“ | God lied to me. I gave everything for him. I loved him. Why? I'm not even the only Michael. | ” |
— Michael
in Our Father, Who Aren't in Heaven |
Michael was the first and oldest of the four Archangels created by God, making him the very first angel ever created, as well as one of the oldest and most powerful beings in the universe. During the War In Heaven in the distant past, Michael banished Lucifer from Heaven on God's command, later restricting him to a Cage bound by 66 Seals.[1][2] He was the Viceroy of Heaven in God's absence and commanded the Heavenly Host before he fell into the Cage with Lucifer. As the highest-ranking Archangel, he issued the commands, which went to the higher-ranking angels to disperse the orders down across the angelic chain.
On Earth, he appeared using John Winchester as a vessel to interact with Dean Winchester.[3] There, Michael informs him that anyone in the Winchester bloodline is capable of being his vessel, even though he mentions that Dean is his one true vessel. He eventually occupies Adam Milligan's body[4] while confronting Lucifer, who was using Sam as a vessel. When he falls into the Cage,[5] Heaven loses stability and it results in a civil war between Raphael and Castiel, among other angels.[6]
An alternate version of Michael exists on an apocalyptic Earth, where he won against Lucifer in the Apocalypse. Following the alternate Michael's death at the hands of the Nephilim Jack, this Michael is the only known archangel left alive in both universes.[7]
Michael was trapped in the Cage with Adam by Sam and was supposedly driven mad during his time with Lucifer.[8] However, when God decided to end the world,[9] he opened every door in Hell, including the door to the Cage, giving Michael the opportunity to leave. Though he initially didn't take the chance,[10] Michael eventually escaped. Now sharing control with Adam, Michael was left disillusioned by his father's betrayals and provided the Winchesters and Castiel with the means to trap God, though he refused to help them any further.[11]
After God wipes out everyone on Earth, including Adam, Michael agrees to help the Winchesters and Jack defeat his father. However, after the brief resurrection of Lucifer, Michael betrays them in an effort to become his father's favorite again. God kills Michael for his previous betrayal, obliterating the archangel, but the Winchesters had anticipated Michael betraying them and used the archangel to lure God into a trap that rendered him powerless.[12]
History
Early life
“ | My father and I have been together for eternity! I exist because he willed it! | ” |
Michael was one of the four archangels created by God eons ago, before the Darkness's imprisonment[13]. Michael, Lucifer and Gabriel all directly described Michael as being older than Lucifer and therefore the first archangel (one such example was when Michael and Lucifer were addressing each-other)[14][15][3][5].
In order to enable Creation to come about, Michael and his three brothers fought alongside their father in a war to imprison the Darkness[16], who was disruptive to God's efforts[17][18]. The archangels were responsible for weakening their aunt by attacking her with their combined power, which enabled God to just barely lock her away by creating the Mark of Cain on Lucifer[18].
Michael stated to Dean Winchester that he "practically raised" Lucifer, taking care of him "in a way most people could never understand", and implying that it was very similar to how Dean dutifully obeyed his frequently-absent father while taking care of Sam[3]. Michael also mentioned that he and his family were happy and together, until the dawn of humankind sparked Lucifer's rebellion[5] after the latter refused God's command that the angels bow to and love humanity more than God[2].
As Lucifer's rebelliousness continued due to his jealousy of God's love for humans, he went to Michael asking the latter to stand with him, but Michael refused and, according to Lucifer,"called [him] a freak, a monster."[15] Michael was also responsible for casting Lucifer into Hell on God's orders[1][2].
Rule over Heaven
“ | When God left Heaven, I was certain of his return, so I made sure all the angels and prophets burnished his image on Earth: the all-knowing, all-seeing, all-caring God. | ” |
— Michael
in Inherit the Earth |
After Lucifer's imprisonment in the Cage and God's later departure from Heaven, the remaining archangels (presumably Michael and Raphael, as Gabriel had gone into hiding during Lucifer's rebellion) took over command of the angels[19], keeping the majority of their brethren and likely the universe at large in the dark about God's departure[20][21]. According to Metatron, the archangels initially wailed ceaselessly, wanting their father back, but then they began to scheme, deciding that if they couldn't have their father then they'd take over the universe for themselves. Unable to achieve this with their own power alone, they ordered Naomi to "debrief" Metatron (namely, extracts the secrets God had entrusted to him from his head), but Metatron was a step ahead of them, and fled into hiding on Earth to prevent that from happening[19]
Michael believed that the Apocalypse was destined to happen, and that the battle between him and Lucifer was fated to end with him killing Lucifer[3][5]. He also expected it to lead to God's return and the ushering of Paradise[21][11]. When demons such as Azazel and Ruby were moving to see the 66 Seals broken so as to free Lucifer from the Cage and begin the Apocalypse, Michael and other high-level angels such as Raphael and Zachariah wanted the Apocalypse to occur so that the written end in which they bring Paradise could come about. To this end, Michael and Lilith were effectively in league, although their endgames differed[11]. Lesser angels such as Castiel and Uriel were not made privy to their superiors' true intentions until it would be too late to stop the Devil's release, so as to avoid a full-scale rebellion. To this end, the "grunt" angels were deployed to make it look as though the Host of Heaven were fighting to prevent the 66 seals being broken[21]. Those angels that did learn of the upper echelons' true plans were brainwashed into cooperating[22][21].
Season 2
During some investigations, Sam notices a painting of Michael casting Lucifer down by the Renaissance painter Raphael in the church he and Dean are investigating.[23]
Season 4
Shortly before Lucifer's rise from the Cage, as Zachariah is informing Dean of his true purpose, he is looking at an illustration of Michael in a painting in the Green Room.[21]
Season 5
Upon Lucifer's rising from the Cage, Zachariah reveals to Dean that he is the Archangel's true vessel and they plan for Michael to use Dean Winchester to kill Lucifer once and for all. However, Dean needs to give his consent to be the vessel but the latter refuses and Zachariah's attempt to force him are stopped by Castiel.[1]
In The Song Remains the Same, Michael manifests when Sam, Dean and Castiel have traveled back to 1978 to stop Anna Milton from killing John Winchester and Mary Campbell in order to prevent Sam's birth, and thus his use as Lucifer's vessel.
After Anna Milton injures Mary and kills Sam Winchester by stabbing him in the stomach, Michael, the Archangel, conversed with John Winchester from Heaven, telling him that he can save his wife, if he allows him to take possession of his body. John consents.
When Anna is about to kill Mary, Michael calls out to Anna. Anna turns around and immediately realizes that Michael is possessing John. Michael lays his hand on Anna and kills his sister by setting her ablaze. Uriel then calls out to Michael and apologizes, saying that he "didn't know," most likely referring to the fact that he didn't know Michael had plans for the family. Michael says goodbye to Uriel and sends him away with a snap of his fingers. An anxious Mary then questions who or what the archangel is. Michael reassures her that "John is fine" before knocking her out with a touch.
Michael then turns to Dean, remarking on their awaited talk as Dean realized who he was and demanded that Michael heal Sam, but Michael tells him he will after they talk first. Dean asks Michael how he could possess his father, since he was his "one and only" vessel. Michael corrects Dean stating that he is his true vessel and that he can inhabit the body of all those that share the Winchester bloodline, due to the fact that Dean and John are descendants of Cain and Abel. He then explains to Dean that even though Lucifer defied their Father and betrayed him, he doesn't want to kill him any more than Dean would want to kill Sam. Michael then says regardless of the fact that he raised Lucifer and still loves him, he is going to obey his Father and kill Lucifer. He adds that Dean will eventually say "yes" to him because free will is an illusion and that his choices, regardless of what they may be, will lead him a step closer to his destiny that was planned out by God.
Michael tells a saddened Dean to cheer up because, unlike his brothers, he won't leave him a "drooling mess" after he's done wearing him. He promises Dean that he will erase John and Mary's memories of the whole incident and that they won't remember anything about angels, him, or Sam. Michael walks over to Sam's body, resurrects him, and sends him back to his own time. Michael then walks toward Dean, telling him that he'll see him soon before sending him back to his own time too.
In Point of No Return, Zachariah has been dismissed from his position and is on Earth where he drinks in a bar, awaiting his destruction, when Michael makes contact. The brilliance and sound of the archangel kills the bar patrons. Zachariah expects Michael to kill him on the spot and doesn't try to resist but Michael instead offers Zachariah one last chance to secure Dean as a vessel. Delighted, Zachariah agrees if he is given back his position which Michael grants and Zachariah puts his plan into action.
Meanwhile, seeing no other way to defeat Lucifer and save the planet, Dean is prepared to consent to becoming Michael's vessel when it is discovered that his half-brother Adam Milligan has been resurrected. The angels hold Adam as bait, and Sam and Dean attempt to rescue him. Zachariah tortures Sam and Adam in front of Dean, forcing Dean to agree to consent. Zachariah utters an incantation that summons Michael to their location, only for Dean to kill a distracted Zachariah with an Angel Blade. Sam and Dean manage to escape before Michael descends, but Adam is trapped inside the room and vanishes with Michael. Adam is technically a vessel, if only a temporary one, for Michael, being of the Winchester bloodline.
In Swan Song, Michael appears at Stull Cemetery in Lawrence, Kansas in possession of Adam's body in order to face Lucifer in the final battle of Armageddon. Lucifer tries to convince Michael that they shouldn't fight because God made Lucifer the way he is, because he always wanted the Devil. Michael isn't convinced and the two prepare to fight just as Dean drives down into the cemetery and interrupts them.
As Dean tries to talk to Sam, Castiel and Bobby appear and Castiel hits Michael with a holy oil molotov cocktail in order to send him away temporarily. After Lucifer makes Castiel explode and breaks Bobby's neck, he begins beating Dean up. This continues until Sam reclaims control of his body and opens the portal to Hell. Michael returns just then and tells Sam that he can't jump in because he has to fulfill his destiny by killing Lucifer. Sam doesn't listen and when Michael tries to grab hold of him to stop him from falling, Sam takes hold of his arm and pulls him in, causing Sam, Michael, Adam and Lucifer to all get trapped in the Cage.
Season 6
Subsequently, in Heaven, Raphael informs Castiel that he wants to release Lucifer and Michael so that the Apocalypse can be restarted. While talking with Dean, Castiel speculates that Lucifer and Michael are probably abusing Sam's soul, as they see their imprisonment as his fault. Balthazar makes a similar assumption, as does Crowley. Dean explains to Death, who already knows, that Michael, still inside Adam Milligan, also fell into the Cage, and requests that the Horseman retrieves both Sam and Adam's souls. But Death forces him to pick one - Dean picks Sam.
Season 7
In Meet the New Boss, Castiel tells Crowley he's keeping Hell as a place for his enemies, and to keep Michael and Lucifer in the Cage
Season 11
In Out of the Darkness, Into the Fire, a demon tells Crowley that after the Darkness was released, there was an uproar from the Cage and it's believed that Michael or Lucifer were trying to warn them about the Darkness.
In Our Little World, after Sam and Dean question Castiel about Metatron, Sam experiences a vision of Lucifer's Cage, which is seen for the first time from the outside. Two hands are seen to be grasping the wall of the Cage, though it remains unclear whether the hands belong to Lucifer or Michael.
In The Devil in the Details, Lucifer tells Sam that prison life has supposedly driven Michael insane and claims that he is now curled in a ball in a corner of the Cage and passes his time "singing show tunes and touching himself".
In We Happy Few, God and Lucifer tell the Winchesters that it took all four archangels to weaken the Darkness enough for God to lock her away the first time. However, God tells them that their team is three short as Gabriel and Raphael are dead and God can't resurrect them in a timely manner while Michael is in no state for battle.
Season 12
In Stuck in the Middle (With You), Michael and Lucifer appear in a painting which represents their fight during the First Heaven Civil War. Later on, Michael is revealed to have crafted a lance specifically for tormenting Lucifer, likely for their battle during the Civil War. The lance fell into the possession of Hell and subsequently Ramiel, who uses it to attack Castiel, but Sam manages to snatch the weapon and kill Ramiel with it. Crowley then breaks the lance to free Castiel of its effects, thus saving his life.
In The British Invasion, Lucifer appears to submit to Crowley's will. When Crowley questions it, Lucifer tells him that "all things considered, I think I'd rather be here than rotting in the Cage with my drooling, insane - and not in a fun way - little bro Michael."
Season 13
In The Rising Son, after encountering an alternate reality Michael, Lucifer states that the other Michael seems like a cheap knock-off of his Michael "and he's a hot mess." The other Michael wasn't amused to hear his counterpart's fate.
In Various & Sundry Villains, Lucifer mentions Michael to Castiel by calling him his "dick brother" and compares him to his counterpart by stating that when Michael's mind is set on something, he does it. Lucifer states that the alternate Michael is no different and would not stop in trying to cross over in the main universe.
During Exodus, Lucifer tells his son Jack about his family such as his uncle Michael who describes him as a "warrior-type." Jack states while he didn't meet the real Michael, he met his counterpart who tortured him as Lucifer states the latter did the same to him.
As of Let the Good Times Roll, Michael is currently the last surviving Archangel of the main universe while his counterpart is loose on Earth possessing Dean, a feat the real version couldn't do.
Season 14
In The Spear, Alternate Michael talks about him and Jack being family but the latter isn't fazed and states his real uncle is trapped in a cage while calling the other Michael a knockoff.
In Nihilism, Dean gets confused when he is told that he is possessed by Michael, stating that Michael is in the Cage as he is unaware that Sam and Castiel mean the alternate Michael.
In Ouroboros, Alternate Michael is killed by Jack, making Michael the last known archangel alive from any universe.
Season 15
In Back and to the Future, the demon Belphegor tells Dean that every door in Hell opened when God started the end of the world. Dean realizes that this includes Lucifer's Cage which Belphegor confirms. Dean asks about Michael and Belphegor tells Dean that the last he heard, Michael was just sitting there. However, Belphegor points out that if Michael got out, he might hold a grudge against the Winchesters for trapping him.
In Our Father, Who Aren't in Heaven, the Winchesters learn that God has a secret fear that he only shared with his favorite which they realize means Michael. Though both God and Lucifer claimed Michael to be insane, Dean suspects they might have been lying and the Winchesters and Castiel travel into Hell to search for Michael. However, Michael is now gone.
On Earth, Michael allows Adam to have control as his vessel enjoys a burger and a pizza in a diner. Michael manifests as a duplicate of Adam, as they begin to talk. Michael admits that he doesn't know much about food or life down on Earth and will have Adam be his guide. When Adam asks if Michael will return to Heaven, he tells him that he doesn't know what he'll do now that the other archangels dead and God never returned so he is alone. Adam empathizes as he has no family waiting for him either. When Michael points out that he still has Sam and Dean, Adam responds that he only met them once and they left him to rot in Hell. They bond over the fact that they both have had difficult families.
As they discuss what to do next, Lilith arrives looking for Michael on God's orders. Instantly taking control, Michael is surprised to see that the demon is alive. Lilith explains that she had been sent to fetch him and Michael asks who sent her and she replies that it was God. He is immediately skeptical of the demon's claims as he believes his father wouldn't send a demon to get him. She quickly reminds Michael that the two had worked together in the past, to set up the Apocalypse. He then says that was only to bring God back and Lilith says that while it hadn't worked back then, he had come back on his own and wants to speak with him. Michael orders her to leave but she insists that she can't leave without him. He then obliterates her in a flash of white light after Lilith grabs him, leaving nothing but a pile of ash. Noticing that the entire diner witnessed his actions, Michael erases their memories with a snap of his fingers.
After getting rid of Lilith, Michael begins bouncing all over the globe, finally ending up in Cairo, Egypt with Prophet Donatello Redfield sensing his movements. Castiel reaches out to Michael through prayer, asking for him to come, acknowledging their past and the greater war that is taking place against God. Michael agrees to meet with Castiel in a factory, but is not at all pleased to see his brother as Castiel called him assbutt, set him on fire, and then helped send the archangel to Hell. He also refuses to believe Castiel in his claim that God is now his enemy. As Michael speculates if Castiel had really come to beg forgiveness, Castiel surrounds the archangel in a ring of Holy Fire. As the Winchesters enter with the Supernatural Handcuffs, Michael angrily demands to know what Castiel has done.
Taken back to the Men of Letters bunker in handcuffs, Michael calls their actions stupid and starts to comment on how Sam looks compared to the last time Michael saw him in the Cage. Sam cuts Michael off and insists that they need his help. Michael is incredulous that they want him to trust them when Castiel doomed him to Hell and Dean let Lucifer walk free while Adam was trapped in Hell. Sam explains that with what they do, they have gotten too used to losing people and with Adam they said goodbye because they thought they had to but were wrong. Michael tells Sam that he shouldn't be telling him that but Adam, right before he returns control to their brother, surprising the Winchesters that Michael lets Adam have control. Adam explains that he and Michael reached an agreement in the Cage where they only had each other.
Michael quickly retakes control and demands to know why he is there. Castiel starts to explain that they need his help because God did truly return as the Cage didn't "just open on its own". Michael tells them that if God had truly return then he will bring paradise, but Dean counters that he wouldn't as paradise is boring and God only wants to be entertained meaning they are all his puppets, especially Michael. Michael refuses to listen, angrily claiming that they are lying and returns control to Adam who states that Michael isn't listening.
Alone, Adam begins to think that maybe his brothers aren't lying about God. Still refusing to listen, Adam points out to him that Sam and Dean always try to be on the right side of things like when they tried to stop him from saying "Yes" to the archangel. Michael asks if Adam now forgives them and Adam quickly tells him no but that wasn't what this was about. Michael tells him that he has known his father for eternity and won't believe their claims but Adam suggests that Michael might not know his father as well as he thinks as all parents "keep secrets". With more probing, Adam finally gets Michael to admit that he won't consider the truth as it would mean that Michael - the Good Son, the Favorite - doubts his father which is against everything Michael has been and believed in his whole life. Adam questions if Michael really still believes that after God abandoned him in Lucifer's Cage.
When Castiel returns, Michael has retaken control and refuses to betray his father and everything he believes in. Castiel tells the archangel that he never really liked him, even when he was just another angel, as he always thought Michael to be too haughty and "to paraphrase a friend, you had an entire oak tree shoved up your ass.", which Michael did not react to, remaining cold and dismissive, but when Castiel notes he pities Michael as he was never God's favorite but just a tiny part of God's story and figures that at least Lucifer knew that God couldn't be trusted, this is the last straw and Michael furiously attacks Castiel, easily overpowering him despite having the cuffs on. As he swiftly used his cuffed hands to choke the Seraph, Castiel, unable to break free of Michael's fury-driven grip, responds by showing the archangel his memories of God's masquerade as the Prophet Chuck, the war with the Darkness, the murder of his nephew Jack and the Apocalypse World Michael.
Disillusioned, Michael orders his brother out to process his thoughts. He later causes the bunker to shake as he becomes distraught that God lied to him and that he wasn't even the only Michael. He then agrees to help and Michael provides Dean and Castiel with the spell that can lock God away. While they have most of the ingredients he tells them that they will also need the nectar from a Leviathan Blossom which only grows in Purgatory. With a snap of his fingers, Michael opens a twelve-hour rift, but refuses to come with them and help further. Dean removes the handcuffs and at Dean's request, Michael returns control to Adam so that Dean can apologize to his brother before Adam and Michael leave the bunker.
In Galaxy Brain, Dean complains that they need archangel grace to open a rift to the Bad Place "and Michael didn't exactly leave a forwarding address".
In Destiny's Child, in a flashback, Anael tells Ruby that Michael and Lucifer are circling each other and that when the two archangels clash, nothing will be left. Anael suggests that they hide in the Occultum until the Apocalypse is over as a result.
In Unity, Amara reminds the Winchesters that it took the four archangels for Chuck to be able to lock her away the first time and wonders how they intend to do the same with her brother.
In Despair, Dean mentions that Michael isn't returning their prayers to him.
In Inherit the Earth, Jack leads the Winchesters to a church after sensing another presence. In the church, they find Michael who expresses surprise that they survived. Michael explains that when the Rapture first began, he took refuge in the church, St. Michael's. Michael is sure that Chuck knows he took their side against his father and so avoided using any powers that might attract God's attention. Michael sadly reveals that Adam died with the rest of humanity and wonders how the Winchesters and Jack survived. Dean explains that God thought it would be hilarious to watch the three of them on an empty planet and so spared the Winchesters and Jack.
Noticing the open Bibles, Sam asks if Michael has been doing some reading and the archangel explains that he never spent much time on Earth and so he was curious about the perception of God and Heaven. Michael comments on how the believers amazingly loved God and have for thousands of years. Michael notes that his efforts were more effective than he had hoped, explaining that when God left Heaven, Michael was certain of his return so the archangel made sure that all of the other angels and Prophets burnished his image on Earth, "the all-knowing and all-seeing and all-caring God." Michael huffs a laugh when Dean calls him "Daddy's boy" and Jack asks what Michael intends to do now that he's seen what his father has done. Michael just looks down and Dean reminds him that they reached out to Michael only to have the archangel ignore them. "That was then, this is now. Tell me what you need me to do," states Michael.
The Winchesters and Jack leads Michael back to the bunker where they unveil Chuck's Death Book for the archangel. Dean explains that the book is about God and how to kill them, but Sam adds that as far as they know, only Death can open it. Sam expresses hope that Michael can also open the book and with his eyes and hand glowing, Michael attempts to open the book. However, even Michael can't get the book open.
Later, Michael enters the main room, shocked to find a resurrected Lucifer there playing with a stack of cards. Lucifer knocks over the cards and Michael demands if the Winchesters are seriously thinking about trusting his brother. Dean states that they aren't exactly trusting Lucifer and Lucifer insists that he gets his brother's bitterness since Michael got no better from God than Lucifer despite everything that Michael did for their father. Michael insists that he did what he did because it was the right thing to do and not to gain their father's love. Lucifer tells Michael that God had no love to give, not to him, not to Michael and not to humanity and asks if he sees that now.
The conversation is interrupted by Betty who informs them that she has opened the book and all that they want is in there and she knows how God ends. As Betty begins to read the book, Lucifer snaps his fingers and turns her to ash, pulling the book to him with telekinesis. Lucifer then reveals that he's actually working for God and that he's "sort of the new favorite now" and taunts Michael. Lucifer flings the charging Winchesters with telekinesis and teleports away from the enraged Michael's charge. The two fling energy blasts at each other with Lucifer dodging Michael's blast and knocking his brother to the ground. Lucifer offers Jack the chance to join him and God on the winning team, stating that its Jack's only chance as Jack is not strong enough to fight him now. Lucifer realizes that someone's behind him and turns around to find Michael. His eyes glowing red, Lucifer taunts his brother that Michael never learns. Michael stabs Lucifer with an archangel blade, killing him once again. This time, Lucifer blasts into ashes instead of leaving behind remains. Michael then thanks Sam for giving him the archangel blade to kill his brother with.
Dean later finds Michael in the kitchen and asks after the archangel's state. Michael admits that he's a bit winded, having not been in a battle like that in several centuries. Dean tells Michael that he's glad that Michael was there and that Chuck is getting desperate, knowing that something is up and wouldn't take the chance of showing up personally. Michael acknowledges this and is stunned that his father resurrected Lucifer and didn't even reach out to Michael. Dean questions if Michael wanted Chuck to reach out to him and Michael insists that he didn't and that Chuck obviously knows the Death book could be lethal to him, but its useless without Death to read it. Dean tells Michael that its at least open now and Sam recognized some of the symbols and writing as being some form of Enochian. As such, Sam is going to try to use the Book of the Damned to try to translate Chuck's Death Book and figure out the End.
Later, Michael enters the library where Dean and Jack are researching with a book and asks if Sam is making any progress. Dean tells Michael that he hopes so since Sam has been busy for a long time and Sam enters. Sam tells the group that he thinks he was able to piece together the spell from the book that can help them which must be done in a particular place at an exact angle from the sun and it will release an unstoppable force that will find Chuck and finish him.
The group travels to the location at a lakeside where Sam performs the spell, sending blue light into the sky that then vanishes. As the Winchesters wonder what went wrong, Chuck appears behind the group and tosses Sam, Dean and Jack aside with telekinesis. Michael and God greet each other for the first time in millennia and Chuck thanks Michael for the heads-up about the Winchesters' plans. Michael states that it has always been his destiny to serve his father. However, Chuck tells Michael that its a bit too late for that and that the Archangel had sided with the Winchesters before and Chuck can't forgive that. Michael desperately tries to defend his actions, but Chuck orders him to save it. Extending his hand at the Archangel, God causes Michael to glow from the inside before exploding in a wave of energy.
After rendering God powerless, the Winchesters reveal that they came up with a plan to use Michael to get at God after seeing how angry Michael was at God using Lucifer to get to the book. As a result, they realized that Michael was desperate to be God's favorite again. In addition, the plan to turn Jack into a bomb to kill Chuck had turned Jack into a sort of power vacuum. When Michael and Lucifer fought and Michael killed Lucifer, Jack absorbed the power coming off of them and was charged up greatly as a result. In addition, Jack absorbed the power given off by Michael's death which, combined with the power given off by God beating on the Winchesters, made Jack unstoppable and capable of taking God's power from him.
Characteristics
Like most angels, when without a vessel; Michael manifests on Earth as a blinding, pure-white light large enough to encompass a small building, whilst his true voice is perceived as a high-pitched ringing noise. Michael's natural form is so intense that humans perceiving it is not only damaging to their eyes and ears but is also fatal. Vessels strong enough to contain him such as Adam Milligan are the apparent exception, able to look at his natural form safely. Inside a vessel, Michael like several other angels (including his Apocalypse World counterpart) can cause his vessel's eyes to briefly change, gaining a bright-blue colour with dots of white light in the centre - this happens when he's aggravated, or when he's switching control with his vessel.
After returning to Earth from Lucifer's Cage, Michael appears to have adopted the form of his vessel Adam as his preferred appearance, analogous to how Lucifer often used Nick's appearance even while not possessing him. When communicating with Adam while Adam is in control of their shared body, Michael manifests in Adam's perception as a physical duplicate of Adam, rather than taking another shape as Gadreel did when communicating with one of his vessels.
Personality
“ | You're wrong. Lucifer defied our father, and he betrayed me, but still... I don't want this anymore than you would want to kill Sam. You know, my brother--I practically raised him. I took care of him in a way that most people could never understand, and I still love him. But I am going to kill him because it is right and I have to. | ” |
— Michael to Dean Winchester
in The Song Remains the Same |
“ | Think of a million random acts of chance that let John and Mary be born, to meet, to fall in love, to have the two of you. Think of the million random choices that you make, and yet how each and every one of them brings you closer to your destiny. Do you know why that is? Because it's not random, it's not chance. It's a plan that is playing itself out perfectly. Free will's an illusion, Dean. That's why you're going to say yes. | ” |
Michael is a rather complicated being, having many sides of his personality. He is a strong but strict leader, having set up a rigid and sturdy hierarchy in Heaven, along with strict rules and harsh punishments;[22][24] likewise, his rule was described as by Castiel as "corrupt", albeit stable. Despite this, he kept his brethren in the dark on many important matters, including God's leaving, and punished any who displayed disobedience with death.
To his father God, however, Michael is fanatically loyal and blindly follows God's orders without question, as sees himself as a "good son",[5] and that is what matters most to him. He loves his father dearly and, despite having not seen him in thousands of years, never lost his faith or his love for him (one of the many qualities that Michael and his one true vessel Dean Winchester both share). Due to his zealous trust in his father's commands, Michael doesn't believe in free will, not even for himself, believing everything that occurs is how his father planned it. In order to help bring God back, Michael went so far as to work with Lilith to bring on the Apocalypse as believed it to be God's will.[11]. When he met God for the first time in over a millennia, he was happy to meet his father again and stated it was his destiny to serve him after he was thanked for betraying the Winchesters and his own nephew in the process.
According to Lucifer, when he puts his mind to something he'll do it no matter how many have to die. This goes along with his intent to let the Apocalypse proceed to fight his brother as his father commanded and bring paradise. He also shares this trait with his counterpart.
He also professes his love for Lucifer, his younger brother, and admits to Dean that he doesn't want to kill Lucifer any more than Dean would want to kill Sam, but accepts he must do it due to his father's orders and the actions of his younger brother.[3] His love for Lucifer is proven true, as seen before the fight where he acts in a polite and genuinely saddened manner, and when Lucifer proposes they "walk off the chessboard," Michael seriously considers it for a moment before ultimately refusing. Despite loving his younger brother, Michael holds great anger for Lucifer, calling him a "monster" and blaming him for all their problems, pointing out they were once "happy together" but Lucifer ruined everything by "betraying them, betraying all of us" and "making [their] father leave". It remains unknown how good his relationship was with Gabriel and Raphael, although considering Raphael was his second-in-command and proved to be loyal to his cause to kill Lucifer and bring paradise along with still attempting to free him so he and Lucifer could fight even after the Apocalypse was averted, it was obvious they were on good terms but his relationship with Gabriel could be strained considering Gabriel left Heaven and was resentful of Michael's devotion to kill Lucifer, although notably Michael never ordered Gabriel to be hunted down and killed, indicating he was willing to tolerate Gabriel as long as he remained neutral. Nevertheless, Michael expressed genuine sadness when he referred to the deaths of his archangel brothers and did not exclude any of them, even Lucifer or Gabriel, showing despite everything they did, Michael deep down never lost his brotherly love for them. However, Michael retained his feelings of anger and resentment at Lucifer even after his death, as he literately spat on the fact that the Winchesters released Lucifer while he was left on the Cage unable to stop him and when Castiel calls Lucifer the smarter of the two archangels because he at least knew that God can't be trusted, Michael is instantly provoked into attacking his younger brother, having previously kept his composure despite his obvious anger and disbelief over the Winchester's and Castiel's claims.[11] After Lucifer's resurrection, Michael is distrusting of his brother from the moment he sees him, even reacting in disbelief that the Winchesters may trust him. When Lucifer revealed he was actually working with God, and was the new favorite, Michael's anger was shown in full force as he didn't hesitate to attack his brother, and killed him for the second and final time with the Archangel Blade, showing no remorse as he did so.
Michael also seems to think of himself as magnanimous when he promises to leave Dean intact after having him as a vessel and erasing the memories of his parents of Anna's attack in The Song Remains the Same. He was also shown to be a relatively forgiving person, as he forgave Uriel and Zachariah, even after Zachariah's constant failures, along with indicating a willingness to consider showing Castiel mercy despite having insulted him and helped send him to Hell, implying that despite being strict or even cruel with them, he does not enjoy killing his own kind.
However, Michael could be wrathful, particularly with anyone who interferes with his destiny, including Dean at Stull Cemetery (although this could also be a case of restraint as he just tells Dean he isn't part of this and tells him to leave as opposed to killing or forcing him) and again with Lucifer when Lucifer suggests they refuse to fight. He also kills Anna Milton when she tries to interfere with his plan. It is this insistence on fulfilling his story as written that leads him into imprisonment in the Cage, because he pleaded with Sam, who had recently regained control of his body from Lucifer, that "i have to fight my brother", then grabbed hold of Sam's arm as Sam went tumbling down into the Cage, going down with him. After Lilith annoyed him, Michael obliterated the demon when she refused to leave him alone. When faced with Castiel's utter lack of respect over how he led Heaven, Michael displayed his pride by remaining completely unfazed, as if he saw his much younger sibling's insult as proof of his lack of understanding of the necessity and efficiency of his methods.[11]
When it comes to humans, Michael seems to be somewhat uncaring; he does not care if or how many he kills. On one notable occasion, he randomly killed a bar full of people just so he could talk to Zachariah, and referred to Dean at one point as a "maggot", just as Zachariah called Dean a "maggot inside a worm's ass". Despite this, Michael also doesn't hold any true hatred for humans, never specifically going out of his way to harm any, or even really bothering about them before the Apocalypse occurred, and unlike Lucifer, he felt no anger by God's love for humans being greater than for him, and obeyed God's orders to bow before mankind without question. However, Castiel and Balthazar believes that Michael joined Lucifer in torturing Sam in the Cage as revenge for being trapped there, though this has neither been confirmed or denied, and Sam only remembered Lucifer torturing him, suggesting Michael didn't. After being reunited with Sam, Michael sarcastically comments that Sam looks better than the last time he saw him, but Sam simply interrupts the archangel, still leaving it a question whether or not Michael was in part responsible for Sam's state, although considering Sam's lack of resentment compared to Lucifer, any torture Michael did would be minimal at least.[11] In addition, Michael cared nothing for the humans who died when Michael entered a bar in his true form to speak with Zachariah.[4] However, it appears that his time having Adam as his vessel has somewhat softened his opinion towards mankind as Michael simply erased the memories of a diner full of witnesses who saw him kill Lilith rather than getting rid of the humans completely.[11] While Michael appears to have an uncaring view of humans, this isn't as extreme as his counterpart, who openly admitted to enjoying killing humans and ordering a genocide of the humanity in his world.
Michael is in fact in many ways a tragic figure, as both the people he loved the most either betrayed or abandoned him, and all he ever really wanted to do was to prove to his father, God, that he was a good son, the one thing that he never actually managed to achieve.
According to Lucifer, being locked in Lucifer's Cage didn't sit well with Michael and it drove him insane, leaving Michael curled up in a ball in the cage and "singing show tunes and touching himself". [8] God later stated that calling Michael into battle against the Darkness is not an option as he isn't in any shape to fight.[18] When meeting Michael's counterpart, Lucifer further added that Michael was also a drooling, hot mess.[25] After God's betrayal, Dean suspects that both God and Lucifer were simply lying about Michael's insanity.[11]
Like many angels, Michael has an extremely low opinion of demons. Upon encountering the resurrected Lilith, Michael doesn't believe her claims that God sent her and called Lilith as a demon "a speck of infernal bile". Although he worked with Lilith to bring back God, Michael openly showed he held nothing but disgust for Lilith and resented the necessity of it. Lilith's behavior leaves Michael extremely irritated and when she refuses to leave him alone, Michael simply obliterates Lilith to stop her, showing no reaction at all for killing the demon.[11]
“ | Adam: The point is, parents keep secrets, right? Does it hurt to ask the question? Michael: Yes! It would. It would mean that I doubt him. The Good Son, the Favorite, doubts his father. Adam: You still care about that? After he left you in the Cage? |
” |
After escaping from the Cage and Hell, it is shown that God and Lucifer were in fact lying and though his time in the Cage has changed Michael somewhat by the time of his escape, mellowing the oldest archangel and making him unsure of his place in the world due to the other archangels being dead and as far as he knew, God being gone, he still retains much of his old personality, remaining loyal to God, and expressing anger and irritation when faced with the Winchesters and Castiel both for their role in trapping him in the Cage and in the present time and for abandoning Adam to the same fate, showing a fondness for his vessel. When confronted with the truth about his father, Michael adamantly refused to believe it and acted like a petulant child, giving Adam control simply so that he wouldn't have to listen to the truth, which he admits to being attributed to the fact that he feels doubting will mean betraying who he is as the Good and Favorite Son. Ironically, it was his fascination and devotion to his father that led to his own demise.
However, after Castiel shows Michael his memories of God's betrayals, including seeing his father was always around disguised as Chuck, the war with the Darkness, seeing his alternate reality counterpart and the murder of Jack, Michael finally lets go of his view of God and becomes completely disillusioned in his role as God's favorite son, stating that he didn't even know there was more than one Michael. Embittered towards his father for his apathy towards all creation and lies, Michael willingly provides Dean and Castiel with the means to trap God and even opens a rift to Purgatory to facilitate their efforts, but he refuses to do anymore and leaves.[11]
Michael is shown to have something of a unique relationship with his vessels compared to the other archangels and even regular angels. While possessing John Winchester, Michael promised Dean to leave him "better than new" and even saw it as a kindness that he was erasing John's memory of the experience. While Michael permitted Zachariah to torment Dean to get his consent, he also attempted to talk to Dean directly and convince him as one older brother and good son to another that they had no other choice.[3] Michael originally appeared disdainful about Adam Milligan, coldly stating that "Adam isn't home right now" when Dean addressed his brother and saw Dean as no longer important since he had Adam as a vessel.[5] However, his relationship with Adam changed during their years trapped together in the Cage when Michael and Adam only had each other. Having reached an understanding with Adam and appeared to have struck up a friendship with the young man, Michael chose to share control with his vessel rather than remaining dominant at all times unlike other angels and even held conversations with Adam and sought his advice. Notably, Michael's expressed anger at Dean was for abandoning Adam in the Cage while Dean was willing to let Lucifer roam the Earth. In turn, Adam, while on friendly terms with the archangel, didn't hesitate to challenge Michael and his opinions and was unafraid of Michael's angry reactions to his questions. Notably, while angry at Adam's beliefs that the Winchesters were right, Michael was open to listening to him and Adam was even able to get Michael to admit the true reason he wasn't willing to listen. While Michael clearly valued Adam, he felt that his eternity with God and believed understanding of his father outweighed Michael's far less years with his vessel and Adam's thus far less informed opinion, at least in Michael's mind. However, Adam ultimately proved to be in the right while Michael was in the wrong.[11]
Though Michael had initially managed to move on from being the loyal son and only believing his existence was to worship his father, in the end he proved that he was incapable of fully changing from this opinion. Adam's death at God's hands did cause him to resent his father to a degree, to the point of actively siding with the Winchesters and Jack to try and open Chuck's Death Book. Once he was taunted by Lucifer that Lucifer was the Favorite, and that God didn't care about him, Michael returned to being the loyal son, deceiving the Winchesters and his nephew Jack into believing he was still on their side. This deceit led him to learn their alleged plan to take down Chuck, and informing him so that he could stop them. When he came face to face with his father, Michael was overjoyed to see him and once again declared himself as his loyal son. When Chuck revealed he couldn't forgive Michael for siding with the Winchesters, even initially, the archangel immediately started pleading with his father that it had only been a lapse in judgement and that he was sorry.
Powers and Abilities
“ | Dean: So is this what I'm looking at when Michael jumps in my bones? Castiel: No, not at all. Michael is much more powerful. |
” |
As the very first angel ever created, Michael was the oldest, strongest, and most powerful angel under God's command, making Michael among the oldest and most powerful supernatural beings to exist in Creation. Being the highest in Heaven's hierarchy, Michael had immense powers. Castiel described him as one of the few beings that were stronger than Lucifer. Castiel even mentioned that in comparison to Raphael, Michael was much more powerful. Even when Castiel was empowered with 40 million souls and being able to effortlessly destroy Raphael, he opted to keep both Lucifer and Michael in the Cage.[26] Only a few beings are known to predate and are capable of overpowering Michael. As an archangel, Michael had many powers. Below are listed all of the powers that Michael has displayed.
- Lower Tier Nigh-Omnipotence - As the oldest Archangel and the first angel in general that God ever created, Michael had a tremendously vast supply of supernatural power, making him the most powerful celestial being that God created. Other angels, even some of the most powerful angels fear Michael's capabilities and powers.[4] Noted to be far superior to the younger Archangels, such as Raphael, with Castiel describing the amount of damage hosting Michael could do to Dean as being beyond that Raphael's vessel sustained, he was even ultimately more powerful than Lucifer, having defeated him during the First Heavenly Civil War and then locked him inside the Cage, with all angels being convinced that Michael would eventually kill Lucifer had they fought, it has also been noted that had Michael fought Lucifer, the impact of their battle would destroy much of Earth. When they later fought, Lucifer opted to avoid Michael's attacks instead of taking him head-on and catching him off-guard before knocking him down to the ground with an energy blast, noting that Michael had become "rusty". He could effortlessly kill and banish lesser angels at whim, as shown by how with a single touch, Michael easily burned Anna, a powerful angel, from the inside out to death and sent Uriel back to Heaven with a snap of his fingers. By placing two fingers on Sam's forehead, Michael brought him back to life while also, at the same time, healed his wounds and sent him back to the future all at once. He was also capable of creating a weapon called the Lance of Michael that could kill demons and angels, including Archangels, as evidenced with Lucifer. In addition, he could effortlessly obliterate Lilith, the first demon, just by flashing his eyes and erase the minds of those watching with just a snap of his fingers and a command to forget. Michael was able to open a twelve-hour rift to Purgatory with yet another finger snap, which not even Raphael could do without a powerful spell. Even when powered by 30-40 million souls, Castiel still felt the need to keep Michael in the cage further showing the immensity of his powers. The only known beings more powerful than Michael are God, Jack, Death, and the Darkness.
- Angelic Possession - Michael required a vessel to act on Earth, and he must have the vessel's permission. His power could only be contained by someone descended from Cain and Abel.[3] Dean Winchester was his true vessel.
- Chronokinesis - Michael, as an Archangel, had advanced chronokinetic powers, being able to easily travel back in time to the past to stop Anna from killing Sam and Dean and back as well as return Sam and Dean to the present with just a single finger tap.[3]
- Biokinesis - Michael said he was going to leave John in better condition than he found him.
- Healing - Michael could easily heal others of any injury, wound and disease. Michael healed the young John Winchester from the extensive injuries he sustained after having been punched through a window by Anna. He also "fixed" Sam from the injuries he obtained from having a pipe launched through his stomach. He even went as far as to say that he could simply undo the massive damage Dean would have sustained had he became his vessel.
- Clairsentience - Michael could easily detect Lilith upon seeing her.
- Holy White Light - Michael could easily generate an overwhelming white light that was capable of obliterating other beings while leaving others he chose unaffected, as by simply flashing his eyes, he obliterated Lilith into a pile of ashes while the rest of the diner remained unaffected.[11]
- Precognition - Michael could see into the future, but not the full picture.
- Pyrokinesis - Michael could manipulate and generate earthly, and even spiritual fire. He used this ability on disobedient angels, such as he did when he set Anna ablaze, painfully killing her, instead of snapping his fingers like Lucifer.[3]
- Regeneration - If his vessel became damaged in any way, he was able to heal it instantly and completely. For instance, his vessel Adam was set ablaze by Holy Fire, but upon his return minutes later, he didn't have a scratch either on his skin or even his clothing.
- Resurrection - Michael could resurrect humans with ease. He rose Sam from the dead after Anna killed him with a pipe through the stomach.
- Supernatural Perception - Michael could sense and see things even if they’re naturally invisible.
- Super Stamina - As an Archangel, Michael's stamina was incalculable and, even when in a vessel, needed nothing to maintain strength, to strive or operate, as he was self-sufficient.
- Super Strength - Being the oldest, strongest, and most powerful Archangel, the physical strength that Michael endowed his vessel with was immense. Due to his status and power as the oldest angel, Michael was the strongest angel and the only one whose physical strength surpassed Lucifer's own, as the demon who was possessing Bobby at the time called Michael the "toughest son of a bitch they got." Notably, Michael was more than willing to physically attack Lucifer, with Lucifer opting to avoid rather than struggle with him. Even while restrained by Supernatural Handcuffs, he retained a tremendous amount of superhuman strength that allowed him to effortlessly overpower the fallen Seraphim Castiel, able to easily slam Castiel to a table with enough force to stun him and then effortlessly lift him overhead and restrain him firmly, with Castiel being unable to break out and having to resort to showing Michael the truth.
- Telekinesis - Michael was a powerful telekinetic, able to move and control objects with his mind effortlessly; he was even able to move objects in areas where he hadn't fully arrived in. He demonstrated this when he closed and locked the door to the beautiful room when Adam tried to escape it.
- Telepathy - Michael was able to read the thoughts of humans. When Castiel prayed to him, he was able to (off-screen) contact his brother to tell him where to meet him.
- Empathy - Michael was able to read the emotions of humans.
- Mental Manipulation - Michael could erase, restore, alter and fabricate the memories and perception of a human. He was able to erase John and Mary's memories of Anna Milton's attempt to kill them and with just a snap of his fingers, erased an entire diner's memories of him obliterating Lilith.
- Sedation - Just like an average angel, Michael could sedate humans by touching their forehead.
- Teleportation - Michael could travel from one place to another instantly, without occupying the space in between. He could also take people with him, in the blink of an eye. Although he could travel virtually anywhere in existence, he was unable to leave Lucifer's Cage once the door was closed, as it was designed to hold an Archangel. Like with Lucifer and Gabriel, Michael retained the power to teleport even after the Fall, as he was able to traverse the world at such high speeds that although Donatello could sense him, he was unable to give an accurate location and effortlessly teleported to Castiel's location. This was because Michael retained his wings unlike other angels.
- Terrakinesis - Michael was able to cause powerful earthquakes by thought or presence alone. When descending to a bar on Earth to speak to Zachariah, the bar began to quiver in a manner comparable to a full-fledged earthquake.[4] In his distress, Michael later caused the Men of Letters bunker to shake.[11]
- Thermokinesis - He made the door knob to the beautiful room extremely hot to prevent Dean and Sam from being able to open it and save Adam.[4]
- Weather Manipulation - Michael's control over the weather exceeded even his own brothers. Upon arriving on Earth to John Winchester, he caused sudden severe winds.
- Portal Creation - With just a snap of his fingers, even while restrained by Supernatural Handcuffs, Michael was able to open a twelve-hour rift to Purgatory.[11]
- Energy Blasts - Like his Apocalypse World counterpart, Michael was capable of throwing blasts of energy at his opponents.[12]
- Nigh-Omniscience - Like his brothers, Michael has a deep understanding of many things, due to him being older than the universe itself, and as the oldest, his knowledge exceeded all his brothers. Michael was immediately aware of Anna's plan to put an end to the Apocalypse despite her having traveled to a different time in the past and picked the right moment to throw if off the rails. Even while locked in the Cage, he was aware that it was the Winchesters who released Lucifer and that his Archangel brothers have died but didn't know God has returned. He also knew about junk food being bad for humans, scolding Adam for eating burger, and could easily detect Castiel's prayer. Michael even knew of the spell that was used to trap the Darkness and surmised that with God weak from the Equalizer, he could be trapped with that spell.
- Immortality - As the eldest archangel, Michael had an infinitely long lifespan. He was the first angel and has existed before the universe itself, making him well over 13.8 billion years old. The excessive passing of time didn't degrade his vessel, like with all celestial beings. His vessel was unaffected by diseases and toxins. He didn't tire, and didn't require food, water, oxygen, or sleep to sustain his vessel.
- Invulnerability - Michael couldn't be killed by any conventional weapon. Even Holy Fire was only able to banish him for a short time.[5] As an archangel, the only known weapons that could kill him are the Archangel Blades and his own Lance of Michael. He also withstood a blast from Lucifer without any injuries, only being temporarily knocked down, though admitted to being winded as he hadn't fought in such battles for millenia.
- Immunity - Michael was resilient to Holy Fire, although he still found it agonizing, damaging and being able to banish him; but unlike other angels, it couldn't kill him.[5] Michael, just like Gabriel and Lucifer, proved immune to the spell Metatron used to cause the Fall, retaining his wings, and even proved to be able to retain a considerable amount of power when restrained with the Supernatural Handcuffs, as he was still easily stronger than Castiel even with the handcuffs on and was able to make the ground shake and open a rift to Purgatory.[11] Despite being weaker than his Apocalypse World counterpart, Michael's resistance to the handcuffs appears to be stronger as Alternate Michael was unable to use any of his powers in the handcuffs aside from mentally commanding his monsters.[27]
- Master hand-to-hand combatant: As the first angel ever created by God specifically for the purpose of battle, Michael is a tremendously skilled fighter, quite possibly the best in existence. He was easily able to overpower Castiel in their brief conflict even while being in angel cuffs. Michael was also regarded as being capable of definitively defeating Lucifer in the Apocalypse, having once bested him in battle, and rather than taking Michael on when he tried to fight him directly, Lucifer avoided physical combat with him.
Weaknesses
Although Michael was God's oldest and most powerful angel, making him vastly more powerful than any other type of angel, even he had the same weaknesses as the other archangels.
Harming, Misleading and Trapping
- Enochian sigils - Even Michael couldn't locate someone if they were warded by Enochian sigils.
- Holy Fire - Holy fire couldn't kill Michael, but it could damage his vessel momentarily. Holy fire caused Michael quite a great deal of pain.[5] Following his escape from Hell, the Winchesters and Castiel were able to trap Michael in a ring of holy fire for long enough to put the Supernatural Handcuffs on him. It is unknown how long the holy fire could've held him without Michael being otherwise restrained.[11]
- Lucifer's Cage - This cell can hold any angel, including Michael, without any internal means of escape.
- Supernatural Handcuffs - Having been upgraded by Bobby Singer to hold Michael's Apocalypse World counterpart, the cuffs were capable of restraining Michael. Despite this, he retained some of his Super Strength even in the cuffs, easily overpowering the weaker Castiel and he was able to make the bunker shake when distressed. In addition, Michael, with just a snap of his fingers, opened a rift to Purgatory while the cuffs were still on. However, Michael could not remove the cuffs on his own and had to ask Dean to take them off.[11]
- Ma'lak Box - Capable of trapping even the most powerful archangel for eternity.[28]
Destroying
Beings
- Primordial Entities - Primordial entities such as God, Death and the Darkness could effortlessly kill Michael. When angered by Michael's earlier betrayal of him, God effortlessly obliterated the archangel.[12]
- Archangels - Michael could be harmed by his closest siblings. While he was much stronger than either Gabriel or Raphael, Lucifer was shown to be able to hurt him when he knocked him to the ground by one energy blast.[12]
Weapons
- Archangel Blades - The only weapon capable of killing an archangel. The blade is only effective when wielded by another archangel.
Death
Killed by
After informing God of the Winchester's plan to take him down, Michael told his father he would always be his loyal son. Chuck, however, was enraged that Michael had turned against him previously, even if it was only temporary. As Michael tried to plead with his father that it had simply been a lapse in judgement, Chuck silenced him and exploded his eldest son to punish him for this.
Relationships
- Michael and Castiel - Michael's relationship with his rebellious brother Castiel.
- Michael and Dean Winchester - Michael's relationship with his true vessel, Dean Winchester.
- Michael and God - Michael's relationship with his father, God.
- Michael and Lucifer - Michael's relationship with his younger brother Lucifer.
- Michael and Adam - Michael's relationship with his vessel Adam Milligan.
Appearances
- Season 2
- Houses of the Holy (stained glass image and mentioned)
- Season 4
- The Monster at the End of This Book (referenced only)
- Lucifer Rising (painting and referenced)
- Season 5
- Sympathy for the Devil (mentioned only)
- Good God, Y'all (mentioned only)
- Free To Be You and Me (mentioned only)
- The End (mentioned only)
- Fallen Idols (mentioned only)
- Changing Channels (mentioned only)
- Abandon All Hope... (mentioned only)
- Swap Meat (mentioned only)
- The Song Remains the Same (Incorporeal form and in Vessel)
- 99 Problems (mentioned only)
- Point of No Return (incorporeal form)
- Hammer of the Gods (mentioned only)
- Two Minutes to Midnight (mentioned only)
- Swan Song
- Season 6
- Caged Heat (mentioned only)
- Appointment In Samarra (mentioned only)
- The Man Who Would Be King (flashbacks)
- The Man Who Knew Too Much (flashbacks)
- Season 7
- Meet the New Boss (mentioned only)
- There Will Be Blood (painting only)
- Season 8
- The Great Escapist (mentioned only)
- Season 10
- Fan Fiction (mentioned only)
- Angel Heart (depiction in lore book)
- Season 11
- Out of the Darkness, Into the Fire (mentioned only)
- The Devil in the Details (flashback and mentioned)
- We Happy Few (mentioned only)
- Season 12
- Stuck in the Middle (With You) (painting and mentioned)
- The British Invasion (mentioned only)
- Season 13
- The Rising Sun (mentioned only)
- War of the Worlds (mentioned only)
- Various & Sundry Villains (mentioned only)
- Devil's Bargain (mentioned only)
- Bring 'em Back Alive (mentioned only)
- Unfinished Business (mentioned only)
- Exodus (mentioned only)
- Season 14
- Season 15
- Back and to the Future (mentioned only)
- Our Father, Who Aren't in Heaven
- The Trap (mentioned only)
- Galaxy Brain (mentioned only)
- Destiny's Child (mentioned only)
- Unity (referenced only)
- Despair (mentioned only)
- Inherit the Earth
- A Very Special Supernatural Special (archive footage)
Trivia
- Many exorcisms invoke the name of the Archangel Michael, to defeat and banish the demon.
- In the final judgment, Michael is shown as the weigher of souls.
- Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael are the only angels who are also saints.
- Michael holds the keys to Heaven and Hell.
- He is the Archistratege of God ('Archistratege' being a military rank of the highest degree, superior to a field marshal or grand admiral).
- He is the only angel in the Bible named as an Archangel; the rest were named in different interpretations of the Bible and other biblical scrolls, or given the title by the Catholic Church. This is why he is considered the Archangel.
- Michael is known as the 'Prince of the Seraphim' (the Seraphim being the highest order of angels).
- Archangel Michael is celebrated yearly on September 28, the day known as Michaelmas, or the Feast of Saint Michael.
- He is often shown as the angel who spoke to Moses as a burning bush, delivered the Ten Commandments to Moses, and fought with Lucifer over Moses' body and won.
- In the Apocalypse, Michael leads the army of Heaven and defeats Lucifer and the Antichrist.
- Some believe the Archangel Michael and Jesus Christ are one and the same.
- Michael is the secondary antagonist in Season 5 and an anti-hero in Season 15.
- His name's meaning is a rhetorical question meant to glorify God's characteristics, "Who is like God?"
- Michael is considered the "Viceroy of Heaven," meaning, the ruler of Heaven in God's stead.
- So far in the series, Michael has used two vessels: John Winchester and Adam Milligan.
- Outside of the series, creator Eric Kripke has stated in The Official Companion Season 5 that Death is more powerful than Michael.
- Interestingly, when Castiel struck Michael (in Adam's body) with a molotov of Holy Fire, Michael's anguished screams through Adam's voice became lower in pitch, distorted, and the distinctive high pitched sound that angels emit in their true forms can be heard.
- Despite being the oldest of the four Archangels, he used the youngest vessels - Adam Milligan at about 19/20 and John Winchester at about 24.
- Michael is the least appearing archangel and primordial in the series, only physically appearing in 4 episodes (not counting his alternate reality self).
- Michael was the first creation of God and the last being to be killed by him.
- It is hinted at that God created many other things before Michael, but said things were destroyed by Amara, driving God to have her locked up to protect his remaining creations.
- He was never seen interacting with Raphael or Gabriel, it is also unknown what terms he was on with them. However, he seemed distraught when he talked about their death in Our Father, Who Aren't in Heaven.
- Due to the Winchesters traveling back in time, chronologically Michael was the first Primordial entity and angel to meet the Winchesters, having met them before they were born in the timeline.[3]
- When talking through a vessel, Michael appears to use a deeper voice than that of his vessel. This can best be seen when he is interacting with Adam in Our Father, Who Aren't in Heaven when Adam speaks and Michael responds off-screen with a deeper voice though he manifests as a duplicate of Adam.
- While originally an enemy to Team Free Will and in fact the inspiration for its formation and naming by Dean, Michael later becomes their ally.
- Adam's behavior in Our Father, Who Aren't in Heaven suggests that even when Adam isn't in control of his shared body, he remains aware of the world around him and the events occurring and that it is not just Michael filling him in on what he missed. In particular, when Dean requests to speak to Adam, Michael changes over and Adam instantly responds to Dean as if Dean had asked Adam to speak with him and not Michael as the intermediary.
- Michael was the last known winged angel.
- Michael was the first angel ever created. Funnily enough, Lilith, the first demon ever, is wiped out by the first archangel Michael.
- Until Castiel showed him, he apparently had no idea of other archangels beside his brothers exist, whereas Lucifer and Gabriel did.
- Although he hasn't interacted with her, Michael is aware of his Aunt being free, thanks to Castiel showing him.
- Despite being more powerful than Lucifer, who eventually neutralized Holy Fire every time the Winchesters used it against him, Michael ironically has been successfully affected by holy fire by them twice: he was banished when Castiel threw a molotov of holy fire on him and Castiel trapped him with Holy Fire, although in the latter's case, Sam and Dean were already waiting to restrain him with Supernatural Handcuffs.
- With the confirmed destruction of all of the alternate universes in Drag Me Away (From You), Michael is last surviving Archangel. After being killed by God Himself in the episode Inherit the Earth, there are no more living archangels.
- Despite having briefly turned against his father in the final season, he proves he's God's most loyal son again by warning him of Winchesters' plan, which leads to a tragic end as God smites him to death. Making him the only Archangel to be killed by God himself.
- Due to Adam's death when God wiped out all life on Earth, Michael was briefly possessing Adam's deceased body. This makes him the first and only Archangel to possess a deceased vessel. He is the second Angel overall to have possessed a deceased vessel, with Castiel being the first.
- Michael killed both of the beings that God resurrected to help him against the Winchesters: Lilith in Our Father, Who Aren't in Heaven and Lucifer in Inherit the Earth.
- In a deleted scene for Inherit the Earth, Michael learns of Castiel's demise and offers his sincere condolences, calling Castiel a good soldier. He and Dean also joke about how different things are from their meeting in Our Father, Who Aren't in Heaven and Michael talks with Jack about Lucifer and his relationship with God.
- Ironically his death is similar to the one he gave to Anna Milton, both are destroyed from the inside out with their vessels being totally destroyed.
See also
- Archangel Michael – for an overview
- Archangel Michael: Roman Catholic traditions and views – includes more relevant info
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Sympathy for the Devil
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The End
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 The Song Remains the Same
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Point of No Return
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 Swan Song
- ↑ The Third Man
- ↑ Ouroboros
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 The Devil in the Details
- ↑ Moriah
- ↑ Back and to the Future
- ↑ 11.00 11.01 11.02 11.03 11.04 11.05 11.06 11.07 11.08 11.09 11.10 11.11 11.12 11.13 11.14 11.15 11.16 11.17 Our Father, Who Aren't in Heaven
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Inherit the Earth
- ↑ O Brother, Where Art Thou?
- ↑ Changing Channels
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Abandon All Hope...
- ↑ Brother's Keeper
- ↑ Don't Call Me Shurley
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 We Happy Few
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 The Great Escapist
- ↑ On The Head Of A Pin
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 Lucifer Rising
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 The Rapture
- ↑ Houses of the Holy
- ↑ When The Levee Breaks
- ↑ The Rising Son
- ↑ Meet the New Boss
- ↑ Nihilism
- ↑ Damaged Goods
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