The Woggyman
The Woogyman (derived from the word "Boogyman" mispronounced due to Phoebe's buckteeth) is a demon which is held prisoner in the Nexus. It is often referred to as the Shadow because of its look; black, clouded smoke. The Woogy's goal is to possess anyone good or neutral in order to bring out their dark side and do its bidding. It paralyzes its victims in fear and then enters their body and possesses them. If it does not possess, it kills by asphyxiating its foe by surrounding them in its suffocating body. Luckily, the Woogyman is quite slow moving, needing to transport itself through diffusion and hence gives time for spell casting.
History[]
Phoebe's Childhood[]
Phoebe getting a premonition of Grams banishing the WoogymanWhen Phoebe was a little girl she saw something in the basement. Afraid, she ran to Grams for protection. The Woogyman was probably hard, or maybe even impossible to vanquish, and so Grams banished it into the Nexus where he would not be able to escape. Phoebe peeked into the basement when Grams was banishing the Woogy. Grams noticed her grandchild and sent her straight to bed while keeping the demon in her sight. After Grams banished the Woogyman she taught her grandchildren what she called a rhyme to use whenever they might see this shadow again, although Prue and Piper never believed, Phoebe remembered it by heart.
Season 1[]
In 1999, an earthquake made it possible for the Woogyman to escape. He first possessed a gas man who lured Phoebe to the basement. He pretended to be hurt, needing her help. Phoebe, who was deathly afraid of the basement after she saw a shadow, had no choice other than to help the gas man and so went down into the basement. She was quickly possessed by the Woogyman who ordered Phoebe to destroy her sisters. Phoebe gained new powers such as conjuration and telekinesis and the ability of transfiguration, displayed when she transformed Piper's duck dinner into a living one and magically changed the color of her nails.
By the end of the day, Phoebe had the Woogyman possess a neighbor, Andy Trudeau and Beth Whittlesey, a professor in geology who came to a dinner party held in the Manor. When Prue and Piper left with the other guests to go to Quake, they figured out that Phoebe was possessed by the Woogy. Prue wanted to get to Phoebe, but a magical barrier wouldn't let her into the house. Phoebe managed to slip through the Woogy's possession briefly, convincing her sisters that the good in her was still there. However, the Woogyman took over again and Phoebe, in a deep voice, told Prue and Piper that they weren't welcome anymore, after which she telekinetically closed the front door.
Phoebe was eventually returned to good and was able to banish the Woogyman back into the Nexus
Season 2[]
In Witch Trial, Abraxas unleashed the Woogyman again and Piper and Phoebe had to send it back. Although Phoebe told her sisters that she remembers the rhyme by heart, she forgot the spell and Piper had to help her to remember it.
Season 5[]
In The Importance of Being Phoebe, Cole, who had by this time turned completely evil, tricked the sisters into giving up the manor in hopes of getting the Nexus. He intended to use its power to turn Phoebe evil, kill Piper and Paige and take over the city. By stirring up legal troubles for the sisters, he was able to get the deed to the manor and invited several demons to crash there. However, Phoebe bluffed her way into the manor by pretending to be Kaia, a demonic seductress who had been posing as Phoebe. She managed to get to the basement just as Cole was taking in the Woogyman. Phoebe recited the banishing spell, and every demon in the house was sucked into the ground, including Cole. Cole, however, was invincible by this time, and managed to escape.
Season 7[]
In Something Wicca This Way Goes, Zankou had taken in the Nexus. The Charmed Ones had to banish the Nexus, and in so doing, they permanently destroyed the Woogyman.
Powers and Abilities[]
When the Shadow is active it can also control the house, creating an electrical circuit around the walls that repel anyone or anything from entering or leaving if the Shadow so desires. The Shadow was also immune to the sister's powers. The shadow did not appear to be immune to Penny's telekinesis, however Appendicies Woogyman Spell
The spell to vanquish the Woogyman, seen in ("Awakened") The spell to vanquish the Woogyman, seen in ("Awakened") Abraxas reading the spell backwards. ("Witch Trial")
(Book of Shadows text:) I am light, I am one too strong to fight, Return to dark where shadows dwell, You can not have this Halliwell! Now go away, and leave my sight, And take with you this endless night. This spell was taught to the sisters in the form of a bedtime story by their grandmother, however Phoebe Halliwell was the only one to remember it. After the Shadow reawakened - shortly after the Charmed Ones had gained their powers - Phoebe then added this spell to the book for future generations. Alternate Woogyman SpellEdit (Season 7)
I am light,
I am one too strong to fight.
So go away and leave my sight,
And take with you this endless night.
Notes[]
- The names Woogyman, Shadow and Nexus have been mistakenly used as one and the same in the last seasons by the writers. This is most noticeable when Piper, Phoebe and Paige cast the Nexus out of Leo by using the Woogyman Spell.
- In Death Takes a Halliwell, after Prue told Phoebe she saw a shadow behind a private investigator, Phoebe asked "Like a woogy?", which could imply that there is more than one Woogyman.
Appearances[]
The Woogyman appeared in a total of 2 episodes throughout the series and was voiced by Richard McGonagle. The Woogyman also appeared in a further episode but was unvoiced.