Metatron

Name	Metatron Marv
Actor	Curtis Armstrong
Dates	Before humanity
Location	Heaven's Prison
Occupation	Angel Scribe of God
Episode(s)	7.21 Reading Is Fundamental (mentioned) 8.07 A Little Slice of Kevin (mentioned) 8.21 The Great Escapist 8.22 Clip Show 8.23 Sacrifice 9.01 I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here (mentioned) 9.02 Devil May Care (mentioned) 9.03 I'm No Angel (mentioned) 9.06 Heaven Can't Wait (mentioned) 9.09 Holy Terror 9.10 Road Trip 9.14 Captives 9.18 Meta Fiction 9.22 Stairway to Heaven 9.23 Do You Believe in Miracles? 10.01 Black (mentioned) 10.02 Reichenbach

What you brought to His Earth, all the mayhem, the murder. Just the raw, wild invention of God's naked apes -- it was mind-blowing. But really it was your storytelling. That is the true flower of free will. At least as you've mastered it so far. When you create stories, you become gods, of tiny, intricate dimensions unto themselves. So many worlds! I have read as much as it's possible for an angel to read, and I haven't caught up. – Metatron, 8.21 The Great Escapist

History

Metatron is an angel and the scribe who recorded the Word of God on a series of tablets. God, having decided to leave Heaven, chose him to write down instructions related to his creations. After he left, the archangels began to plot to take over the universe themselves. Realizing that they needed the tablets and him, Metatron also left Heaven, fleeing to Earth where he lived amongst a Native American tribe. In return for them telling him stories, he gave them longevity. Metatron has been entirely cut off from Heaven, with no knowledge of the Apocalypse or surrounding events. He spent all his time reading in Colorado.

Characteristics

Metatron possesses a short, middle-aged man with black hair. He goes by the name of Marv.

Powers and Abilities

• All the regular powers of an angel such as teleportation and healing.
• As the Scribe of God he has knowledge on many creatures such as Leviathans, demons and his own kind. Also has knowledge on spiritual realms such as Hell and Purgatory.
• Metatron can erase, and therefore pass, any angel warding sigils.
• Holy white light - Metatron used this ability on Crowley when rescuing Kevin Tran.
• Resurrection - Metatron used this ability to resurrect a young woman killed in a car accident.
• Extinguish holy fire - Due to the angel tablet, Metatron was able to blow out holy fire like a candle but lost this ability when Castiel shattered the tablet.
• Many abilities granted by the angel tablet but lost when it was shattered.
• Illusion - Metatron was able to implant an illusion in Castiel's mind.
• Metatron displayed the ability to copy all of his knowledge of popular culture into Castiel's mind.

Weaknesses

• Angel sword
• Angel banishing sigil
• Holy fire
• The First Blade

Episodes

7.21 Reading Is Fundamental

Metatron. He's an angel; he's the scribe of God. He took down dictation when creation was being formed. – Castiel, 7.21 Reading Is Fundamental

Metatron is briefly mentioned by Castiel while examining a stone tablet containing the Word of God; he notes that Metatron is an angel who kept records of Creation. Dean believes that the angel may be able to help them against the leviathans, but this is the last they speak of him.

8.07 A Little Slice of Kevin

Metatron is mentioned again by Kevin Tran, a prophet, whilst reading the Word of God tablet dedicated to demons. He says that Metatron left a "personal note" on the tablet which reads as a farewell and apology to God for choosing to leave this world. It also reveals that there are more tablets than just the ones about leviathans and demons, which are "for the defense of mankind." The note wrongly lists Metatron as an archangel.

8.21 The Great Escapist

Metatron's signature.

While reading Kevin's notes from his translation work on the demon tablet, Sam notices a recurring symbol which appears to be Metatron's signature. It is familiar to him from a course he took at Stanford on Native American art. Its a petroglyph from a tribe in Colorado called the Two Rivers. As the tribe is supposed to be protected by the Messenger of God, Sam and Dean realize this is where they might find Metatron and head to have a look.

As they check into a hotel, Sam becomes more unwell, hearing noises, developing a fever, and having vivid memory flashbacks to his childhood. They find Metatron in a hotel room, surrounded by thousands of books. He is unaware of any of the events related to Heaven, or Lucifer and the Apocalypse and hasn't even heard of the Winchesters. He explains that he left Heaven to protect the tablets and himself from the archangels who want to use them to take over the universe. Metatron further explains that as Sam has passed two of the trials, he is starting to resonate with the tablets, and with Metatron, allowing him to sense both when he is in close proximity. Sam and Dean are angry at him for ignoring all the suffering wrought by Heaven and the angels and tell him about Kevin Tran who they believe is dead as a result.

Metatron decides to catch up on current events and as a result, decides to get involved. Even though Crowley has angel-warding protecting where he is keeping Kevin, as the Scribe of God, Metatron is able to simply erase it and he rescues Kevin as Crowley is strangling him to death. Metatron's rescue of Kevin leaves Crowley burned. Returning to the hotel, Metatron heals Kevin and talks to Dean about what happens next. He is willing to join them now, but suggests that perhaps closing the Gates of Hell might not be a good idea, asking Dean what he is willing to do to achieve it and to consider what will happen when the gates are closed. Kevin wakes up and reveals he has the second half of the demon tablet and the third trial and before Kevin can reveal it, Metatron does: Sam must cure a demon. Kevin confirms it and asks who Metatron is.

8.22 Clip Show

Metatron approaches Castiel to talk about the situation in Heaven. He's done some investigating and found many factions all at war trying to gain control -Naomi leads just one of them. Castiel feels responsible after all the destruction he wrought in Heaven. Metatron invites Castiel to join him for some crepes at a restaurant. He tells Castiel that he thinks they should close Heaven off from Earth - to force the angels to sort out their issues, and also to prevent any of their conflict from causing damage on Earth. He says that the angel tablet contains trials which when completed will close Heaven. As the Scribe of God, Metatron knows them without the tablet. Metatron says he's just a writer, but that Castiel is a warrior.

Castiel agrees to undertake the trials - even though Metatron warns that they will be more difficult than Cas can imagine. He then points out Jane, the young woman who has been their waitress. Metatron reveals the first trial is to kill her and cut out her heart becasue she is Nephilim and considered an abomination. That night, the two angels trail her to kill her, but she reveals her knowledge of what they are and begs them not to kill her. As she is an innocent woman, Castiel hesitates, but when she attacks him and Metatron, Castiel kills her with his angel sword while she attacks Metatron and completes the first trial.

8.23 Sacrifice

Metatron tells Castiel that the second trial is to obtain the bow of a Cupid. Metatron has ascertained that Dwight Charles - a bar tender - will be shot by a Cupid's arrow. He and Metatron start watching Dwight, but Naomi arrives and abducts Metatron.

As Naomi prepares to interrogate Metatron, he reveals the depth of his hatred for the angels. He describes how special he felt as God's scribe, and how bereft after God left. Then knowing the archangels would try and extract all of God's secrets from him, he fled Heaven. Now, he tells her, he wants revenge.

Castiel turns to Dean for help. When they see a delivery woman arrive at the bar, they think she will be the one that Dwight falls in love with. However she is the Cupid, and she causes Dwight and his regular customer Rod to fall in love. Outside the bar, Dean and Castiel tell the Cupid they need her bow, which appears as a mark on her hand. She tells them how chaotic Heaven is, and willingly helps them.

Back at the Bunker, Kevin has been examining the angel tablet, and calls Dean to tell him he cannot find any mention of the trials Castiel has undertaken. Just then Naomi arrives and having interrogated Metatron, she tells Dean and Castiel that Metatron's plan is to close Heaven - but also to expel all the angels. When she returns to Heaven, Metatron kills her with her own torture implement, having escaped in Naomi's absence.

When Castiel finds Metatron, he extracts Castiel's grace from him, telling him its the final part of a spell that will achieve what Naomi described. He sends Cas back to Earth, and completes the spell, causing all the angels to fall to Earth.

9.01 I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here

Its revealed that at least most of the angels are angry at Castiel for his role in Metatron's plot and want revenge on him.

9.02 Devil May Care

Dean has Kevin start looking through the angel tablet for a way to reverse Metatron's spell.

9.03 I'm No Angel

As a result of Castiel's role in Metatron's plot, the angels are actively hunting him down. After capturing Castiel, a rogue reaper possessing April Kelly who is working for Bartholomew tortures him for information on Metatron's spell and how to reverse it. Castiel explains that he had no idea what Metatron intended and only knows that his grace was the final ingredient but suggests that as his grace was the key to Metatron's spell working, he himself might be the key to reversing it.

9.06 Heaven Can't Wait

Kevin finds a reference to fallen angels in the footnotes of the angel tablet and realizes that its possible that Metatron may have written about the spell in the tablet's footnotes. Kevin is able to translate the tablet into Elamite cuneiform and he and Sam bring it to Crowley for translation. After completing a deal with the two, Crowley translates it to learn that the spell is in fact there, but that Metatron made it irreversible.

9.09 Holy Terror

Metatron speaks to the angel in Sam's body, revealing that he knows the angel possessing Sam is not Ezekiel, but Gadreel. Metatron tells Gadreel he plans to rebuild Heaven and restore it to its former glory. He invites Gadreel to be his second in command, and restore his besmirched name. Gadreel agrees, but Metatron demands a demonstration of his loyalty. He wants those who could oppose him killed, and gives Gadreel a piece of paper with the first target. Gadreel takes on the challenge - and kills Kevin Tran.

9.10 Road Trip

Metatron continues to give Gadreel names of people to kill. Metatron has also "flipped a switch" in Heaven to prevent the continuation of Prophets after Kevin's death. Metatron also gave him that name of an angel who had abused Gadreel in prison. While at a bar, ironically with Gadreel's first vessel as the bartender, Gadreel arrives to give Metatron the tablets and is getting sick of killng humans and angels but Metatron gives him another which turns out to be a cellmate of Gadreel's in Heaven who he reluctantly kills. Metatron also tells Gadreel that his place isn't to question but to obey. Later Metatron is waiting at the bar again to a status update when Gadreel does not contact him. Gadreel does eventually arrive but in his angelic form and possesses his first vessel again. Metatron instantly assumes the Winchesters have set him back.

9.14 Captives

Bartholomew reveals to Castiel that he has been racing against Malachi to find Metatron, having successfully tracked him on Earth on three occasions in Washington, Michigan and Georgia through a massive ground operation.

9.18 Meta Fiction

Metatron has holed himself in a room with a typewriter, surrounded by Chuck's novels. He captures Castiel, bringing him to him under the illusion of a fictional scenario he created. In the illusion, the archangel Gabriel has returned to life to try and convince Castiel to lead the angels against Metatron. After Castiel breaks free from the illusion, Metatron tells him that he wants him to be the villain in his own story in which Metatron is the hero. Metatron then hears about his right hand man, Gadreel, being taken hostage by the Winchesters. Metatron proposes a trade, Castiel for Gadreel. When he arrives at the meeting place, he lets himself fall into a holy fire trap set by Sam and Dean to show that he cant get out of it, which he does. He then honors their deal but reminds them that no matter what they come up with, they can't win against him. Later, Metatron gets back to work and speaks to Gadreel who asks him if the Winchesters capturing him was part of Metatron's plan. Metatron explains that in a story, sometimes characters do surprising things but as long as he knows the ending, what happens on the journey is of little importance.

9.22 Stairway to Heaven

Metatron tries on a trenchcoat similar to Castiel's and then meets with angelic faction leader Tyrus. Tyrus refuses to listen to Metatron's offer and points out that if Gadreel kills him, his faction will just join Castiel. He challenges Metatron to a round of bowling to see if he'll listen to the offer, but Metatron loses. As Metatron and Gadreel are leaving, Constatine arrives and blows himself up, killing Tyrus and injuring Gadreel. Metatron then contacts Castiel's faction and offers them all amnesty if they switch sides immediately, telling them about Castiel's fading grace and that he only cares about Sam and Dean. Metatron is pleased when Castiel's angels join him, revealing to a disgusted Gadreel that it was his plan all along and he planted the suicide bombers to draw all angels to his side. However, Gadreel is so disgusted by Metatron's actions, he switches sides.

Metatron's downfall.

9.23 Do You Believe in Miracles?

Metatron makes a broadcast to all the angels across "angel radio" stating that he is going to Earth and the portal to Heaven will be closed until his return. Metatron, taking on a scruffy homeless appearance, resurrects a young woman hit by a truck and heals a homeless man of his diabetes, earning him human followers who look to him as their new savior. When an angel reveals the truth, Metatron nearly attacks him until his new followers do it for him and kill the angel with Metatron's angel sword. That night, Dean arrives and faces against Metatron with the First Blade. Metatron is amused since the angel tablet grants him great powers and he knows that Castiel and Gadreel are failing in their mission to break his link to it. Metatron easily overpowers Dean and stabs him with his sword, mortally wounding him. At the same time, Castiel shatters the tablet, breaking Metatron's connection to it and removing his added powers. Metatron quickly flees when Sam swings an angel sword at him. Metatron goes to Heaven where he traps Castiel in a chair and taunts him about Dean's death and how the angels are just "sheep" who will follow Metatron wherever he leads them no matter what he's done to bring them under him and speaks down on humanity. As Metatron goes to kill Castiel, Castiel reveals that he broadcasted the whole conversation over "angel radio" and the angels storm the office and overpower Metatron. Rather than killing him for his actions, Castiel locks Metatron in Heaven's dungeon.

10.01 Black

Hannah mentions to Castiel that while angels are rebuilding and regaining a sense of order in Heaven, Metatron is still locked away, with his door having been made permanent.

10.02 Reichenbach

Hannah pays a visit to Metatron's prison cell, wanting to know if there was any of Castiel's grace left after he did the spell to expel all angels from Heaven. Metatron tells her there is a little bit left, and promises to give it to her, if she lets him out -- claiming that he has grown sick of Earth and will seek out a new planet in a new galaxy if he is set free. As Hannah contemplates the deal, Castiel shows up and refuses; telling Metatron that he has come to except his own fate, and that the thought of him rotting in a prison cell until the end time is solace enough. But before Castiel leaves Metatron threatens that one day he will be free, whether it is a century or a few millenniums, and when he is free he will kill everyone.

Metatron in Lore

Metatron is an archangel in Judaism. He is considered the highest of the angels, and serves as the celestial scribe. Mentioned briefly in the Talmud, he appears primarily in medieval Jewish mystical text. In the Zohar, he is identified as the angel that led the people of Israel through the wilderness after their exodus from Egypt.

For more detailed information read Metatron entries on the Jewish Myth, Magic, and Mysticism blog.

External link

• Interview with Curtis Armstrong by Examiner