Lucifer's Cage
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.
This Cage was designed after Lucifer's rebellion. It was built and constructed to contain archangel Lucifer because of his disobedience towards God's orders and for his lack of faith in God's plans. He was banished here by archangel Michael, and God attached 600 Seals on the Mouth of the Cage, 66 of which needed to break for the Cage to open. The gates of this prison are secured by the 66 Seals. The Four Horsemen all own an individual Ring that, together form a key-like device that when activated, can reopen his Cage. The Mouth of Lucifer's Cage is somehow interconnected with St. Mary's Convent. Although, after the activation of the Four Rings, this Cage can reopen anywhere as shown when Dean opens it in a hotel room via the Rings, and again when Sam uses the Rings and reopens the Cage at Stull Cemetery.
- The first Seal to the cage is broken by Dean while in Hell:
And it is written that the first seal shall be broken when a righteous man sheds blood in Hell. As he breaks, so shall it break.
Dean: Why break the seal anyway?
Castiel: You think of the seals as locks on a door.
Castiel: Lucifer walks free.
Dean: Okay, last one opens, and?
– Dean, Castiel, 4.02 Are You There, God? It's Me, Dean Winchester
In 2009, Sam unknowingly releases Lucifer from his cage by killing Lilith. Lilith is revealed to have been the last of the 66 Seals:
And it is written that the first demon shall be the last seal.
Lilith’s blood forms a spiral circle in the middle of the chapel at St. Mary's Convent and the gates of Lucifer’s prison open and Lucifer is released into the world. 4.22 Lucifer Rising
Contents
Season 4
4.02 Are You There, God? It's Me, Dean Winchester
Castiel tells Dean that Lucifer is confined to a Cage and once the 66 Seals brake, he will be released and hell and chaos will follow his presence on Earth.
4.22 Lucifer Rising
The Mouth of Lucifer's Cage is opened after Sam killed Lilith, releasing Lucifer.
Season 5
5.19 Hammer Of The Gods
Sam and Dean try to kill Lucifer with the Colt but fail, and are desperate for a solution. 5.10 Abandon All Hope In a hidden message recorded on a Casa Erotica DVD, Gabriel reveals posthumously how Sam and Dean can trap Lucifer back in his cage. The keys to the cage are the rings worn by the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
5.20 The Devil You Know
Crowley reveals he is aware of Sam and Dean's plan to get the Horsemen's Rings to trap Lucifer back in his cage thanks to his Magical Coin. He also tells them he wants to help them do it.
Sam comes up with a plan - he could consent to Lucifer's possession, and with much determination he could resist Satan’s for a brief moment; which would give him time to jump into Lucifer's cage with Lucifer inside of him. Bobby and Dean are both against the idea.
5.21 Two Minutes To Midnight
Sam and Dean get the final two rings after Castiel cuts off Pestilence's finger using Ruby's knife and Death gives his ring to Dean in exchange for his promise to do whatever it took to free him from Lucifer's control, ensuring that Sam would jump into the cage as soon as he consented to possession by Lucifer. Death also instructs Dean on how the rings work to open the cage, although the explanation is not shown in this episode. Dean is later shown working with all four rings on a table. They join together to form a triangular shape with War's ring in the center and the other three rings surrounding it. When Bobby asks him about Death teaching him how the rings work, Dean responds "Yeah, it's nuts."
5.22 Swan Song
Dean finally agrees to support Sam's plan though he has deep misgivings "Your hell is gonna make my tour look like Graceland."
Sam primes himself by drinking Demon Blood and then they confront Lucifer. Lucifer knows of their plan, but Sam says "yes" anyway. As Lucifer takes him over, Dean uses the ring and an incantation to open the "door" to the cage. However Lucifer is in control, and he easily closes it.
Later, in Stull Cemetery, Lucifer faces Michael who appears using Adam as a vessel. Lucifer tries to dissuade Michael from the fight, blaming their conflict on God, and suggesting they walk away. Michael counters that he must carry out God's orders, and that it's his destiny to kill Lucifer, who is evil. Just then Dean arrives in the Impala, Def Leppard's Rock of Ages blaring.
Dean tries to talk to Sam, inside Lucifer, but Michael tells him it's not his fight anymore. Castiel arrives and throws a Molotov cocktail made with Holy Oil at Michael, causing him to vanish temporarily. Lucifer turns and disintegrates Castiel, and then as Bobby shoots him, he snaps his neck.
Lucifer starts to beat Dean, taunting him, saying he will kill him slowly and make Sam feel it. Dean doesn't resist, just telling Sam he won't leave him. As he goes to land another blow, he glances at the Impala, and suddenly all Sam's memories of life with Dean rush at him, allowing Sam to take control over Lucifer. He tosses the Horsemen's Rings to the ground, recites the incantation to open the Cage. He and Dean look at each other one last time, but as Sam goes to throw himself in, Michael reappears. Michael tries to stop him, but Sam drags him into the chasm too, and it shuts.
Season 6
6.01 Exile On Main St.
Sam got out of the cage, but has no idea how. He remembers his time there, but when Dean asks, he doesn't want to talk about it.
6.03 The Third Man
Raphael intends to release Lucifer and Michael from the cage through unspecified means to complete the apocalyptic showdown.
6.06 You Can't Handle The Truth
Dean tells Bobby that Sam has been different ever since he was released from the Cage. He speculates that Sam may still be a Vessel for Lucifer but Castiel denies this, and says that if Lucifer was on Earth, he would've felt his presence.
6.07 Family Matters
Castiel determines that Sam has no Soul, and speculates that it was left behind in the Cage with Michael and Lucifer. He tells Dean the Cage is more well-guarded than Dean was when he was in Hell.
6.09 Clap Your Hands If You Believe
The Leprechaun is able to make deals with humans so that they may fulfill their wishes. He also seems to be very powerful, employing what he calls "real magic." He claims to be able to lift Sam's soul from Lucifer's Cage, and scoffs when Sam mentions that not even angels could accomplish that saying that fairies know about "Got a way of gettin' in back doors".
6.10 Caged Heat
Castiel tells Dean that Sam's soul, having been tortured by Lucifer for over a year, may be irrevocably damaged. Crowley also confirms this.
6.11 Appointment in Samarra
Dean has himself purposefully 'killed' under medical supervision, so he can plead with Death to rescue Sam and Adam from the Cage. Death agrees to rescue only one of them - and Dean chooses Sam. Death makes a wager with Dean, that if he will wear Death's ring for one day, and perfrom his duties, then Death will rescue Sam's soul. he tells Dean that he will be able to contain the part of Sam that will be damaged from his time trapped with Micahel and Lucifer behind a 'wall' in Sam's mind, although he can't guarantee how long this will maintain. Although Dean fails to wear the ring for a day, Death agrees to retrieve Sam's soul, which he returns to Sam.
