Castiel's Faction refers to a group of angels and hunters that were loyal to Castiel's cause to retake Heaven from Metatron in as peaceful a manner as possible.
History[]
The faction gains some of its origins after Castiel is captured by Bartholomew. Castiel expresses a desire to find a more peaceful way to do things rather than continuing to have angels killing angels all the time. Though Bartholomew refuses and is killed by Castiel in self-defense, members of Bartholomew's Faction develop an interest in Castiel's ideas. The interested angels approach Castiel at the gravesite of Rebecca, an angel murdered by Bartholomew and offer him their services. However, he refuses due to his desire not to be a leader.[1]
Shortly afterwards, Gadreel begins using the Horn of Gabriel to forcefully gather angels to Metatron's side. While investigating, Castiel is captured by Metatron's forces and Metatron tries to use an illusion of Gabriel to manipulate Castiel into leading the angels against Metatron. Castiel eventually sees through the illusion and Metatron tries to use logic to convince Castiel to organize the angels against him, offering to give Castiel an new supply of grace in return. Metatron's desire is to have Castiel act as the "villain" in Metatron's grand story. After Castiel and Gadreel are traded for each other, Castiel reluctantly decides to begin organizing the angels under his command. To begin, Castiel uses the Horn of Gabriel to gather a group of angels led by Hannah to him.[2]
Within a relatively short time, Castiel amasses a large following of angels who make a base in an abandoned power plant. Castiel promises his followers that he will limit angel casualties and works to find a way to end the situation with Metatron peacefully without going to war between the factions. He also has several angels work in a nearby hospital performing "community outreach." These angels use their abilities to help various humans by performing minor miracles, nothing that will draw attention to them.[3][4]
While several members of the faction are hanging out at a bar, a Metatron follower named Ezra approaches them to brag about knowing Metatron and his plans. The angels capture Ezra for interrogation and Castiel brings in hunters Sam and Dean Winchester to help. The Winchesters are able to trick Ezra into telling them that Metatron has a secret portal that he constantly moves around, a ground force and an elite squad with a secret mission. However, Ezra is murdered by a mole within before he can be interrogated further.
Knowing that Metatron has someone on the inside of his faction, Castiel approaches Gadreel, Metatron's second in command in hopes of convincing Gadreel to join his side as a spy to even out the odds for him. During the meeting, Metatron's Assassins attack, killing Castiel's Guard. Castiel is able to kill the assassins and uses the event as further proof to Gadreel that Metatron can't be trusted and that Gadreel should help him.[5]
Shortly afterwards, Josiah goes missing and is thus identified as Ezra's killer and Metatron's spy. Castiel and Sam attempt to track down Josiah and bring him back, finding the apparent location of the Heavenly Portal. However, Metatron has moved the portal and Josiah has fallen into a holy fire trap that he dies of.
At the same time, Metatron begins a series of suicide bombings with angels from that he has brainwashed. As a result, the angels attack truly believing that they are doing so in Castiel's name. Oren and Constantine successfully perform their attacks, leading to Tyrus' faction joining up with Metatron, but Dean captures the Reaper Tessa before she can carry out hers.
Under interrogation, the brainwashed Tessa insists that she is carrying out the attack under the orders of Castiel, disturbing Hannah. While alone with Tessa, Dean draws the First Blade which Tessa uses to commit suicide. Dean is left looking like he murdered Tessa, but because he believes in Dean's innocence, Castiel releases him rather than punishing Dean.
Shortly after Tessa's death, Metatron contacts the faction from his office in Heaven. Metatron uses the events to his advantage, making the angels think that Castiel is just using them to his own end. Metatron also reveals that Castiel's stolen grace is burning out and he will soon die if he doesn't replenish it. Metatron offers the angels the chance to return to Heaven if they will worship him as their new God. Afterwards, Hannah challenges Castiel to kill Dean in punishment as proof of his intentions. When Castiel refuses, his followers all desert him for Metatron.
With joining Metatron, he gains all of the angels under his command. Castiel's forces are reduced to Castiel and the Winchesters alone to face against Metatron and his now-massive army of angels. However, Metatron's increasingly immoral and violent actions causes Gadreel to defect and offer his help to Castiel and the Winchesters.[6]
With Dean falling deeper under the influence of the Mark of Cain, Sam and Castiel lock him up. Despite the fact that the other angels have abandoned them, Sam feels that Gadreel's help will give them the edge they need to defeat Metatron. Gadreel reveals that Metatron now intends to get humanity to worship him since he has the angels all worshipping him.
Finding Dean and the First Blade gone, Sam, Castiel and Gadreel discuss a plan to defeat Metatron. Gadreel tells the others that despite Metatron's enormous power increase, Dean having the Mark of Cain and the First Blade will give them their best shot at killing Metatron. Gadreel states his belief that Metatron is using the angel tablet to gain his great power and Castiel realizes that if they can break it, Metatron will be returned to being a normal angel again. While Gadreel can get Castiel to the Heavenly Portal, Sam feels that it will look too suspicious if Gadreel shows up with the leader of Metatron's opposition. However, they are left with no choice but to try.
As Sam goes to find Dean, Castiel and Gadreel use a trick from Star Wars where Castiel pretends to be Gadreel's prisoner to sneak through the portal into Heaven. However, they are quickly figured out and imprisoned in Heaven's dungeon. Castiel and Gadreel attempt to convince a skeptical Hannah of the truth and ask her for her help. Hannah feels that Castiel's actions in trying to kill Metatron breaks his promise of not letting another angel get hurt that he made when he gathered his faction. Eventually, Gadreel sacrifices himself to destroy Castiel's cell, setting him free. Gadreel's sacrifice finally convinces Hannah and she rejoins Castiel's side.
With Hannah on his side again, Castiel is able to sneak into Metatron's office and searches it for the angel tablet. After finding the angel tablet in Metatron's typewriter, Castiel destroys it, rendering Metatron a regular angel again and pulling him away from his battle with the Winchesters that has left Dean mortally wounded. Castiel allows Metatron to bind him to a chair and goads Metatron into boasting about how he is just using the angels for his own means.
As Castiel has activated Metatron's broadcasting equipment, every angel in existence hears his confession over "angel radio." Metatron's angels all abandon him in favor of Castiel once more and take Metatron prisoner. Though given the opportunity to kill Metatron, Castiel chooses to lock him up instead, keeping to his promise not to allow a single angel more to die in the conflict.
With Metatron defeated and locked away, the faction disbands.[7]
Known Members[]
- Castiel (leader)
- Hannah (second in command, deceased)
- Benjamin (formerly)
- Castiel's Guard (deceased)
- Flagstaff (formerly)
- Oren (brainwashed into serving Metatron, deceased)
- Constantine (brainwashed into serving Metatron, deceased)
- Tessa (brainwashed into serving Metatron, deceased)
- Josiah (feigned, deceased)
- Dean Winchester
- Sam Winchester
- Gadreel (defector, deceased)
Notes[]
- According to Castiel, members of his faction come from several other factions that have since disbanded. Some of the angels even fought against in each other in their previous factions.
- Castiel's title in the faction is Commander which the angels insist upon calling him.
- In Stairway to Heaven, its revealed during a conversation between Gadreel and Metatron that it outnumbered Metatron's Faction.
- While Metatron pushed Castiel to form the faction in Meta Fiction, he later admitted to Gadreel that he didn't think that Castiel would be so good at it as to gain the upper hand.
- The faction was referenced in Peace of Mind]].