumanity, Abaddon set up an effort to create new demons loyal only to her by stealing people's souls. After being found out and all but one of her minions exorcised by Henry Winchester and Josie Sands, Abaddon possessed Josie to infiltrate and study the Men of Letters. While trying to obtain the key to the Men of Letters Bunker, Abaddon massacred all but a few of the Men of Letters. Larry Ganem, one of the last survivors of the Men of Letters, described her as a "hired gun," but did not say who was in control of her. Abaddon traveled to year 2013, while in pursuit of Henry Winchester and the Box containing the key, where she was eventually and temporarily incapacitated by the Winchesters. After being put back together, Abaddon began a crusade to take over both Hell and Earth, recruiting demons to her side and creating more by continuing her previous efforts at stealing people's souls. After trying to lure him into a trap, Abaddon is killed by Dean with the First Blade after the Mark of Cain grants him immunity to her powers.

Characteristics

Abaddon imparting part of herself into a human to read her thoughts.

He's a salesman. A king fights. A king conquers. A king does more than sit around reading contracts. But the King's dead. Long live the Queen. I can train you. I can get you new bodies. And we will march into Hell, where we will be greeted as liberators. And demonkind will rise up and sweep over the earth. And all the humans, and all the angels with their clipped wings will bow to me! Or they will burn. – Abaddon, 9.02 Devil May Care

Abaddon has black eyes (irises and sclerae). She is one of the Knights of Hell and thus is more powerful than normal demons. She also displayed unique abilities (e.g. being impervious to exorcism, the ability to read memories) and knowledge (e.g. a spell to travel through time, a spell to remove a person's soul from his body and turn it into an obedient demon). Her presence causes seismic activity.

Abaddon is the only demon shown to date to express a particular attachment to a specific meatsuit beyond what they require; while Azazel, Crowley, Ruby, Meg and Lilith have manifested in the same vessel more than once, these encounters all featured them simply returning to pre-established surviving hosts, whereas Abaddon specifically restored Josie Sands to serve as her body where Meg and Ruby simply assumed new hosts after their original ones were killed.

Powers and abilities

• Electromagnetic Interference – On one occasion, her screaming caused an electrical device nearby to short-circuit.
• Exorcism – Could expel a demon from its host and send it back to Hell with a touch.
• Possession – Like all demons, Abaddon could possess any human not protected against possession. As a Knight of Hell, she had the extra ability to insert a part of her demon form into a person in order to see their memories.
• Superhuman strength and durability – Abaddon's strength exceeded that of regular demons, allowing her to single-handedly lift grown men by the throat and break their necks, as well as easily impale a human with a simple thrust of her hand Abaddon showed a level of resistance the demon-killing knife, while it could not kill her, it did cause immense pain. Abaddon was also shown to be unaffected the exorcism rites. Even while dismembered, Abaddon had control over her severed limbs.
• Telekinesis – As a Knight of Hell, Abaddon was a powerful telekinetic.
  • Biokinesis – Could cause people's eyes to bleed and go blind.
  • Terakinsis – Abaddon could create cracks in the earth by causing seismic activity.
• Teleportation – Abaddon was able to teleport to any location she wished.
• Weather manipulation – Her screaming caused thunder and lightning outside the building she was in.

Weaknesses

• Angels – It is possible that Abaddon can be overpowered by angels, as she fled upon realizing one was in the area. Similarly, it appears that an angel blade may be able to hurt (but not kill) Abaddon.
• Demon-Killing Knife - As Abaddon was partielly unaffected stabbed from behind through their backbone to the heart, she has survived despite strong damages.
• Devil's traps – A devil's trap bullet was able to confide Abaddon to her meatsuit, Josie Sands.
• The First Blade – When used by someone bearing the Mark of Cain, the First Blade is said to be the only weapon that can kill Abaddon.
• Holy fire – Causes extreme pain and can thoroughly damage her meatsuit. Though it did not kill Abaddon, it forced her to flee her meatsuit.
• Holy water – Holy water burns Abaddon as any other demon.

Episodes

Abaddon possessing Larry Ganem's wife.

8.12 As Time Goes By

Possessing initiate Josie Sands, Abaddon infiltrates the Men of Letters to steal the box under the orders of an unknown party. She proves immune to an exorcism and kills all but Larry Ganem and Henry Winchester who escapes through time with the box. Abaddon is able to follow Henry through time and easily throws Sam and Dean around. Dean manages to stab her with Ruby's knife, but while it hurts her, Abaddon isn't killed and the three are forced to flee. Abaddon reads the memories of the motel clerk to learn what he knows about Sam and Dean and then kills him.

Abaddon travels to Astro Comics - which used to be the Men of Letters headquarters - and checks the memories of the clerk there. After learning about what she knows, Abaddon comments that she likes the clerk's "The Devil Made Me Do It" shirt and kills her, taking her outfit. Using the clerk's memories, Abaddon tracks down Larry Ganem and apparently disguises herself as or possesses his wife and listens as Sam arrives and learns about the storehouse that the box opens and gets the coordinates to it. Abaddon kills Larry and knocks Sam out. She then calls Dean and demands he trade Henry and the box for Sam's life which he agrees to.

At an old processing plant, they make the trade, but Abaddon doesn't keep her end of the deal, trapping Sam and Dean and mortally wounding Henry. However, they expected her betrayal and prepared for it: Henry shoots Abaddon in the head with a bullet engraved with a devil's trap though Abaddon doesn't realize what he has done at first. Abaddon is angered to discover that the box she was given is a fake and demands to know where the real one is. When no one tells her, Abaddon tries to read Henry's memories and discovers that she is unable to impart her essence into him as well as unable to move her legs. Realizing what happened, Abaddon points out that they still haven't killed her, but Dean tells her that she will wish they did and decapitates her. Dean explains that with a devil's trap in her head, Abaddon is bound forever to her meatsuit so they will cut her into small pieces and bury them in cement, forever entombing Abaddon and defeating her.

Abaddon after being put back together by Sam and Dean.

8.22 Clip Show

After Sam and Dean discovered a way to cure a demon, they dig up Abaddon's body parts and sew her back together. When she reanimates, she tries to release her demonic form from the body but is unable to after Sam reminds her that she is still confined because of the devil's trap bullet inside her head. She also realizes that her hands have been cut off and placed in a box next to her; a precaution from Sam and Dean. Realizing that she won't be escaping anytime soon, she discusses with Sam and Dean about her involvement in Father Max Thompson's death after word got out about his experiments on demons. This lead her to find out information about Josie Sands and the Men of Letters. When Sam receives a phone call from Crowley, Dean explains to her that Crowley is the new King of Hell, which shocks her and angers her and they both leave Abaddon unattended to answer it. Abaddon then uses the opportunity to escape by forcing her hands to remove the bullet from her head which allows her to use her powers to vanish.

Abaddon smoking out of her destroyed meatsuit.

8.23 Sacrifice

After Crowley calls for help, Abaddon arrives, breaks the devil's trap holding him, disarms Sam and after throwing him around, finally flinging him out of one of the church windows. However, Abaddon is not there to save Crowley and is furious that she came to the year 2013 to find Crowley, who she considers beneath her, in charge of Hell. Abaddon beats on the defenseless Crowley and tells him they need to talk about a regime change, but at that moment Sam returns and douses her in holy oil before setting her on fire. Abaddon writhes in pain and is forced to leave Josie Sands and flee in her smoke form.

9.02 Devil May Care

Abaddon has a demon loyal to her perform a ritual to restore Josie Sands' body to use as her meatsuit once more. Abaddon then gathers a group of four demons and announces her plans to take over Hell and the world, saying that Crowley is not fit to lead as all he does is make deals for things they should take by force. When a crossroads demon among the group questions her, Abaddon exorcises her, telling her to warn all the demons in Hell that she is coming.

Pretending to be a bus driver, Abaddon helps her demons get better meatsuits by possessing soldiers from a military base. She then kidnaps Irv Franklin and forces him through torture to tell her where to find other hunters and captures Tracy Bell as well. Calling one of Dean's numbers, she gets Kevin Tran and has him pass on a message with her location to lead the Winchesters into a trap.

Finding Dean and a freed Tracy, Abaddon confronts them and avoids being taken down with devil's trap bullets once more by wearing a bullet-proof vest. Dean distracts her with holy water, allowing Tracy to go get the Impala while he confronts Abaddon with an angel blade. Abaddon disarms Dean and offers him a deal: tell her where to find Crowley and she will kill him quickly, refuse and she will rip off his anti-possession tattoo, possess him and force him to watch her commit horrors. Abaddon is shocked when Ezekiel reveals his true form nearby and flees after learning that Sam and Dean brought an angel with them to confront her.

9.06 Heaven Can't Wait

Crowley uses a goblet of blood to contact Abaddon who is amused by his call. Abaddon reveals that she has gone back on all of the deals Crowley has made and collected the souls early, doubling the amount of souls in Hell. She is also reshaping Hell to be more chaotic and claims that since Crowley has disappeared, he doesn't have much support left. When Crowley warns her that a chaotic Hell won't work and she will burn, Abaddon says she's looking forward to it and hangs up on him.

9.10 Road Trip

A demon who has seen Crowley with Dean and Castiel contacts Abaddon with a Goblet of Blood to let her know. Abaddon is alerted by Cecily to the fact that Crowley visited her. Cecily lets her know what Crowley wanted and where he went, but Abaddon is furious to learn that Cecily is playing both sides, and kills her with an angel blade. Tracking down Crowley with two minions, Abaddon confronts him in a warehouse and orders her minions to kill him. However, they hesitate and Crowley tells them he sympathizes with them, having turned to Abaddon for leadership when he disappeared but that he is back. Abaddon tells Crowley they should fight it out there and then, but Crowley tells her its a war for the hearts of the demons before disappearing on her.

Abaddon possessing Colette.

9.11 First Born

In 1863, Abaddon and the other Knights of Hell kidnap Cain's wife Colette to try to get Cain to return to his old ways, with Abaddon possessing Colette in case Cain managed to reach her. In response, Cain slaughtered the Knights until he reached Abaddon who pretended to be Colette, though Cain saw through it. When Cain refused to return, Abaddon started to fatally damage Colette's body, saying that if she couldn't have Cain, then Colette couldn't either. Cain tried to kill her with the First Blade, but Abaddon fled Colette's body, causing him to kill Colette instead. While Cain wanted revenge against Abaddon, Colette made him promise to give up violence for good.

In the present, Dean and Crowley work together to track down the First Blade as it is the only weapon that can kill Abaddon. They track down Cain who tells them of his history with Abaddon and eventually gives Dean the location of the First Blade and the Mark of Cain so he can use the blade to kill Abaddon.

9.16 Blade Runners

Abaddon learns of Crowley's search for the First Blade from the demon Lola who acted as Crowley's supplier and begins her own search for the weapon to thwart Crowley's plans. She also sends two demons to the blade's last known location but former Men of Letters member Magnus had already aquired it before Abaddon's demons could grab.

9.17 Mother's Little Helper

Abaddon vacates the Mother Superior and takes possession of Josie Sands.

In 1958, Abaddon possesses the Mother Superior of the St. Bonaventure Convent in Milton, Illinois and works with three other demons to steal people's souls. As the Mother Superior, she sent Sister Julia Wilkinson to escort Henry Winchester and Josie Sands of the Men of Letters when they came pretending to be a priest and a nun investigating the murders committed by one of the soulless nuns and her suicide. After seeing a crest carved in the wall of Sister Mary Katherine points to the Knights of Hell, confirming their suspicions of demonic possession, Henry and Josie burst in on Abaddon and her demons and exorcise two of them. Abaddon, however proved immune to the exorcism rites and knocked Henry out, planning to possess him to learn about, infiltrate and finally destroy the Men of Letters. Josie begged to be possessed instead to save Henry and Abaddon, amused by the fact that Josie was in love with Henry who didn't romantically love her back, agreed and possessed Josie. Abaddon ordered her remaining demon to pretend to be exorcised so she could trick Henry and to continue their work even with her gone. Abaddon then woke up Henry and claimed they won. Believing it to be a simple case of demonic possession, Henry was successfully tricked. Leaving with Henry, Abaddon subtly threatened Julia into not telling anyone what had happened.

In the present, Sam discovers that Abaddon's minion, Sister Agnes was still continuing her work and after learning of what happened in 1958 from Julia, traveled to the convent to stop the demons. There, Sam learned that Abaddon was using the souls to create an army of demons loyal only to her. Agnes also revealed that Abaddon had factories set up all over doing this. Sam killed Agnes and her minion demon and returned the souls to their owners, but the experience caused him to join Dean in his obsession to hunt down and kill Abaddon.

9.18 Meta Fiction

Sam learns from other hunters that Abaddon's demons have been seen stealing souls all over the place but that there is no sign of Abaddon herself.

9.21 King of the Damned

Abaddon is killed by Dean with the First Blade.

Using the blood spell, Abaddon travels back in time to 1723, to Leith in Scotland. There she finds Crowley's son Gavin MacLeod, and brings him back to the present day. She finds Crowley in Cleveland, Ohio, exhorting his lieutenants to restore confidence in his followers. However, they have switched sides in his absence and are now supporting Abaddon, who is amused by Crowley's fury. She suggests that he help her take down the Winchesters and destroy the First Blade before they can battle for rule of Hell. Crowley scoffs, but Abaddon brings in her bargaining chip – Gavin. Knowing that Crowley has regained some of his humanity, she starts torturing Gavin in front of him, and eventually Crowley breaks and tells her that he will help her take out the Winchesters. He sends Sam and Dean to a cemetery where he has hidden the First Blade inside a corpse. Crowley tells them to bring the blade to him in Ohio, where he claims to have Abaddon under surveillance. He uses the word "Poughkeepsie" which he knows is a secret warning word that the Winchesters use. Even though Abaddon is unaware of this, she has her suspicions and so she shots Crowley with a bullet inscribed with a devil's trap to restrain him, planning to kill him after she kills Sam and Dean and destroys the First Blade. Sam and Dean arrive to meet Crowley. Dean, armed with the First Blade, tells Sam to scope the basement, while he heads to the penthouse where one of Abaddon's henchmen attack Dean and is quickly killed. Abaddon attacks Dean, pinning him to the wall. However, the Mark of Cain renders Dean temporarily immune to Abaddon's powers and he breaks free with effort. Taken aback, Abaddon pushes back with her power, and this time Dean drops the Blade. He redoubles his efforts though, and is able to telekinetically get the Blade to fly to him. Dean breaks free again and stabs Abaddon with the First Blade, killing her in a massive burst of light. He continues stabbing her corpse in a frenzy until Sam calls him off.

9.22 Stairway to Heaven

Castiel is stunned to hear that Abaddon is dead "and then some" as Sam puts it leaving Castiel worried about the effects the Mark of Cain is having on Dean.

9.23 Do You Believe in Miracles?

When Dean summons Crowley, who has regained full control of Hell with Abaddon's death after the Mark of Cain makes him sick, he explains that since Dean killed Abaddon the Mark is making him need to kill more and more or it will make him sicker and sicker until he dies.

10.01 Black

Sam finds out that Dean killed one of Abaddon's loyalists with the First Blade in a gas station, learning from the security video that Dean is now a demon himself. Crowley later sends another loyalist for Dean to kill and explains that he is feeding the Mark with his enemies so it won't affect Dean as badly anymore.

10.03 Soul Survivor

Crowley returns to his throne in Hell and begins punishing demons that have transgressed against him, particularly those who worked for Abaddon. One demon who is dissatisfied with Crowley since Abaddon's death kills himself with holy fire to make a point.

10.07 Girls, Girls, Girls

Gerald reveals that after soul deals were down following the war with Abaddon, he and Raul established a brothel to raise the number of deals. However, this method disgusts Crowley as tacky.

10.09 The Things We Left Behind

When Dean falls back under the influence of the Mark of Cain, he flashes back on killing Abaddon and mutilating her body along with everyone else he hurt while possessing the Mark.

10.14 The Executioner's Song

Cain reveals that his slaughtering of Abaddon's demons when they came after him at his house is what caused him to fall back under the influence of the Mark of Cain and begin killing again.

10.17 Inside Man

Dean has a nightmare of several of the people he has attacked under the influence of the Mark of Cain. Part of the nightmare includes when Dean killed Abaddon.

10.19 The Werther Project

Sam explains to Dean that the Werther Box was supposed to be guarded by the Men of Letters forever after they couldn't disarm it but Abaddon's slaughter of them stopped that from happening.

12.13 Family Feud

Abaddon appears in a flashback when Gavin explains to Rowena and the Winchesters how she hauled him to the future using the blood sigil that Henry used. Later, Rowena tweaks the spell so Gavin can use it to go back to 1723 to prevent his lover Fiona Duncan from becoming a vengeful spirit.

15.14 Last Holiday

Sam and Dean reveal to Mrs. Butters that the Men of Letters were killed by Abaddon in 1958.

Trivia

• In the novel Supernatural: War of the Sons Dean and Sam encountered a renegade angel called Abaddon (although he preferred to be called "Don"), who was loyal to Lucifer but assigned to guard the Cage. This can be reconciled with Abaddon's appearance in the show, as according to Eric Kripke, the tie-in novels/comics should not be considered canon.
• Writer Adam Glass on the inspiration for Abaddon:

"People are asking how I came up with Abaddon? I knew I wanted to write a femme fatale character. I just needed a story for her and a why? So when Andrew Dabb and I started talking about Men of Letters and Henry we needed a new big bad. But Crowley was so great. Couldn't top him. So, why not go another way. Woman. Bad ass. Something more then a demon. Research revealed Knights of Hell. And in it I saw the name Abaddon. I knew then we were on to something. I modeled her after Lauren Bacall. Wrote her that way too. Then Alaina Huffman came in and read and I almost jumped out of my seat. She was perfect. Jeremy, Bob and I all agreed instantly that she was Abaddon. And the rest is #SPN history."

• In 1.10 Suspicious Minds of The Winchesters, Jack Wilcox suggests that the Akrida were responsible for the destruction of the Men of Letters. Although the Men of Letters were wiped out by the Abaddon as seen in Supernatural, Larry Ganem told Sam Winchester that Abaddon was only "a hired gun" in 8.12 As Time Goes By, suggesting that the Akrida might've been the ones to hire her.

Abaddon in Lore

Abaddon is a Hebrew word meaning destruction or the realm of the dead, and is associated with Sheol. In the New Testament Book of Revelation, an angel called Abaddon is shown as the king of an army of locusts.

External links

• Why Abaddon Has Every Strategic Advantage by bowtrunckle (October 2013); archive link
• 9.02 - Agency of Body Among Nonparticulate Beings Possessing Humans by defilerwyrm (October 2013); archive link
• Abaddon Can’t Spell, and That Shit Is All Backwards Anyway by beespatellas (March 2014); archive link
• 9.17 Black Smoke and Mirrors by defilerwyrm (April 2014); archive link