Difference between revisions of "Gabriel"
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One of the four [[archangel]]s, 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 of the real pagan [[gods]] he encounters; they know him as [[Loki]]. | One of the four [[archangel]]s, 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 of the real pagan [[gods]] he encounters; they know him as [[Loki]]. | ||
| − | He first encounters [[Dean]] and [[Sam Winchester]] in his guise as the Trickster <ref name="three11" /> | + | He first encounters [[Dean]] and [[Sam Winchester]] in his guise as the Trickster.<ref name="three11" /> 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.<ref name="three11" /> |
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 [[vessel]]s 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. | 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 [[vessel]]s 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 blade]], 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.<ref name="five19"/> | Later he sides with the Winchesters and confronts Lucifer. His older brother stabs him with his own [[archangel blade]], 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.<ref name="five19"/> | ||
| + | |||
| + | [[Metatron]] later uses an illusion of Gabriel to try to convince Castiel to play his role in Metatron's "story."<ref name="nine18">[[9.18 Meta Fiction]]</ref> When planning on how to beat [[Amara]], the Winchesters discuss the possibility of resurrecting Gabriel with [[God]] since it took the four archangels to help God defeat Amara the last time. However, God informs them that Gabriel and Raphael are both beyond his ability to resurrect in a timely manner.<ref name="eleven22">[[11.22 We Happy Few]]</ref> | ||
==Personality== | ==Personality== | ||
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==Characteristics== | ==Characteristics== | ||
| + | Gabriel is the only [[archangel]] that appears in one [[vessel]]. [[Michael]] possessed [[John Winchester]] in 1978 and [[Adam Milligan]], [[Raphael]] possessed [[Donnie Finnerman]] and an unknown female vessel and [[Lucifer]] has possessed [[Nick]], [[Sam Winchester]] and [[Castiel]]. | ||
| + | |||
===Powers and Abilities=== | ===Powers and Abilities=== | ||
* Teleports himself and others to any location, and can also banish or imprison lesser [[angel]]s. | * Teleports himself and others to any location, and can also banish or imprison lesser [[angel]]s. | ||
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* Other [[archangel]]s can harm Gabriel. | * Other [[archangel]]s can harm Gabriel. | ||
* It is possible to bind Gabriel with magical spells, as the goddess [[Kali]] did by using blood magic.<ref name="five19">[[5.19 Hammer of the Gods]]</ref> | * It is possible to bind Gabriel with magical spells, as the goddess [[Kali]] did by using blood magic.<ref name="five19">[[5.19 Hammer of the Gods]]</ref> | ||
| + | * [[The First Blade]] can kill anything including an archangel if used by someone possessing the Mark of Cain. | ||
==Episodes== | ==Episodes== | ||
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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, or [[Michael]]'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 blade, 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. | 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, or [[Michael]]'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 blade, 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]]. | + | 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 four rings of the [[Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse]]. |
<br clear="all" /> | <br clear="all" /> | ||
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===[[9.18 Meta Fiction]]=== | ===[[9.18 Meta Fiction]]=== | ||
| − | Gabriel, who was believed to be dead, makes his presence known to [[Castiel]] through ''[[Casa Erotica]] 14'', eventually manifesting in his motel room, asking him for help against [[Metatron]]. When Cas asked how he was alive, Gabriel said, "Please, you can't take the trick out the | + | Gabriel, who was believed to be dead, makes his presence known to [[Castiel]] through ''[[Casa Erotica]] 14'', eventually manifesting in his motel room, asking him for help against [[Metatron]]. When Cas asked how he was alive, Gabriel said, "Please, you can't take the trick out the Trickstr." He said he was in and cast out of "the safest place in the universe -- [[Heaven]]." He tells Cas that Metatron is using the [[Gabriel's Horn of Truth|Horn of Gabriel]] to lure the angels by making them believe that it was Heaven when it was actually a trap by Metatron and [[Gadreel]]. When they decide to stop at a Gas-N-Sip, a group of Metatron-loyalists quickly descend upon them. Before they can enter the gas station Gabriel tells Castiel that he still has some of his [[archangel]] mojo left, and will hold them off so Cas can make his escape. However Castiel realizes that the whole thing is an illusion, by the fact that he had ripped his coat earlier, but in the Gas-N-Sip there was no hole. Gabriel pleads with Cas to hear Metatron out, that he is really trying to help him. However he isn't able to specify how, as he only skimmed through his parts of script. Before Gabriel leaves, Cas asks him if he is really dead, but receives only a trademark smirk and eyebrow wriggle in response from Gabriel before he snaps his fingers and teleports Cas to Metatron's office. |
| + | |||
| + | ===[[11.10 The Devil in the Details]]=== | ||
| + | When trying to get Sam to say "yes" to him, [[Lucifer]] tells him that Gabriel is dead as is [[Raphael]] so they can't help him against [[Amara]]. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===[[11.22 We Happy Few]]=== | ||
| + | When the Winchesters, [[Chuck]] and [[Lucifer]] try to formulate a plan of attack against [[Amara]], the suggestion of bringing in the other [[archangels]] is shot down by [[God]], who claims that [[Michael]] is in no condition to fight and that it is out of His power to bring back Gabriel and [[Raphael]], as archangels are made of pure primordial creation, and to resurrect them would take time that they do not have. | ||
==Gabriel in Lore== | ==Gabriel in Lore== | ||
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==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| − | *[[Richard Speight Jr.]] | + | * [[Richard Speight Jr.]] |
| − | *[[Sam/Gabriel]] | + | * [[Sam/Gabriel]] |
| − | *[[Castiel/Gabriel]] | + | * [[Castiel/Gabriel]] |
==Gabriel in Fandom== | ==Gabriel in Fandom== | ||
Revision as of 17:53, 5 September 2016
| |
| Name | Gabriel |
| Actor | Richard Speight Jr. |
| Dates | Before humanity - 2010 (killed by Lucifer) |
| Location | |
| Occupation | Archangel "Trickster" |
| Episode(s) | As The Trickster: 2.15 Tall Tales 3.11 Mystery Spot As Gabriel: 5.08 Changing Channels 5.19 Hammer of the Gods 9.18 Meta Fiction |
Shut your cake hole. You don't know anything about my family. I love my Father, my brothers. Love them. But watching them turn on each other? Tear at each other's throats? I couldn't bear it! Okay? So I left. And now it's happening all over again.
– Gabriel, 5.08 Changing Channels
Contents
History
One of the four 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 of 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 blade, 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]
Metatron later uses an illusion of Gabriel to try to convince Castiel to play his role in Metatron's "story."[3] When planning on how to beat Amara, the Winchesters discuss the possibility of resurrecting Gabriel with God since it took the four archangels to help God defeat Amara the last time. However, God informs them that Gabriel and Raphael are both beyond his ability to resurrect in a timely manner.[4]
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
Gabriel is the only archangel that appears in one vessel. Michael possessed John Winchester in 1978 and Adam Milligan, Raphael possessed Donnie Finnerman and an unknown female vessel and Lucifer has possessed Nick, Sam Winchester and Castiel.
Powers and Abilities
- Teleports 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.[5][2]
- Transform objects into something else, and transform the appearance of his vessel.[1][6][2]
- Alter reality to create time loops/pocket universes; he also can choose who is aware of what is happening.[1][7]
- Revive the dead.[1]
- Harm other archangels[2]
- Stop humans from talking.[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]
- The First Blade can kill anything including an archangel if used by someone possessing the Mark of Cain.
Episodes
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 realize he is an archangel. 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 blade 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, or Michael'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 blade, 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 four rings of the 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.[8]
9.18 Meta Fiction
Gabriel, who was believed to be dead, makes his presence known to Castiel through Casa Erotica 14, eventually manifesting in his motel room, asking him for help against Metatron. When Cas asked how he was alive, Gabriel said, "Please, you can't take the trick out the Trickstr." He said he was in and cast out of "the safest place in the universe -- Heaven." He tells Cas that Metatron is using the Horn of Gabriel to lure the angels by making them believe that it was Heaven when it was actually a trap by Metatron and Gadreel. When they decide to stop at a Gas-N-Sip, a group of Metatron-loyalists quickly descend upon them. Before they can enter the gas station Gabriel tells Castiel that he still has some of his archangel mojo left, and will hold them off so Cas can make his escape. However Castiel realizes that the whole thing is an illusion, by the fact that he had ripped his coat earlier, but in the Gas-N-Sip there was no hole. Gabriel pleads with Cas to hear Metatron out, that he is really trying to help him. However he isn't able to specify how, as he only skimmed through his parts of script. Before Gabriel leaves, Cas asks him if he is really dead, but receives only a trademark smirk and eyebrow wriggle in response from Gabriel before he snaps his fingers and teleports Cas to Metatron's office.
11.10 The Devil in the Details
When trying to get Sam to say "yes" to him, Lucifer tells him that Gabriel is dead as is Raphael so they can't help him against Amara.
11.22 We Happy Few
When the Winchesters, Chuck and Lucifer try to formulate a plan of attack against Amara, the suggestion of bringing in the other archangels is shot down by God, who claims that Michael is in no condition to fight and that it is out of His power to bring back Gabriel and Raphael, as archangels are made of pure primordial creation, and to resurrect them would take time that they do not have.
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 (גַּבְרִיאֵל, 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 Jibrīl 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 Bahá'í Faith texts, specifically in Bahá'u'lláh'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.
See also
Gabriel in Fandom
- Spn_Gabriel - LJ community for Gabriel
- Rec list of Gabriel fic
- CW Source Interview Richard about Gabriel after Changing Channels
- Richard Interview about Gabriel 2009 Chicago Con
- Interview with Richard Speight on the death of Gabriel
- "It’s All About The Brothers" Richard interview, 2011 San Francisco Convention
- Trickster, Lord of the Roads
- Online petition to bring back Gabriel
- @AwolArchangel - Gabriel roleplaying account on Twitter
- @ChocoLovinAngel on Twitter and [ http://chocolovinangel.tumblr.com/ on Tumblr]
- candiedtrickster - Gabriel RP Tumblr Blog
- Bring Back Gabriel campaign
