Changes

|dates= '''Raphael:''' Before humanity - 2012 (killed by [[Castiel]])<br>'''Gabriel:''' Before humanity - 2018 (killed by [[Michael (Apocalypse World)|Michael]])<br>'''Lucifer:''' Before humanity - 2018 (killed by [[Dean Winchester]])<br>2020 (resurrected by God and killed by Michael)<br>'''Michael (AW):''' Before humanity - 2019 (killed by [[Jack Kline]])|location= <br>'''Michael:''' Before humanity - 2020 (killed by [[Lucifer's CageGod]])|location= [[The Empty]]

Archangels are the stuff of primordial creation ([[Michael]], [[Lucifer]], [[Raphael]] and [[Gabriel]]) they are the first four powerful, angelic beings created by [[God]] before other [[angels]]. They possess possessed immense power far surpassing that of [[demons]], lesser angels, and most other supernatural beings. [[Castiel]] describes described them as "fierce and absolute."<ref name="four18">[[4.18 The Monster at the End of This Book]]</ref>

In the beginning, God and His archangels battled [[the Darkness]], where the . The Darkness was eventually defeated and trapped to maintain [[the Cosmic Balance]]. To , to serve as lock and key to the Darkness' cage, God created a [[Mark of Cain|Mark]]. It was given to Lucifer, His most trusted archangel. The Mark eventually began assert a will of its own, corrupting Lucifer, and becoming the first [[curse]]. The Mark enhanced Lucifer's anger and jealousy when God commanded the angels to bow before humanity.<ref name="ten23" />Lucifer began arguing with his brothers, primarily Michael, who loyally followed their Father's word as law. Lucifer led an unsuccessful rebellion in [[Heaven]], which caused him to be cast out and to [[Fallen Angels|fall from grace]]. He was subsequently imprisoned in [[Lucifer's Cage|a Cage]] by Michael, sometime after passing the Mark on to [[Cain]]. Gabriel was in turn disgusted with his brother's behavior, he refrained from choosing sides by retreating to Earth and masquerading as the [[Trickster]], [[Loki]].<ref name="five08">[[5.08 Changing Channels]]</ref> In God's absence, Michael took over the entire [[The Host of Heaven|Host of Heaven]] while Raphael continued his responsibilities as an archangel.

Lucifer began arguing with his brothersAccording to [[Metatron]], primarily Michaelthe archangels, who loyally followed in their Father's word as lawdespair decided to take over the universe themselves after God left Heaven. Lucifer led an unsuccessful rebellion in Metatron realized that he and the [[HeavenTablets|Word of God]]were needed to do so, which caused him so he fled to be cast out Earth seeking refuge for the tablets and himself. The archangels were unable to [[Fallen Angels|fall locate Metatron due to his extreme isolation from grace]]Heaven, and their plans were delayed. He Metatron was subsequently imprisoned in [[Luciferalso cut off from Heaven making him unaware of the archangels's Cage|a Cage]] by Michael. Gabriel was in turn disgusted fates until contact with his brother's behavior. He refrained from choosing sides by retreating to Earth and masquerading as the [[Trickster]], [[Loki]]Winchester brothers.<ref name="five08eight21">[[58.08 Changing Channels21 The Great Escapist]]</ref> In God's absencethe demon tablet, Michael took over the entire Metatron was falsely identified as an archangel.<ref name="eight07">[[The Host of Heaven|Host 8.07 A Little Slice of HeavenKevin]] while Raphael continued his responsibilities as an archangel.</ref>

According to [[Metatron]]At some point in the past, the archangels, in their despair decided were believed to take over the universe themselves after God left Heaven. Metatron realized that he and have killed all of the [[Tablets|Word Knights of GodHell]] were needed to do so, so he fled to Earth seeking refuge for the tablets and himself. The archangels were unable to locate Metatron due to his extreme isolation from Heaven, and their plans were delayed. Metatron was also cut off from Heaven making him unaware of the archangel's fates until contact with the Winchester brothers.<ref name="eight21">[[8.21 The Great Escapistthe First Blade]]</ref> In the demon tablet. However, Metatron it is falsely identified as an archangelrevealed that this task was actually undertaken by Cain.<ref name="eight07nine11">[[89.07 A Little Slice of Kevin11 First Born]]</ref>

At some point in As the pastplan to release Lucifer and the [[Apocalypse]] started to come to fruition, the archangels were believed to have killed all once more begin playing a role on Earth with Raphael taking on the role of a protector of the [[Knights prophet]] [[Chuck Shurley]]<ref name="four18" /> and later smiting a group of [[demons]] at a gas station after the release of HellLucifer.<ref name="five03">[[5.03 Free to Be You and Me]]</ref> Once Lucifer was freed, Michael began working through his proxy [[Zachariah]] to force Dean to consent to possession so he could have his destined battle with his brother.<ref name="five01">[[5.01 Sympathy for the First BladeDevil]]</ref><ref name="five04">[[5. However, it is revealed that this task was actually undertaken by 04 The End]]</ref><ref name="five16">[[Cain5.16 Dark Side of the Moon]].</ref><ref name="nine11five18">[[95.11 First Born18 Point of No Return]]</ref>

As the plan to release Lucifer and the [[Apocalypse]] starts to come to fruition, the archangels once more begin playing a role on Earth with Raphael taking on the role of a protector of the prophet [[Chuck Shurley]]<ref name="four18" /> and later smiting a group of [[demons]] at a gas station after the release of Lucifer.<ref name="five03">[[5.03 Free to Be You and Me]]</ref> Once Lucifer is free, Michael begins working through his proxy [[Zachariah]] to force Dean to consent to possession so he can have his destined battle with Lucifer.<ref name="five01">[[5.01 Sympathy for the Devil]]</ref><ref name="five04">[[5.04 The End]]</ref><ref name="five16">[[5.16 Dark Side of the Moon]]</ref><ref name="five18">[[5.18 Point of No Return]]</ref> Gabriel, as the Trickster, attempts to convince the Winchesters to "play their roles" as well.<ref name="five08" /> During the Apocalypse, Gabriel is presumably killed by Lucifer while helping the Winchesters and [[Kali]] escape, but not before giving them a way to lock Lucifer away once more. During the final confrontation between Michael and Lucifer at [[Stull Cemetery]], Sam Winchester is was able to overpower Lucifer's control of his body and throw himself, Lucifer, Michael and [[Adam Milligan]] into Lucifer's Cage, leaving Raphael as the only active archangel.<ref name="five22">[[5.22 Swan Song]]</ref> Following the imprisonment of Michael, Raphael took command of Heaven with the intention to release Michael and Lucifer and once again begin the Apocalypse. This caused a divide in Heaven with Raphael and his loyalists against [[Castiel]] and angels loyal to him.<ref name="six03" />

Following With the imprisonment release of Michaelthe Darkness, Raphael takes command of Heaven with the intention Sam Winchester began receiving visions he believed were from God telling him to go to release Michael and Lucifer and once again begin the Apocalypse. This causes a divide in Heaven with Raphael and his loyalists against [[Castiel]] and angels loyal to him's Cage.<ref name="six03eleven02" /><ref name="eleven04" /> In order to defeat Raphael, Castiel forms a deal Using the ''[[Book of the Damned]]'' with the help of [[CrowleyRowena]] , Sam was able to gain access to all the souls of summon Lucifer into a smaller warded cage in [[PurgatoryHell|Limbo]] where Lucifer revealed to gain Sam that he can defeat the power Darkness if he needsis released once more upon the world in a vessel.<ref name="six20eleven09" /> After betraying CrowleyWhile holding Sam captive in the cage, Lucifer tells him that he is the only archangel left capable of giving any sort of help as Raphael and Gabriel are dead and Michael has been driven insane by life in the Cage and is of no use to anyone. Though Sam refused, Lucifer was able to secretly escape by taking Castiel as a vessel<ref name="eleven10" /> and takes all control of the Purgatory souls for himself Hell and uses their power to obliterate Raphaelbriefly Heaven.<ref name="eleven18" />

With the release of the Darkness, Sam begins getting visions he believes are from God telling him to go to Lucifer's Cage.<ref name="eleven02" /><ref name="eleven04" /> Using the ''[[Book of the Damned]]'' with the help of [[Rowena]], Sam is able to summon Lucifer into a smaller warded cage in Limbo where Lucifer tells Sam that he can defeat the Darkness if he is released once more upon the world in a vessel.<ref name="eleven09" /> While holding Sam captive in the cage, Lucifer tells him that he is the only archangel left capable of giving any sort of help as Raphael and Gabriel are dead and Michael has been driven insane by life in the Cage and is of no use to anyone. Though Sam refuses, Lucifer is able to secretly escape by taking Castiel as a vessel<ref name="eleven10" /> and takes control of Hell and briefly Heaven.<ref name="eleven18" /> The Winchesters are eventually able to get Lucifer and God to reconcile, but God is unable to resurrect Raphael and Gabriel in a timely manner to help against the Darkness or call upon Michael for help in his state. With only one archangel to help them, witches, demons and angels are all called upon to substitute for the missing power to defeat the Darkness. Though the Darkness is defeated, she recovers and mortally wounds God, expelling Lucifer from Castiel in the process.<ref name="eleven22" />

The relationships between archangels and their vessels can be complex. Holding an archangel is damaging to a human; Raphael's vessel, [[Donnie Finnerman]], was left catatonic after his possession. <ref name="five03" /> Lucifer's continued presence in [[Nick]], an alternate vessel, causes the human's body to break down, as evidenced by burn-like marks on his skin. Lucifer's vessels can be strengthened with demon blood to better survive the ordeal. Despite his contempt for humanity as a whole, Lucifer showed some sympathy toward Nick, and toward Sam, his true vessel. However, as it was later revealed, Lucifer's sympathy towards Nick was simply an act of manipulation as he had orchestrated the murder of Nick's family to get him to say "yes."<ref name="fourteen11" /> Michael, though condescendingly, was willing to explain his position to Dean while occupying his father, and promised not to leave Dean a "drooling mess" like Donnie Finnerman after his service.<ref name="five13">[[5.13 The Song Remains the Same]]</ref> Lucifer also displayed the ability to use [[Castiel]], a lesser angel as his vessel without causing visible damage to the body. However, Castiel is noted by Sam to have a particularly strong vessel<ref name="eleven18">[[11.18 Hell's Angel]]</ref> and Castiel later states that being Lucifer's vessel is in fact slowly burning both it and him out.<ref name="eleven22">[[11.22 We Happy Few]]</ref> In contrast, while housing the [[Apocalypse World]] [[Michael (Apocalypse World)|Michael]] who is far stronger than the Michael from the Winchesters world, Dean was not only able to remain conscious without any apparent ill effects, he was able to retain control of himself and even use some of Michael's powers as per a deal with the archangel. It was only when Michael betrayed their deal that Dean lost control of his body.<ref name="thirteen23" /> The Michael of the Winchesters' world, after escaping from Lucifer's Cage, shares control with his vessel, [[Adam Milligan]]. The two are able to openly converse with each other, with Michael appearing as a duplicate of Adam in the waking world, though only Adam can see him. Adam later explains that he and Michael reached an understanding when they were trapped for all of those years together in Lucifer's Cage during which time they were all each other had. Michael appears to be protective towards Adam, particularly angry with Dean over abandoning Adam in the Cage while he was willing to let Lucifer roam free and the archangel and his vessel even appear to be friends with each other.<ref name="fifteen08" /> After Adam dies with the rest of humanity, Michael is visibly saddened when he informs the Winchesters of this, showing genuine grief over Adam's loss.<ref name="fifteen19" />

Perhaps the greatest measure of the archangels' strength is their ability to overpower other supernatural beings. [[Lucifer]], unarmed, kills a number of [[:Category:Deities|pagan gods]] with ease using his bare hands and telekinesis (or molecular combustion).<ref name="five19" /> Lesser angel have also been defeated by archangels. Gabriel banishes [[Castiel]] to another location with a snap of his fingers.<ref name="five08">[[5.08 Changing Channels]]</ref> [[Michael]] does the same to a young [[Uriel]].<ref name="five13">[[5.13 The Song Remains the Same]]</ref> They may resort to more violent methods to make a point. Raphael beats Castiel, and leaves him bloody in his favorite corner of Heaven when Castiel refuses to give him his allegiance.<ref name="six20">[[6.20 The Man Who Would Be King]]</ref> They fight again at [[Balthazar]]'s house, and once again Raphael easily overpowers Castiel, throwing him down Balthazar's staircase.<ref name="six03">[[6.03 The Third Man]]</ref> When they choose, archangels can kill without fighting. Michael incinerates [[Anna Milton]] with a simple touch when she threatens his plans.<ref name="five13" /> On separate occasions, Lucifer and Raphael both cause Castiel to explode.<ref name="five03" /><ref name="five22" /> Following his return, Lucifer commonly uses this power to kill angels and demons.<ref name="eleven11" /><ref name="eleven18" /><ref name="twelve15">[[12.15 Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell]]</ref><ref name="thirteen02">[[13.02 The Rising Son]]</ref> Archangels can also block the powers of their lower ranking brothers; Raphael prevents Castiel from using his powers on [[Crowley]].<ref name="six22">[[6.22 The Man Who Knew Too Much]]</ref> When attacked by a lesser angel, Lucifer casually causes him to explode without even paying attention to the angel.<ref name="eleven11">[[11.11 Into the Mystic]]</ref> During a fight in close quarters with Sam, Dean, and Castiel, Lucifer is able to casually beat all three even though Castiel is armed and he is not. Notably, none of the blows any of the three land cause any harm to the archangel.<ref name="eleven10">[[11.10 The Devil in the Details]]</ref> During a confrontation with [[Asmodeus]], the last of the [[Princes of Hell]], Gabriel effortlessly deflects an energy blast from the powerful demon and incinerates him with just a gesture despite Asmodeus' high level of power, boosted by regular injections of Gabriel's [[grace]] and the fact that Gabriel himself is in a weakened state.<ref name="thirteen18">[[13.18 Bring 'em Back Alive]]</ref> However, Gabriel later admits that it took much of the power he had at the time to kill Asmodeus, leaving him more vulnerable to attacks.<ref name="thirteen20" /> Michael effortlessly obliterated [[Lilith]] despite her incredible power as the first demon which was accomplished without even laying a hand on the demon and later overpowered and strangled Castiel even while restrained by the [[Angel Cuffs]] which bound much of Michael's power.<ref name="fifteen08" />

Archangels can resurrect humans at will, even when out of contact with Heaven. Michael heals Sam completely after he was impaled with a pipe, and bled out.<ref name="five13" /> Gabriel, while posing as the Trickster, kills and resurrects Dean dozens of times in a time loop.<ref name="three11">[[3.11 Mystery Spot]]</ref> Lucifer tells Sam that if he killed himself he would resurrect him,<ref name="five03" /> and Castiel states that if Anna killed Sam that Lucifer would only resurrect him.<ref name="five13" /> After Sam was killed when a [[vampire]] ripped out his throat, Lucifer was able to resurrect him with apparent ease, having recharged his [[grace]] by feeding on the grace of several other angels.<ref name="thirteen21">[[13.21 Beat the Devil]]</ref> At the request of [[Jack]], Lucifer later resurrects [[Maggie (Apocalypse World)|Maggie]] who had, as it turned out, been killed by Lucifer.<ref name="thirteen23" />

The archangels have an ability to manipulate reality, which Gabriel in particular embraces. Gabriel can construct alternate realities and time loops, and control who is aware of the situation. He can create things out of thin air, including murderous accomplices and duplicates of himself.<ref name="two15">[[2.15 Tall Tales]]</ref> Gabriel can change the appearance of objects, as he proved when he made a can of diet Orange Slice look like his archangel blade,<ref name="five19" /> and can change his own form.<ref name="three11" /> Lucifer claims to have taught Gabriel all his "tricks," and uses some of them himself. Lucifer appears to his vessel Nick as Sarah, Nick's murdered wife, and makes him see blood in his bed and his dead child's crib. Lucifer appears in Sam's dreams as [[Jess]] as well. He later does the same thing to [[Vince Vincente]] by making him see blood in a sink faucet, levitating objects, and impersonating his dead wife.<ref name="three11" /><ref name="five03" /><ref name="five10" /><ref name="twelve02">[[12.02 Mamma Mia]]</ref> While possessing Adam Milligan, Michael is able to manifest to his vessel in the waking world as an exact duplicate of Adam so they can communicate as easily as if they were two regular people having a conversation. This manifestation is more of a hallucination, however and is not a physical duplicate with only Adam being able to perceive Michael. Michael's manifestation is extremely realistic to the point that he can, to Adam's eyes at least, pick up a French fry and pace around a room during an argument.<ref name="fifteen08" />

Every archangel apparently possesses knowledge of [[Lucifer's Cage]] and how it works, above and beyond the existence of [[the 66 Seals]]. Michael understands the prison very well because he cast Lucifer into it. Lucifer, having been imprisoned in the Cage for thousands of years, knew how to escape through the 66 Seals and also by taking advantage of a loophole found in the summoning spell from the ''[[Book of the Damned]]'' to escape.<ref name="eleven10" /> Gabriel knew that the Cage can be reopened with the Horsemen's Rings,<ref name="five19" /> and Lucifer, despite Gabriel's word, knows this too.<ref name="five22" /> Raphael may have known of another method to open the Cage, as he intended to reopen it to restart the Apocalypse.<ref name="six03" /> In addition, Michael at least possesses knowledge of the spell that locked the Darkness away and by extension, can be used to trap a weakened God.<ref name="fifteen08" /> Despite being extremely powerful beings, the archangels as individuals possess powers greater or weaker than each other depending on their ages. For example, Gabriel was no match for either a fully-powered Lucifer while he himself was at full power<ref name="five19" /> or the alternate Michael.<ref name="thirteen22" /> At full power, Lucifer was also no match for the alternate Michael despite being far more powerful than Gabriel.<ref name="thirteen02" /> While [[Raphael]] required a spell uncovered by Crowley and Castiel to open a portal to [[Purgatory]],<ref name="six22" /> the far more powerful Michael could open a portal to the realm with just a snap of his fingers.<ref name="fifteen08" />

* Very few things in existence are capable of harming, let alone killing an archangel. [[God]] - As his creator, God is as the Creator, was stated to be the one being capable of stopping [[Lucifer]] and the Apocalypseif He so chose to.<ref name="five02">[[5.02 Good God, Y'All]]</ref> While trying to keep Lucifer under control, God proved capable of negating Lucifer's powers without Lucifer even noticing until he tried using themon Sam and Dean Winchester.<ref name="eleven22" />* Later, an enraged God effortlessly obliterated [[Archangel BladeMichael]], the most powerful of the archangels.<ref name="five19fifteen19" /> - An archangel blade, when wielded by an archangel, is capable of killing an archangel[[Amara]] was shown easily overpowering Lucifer and causing him incredible pain and damage.<ref name="thirteen13eleven18" /> It is also effective against archangels when wielded by a [[vessel[[11.18 Hell's Angel]] powered by an archangel whether the vessel or the archangel is in control.<</ref><ref name="thirteen23eleven21" />* The other [[Angelic Weapon|weapons of Heaven11.21 All in the Family]] can harm and possibly kill </ref> Amara is also capable of effortlessly pulling an archangelfrom their vessel. <ref name="eleven22">[[Lot's Salt[11.22 We Happy Few]], one </ref> A [[Hand of the weaponsGod]], turned Raphael's vessel a colloquial term for any object that has come into contact with God and taken on a pillar portion of saltHis power, which made it uninhabitable.* can possibly kill or at the very least injure an archangel, as an indirect blast from the [[The ColtRod of Aaron]] can damage, but not kill. caused Luciferto bleed.  Archangels may be able to harm each other without weapons, who says that he is one of "only five things in all of creation that that gun can't killas Michael and Lucifer went unarmed to their confrontation at [[Stull Cemetery]]."<ref name="five10five22" /> It is not known if the other three archangels are also immune.* Archangels may be able to harm each other without weapons, as The [[Apocalypse World]] [[Michael (Apocalypse World)|Michael and ]] stated that he tore his Lucifer went unarmed to their confrontation.apart in the skies over Abilene during his version of the Apocalypse,<ref name="five22thirteen02" /> The [[Apocalypse World]] and Lucifer, while super-charged, believed he could kill the alternate Michael and Dean simply by [[Michael (Apocalypse World)|Michaelsmiting]] stated that he tore his Lucifer apart in the skies over Abilene during his version of the Apocalypsethem,though this failed.<ref name="thirteen02thirteen23" /> and After Lucifer's resurrection, while super-charged, believed he could and Michael engaged in a brief battle with their powers before Michael resorted to an archangel blade to kill the alternate his brother. Michael and Dean simply by [[smiting]] them though this failednoted that he was somewhat winded from the fight and hadn't been in such a battle in centuries.<ref name="thirteen23fifteen19" />* Some spells Archangels are Heaven's most fierce weapon, above all other angels. Despite the fact that angels under normal circumstances can 't harm archangels. [[Kali]] bound Gabriel to her location by gaining a blood sample from his human vesselan archangel, if they can tap into the power of enough souls, they can banish, and Castiel attempted to summon Raphael to his vessel using [[Enochian]]or even kill them. * <ref name="six22">[[Enochian|Enochian sigil6.22 The Man Who Knew Too Much]]s can hide a person from archangels.</ref> * A [[Holy fireNephilim]] can restrain (at least one born of an archangel. It will not ) has the power to harm and even kill them as it would a typical angelarchangels. While at full power, but it can temporarily incapacitate them [[Jack Kline]] severely injured the Apocalypse World Michael and force them compelled Lucifer to retreat to heal themselvestell him the truth.<ref name="five08thirteen23" /><ref name="five22">While using the power of his [[5.22 Swan Songsoul]]</ref> In another instance, holy fire distracted an archangel long enough for them , Jack was able to be boundexorcise Michael from his [[vessel]] and destroy the archangel, while taking his grace for himself.<ref name="fourteen10fourteen14" />* An [[Lucifer's Cagearchangel blade]] can tightly secure archangels, as seen with Michael and Luciferwhen wielded by an archangel, is capable of killing an archangel.<ref name="five22thirteen13"/>[[5.22 Swan Song]]<<ref name="fifteen19" /ref>* Despite the fact that angels, under normal circumstances, can't harm It is also effective against archangels when wielded by a [[vessel]] powered by an archangel, if they can tap into whether the power of enough souls, they can banish, or even kill themvessel or the archangel is in control.<ref name="six22thirteen23"/>Other [[6.22 The Man Who Knew Too MuchAngelic Weapon|weapons of Heaven]]</ref>* The can harm and possibly kill an archangel. [[angel banishing sigilLot's Salt]] is able to banish an archangel as it would any lesser angel, one of these weapons, turned Raphael's vessel into a pillar of salt, which made it uninhabitable, and forced Raphael to flee to find a new vessel.<ref name="eleven14">The [[11.14 The VesselLance of Michael]]</ref>* [[Amara]] is capable of easily overpowering an archangel and causing them incredible pain and damagewas created by Michael for the sole purpose of making Lucifer suffer in their final confrontation.<ref name="eleven18">[[11.18 Hell'The lance had the power to make all angels die slow, agonizing deaths, and could only be reversed if the spellwork on the Lance has been broken. [[Lucifer's AngelCage]]</ref><was specifically created by God to imprison Lucifer. Its intricate spellwork can tightly secure any archangels, as seen with Michael and Lucifer.<ref name="eleven21five22">[[115.21 All in the Family]22 Swan Song]]</ref> She is  Archangels are also capable susceptible to certain types of effortlessly pulling an archangel from their vesselspells.<ref name="eleven22">[[11.22 We Happy FewKali]]</ref>* A [[Hyperbolic Pulse Generator]] can expel an archangel was able to bind Gabriel to her location by gaining a blood sample from their his human vessel.<ref name="twelve08">Castiel attempted to summon Raphael to his vessel using [[12.08 LOTUSEnochian]]</ref>* incantation. Enochian sigils can be used to hide a person from archangels. The [[Lance of Michaelangel banishing sigil]] has the power is also able to make all angels die slow, agonizing deathsbanish an archangel as it would any lesser angel.<ref name="eleven14">[[11. 14 The weapon was created by Michael for Vessel]]</ref> While archangels are immune to the sole purpose majority of man-made weaponry, there are various objects that are capable of making Lucifer suffer fending off an archangel in their final confrontation.* some fashion. A [[Grace Extractor|Extracting Hyperbolic Pulse Generator]], created by the grace[[British Men of Letters]] as a more reliable method of an [[exorcism]] against demons, can expel an archangel can render them human and vulnerable to any method of deathfrom their vessel.<ref name="thirteen17twelve08">[[1312.17 The Thing08 LOTUS]]</ref>* [[NephilimThe Colt]] - A Nephilimwas shown to damage, at least one born of an archangelbut not kill, has the power Lucifer, who revealed to harm and even kill archangels. While at full power, [[Jack Kline]] severely injured the [[Apocalypse World]] [[Michael (Apocalypse World)|Michael]] and compelled Dean Winchester that he is one of "only five things in all of creation that that gun can't kill."<ref name="five10" /> It is not known if Lucifer meant solely himself, or that the archangels as a whole are immune. [[LuciferHoly oil]] to tell him the truthis a very special and very rare type of oil found predominantly in Jerusalem.<ref name="thirteen23" /> While using the power A ring of his [[soul]]holy fire produced by igniting holy oil can restrain an archangel, but unlike a typical angel it will not kill them upon contact. It can, however, Jack was able temporarily incapacitate them and force them to exorcise Michael from his [[vessel]] and destroy the archangelretreat to heal themselves.<ref name="fourteen14five08" />*[[Ma'lak Box]] - A magical coffin that can contain anything, including an <ref name="five22">[[archangel5.22 Swan Song]] as powerful as the [[Apocalypse World]] [[Michael (Apocalypse World)|Michael]].<</ref name=> However, when combined with warding, a ring of holy fire could only hold Lucifer for a few minutes.<ref name="fourteen10eleven18" />* Strong-willed vessel - On In another case, a few occasions, a strong willed vessel has been shown to be capable line of overpowering a possessing archangel holy fire held the alternate Michael back long enough for his targets to make an escape. He appeared unable to cross it and taking back control for a timeseemed to be looking at an impending explosion to free him.<ref name="five22thirteen23" />In another instance, holy fire distracted this Michael long enough to be bound with [[angel cuffs]] that had been upgraded to hold archangels.<ref name="eleven14" /> or even trapping the archangel within their minds for monthsref name="fourteen10" /> With the Michael of the Winchester's world, a ring of holy fire could hold him captive for at least a short time, much like it could with [[Raphael]]<ref name="five03" /> and Gabriel.<ref name="five08" /> However, this Michael proved to be more immune to the effects of the angel cuffs than his counterpart, retaining some of his abilities with them on while the alternate Michael appeared to be completely powerless.<ref name="fourteen10" /><ref name="fifteen08" /> On a few occasions, a strong-willed vessel has been shown capable of overpowering a possessing archangel and taking back control for a time<ref name="five22" /><ref name="eleven14" /> or even trapping the archangel within their mind for months. However, such a feat requires an unimaginable amount of concentration and sheer force of will, making a vessel's ability to do so incredibly rare.<ref name="fourteen10" /><ref name="fourteen14" /> [[Grace Extractor|Extracting the grace]] of an archangel can render them human and vulnerable to any method of death.<ref name="thirteen17">[[13.17 The Thing]]</ref> Even if an archangel's grace is not fully extracted, they become weaker and more vulnerable with lesser grace. Lucifer was able to feel cold when his grace was low, even after recharging it a bit by stealing other angels graces.<ref name="thirteen13" /> In this weakened state, he was more vulnerable to [[angel blades]], suffering harm after being stabbed with one by Castiel,<ref name="thirteen12" /> but not being killed. Asmodeus believed that Lucifer could be killed with an angel blade to the heart in this state, though that is unconfirmed. [[Arthur Ketch]] felt that a [[demon bomb]] could "put a dent" in Lucifer in this weakened state despite the weapon being designed for demons and Lucifer fled rather than let the bomb hit him.<ref name="thirteen13" /> Gabriel was harmed by the claws of the deity [[Fenrir Odensbane]] after having used much of his regained grace to kill [[Asmodeus]] and escape the bunker.<ref name="thirteen20" /> However, archangel grace recharges over time. According to lore, it can take anywhere from a month to a century to recharge.<ref name="fourteen02" /> Another major vulnerability for an archangel is the [[Ma'lak Box]], a mystical coffin capable of imprisoning even the most powerful archangel. Though the secrets to how to build it were lost, [[Billie]] was able to give Dean the instructions after her books said that the only fate where Michael didn't escape Dean's mind and destroy the world had Dean imprisoning himself and Michael in the Ma'lak Box.<ref name="fourteen10" /><ref name="fourteen11" /> Notably, after he did escape, Michael chose to leave Dean's body and find another vessel, showing awareness of this plan when confronting the Winchesters, Jack and Castiel.<ref name="fourteen10" /><ref name="fourteen14" />

Sometime later, Michael constructed a plan which involved allowing [[the 66 Seals]] to break. Participants included Michael, [[Zachariah]] and [[Raphael]]. Michael wanted the seals broken so that Lucifer could be released from the Cage, giving Michael the opportunity to finally destroy him. As part of this, Michael cooperated with [[Lilith]], as he believed that the Apocalypse would cause God to return.<ref name="fifteen08" /> It is later revealed that senior management of Heaven did not share this plan with other angels to avoid rebellion. Castiel was oblivious to this plan at first; he later found out Heaven's true intention and told [[Dean]], but he was soon found and destroyed by Raphael.

In [[11.10 The Devil in the Details]], Lucifer tells Sam "prison life" hasn't settled well with Michael and implies that Michael has gone insane. [[God]] later tells the Winchesters in [[11.22 We Happy Few]] that Michael is in no condition to fight [[the Darkness]]. Lucifer also makes comments about Michael's supposed insanity in [[12.17 The British Invasion]] and [[13.02 The Rising Son]]. In [[15.01 Back and to the Future]], the demon [[Belphegor]] tells Dean that when [[Chuck]] began the end of the world, all of the doors in Hell sprung open, including Lucifer's Cage. Dean becomes worried about Michael, and Belphegor states that last he heard, Michael is still just sitting in the Cage. He muses that the archangel will want revenge if he does get out. In [[15.08 Our Father, Who Aren't in Heaven]], Michael, who still retains his sanity, is revealed to have escaped from Hell, still in Adam's body and sharing control with his vessel. After learning from the [[Tablets#Demon Tablet|demon tablet]] that Michael might know something that could help them, the Winchesters and Castiel seek out the help of the archangel, taking him prisoner and trying to convince him of the threat from God. Disillusioned by their revelations, particularly Castiel's memories of God and the alternate Michael, Michael provides them with the spell to trap his father and opens a portal to [[Purgatory]] for them, but refuses to otherwise help and departs. In [[15.19 Inherit the Earth]], after God erases every living thing on Earth, including Adam, Michael agrees to help fight his Father. Michael is reunited with a resurrected Lucifer who reveals that God brought him back to get [[Chuck's Death Book]] and that Lucifer is now God's Favorite. Michael kills Lucifer with an [[archangel blade]] supplied by Sam, but slips back into his old patterns of behavior as the Good Son, desperate to become the Favorite once again. Michael betrays the Winchesters and Jack, but God nevertheless obliterates Michael for his earlier betrayal of his Father. However, the Winchesters anticipated this and used Michael to feed a fake plan to God in order to lure him into their trap. With the death of Michael, all of the archangels are left extinct.

After being locked in Dean's mind<ref name="fourteen10">[[14.10 Nihilism]]</ref>, Michael is left trapped for a couple of months until Dean is knocked unconscious by the [[gorgon]] [[Noah Ophis]]. Escaping, Michael possesses [[Rowena]] and brutally kills several hunters. However, before he can kill the Winchesters, Castiel, and Jack, Jack taps into the power of his soul and exorcises Michael from Rowena. Jack is able to destroy Michael and absorb his [[grace]], restoring Jack's own powers as a [[Nephilim]].<ref name="fourteen14">[[14.14 Ouroboros]]</ref> However, Jack burns away his entire soul in the process and becomes completely [[soulless]].<ref name="fourteen17" /> While trying to convince the [[Michael]] of his universe of the threat from God, Castiel shares some of his memories of this Michael with the other archangel. Castiel's efforts prove successful and Michael is disturbed by the revelation that he is not the only Michael in existence.<ref name="fifteen08" />

==NotesTrivia==* At present, only four archangels are known to have existed ([[Michael]], [[Lucifer]], [[Raphael]], [[Gabriel]]) and only two are currently known to be alive: Michael who is trapped in [[Lucifer's Cage]] and [[Apocalypse World]] [[Michael (Apocalypse World)|Michael]] who made his way from his world and gained possession of Dean's [[vessel]]. Lucifer was killed by Dean Winchester who granted his consent to AW Michael to defeat him with an [[archangel blade]], but he reneged on their deal and took full control of Dean's vessel. Lucifer was later killed a second time by Michael. Gabriel was killed by AW Michael with his archangel blade in Apocalypse World. Raphael was ripped apart on a subatomic level by Castiel when he absorbed the [[Leviathans]] and the countless other [[souls]] from [[Purgatory]]and AW Michael was exorcised from [[Rowena MacLeod]] and burned up by [[Jack]] using the power of his [[soul]]. In addition, the AW Lucifer was "ripped apart in the skies over Abilene" by AW Michael. The ultimate fates of AW Gabriel and Raphael are unknown but they would've died in any case when God destroyed all of the alternate universes. Michael was ultimately killed by God Himself for his earlier betrayal.* In an "personal note" of the [[demon tablet]], it is said that [[Metatron]] is an archangel. Though he was never asked, he pretty much denied the statement, as he says that he was from Heaven's secretarial office before being chosen to become the Scribe of God. In addition, Michael, Lucifer, Raphael and Gabriel are consistently called the only archangels aside from that one reference to Metatron being one.