Raphael
| 300px | |
| Name | Raphael |
| Actor | Demore Barnes |
| Dates | Before Humanity - |
| Location | Unknown |
| Occupation | Archangel |
| Episode(s) | 4.18 The Monster At The End Of This Book (Not Seen) 4.22 Lucifer Rising (Not Seen) 5.03 Free To Be You And Me 6.03 The Third Man |
Father Reynolds: *administering Last Rites to Father Gregory's spirit* I call upon the archangel Raphael, master of the air, to make open the way. Let the fire of the Holy Spirit now descend, that this being might be awakened to the world beyond.
Contents
Biography
Raphael is one of four Archangels created by God. He was created after Michael and Lucifer but before Gabriel. Canon suggests that he was the one who was specifically assigned the task of protecting the Prophet Chuck Shurley.
Shortly after the breaking of The 66 Seals and Lucifer's release from the Cage, Raphael arrived on Earth inhabiting his Vessel, Donnie Finnerman. Although his arrival mainly concerned a demon related conflict near a Pump 'n Go gas station in Maine. After he finished with the demons he immediately abandoned his Vessel and ascended back to Heaven, which greatly damaged Donnie's body, leaving him in a catotonic-state.
While occupying The Host of Heaven, Raphael is summoned back to Earth by Castiel and Dean for God's current position via an Enochian Water Cup ritual. After being summoned, Raphael re-inhabits his former Vessel and stops at an abandon house where Dean and Castiel confront him. They question his knowledge of not knowing God's location, threatening to leave him in a circle of Holy Fire if he doesn't corporate with them - In his defense, he protested that God is dead and is gone for good - He thought this was the only explanation and reason for God's continued silence and lack of supernatural intervention. So Dean and Castiel leave him in a still burning circle of Holy Fire.
Following the re-imprisonment of Lucifer and imprisonment of Michael in the Cage, Raphael somehow manages to escape from the circle and Raphael starts gathering God's Weapons so that Michael and Lucifer can escape the Cage, restarting the Apocalypse, giving Michael a final opportunity to kill Lucifer. Donnie Finnerman's body was destroyed by the effects of Lot's Salt which forced Raphael out of his Vessel, and he left in search of a new suitable Vessel.
Season 2
Rapahel is first referenced in this Season. Father Reynolds while administering Last Rites to Father Gregory's spirit: "I call upon the archangel Raphael, master of the air, to make open the way. Let the fire of the Holy Spirit now descend, that this being might be awakened to the world beyond."[1]
Season 4
4.18 The Monster At The End Of This Book
After learning that Sam will confront Lilith by Chuck's prophecy, he summons Castiel and demands that he intervenes but Castiel informs Dean that it is forbidden for him to interfere with prophecy although Castiel reveals to Dean that every prophet has an Archangel tethered to them that will appear if their assigned prophet is in danger. Dean takes Chuck to Sam's hotel room where Lilith is and Raphael presence is made known and Lilith flees.
4.22 Lucifer Rising
After Castiel rebels against Heaven by helping Dean stop Sam from killing Lilith, Raphael appears and completely obliterates Castiel and his vessel.
Season 5
5.03 Free To Be You And Me
Raphael possesses his Vessel, Donnie Finnerman, during a skirmish with demons at a gas station called Pump 'n Go in Maine. The Vessel, Donnie Finnerman, was left in a catatonic state after he returned to Heaven. However, Castiel is able to summon Raphael using an Enochian invocation, to interrogate him as to where God is, while trapping him behind a wall of holy flame (made by igniting some Holy Oil that Castiel obtained from Jerusalem).
Raphael tells Dean and Castiel that God is dead, and that the heavenly hosts are tired of waiting and want to bring forth paradise on Earth. Castiel did not believe Raphael and questioned who was it then who resurrected him after he was destroyed by Raphael. Raphael asked Castiel has he considered that it could be Lucifer. After all, Lucifer needed all the rebellious angels that he could get his hands on. Raphael tells Dean that he has more of an imagination than Zachariah - This implies that Raphael is a more experienced interrogator/torturer. Castiel and Dean then leaves Raphael, but was warned not to leave him in that state. Raphael threatened to hunt down Castiel, to which he replied "Maybe one day. But today, you're my little bitch!".
Season 6
6.03 The Third Man
Sam and Dean investigate three deaths of cops whose causes are strikingly similar to the Egyptian plagues. After Dean has summoned Castiel, they investigate a house until they find Aaron Birch, a boy with part of the Staff of Moses. Aaron claims that an angel (later turning out to be Balthazar) gave him the Staff of Moses in return for his soul. Castiel later tells Sam and Dean that the order in heaven has been thrown into chaos without God, with angels going rogue, celestial killings, and Balthazar stealing the Staff and other heavenly weapons. He also goes on to warn them that Raphael is back and trying to gain all of heaven's weapons so that he can release Lucifer and Michael, putting the apocalypse back on track. When asked why, Castiel simply calls Raphael a "tradionalist".
After tracking Balthazar down, Raphael and his soldiers appear looking for the Staff. Sam and Dean banish two of Raphael's soldiers with the Angel Banishing Sigil and Castiel kills one with an Angel Killing Sword. Raphael then appears behind Castiel and proceeds to attack him mercilessly (dismissing theories that Castiel is an archangel). Just as Raphael is about to kill Castiel, Balthazar appears and turns Raphael's Vessel into a pillar of salt using Lot's Salt. This destroys the Vessel and gives both Balthazar and Castiel a break from Raphael until he can find a new vessel.
Powers and Abilities
Raphael is an extremely powerful angel who can destroy other angels while in his true form; see the following for more details.
- Raphael can teleport himself to any location on Earth. It is assumed that he can teleport groups of people to any location on Earth, although he never displayed teleportation in this manner.[2]
- Raphael's telekinetic power seems to surpass the telekinetic power of lesser angels; while bound to a Holy Fire circle, he effortlessly shatters a window with a mere thought.[2]
- While in his true form, Raphael can create earthquakes, using Terrakinesis; he also can destroy angels with the power of his true form.[3]
- Raphael's angelic spirit can be very overwhelming to humans; when he departed from Donnie Finnerman, his Vessel, he left his vessel in a catatonic state.[2]
- Raphael implies that he can carry human soul to heaven without actually killing the person, he also says that he has more of an "imagination" than Zachariah, suggesting that Raphael is a more experienced interrogator/torturer.[2]
- While manifesting, Raphael had intense electrical currents coming out of his vessel like wings folding against his back.[2]
- Raphael can create a ball of pure white that can destroy living beings such as demons and humans, this angelic ball can also decimate buildings; Deputy Framingham reports that after the explosion at the Pump 'n Go, he lost some of his hearing.[2]
- Raphael possess a high degree on angelic-strength. Because Raphael is an archangel, he can easily overpower normal angels, such as Castiel.[4]
- Raphael implies that he can claim an angel's heart.[4]
Vulnerablities
- The Colt can damage and harm Raphael, but it cannot kill him.
- Holy Fire can bind Raphael to a fixed location; if he were to step out of the circle, his Vessel would be destroyed.
- An Archangel Killing Blade can kill Raphael.
- Lot's Salt destroyed Raphael's Vessel (Donnie Finnerman) by turning his vessel into a pile of salt.
- Other Archangels can harm Raphael.
Notes
- For More Direct Info see the page Angel Lore
- It should also be noted that Raphael is the only remaining active Archangel.
Raphael in Lore
The name Raphael means "God Heals". Raphael was the Archangel who bound Azazel according to the Book of Enoch. Raphael isn't mentioned in the Holy Bible Canon but was mentioned in the Book of Tobit.
In the Book of Tobit, Raphael healed Tobit of his blindness and delivered Tobit's daughter, Sarah, from Asmodeus. To Catholics, Raphael (venerated as Saint Raphael) is the patron saint of doctors, medical workers and travelers.
In Islam, Raphael (or Israfil as he is called in the Arabic language) is the Archangel who signals the start of Judgment Day.
- Raphael on Wikipedia
