Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

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Name	War Famine Pestilence Death
Actor	Titus Welliver James Otis Matt Frewer Julian Richings
Dates	?
Location	no fixed address
Occupation	Horsemen of The Apocalypse
Episode(s)	5.02 Good God Y'All 5.10 Abandon All Hope (Death hid His Visage) 5.14 My Bloody Valentine 5.15 Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid 5.19 Hammer Of The Gods 5.20 The Devil You Know 5.21 Two Minutes To Midnight

General traits of The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in the Supernatural Verse

• Pestilence, War and Famine all have designated tasks in the Apocalypse. In other words, the Three Horsemen (with the exclusion Death) seem to be set strongly on their assigned missions related to the Apocalypse.
• They are extremely powerful beings.
• Their true origins currently are unknown, as is the method of destroying them. However, the removal of their rings causes them to go into a "shut down" state.
• While clearly being instruments of evil and chaos in the Apocalypse, it is unclear whether the Horsemen are angelic or demonic or something entirely separate in origin.
• War states them as 'siblings'.
• Horsemen are immune to Sam's powers, but he did use them to banish Famine by destroying all the demons that Famine had consumed.
• The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and the Antichrist as described in the book of Revelation are part of the apocalyptic destruction of Earth. They are generally described as War, Death, Famine and Pestilence (also described as Conquest or the Anti-Christ himself) - each riding a different coloured horse.

• War can alter people's perception of reality, causing them to become violent towards each other. War drives a red Mustang^{5.02 Good God Y'All}

• Famine causes people to hunger for what they desire - be that money, food, sex, drugs - and pursue it until it kills them. It feeds on the souls of the people it kills. Famine drives a black SUV^{5.14 My Bloody Valentine}

• Death is summoned by Lucifer, and held by a spell to do his bidding, causing death by natural disasters, and raising murderous zombies.^{5.15 Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid} He voluntarily gives his ring to Dean and explains how the Horseman's Rings can be used to recapture Lucifer, extracting from Dean a promise to use them. Death drives a white Cadillac.

• Pestilence spreads disease and plague. As part of Lucifer's plan for the Apocalypse, Pestilence spreads illness, leading government's to order distribution of a flu vaccine, which is produced by Niveus Pharmaceuticals, run by the demon Brady, actually contains the Croatoan virus. Pestilence drives a green Hornet.

5.02 Good God Y'All

War causers havoc in a town when he convinces people that people are being possessed by demons. He is banished when Sam and Dean remove a ring from him that seems related to his power.

5.10 Abandon All Hope

Lucifer undertakes a ritual to release the Head Horsemen named Death. It involves killing all the women and children in the town, and then the men, who are possessed by demons, sacrifice themselves. He then performs an invocation. Death is yet to be seen.

5.14 My Bloody Valentine

Famine arrives in town and causes everyones cravings to turn rabid as people start killing each other and themselves. He infects Sam who craves for demon blood and Castiel who's vessel had a fondness for red meat, but Dean shows no effects. Famine says this is because Dean is already "dead inside". Famine is stopped when, after consuming demons that Sam had exorcised from their hosts, Sam exorcises those demons from his body.

5.15 Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid

In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Death causes previously dead townpeople to come back to life, including Bobby's wife, Karen. Death sends Karen back with a warning; that because Bobby is helping Sam say 'no' to Lucifer, Death has his eye on him. Karen describes Death as "A really thin man, almost like a skeleton," but he is not seen in this episode.

5.19 Hammer Of The Gods

Pestilence arrives at a small store, and enters, coughing and spreading snot and phlegm everywhere. He buys some flu medication and leaves. As he drives, his car fills with flies.

5.20 The Devil You Know

Sam and Dean begin the episode on the trail of Pestilence, posing as CDC agents at a hospital hit with a swine flu outbreak.

Crowley offers to help Sam and Dean find Pestilence by tracking down and cutting a deal with Brady, who he calls "the Horsemen's stable boy." Brady uses the Goblet of Blood ritual to communicate with Pestilence about the progress on the vaccine. Brady eventually relents and gives up Pestilence's location to Crowley, Sam, and Dean.

Brady reveals that War and Famine aren't dead, but they have been taken out of the game, telling Dean, "See, War and Famine, even if I could cram the rings back on their bony fingers, I doubt it would do much good. They're withered husks right now, fetal position on the floor, all thanks to you. So I don't want the rings. What I want is retribution. And I'm going to rip it right out of your ass!"

Bobby is talking on the phone with Rufus Turner discussing possible omens for Death when Crowley appears in his home. Crowley tells Bobby he can help them find Death, but he needs to make a deal for Bobby's soul to pull it off. Bobby is resistant to the idea, but Crowley assures him that it will be temporary and that he will give Bobby back his soul after it's done.

5.21 Two Minutes To Midnight

Props for Pestilence's fingers

Using the alias "Dr. Green" Pestilence is working at the Serenity Valley Convalescent Home. He tends to an old woman named Celeste, telling her she has a combination of the common cold, dengue fever, and a "nasty, nasty case of Japanese encephalitis." He then proceeds to give her chicken pox. She asks if he is going to cure her, and he tells her that she is going to die. She vomits in his face a la Linda Blair in The Exorcist before she dies.

Using information from Brady, Sam and Dean arrive at the home, but are incapacited by Pestilence. SWhile writhing on the ground from their illnesses, Pestilence tells them they're suffering from scarlet fever, meningitis and syphilis, and gives them a condescending lecture about God, disease and humanity. Castiel, now human, enters the room and falls to the floor after beginning to feel the effects of Pestilence's epidemic. Pestilence mocks him for being a powerless occupied vessel, noting that "there's not a speck of angel in you." Castiel picks up Ruby's knife and cuts off Pestilence's finger with the ring. The nurse rushes at him but he kills her with the knife too. Sam and Dean immediately recover from their illnesses and get up from the floor. Pestilence, with his hand bleeding from where his finger used to be, tells them "It doesn't matter. It's too late," before vanishing.

Later in the episode, Sam and Dean figure out what Pestilence's plan was after a talk with Crowley. Brady was vice president of distribution at Niveus Pharmaceuticals. The first part of the plan was for Pestilence to start a swine flu epidemic, which set the stage for the second step: mass nationwide distribution of the Niveus vaccine which contains the Croatoan virus. Crowley suggests Sam and Dean stock up on everything, because "this time next Thursday, we'll all be living in Zombieland."

Bobby tells Sam, Dean and Castiel that he's figured out that Death is going to cause a storm and a series of natural disasters that will kill three million people in Chicago. He is eventually forced to admit he sold his soul to Crowley to get the information for how to find Death. The group splits up: Sam, Bobby and Castiel go to Niveus to destroy the samples of the vaccine and the distribution center to prevent the outbreak of the Croatoan virus, while Dean and Crowley head to Chicago to try and kill Death and get the last ring. Crowley gives Dean Death's Scythe to use in Chicago, saying that in addition to killing angels, demons, and reapers it's rumored to be capable of killing Death himself.

Death arrives in Chicago to start a large storm chain that will trigger massive global weather events and mass death in the process - killing millions.

Death stops in a pizzeria for lunch, killing everyone inside (possibly unintentionally) and is found by Dean, who attempts to sneak up on him with Death's Scythe. However, the scythe begins to burn hot in Death's presence forcing Dean to drop it, alerting the Horseman to his presence. Rather than act hostile like his siblings, the Horseman thanks him for returning the Scythe before asking Dean to join him at the table. Death then reveals that he has been waiting for a while to talk with Dean.

When Dean asks him how old he is, Death admits he can't really remember anymore and guesses he is as old or older than God himself and neither can remember anymore. He surmises that he has been alive since life itself began and someday he will even reap God, to Dean's surprise. Death just states God is a living being like any other and someday he too will die; its just the way things work.

Death explains that Lucifer, whom he describes as "a bratty child", has him bound by a spell and his using him in crating Apocalyptic chaos.

Death offers his ring to Dean, if Dean must do everything in his power to assure that Lucifer is put back in his cage. Dean reluctantly agrees while Death warns him to hold true to his word by saying he can't cheat Death, he then gives Dean the instructions on how operate the rings that combine to form a key like device.

Later, Dean and Bobby discuss the plan and while Dean is skeptical Bobby says that Death probably has a larger view of things than they do and they should have more faith in Sam.

Rings of the Horsemen

Without me, you got zero shot at killing Lucifer. Sorry. But... you can trap him. The cage you sprung Lucifer from, it's still down there, and maybe, just maybe, you can shove his ass back in. Not that it'll be easy. You got to get the cage open, trick my bro back into it, and oh yeah, avoid Michael and the God Squad. But hey - details, right? And here's the big secret, Lucifer himself doesn't even know. But the key to the cage, it's out there. Actually it's keys, plural, four keys. Well, four rings from the Horsemen. You get 'em all, you got the cage. – Gabriel, 5.19 Hammer Of The Gods

Dean: Horsemen, huh? Well we got War's... And we nicked Famine's. That's two rings down. Collect all four? All we need is Pestilence and Death. Sam: Oh, is that all? – Dean, Sam, 5.19 Hammer Of The Gods

Each of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse own a single ring. The Four Horsemen draw their powers from these rings. These rings channel some type of energy; this energy is then directed and channeled to the bearer of that specific ring. The Horsemen cannot properly sustain themselves when they are not wearing the ring. According to Brady; War and Famine are in a drooling/motionless state on the floor because they no longer have their rings to sustain them. However this does not appear to be the case with Death - who seems unfazed by giving dean his ring, suggesting he still could easily destroy chicago without it. this maybe as Death is more powefull than the other horsemen - due to death being present throughout the cosmos and being the only true cerainty of life is - Death.

In a hidden message recorded on a Casa Erotica DVD, Gabriel reveals posthumously how Sam and Dean can trap Lucifer back in Lucifer's Cage. The keys to the cage are the rings worn by the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. In order to for Lucifer's Cage to open, the current holder of the Rings must shout the incantation: "Bvtmon Tabges Babalon." But this can be countered; Lucifer demonstrated this by shouting the counter-incantation: "Chdr Bvtmon Tabges Babalon." Each ring's color matches that of its Horseman's car.

File:War's Hand.jpg

War's Ring, which seems to be the source of his power

• War wears a gold red ring. War's ring is a simple band, and the only one of the Horsemen's Rings without a colored stone. His ring apparently, affects the perception of humans. Sam and Dean get War's ring after cutting off his finger using Ruby's Knife.^{5.02 Good God Y'All}

File:Famine's Ring.png

Famine's Ring, just before it is taken from his hand.

• Famine wears a ring that is silver inscribed, and has a black stone. His ring affects human urges and addictions (lust, hunger, addictions to alcohol, drugs, or demon blood, etc.). Sam and Dean get Famine's ring after Sam exorcises the demons out of Famine's body.^{5.14 My Bloody Valentine}

File:Pestilence's Ring.jpg

Castiel trying to to obtain Pestilence's Ring

• Pestilence wears a ring with an Emerald Stone. ^{5.19 Hammer Of The Gods} He uses the ring to trigger an epidemic which affects humans. Sam and Dean get the ring after Castiel cuts off Pestilence's finger using Ruby's Knife.^{5.21 Two Minutes To Midnight}

File:Death's Ring.jpg

Death willingly gives his ring to Dean, in return for promising that he will ensure Lucifer's re-incarceration, even if it costs Sam his life.

• Death wears a ring with a white stone. Unlike the other Horsemen, Death is the only one who does not have his ring taken from him by force (War and Pestilence), or after being defeated (Famine). Death gives Dean his ring in exchange for Dean's promise to release him from Lucifer's control by ensuring that a possessed Sam jumps into Lucifer's Cage. Death also instructs Dean on how the four rings work to open the cage. ^{5.21 Two Minutes To Midnight}
• Later in the episode, we see Dean working with all four rings. By placing them on a table, they all join together to form a triangle-shaped design, with War's ring in the middle, and the other three surrounding it. When Bobby asks him about Death teaching him how the rings work, Dean responds "Yeah, it's nuts." ^{5.21 Two Minutes To Midnight}

Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in Lore

Left to Right: Death, Famine, War and Conquest.

This interpretation replaces Conquest with Pestilence, which is portrayed as a distinct entity (separate from Death). The first horseman to appear is Pestilence, who rides upon a white horse. In the wake of Pestilence comes War, riding a large, wild red horse and wielding a tremendous sword. In the wake of War, due to immense destruction because of War and Pestilence, is Famine. Famine is portly, and rides upon a black, sickly horse; this represents gluttony and hunger, respectively. And in the wake of Famine comes Death. His horse is pale green. He is followed by Hades and carries the remaining souls to their final destinations.

• See the page titled Apocalypse for more info