| “ | Michael and Lucifer, when they started their war, first thing a giant EMP or something like it went off over North America. Fried every bit of technology, cell phones, power plants. For the first few days, we banded together, thought "hey, someone'll save us." No one ever did. When the food ran out, people got mean. Mobs started forming, stealing whatever they could get their hands on. A lot of people died. | ” |
The Apocalypse in the Apocalypse World is both a war between the forces of Heaven and Hell and the genocide of the remaining human population by the angels, led by Michael.
Progression
Prelude
In 1973, after contacting Lucifer at St. Mary's Convent,[1] the Prince of Hell Azazel begins making a series of deals in order to create his Special Children.[2] After killing John Winchester, Azazel offers a deal to Mary Campbell resurrect John if she gives him permission to enter her house in ten years. However, unlike her Main Universe counterpart, Mary refuses the deal and John remains dead.
As a result of Mary refusing the deal, she remains alone for the rest of her life and never moves on from John. With their father dead, Sam and Dean Winchester never come into being. Mary became good friends with fellow hunter Bobby Singer, saving his life several times.[3] In about 2007, Mary is killed by Azazel.[4]
Rise and Fall of Lucifer
In 2010,[5] Azazel's plan came to fruition and Lucifer was released from his Cage in Hell. When Lucifer and his demons rose from Hell, the human race believed the angels to be their saviors, but the angels turned on the humans one by one. With Sam and Dean Winchester not existing in this world, the war was not stopped[3] and consumed the planet, leaving much of the Earth in ruins. Finally, Michael was able to tear Lucifer apart in the skies over Abilene.[6] Despite this, the angels and demons remained locked in combat with what was left of humanity caught in the middle. Demons such as Tempter Demons continued to roam the surface of the Earth by May, 2017.[4]
When Michael and Lucifer started their war, a massive EMP or something similar went off over North America. This fried all technology on the continent such as cell phones and even power plants. While people initially banded together, they eventually turned on each other when the food started running out and they got desperate.[7]
Genocide of the Human Race
At some point before or after the defeat of Lucifer, the angels, commanded by Michael turned their attention towards exterminating the human race. During this time, the humans try to fight back, forming platoons to fight the angels, one of which is commanded by Bobby Singer. Amongst his platoon is his son Daniel who, along with several others, is captured and killed by the angels. The bodies of Daniel and the others are never found and Bobby is left never knowing exactly how they were killed.[8]
The remainder of humanity is eventually relegated to small colonies that are targets for any angels that locate them. Angels are known to "dive-bomb" human colonies and wipe out every single person they can find. Human survivors are often left sporting various injuries and are protected by the remaining hunters in the world.[3] At least some hunters take pleasure in hunting down any angels they can find as a result.[4]
Intervention from a different reality
In May, 2017, the birth of the Nephilim Jack opens a rift between the Main Universe and Apocalypse World. After seeing the rift, a curious Castiel enters and is saved from a Tempter Demon by Bobby Singer who is investigating the rift which set off "all sorts of alarms" with the added intention to kill any angels that come to investigate.
Recognizing that Castiel is different to the angels in his world, Bobby spares Castiel's life and explains the history of Apocalypse World. Sam and Dean Winchester soon come through the rift as well and meet Bobby who lends Dean his gun loaded with angel-killing bullets to use against the Lucifer of the Main Universe. Together, the Winchesters, Castiel and Crowley embark upon a plan to trap Lucifer in Apocalypse World, a plan that leaves Castiel and Crowley dead and Lucifer and Mary Winchester trapped with no way back as the rift is sealed.[4]
After an encounter with several angels, Lucifer and Mary are discovered by Michael who is confused as the Lucifer he knows is dead. Being stronger than the Michael Lucifer is used to, Michael overpowers Lucifer and takes him and Mary captive.[6] After torturing Lucifer, Michael learns of the history of the Main Universe and decides to launch an invasion of the Main Universe. An attempt by the Prophet Kevin Tran to open a rift for Michael enables Lucifer to escape, albeit with depleted grace, to warn of the impending invasion.[9]
Months after the opening of the rift between the worlds, Jack attempts to find a way back to rescue Mary. To this end, Jack and the Winchesters enlist the aid of dreamwalkers Derek Swan and Kaia Nieves to open a new door between the worlds. Due to Kaia flashing between Apocalypse World and the Bad Place, Jack is transported to Apocalypse World while the Winchesters end up in the Bad Place.[10]
Following their rescue from the Bad Place,[11] the Winchesters eventually learn of the threat of Michael's invasion from Castiel and set out to find a way back to Apocalypse World to rescue Mary and Jack. With the help of Donatello Redfield and the Demon Tablet, the Winchesters attempt to recreate the spell the alternate Kevin used to open the rift Lucifer came back through while Asmodeus obtains an Archangel Blade, the only weapon capable of killing an archangel such as Lucifer or Michael.[12] Though Donatello is able to translate the spell, he is corrupted by the power of the demon tablet in his soulless state and the spell has to be stripped from his mind by Castiel.[3]
After his arrival, Jack is captured by Michael who attempts to use Jack to open a rift between the worlds for Michael to lead an invasion force through. Following a failed attempt by Zachariah to trick Jack into helping the angels, Jack and Mary team up together to escape from Michael's fortress. Shortly after their escape, the two are found by Bobby Singer and taken to his colony, one of the few remaining human colonies left.
In the colony, Jack and Mary bear witness to the full effects of the Apocalypse on Apocalypse World and learn of the extermination of the San Antonio colony and four hundred people just two days before. While in the colony, Mary and Bobby discuss Mary's counterpart and Mary learns of her counterpart's refusal to make a deal with Azazel to bring John Winchester back. Mary realizes and reveals to Bobby that the Apocalypse in Apocalypse World happened because Sam and Dean didn't exist to stop it due to her alternate self's choice.
After learning that Jack is a Nephilim, Bobby exiles him from the colony due to a belief that its only a matter of time before Jack turns on them as a half-angel. During his time in the colony, Jack grows attached to the people who he feels are brave for surviving all that they have endured. Before Jack and Mary can leave in the morning, the colony comes under attack by Zachariah and several angels. Despite orders to run and hide, Jack intervenes to kill Zachariah and three other angels, saving the colony from destruction.
Following the defeat of the angel attack, Jack gains acceptance by Bobby and the humans. Jack realizes that the angels are indeed waging a war of genocide and will not stop until the human race is extinct. As a result, Jack decides that he must kill Michael to end the Apocalypse and save what is left of the human race.[3]
Resistance
Following the Attack on the Human Colony, Jack and Mary Winchester began helping the people of Apocalypse World form a resistance against the angels. Charlie Bradbury becomes a high-ranking member of this resistance.
Months after the formation of the resistance, Dean returns to Apocalypse World with Arthur Ketch in an attempt to rescue Mary and Jack. The two witness the execution of a few resistance members and Charlie being taken for interrogation on the resistance. Still feeling guilt over the murder of his Charlie Bradbury, Dean convinces Arthur to help him launch a rescue mission for Charlie. Dean and Arthur liberate a POW camp, killing several angels and setting the prisoners free.
Out of time before the rift between the worlds closes, Dean returns to the Main Universe while Arthur remains in Apocalypse World to locate Mary and Jack and to help the resistance coordinate for Dean's inevitable return with reinforcements.[13]
Following several victories, including the death of Balthazar and his army, Michael decides to set a trap to break Jack's spirit. Michael abandons his fortress under the pretense that Kevin Tran has perfected the ritual from the Angel Tablet to open the rift for his armies. Under Michael's command, Kevin delivers a message about Michael's intentions before turning himself into a suicide bomb, killing three resistance fighters. Only Jack and Mary survive the bombing due to Jack shielding Mary with his wings.[5] Following this event, the resistance starts losing the war and doesn't win very many victories anymore, reducing their numbers to around twenty-five.[14]
Exodus
After the death of Loki, Gabriel agrees to join the Winchesters efforts to rescue their mother and Jack and fight Michael.[5] However, his grace proves to be too low to power the ritual to open a rift between the worlds, forcing the Winchesters, Castiel, Gabriel and the witch Rowena MacLeod to capture Lucifer instead. With Lucifer magically-bound, the group sets him up as a continuous power source for the rift which leads the Winchesters, Castiel and Gabriel to a forest in Northeast Kentucky. Lucifer eventually breaks free of his bonds and is inadvertently blasted through the rift by Rowena, leaving the rift without a power source.
Meeting up with two teenagers, Maggie and Floyd, the group attempts to make it to the resistance's Dayton outpost through a tunnel of vampires turned bestial by starvation since their food source has been destroyed by the angels war of extermination upon the human race. While trying to get through the tunnel, both Sam and Floyd are killed when Dean, Castiel and Gabriel make it to the outpost to reunite with Mary and Jack.
Sam is subsequently resurrected by Lucifer after he drains several of Michael's angels to recharge himself with Lucifer requesting that in exchange, Sam help him build a relationship with his son. With little choice, Sam leads Lucifer to the outpost[15] where Lucifer reveals that he has left enough grace behind to keep the rift open for another thirty-one hours and submits to being bound in order to bond with his son who is fascinated by Lucifer.
With Mary unwilling to abandon the people of Apocalypse World and with time running out, Sam suggests an exodus of the resistance fighters through the rift to the Men of Letters bunker where they will be safe and have access to all of the bunker's lore and weapons in hopes of finding a way to defeat Michael and his armies and retake Apocalypse World from the angels. The resistance retreats to their base camp at Singer Auto Salvage with Lucifer killing several attacking angels on the road. At the base camp, the Winchesters propose their plan to the skeptical resistance leaders who agree to put it to a vote.
At the same time, a resistance traitor aids a group of angels into leading Arthur Ketch and Charlie Bradbury into a trap, leading to their capture and torture. After getting the location of the angels' base from the traitor, the Winchesters, Castiel and Jack launch a rescue mission for their friends, arriving in time to save Charlie from torture by an alternate Castiel who serves as an expert torturer. The Winchesters rescue Arthur and Charlie and kill their captors while Castiel confronts and kills his evil counterpart.
With time running out, the entire resistance votes to take part in the exodus. Using a jeep and an old bus repaired by Dean and Lucifer, the resistance makes their way to the rift as it begins to close. Using a spell powered by the Black Grimoire, Rowena is able to keep the rift open long enough for the people of Apocalypse World to evacuate through it to the bunker. In the midst of the evacuation, Michael attacks, wounding Lucifer and killing Gabriel when Gabriel stands up to him. The Winchesters are able to complete the exodus, purposefully stranding Lucifer in Apocalypse World with Michael.[14]
A deal and Michael's departure for the Main Universe
Stranded together in Apocalypse World, Michael and Lucifer make a deal wherein Lucifer will supply Michael with the ritual from the Demon Tablet to reopen the rift and they will travel through it together with the intention of Lucifer getting his son while Michael gets "everything else."[14] The two are able to make it to the Main Universe where the revelation of Lucifer's true nature causes Jack to turn on his father and Lucifer to steal his son's grace in order to become super-charged. In order to defeat Lucifer in battle, Dean agrees to become Michael's vessel. With Michael's help, Dean is able to kill Lucifer with an archangel blade, but at the cost of leaving Michael loose upon the Main Universe in the body of his true vessel.[16]
End of Michael
After Dean is knocked unconscious by the Gorgon Noah Ophis, he loses concentration on keeping Michael locked away and Michael escapes from his prison in Dean's mind. Rather than retaking control of Dean, Michael leaves his body and coerces Rowena MacLeod into becoming Michael's new vessel. In the form of Rowena, Michael slaughters several Apocalypse World hunters, including Maggie.
As Michael tortures Sam, Dean and Castiel, Jack draws on the power of his soul to face off with the archangel. Jack exorcises Michael from Rowena and burns away the cloud of white light that Michael is left as, killing him. Jack absorbs Michael's grace, restoring Jack's original Nephilim powers and announces that Michael is dead.[17]
Trivia
- In Season 14's Gods and Monsters, Bobby suggests that at the very least, the events leading up to the Apocalypse began in 2003. He tells Sam and Mary Winchester that "I've been fighting a frigging Apocalypse for fifteen years."
References
- ↑ Lucifer Rising
- ↑ In The Beginning
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Good Intentions
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 All Along the Watchtower
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Unfinished Business
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 The Rising Son
- ↑ Optimism
- ↑ Nightmare Logic
- ↑ War of the Worlds
- ↑ The Bad Place
- ↑ Wayward Sisters
- ↑ Devil's Bargain
- ↑ Bring 'em Back Alive
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Exodus
- ↑ Beat the Devil
- ↑ Let the Good Times Roll
- ↑ Ouroboros