| “ | Let me tell you, whoever said Dean was the dysfunctional one has never seen you with a sharp object in your hands. | „ |
| ~ Gabriel mocking Sam. |
Gabriel, also known as the Trickster, is an antagonist appearing on the TV series Supernatural, played by Richard Speight Jr. He was thought to be a demigod by mortals and was also thought by the gods to be Loki, the god of mischief.
However, when he confronted the Winchesters and attempted to get them to say "yes" to Michael and Lucifer, this caused doubt into his identity. Following clues to his identity and the Winchesters trapping him, it is discovered that he is in fact the archangel Gabriel, having willingly left Heaven to escape the chaos of Michael and Lucifer's battles.
Gabriel later aided the Winchesters and the Pagan Gods in fighting his brother Lucifer and he was thought to have been killed. It is later revealed that he is still alive, as he faked his death but was held captive by Asmodeus and is to be used as a way to defeat both Lucifer and an alternate Michael who wants to invade and conquer the world. However, he was liberated by Arthur Ketch who brought him back to the Winchesters.
Appearance
Gabriel's vessel is a man of average height. He has short wavy hair which goes down to his neck. He also has a goatee, which is actually somewhat hard to notice, since it's very thin. He is usually seen wearing a dark colored dress shirt and a green or grey jacket. He also tends to wear blue jeans. He also carries his archangel blade inside his jacket, just in case he needs to use it.
Personality
Acting as a demi-god, Gabriel behaves in a mischievous manner enjoying toying with his victims, humans he believes should be brought down a notch. He embraces a hedonistic lifestyle, including the "sweet tooth" for which that type of demi-god was known.
Even after revealing himself to be an Archangel, he still used misdirection to achieve his goals and to protect himself. He is often sarcastic. Gabriel's manner is the most human of any of the angels so far, perhaps because of his long sojourn on earth. He holds humans in high regard, despite their many faults, something the other Archangels did not, not even Michael.
History
Origin
Gabriel was one of the four Archangels that God had created. He was high up in Heaven's hierarchy and he was also the youngest of the four Archangels. He was good close with his brothers Lucifer, Raphael and Michael, the eldest Archangel. Gabriel was chosen to be the Messenger of God, assigned to deliver the Lord's word to humanity. Since nobody ever met God personally, Gabriel may have been the one who dictated the Ten Commandments to Moses. Gabriel was one of the more human angels, and understood humans as a species and in fact he died for them.
Sometime in the past, God asked Lucifer and the other Archangels to love the humans more than him, while Gabriel, Raphael, and Michael agreed to Lucifer refused. He told God he couldn't love them more than him, so Lucifer fought with God, and Michael, once Michael didn't agree with him. Later a giant war had erupted in Heaven, where Lucifer was eventually thrown down into Hell. However, he escaped, and corrupted Cain, so God threw Lucifer deep into the lowest level of Hell, the cage.
Gabriel couldn't stand seeing his family tearing itself apart because the Apocalypse used to be a Sunday dinner discussion. Gabriel left Heaven in the early Roman times, and possessed a human, possibly a Roman officer, and he settled on Earth.
Gabriel befriended the pagan deity Loki after saving him and after his brothers went to war, he approached the latter for his help. Loki allowed Gabriel to pose as him since he had his own family squabbles. Loki taught Gabriel some of his tricks to help him better masquerade as him. Gabriel then changed his vessel's appearance to that of Loki and assuming the identity of "the Trickster" and "Loki" to the Norse gods, who knew him as such and weren't suspicious of him.
Gabriel had a relationship with the goddess Kali, but their union ended but he still retained feelings for her. He spent the majority of his time playing pranks on people who deserved it.
Season 2
Gabriel posed as the janitor in a college campus and he began to humiliate bullies and jocks. He did mass hallucinations, such as making a jock believe he had been kidnapped by aliens.
When Sam and Dean showed up to put a stop to the mysterious incidents, he didn't seem all that worried, he knew the boys suspected him, but he didn't care. He simply went back to his room to think up more legends to bring to life. When he got hungry he got up to eat from the candy and sweets he had made himself, Gabriel then made two beautiful women appear out of thin air. Bobby Singer told Sam and Dean they were dealing with not any god, but a Trickster, a demi-god capable of making anything appear out of ghin air. He then went on to say that the Trickster was the most powerful creature they have ever faced. When events got out of hand, the brothers tracked down Gabriel, who welcomed them to his theatre. The angel promised Dean he could have the two beautiful women he made, but Dean demanded he stops messing with people. Gabriel said OK as long as they left him alone. When they refused he created monsters to attack them. Bobby, Sam and Dean managed to fight them off. Dean then shoved a stake in his heart, seemingly killing him, his creations disappeared immediately afterwards. But after they left, the real Gabriel came over and picked up the stake, causing his artificial clone to disappear.
Season 3
In Mystery Spot, Gabriel traps Sam in a seemingly infinite time loop, where Dean continually dies in increasingly strange ways (once by Sam's own hand), with Sam continually failing to save him. After a countless number of repeats, Sam eventually realizes that a trickster must be at work, and manages to locate the culprit. He threatens their tormentor with a blood covered stake, causing Gabriel to reveal himself, revealing that he survived their previous encounter, and agrees to break the loop. However, when Sam then considers killing him anyway, Gabriel supposedly stops the loop. This, however, proves to be false. Dean once again dies, but this time there is no loop to revive him. Throughout the next several months, Sam becomes a far colder and more calculating person as he attempts to track down Gabriel, killing whatever threat he can along the way.
Eventually, it is Gabriel who calls the younger Winchester to him, where he tries to drive in a point: that the two brothers continually sacrificing themselves for one another would bring no good, and when people die, they just have to learn to accept it and live with it. He says that "this is what it will be like without Dean." Nonetheless, Sam pleads with him to turn back time so that he can save Dean. Gabriel comments that it's like talking to a brick wall with Sam. With a snap of his fingers, Gabriel undoes his work after Sam's begging, reversing time to the Wednesday when Dean died for good.
Season 5
The Trickster returns in Changing Channels, Sam becomes aware he was at work and decides he may be of help with the Apocalypse. When the brothers arrive, he traps Sam and Dean in a number of television shows in an effort to force the brothers to accept their roles as the vessels of Michael and Lucifer. He refuses their request for his help since they caused the mess and told them he is teaching them a lesson. Gabriel banishes an arriving Castiel to prevent him from saving the brothers.
After Castiel returned roughed up, he told The Winchesters that the Trickster may not be who he says he is before he was flung into a wall by the trickster who personally appeared on the scene. Gabriel greeted Castiel (whose mouth was bound) and banished him. When questioned over his intentions and allegiance, The Trickster replied by saying he wanted them to play their roles as Lucifer and Michael's vessels. He stated he sided with nobody but got angry with Dean's insulting comment before grabbing and slamming him on a wall.
This reaction along with his familiarity with Castiel were signs of his true identity. The brothers soon tried to kill him with a stake but he is revealed to have survived and they are still trapped but Sam has been turned into the impala.
Eventually, they figure out through some clues that he is actually an angel. They pretend to surrender and have him turn Sam back to normal before they question him on why the stake didn't kill him. The Trickster tried to call it a trick but Dean doubts that before Sam throws a liter on a circle of holy oil the trickster was standing in, trapping the trickster in a ring of holy fire. Dean accuses him of being an angel, the trickster tries to deny it but was forced to return them to the real world after they dared him to prove them wrong. The Trickster praised them for figuring it out and asked where he messed up as they say it was how he overpowered Castiel and the way he talked about the Apocalypse, which Dean notes is the way one gets upset about family.
They question his identity and are not too surprised when he reveals that he is Gabriel, one of the four Archangels. They question how he became a Trickster as he explains he left Heaven to get away from his fighting brothers and father but he still loves them despite their fighting.
Gabriel states because of the Winchesters, he has to watch his brothers kill each other. He then points out the similarities between the Winchesters' relationship to that of Michael and Lucifer's, such as Dean being the obedient oldest son like Michael and Sam being the younger rebellious one like Lucifer. He states this is why he was interested in them as it's the Winchesters' destiny to be Michael and Lucifer's vessels. They ask him to help stop it but he states it can't be stopped as he apologizes for the cruel reality of the situation.
He then questions if they will stare at each other for eternity but he is ordered by Dean to bring Cass back from where he is held by being threatened with holy oil poured on him if he refuses and he complies. A roughed up Castiel returns and tensely greets his brother, revealing he figured out the latter's identity as well. Gabriel greets him and taunts him on the pointless search for their father as Cass gets annoyed. The three begin to leave as Gabriel asks if they will leave him trapped but Dean denies this and frees Gabriel while reprimanding him for not standing up to his family. Gabriel is left contemplating on his next move.
Gabriel returns in Hammer of the Gods, where he barges into a meeting of numerous pagan gods and it's revealed that he was once known as Loki and he once in a romantic relationship with the Hindu goddess Kali. He tries to seduce Kali in an attempt of getting the brothers out of there safely, but she figures him out and announces to the other pagan gods that he is the Archangel Gabriel. She then stabs him with his angel blade believing she had killed him, when in fact she only killed an illusion. When Dean finds him after having the hostages freed, he is confronted by the latter of not standing up to his family again. Dean later reveals to Kali and the pagans of Gabriel's survival and his ruse, which shocks them.
Later, when Lucifer is about to kill Kali, Gabriel appears and telekinetically throws Lucifer, sending him flying against a wall. He tells the Winchesters to leave with Kali while he faces off against his brother. Gabriel then condemns Lucifer on his "temper tantrum" over the fact that he was replaced by humanity as the apple of God's eye. After a tense standoff, Gabriel is revealed to have created a duplicate of himself; the real Gabriel tries to sneak up on Lucifer with his angel blade. Unfortunately, Lucifer sees through his ruse and stabs Gabriel with his blade, killing him. After everything is over, Sam and Dean watch the video that Gabriel gave to them.
At first, it appears to just be a porno tape, but then Gabriel suddenly appears inside the porno to give them a message. He told them that if they were watching this, it means he is dead, he soon tells them how they can force Lucifer back into his cage by getting the four horsemen's rings, thus giving the boys hope in stopping the apocalypse.
Season 9
Through a hallucination imposed by Metatron, Gabriel appears again in season 9, in the episode Meta Fiction, where Gabriel says the version Lucifer killed was in fact another clone of Gabriel's. He says that it's impossible to out-trick a Trickster. Gabriel also says he was actually living in Heaven all through the Apocalypse and since the Apocalypse ended, he returned to Earth, and "got involved in porn" (which was a mistake) and he also watched the entire Downton Abbey series.
However, he confesses to Castiel that he never really watched Downton Abbey and he wants Castiel to win against the hunting angels. Castiel realizes that Gabriel is an illusion but questions if he is dead, as Gabriel wiggles his eyebrow in a mysterious manner and disappears.
The actor who played him, Richard Speight Jr. and the producers of Supernatural, have revealed that Gabriel is actually still alive, and although this aspect was a hallucination, the real Gabriel is still out there somewhere.
Season 13
In Devil's Bargain, after Arthur Ketch failed to kill Lucifer, Asmodeus notes he would be facing two problems which is Lucifer and the Winchesters potentially opening a rift that could allow Alternate Michael to enter their world which he can't allow. Asmodeus soon reveals his reason for not being present at Lucifer's escape, it was to obtain an item thought lost an archangel blade which could help him with both problems. When Ketch stated only an archangel can use it, Asmodeus stated he had a solution which was a captive and disheveled but still living Gabriel with his mouth sewn closed.
During The Thing, Gabriel was taken out of his cell for Asmodeus to steal his grace to fuel himself. Gabriel soon watched as Asmodeus submitted Ketch to a savage beating and was horrified by the sight. Much later, Ketch retaliated by leaving the demon's services and liberating an unwilling Gabriel from his cell and taking the Archangel Blade along with the vial containing Gabriel's grace. Ketch killed a demon guard before he brought Gabriel to the Men of Letters' Bunker. After the Winchester's returned, Ketch made his presence known before he revealed Gabriel to them and the latter reunited with the Winchesters who were shocked to see him alive. Seeing his state, Dean questions Gabriel's condition as Ketch explained Gabriel's captivity and how he rescued Gabriel from Asmodeus. Gabriel then freaks out after Sam mentions they need his grace for a spell but Ketch calmed him and gave the vial containing it to the Winchesters. Afterwards, Sam cut the stitches to Gabriel's mouth and question what happened to him but before he can get a reply, Dean tells Sam to open a portal to Apocalypse World. Dean entrusts the battered Gabriel into Sam's care as he and Ketch (who wanted to be a world a way from Asmodeus) travel to the other reality.
In Bring em' Back Alive, Gabriel showed no change in condition as he was reunited with Castiel who saw his state and tried to help but to no avail. The two wondered of how Gabriel is alive and what happened to him in the time before he was rescued. Gabriel later revealed his message in Enochian language, Castiel translates it to Sam and it tells them of how Gabriel faked his death by having Lucifer kill a copy while the real Gabriel watched on from afar. Happy to no longer have tethers and everyone believing him dead, Gabriel went into hiding for years before he was captured and sold to Asmodeus. Through this, it was seen Gabriel is still in his right mind and is just distrustful of them to not speak. Gabriel was then begged by Sam to open up as they need him and his nephew needed him. He implores him by stating that he understands his reluctance and begs but nothing appears to happen. Sam moves to leave but Gabriel speaks and corrects him on a statement Sam made as the latter is happy to see he regained his sanity. Gabriel is given some of his grace and talks to Castiel before getting scared as Asmodeus calls Sam and requested that he hand over Gabriel stating he was no used to him but Sam refused and attempted to hang up. Gabriel got worried as Asmodeus threatened to destroy the Bunker and kill Sam and Castiel giving them a time limit. Knowing the severity of his attack, Sam wards the bunker but Asmodeus and his forces attack anyway. Asmodeus states the warding couldn't stop something like him as he flicks Sam and Castiel away. He has his men take Gabriel who he promises to torture for escaping him. While being taken away, Gabriel witnesses Asmodeus preparing to kill Sam and Castiel by inflicting internal damage on them. Gabriel then broke free of his captors as Asmodeus tries to intimidate him into stopping by calling him weak. Hearing this, Gabriel used his powers to heal himself before he showed his wings to prove he is himself once more. Asmodeus blasts Gabriel who deflected with a swipe of his hand. Gabriel looks at the stunned demon and tells him he is no longer weak as he insults his suit and incinerates him, killing the last of the Prince of Hell and saving his friends. Afterwards, he is made aware of the things that have occurred such as his new nephew being sent to another world and a version of Michael is coming to invade. Gabriel is asked to join but he refuses telling Sam and Castiel that he wishes them luck though wants no part in the conflict.
During Funeralia, Castiel returned to Heaven and he informs the remaining angels of Gabriel's survival and that an alternate Michael is coming. The angels were surprised by this and with so few decide to help Castiel if he locates Gabriel to save Heaven.
In Unfinished Business, Gabriel tracks down the pagans who sold him to Asmodeus after he faked his death. Gabriel kills one of them before he found the Winchesters, thinking they had his grace but is told they do not. After the dead Pagan's brothers appears, a fight breaks out and Gabriel kills one who was attacking Sam while intimidating the other. The Winchesters force him to tell them what is going on and cuff him to prevent his escape. It is revealed Gabriel was once good friends with Loki and the latter allowed him to take on his appearance and role as the trickster when Gabriel left Heaven. Gabriel went to them for help when the Apocalypse started but Loki was angry with Gabriel because his father Odin was killed by Lucifer in that time and had his sons turn on him, allowing him to be captured. Gabriel is still intent on getting even while the Winchesters decide to help after making him promise aid in saving Jack and Mary. In the hotel, Gabriel kill Loki's remaining son and after Dean goes after Loki, Gabriel stated that Loki was his. Gabriel was found by Loki and they fought with the Pagan having the upperhand over the weakened Archangel. Sam and Dean arrive and toss Gabriel a sword for killing Loki. Unfazed by his defeat, Loki taunted Gabriel before the latter killed him. Afterwards, he thanks the brothers for their help and agrees to aid them in the mission to defeat Michael. They are surprised as he brought up his promise and they accept his aid. In truth, Gabriel reflected on Loki's taunts and saw he was without purpose and needed to feel the void in himself.
During Beat the Devil, Gabriel and Rowena go to capture Lucifer, Gabriel disguised himself as a bartender as he served Lucifer magical spiked drink. He revealed himself after Lucifer noticed something was amiss. Gabriel taunted Lucifer over his survival after the latter expressed shock to see him and with Rowena they bound him. Gabriel was confused by his brother begging for death before knocking him out. Gabriel watched as the spell to open the rift was done and taunted his brother with a sarcastic apology about draining him. He then joined the Winchesters and Castiel in traveling to Apocalypse World.
In Exodus, Gabriel was ordered by Dean to kill Lucifer but he was unsure as he was still weakened. Gabriel was brought into the talk with his nephew and Lucifer, he gets properly acquainted with Jack and he defends God from Lucifer's words by stating Lucifer only plays the victim to justify his actions. Gabriel is sent on a scouting mission, he is chased by a squad of angels and meets up with the others and watches as Lucifer kills them. After the Winchesters evacuated several humans to the prime world through the rift, Michael made his appearance by killing many humans in his arrival.
Gabriel and the Winchesters were stunned to finally meet him face to face, Gabriel watched as Michael was attacked by Lucifer but was knocked aside as Michael advanced to the rift. Gabriel was noticed by Michael who was surprised to see him as the latter told Sam and Dean to retreat while he handles things. Gabriel told the protesting brothers he was through running and decided to fight as he engaged Michael and put a good fight before Michael stabbed him, killing him.
Powers and Abilities
Despite being the youngest Archangel created by God, Gabriel has nigh-omnipotent power, and is one of the most powerful beings in existence. Despite this impressive power, Gabriel is still younger and weaker than Michael and Lucifer and possibly Raphael, but there is no evidence to support this. He has been in the same vessel for at least three years, likely thousands of years, judging by the Pagan Gods familiarity with this vessel, and has not yet begun to decay like Lucifer did, so it is assumed that he has found his one and only 'true vessel'.
- Immortality: Gabriel has an indefinitely long lifespan, and is unaffected by disease, toxins or time. He does not require food, water, oxygen, or sleep.
- Invulnerablily: Gabriel can not be killed by conventional weapons, however certain weapons such as an Archangel Blade and Death's Scythe can kill him. He can also be killed by God, Death and his brothers.
- Possession: Gabriel requires a vessel while on Earth. He needs the vessel's consent. Bloodline requirements, if any, for Gabriel's vessels are unknown.
- Superhuman Strength: Although the youngest archangel, Gabriel endows his vessel with dramatically increased superior strength and can exert tremendous amounts of physical force. He can overpower and kill anyone short of his brothers, God and Death.
- Shape-shifting: Gabriel can change his vessel's appearance at will.
- Teleportation: Gabriel can travel from one place to another, instantaneously, without occupying the space in between, he can even take others with him.
- Telepathy: Gabriel is able to read the thoughts and memories of others.
- Advanced Telekinesis: Gabriel can move object with his mind. Castiel, although being a powerful celestial, was no match for his older "bro". Gabriel slammed him into the wall, duct taped his mouth and played around with Cas like he was nothing using telekinesis. This further proved that the power of ordinary angels could not even compare with the immense powers of the four Archangels.
- Healing: As an Archangel, Gabriel has the power to heal any injury.
- Resurrection: As an Archangel, Gabriel is capable of bringing the dead back to life.
- Cosmic Awareness: Gabriel possesses an immense amount of knowledge of the universe. He even possesses knowledge on his older brother's Cage, and how to open it.
- Chronokinesis: Gabriel can travel forwards or backwards through time. He can also put others in time loops. He was able to send Sam back to the day Dean died "permanently" with just a snap of his fingers, apparently rewinding time to do so.
- Reality Warping: Gabriel is remarkably talented with this power and can accomplish just about anything with it, making him virtually omnipotent, and it is his trademark as well as his most utilized ability. He can warp reality, whether it be by making objects or living beings appear out of thin air, or by reshaping objects into something else entirely, or by creating unreal dimensions, wormholes and large time loops.
- Pyrokinesis: Gabriel was able to light two candles with just a thought.
Trivia
- His aiding the Winchesters to stop the Apocalypse is ironic, since in Norse mythology Loki is the one responsible for starting Ragnarok, the Norse Apocalypse. Loki’s role is similar to Lucifer and it results in the death of most of the major Norse gods.
- In popular culture, it is said that Gabriel shall blow the trumpet blast that initiates the end of time. (This is most likely taken from the Islamic religion as there is an archangel Israfel, who corresponds with Raphael, not Gabriel, which is said to signal judgment day). Ironically, Gabriel is the only archangel to help the Winchesters stop the Apocalypse. Perhaps he did it due to the main antagonists hastening the Apocalypse, and he felt that it wouldn't be right.
- He is one of two archangels to be featured in 4 seasons, other being Lucifer.
- He is also the first Archangel to appear, although it wasn't revealed until season 5.
- Gabriel is the only archangel who has only used one vessel.