The Colt
| |
| Name | The Colt |
| Manufacturer | Samuel Colt |
| Powers | Can kill anything except for Lucifer and four other unknown things. Key to the Devil's Gate in Southern Wyoming. |
| Location/Owners | Destroyed by Dagon |
| Episodes | First Appearance: 1.20 Dead Man's Blood Last Appearance: 12.20 Twigs & Twine & Tasha Banes |
Back in 1835, when Halley's Comet was overhead, same night those men died at the Alamo, they say Samuel Colt made a gun. A special gun. He made it for a hunter. A man like us, only on horseback. Story goes, he made thirteen bullets. This hunter used the gun a half dozen times before he disappeared, the gun along with him... Somehow Daniel got his hands on it. They say... they say this gun can kill anything.
History
The Colt was made by Samuel Colt in 1835. When it is used with the supernatural bullets he made specially for it, the gun can kill anything.[1] It was the first supernatural weapon introduced in the series.
Lucifer says that there are only five things in all of creation that can't be killed by the Colt and that he is one of them, whether he meant himself personally or archangels in general is never specified.[2] It should also be noted that while the Colt can kill (almost) anything the shot must still be a kill shot. When Sam shoots John, while he is possessed by Azazel, in the leg, the demon survives, but the shot allows for John to briefly take back control of his body before Azazel escapes.[3]
Samuel Colt also designed the locked door to keep the portal to Hell known as the Devil's Gate from opening. The Devil's Gate and the Colt are linked together, the gun serves as the key to the gate, allowing it to be opened by inserting the Colt's muzzle into the key hole. Colt then built a railroad of iron in the shape of a pentagram, with a church at each of the points, around the Devil's Gate to further ensure that it was demon-proof.[4]
Sam and Dean travel back in time to 1861 to use the Colt to kill a phoenix. The Colt remains in the past, possibly passing eventually into the hands of a local saloon owner by the name of Elkins.
In 2006, John Winchester discovers the gun in the possession of a hunter named Daniel Elkins. Azazel makes efforts to regain it in order to open the Devil's Gate in Wyoming in order to form a demon army on Earth. While Jake Talley, who has been recruited by Azazel, opens the gate for a short time, Azazel is killed when Dean shoots him with the Colt, using the final bullet. Bobby had taken apart the Colt in an attempt to discover how it can kill anything supernatural, but was unable to figure out what makes it tick. After he started test firing it in the woods, Ruby later helps Bobby restore the Colt's supernatural killing abilities and modified it so it will take any ammunition. The Winchesters use it to kill a number of demons and vampires until it is stolen by Bela Talbot[5]. She later trades it to Crowley to try and get out of her crossroads deal.
With the Apocalypse looming, Crowley would later return the gun to the Winchesters, telling them they can use it to kill Lucifer. However when Dean uses it on him in Carthage, Missouri, the gun is able to cause pain and disorient Lucifer after Dean shoots him in the head, but does not kill the archangel. After Lucifer regained his composure, he knocks Dean back, sending him flying into a tree where he drops the gun, leaving it behind when Castiel teleported them away.[2] Crowley would go on to retrieve the Colt and after Lucifer's defeat, he turns the Colt along with the Lance of Michael over to one of the Princes of Hell, Ramiel as a gift while offering him the throne. He declined and convinced Crowley to take the crown in exchange for keeping himself and his remaining siblings hidden from anyone and anything, and all the while threatening to incite his wrath on Crowley if he fails to hold up his end of the bargain. Crowley accepts and leaves the Lance and the Colt with Ramiel who locks the Colt away in a supernatural wall safe with his armory of supernatural armaments.
In 2017, the British Men of Letters task Mary Winchester with regaining it from Ramiel -- without telling her what the item is, or that Ramiel is a Prince of Hell. Mick and his colleagues had been researching and studying the Colt extensively since then, however even he with all the lore on the Colt from the London Chapterhouse couldn't discover how Samuel Colt made it to kill almost anything supernatural, let alone create new bullets for it. The British Men of Letters later reveal their possession of the weapon to Sam who teaches them how to make new bullets with Bobby's recipe before using the Colt to kill the Alpha Vampire.
Following a failed attempt to kill Dagon, the Colt returns to the possession of the Winchesters who used it to kill the god Moloch. All the while, Mr. Ketch and his team had planted a surveillance system inside the Men of Letters Bunker to keep an eye on them and tried to retrieve the Colt in the process, but they eventually realize that Sam and Dean took it with them.
Castiel returned to the Bunker to talk to Sam and Dean about his temporary partnership with the angels, but it turns out to be a ruse to steal the Colt which was under Dean's pillow rather than in their safe for safe-keeping. After Joshua had tracked down Dagon through a celestial pulse caused by the Nephilim, Castiel and Kelvin went to her safe house along with Hozai and the Colt to kill both her and Kelly Kline with the remaining two bullets. He used one of the bullets to attempt to kill Dagon, but she teleported out of the way. Castiel went downstairs with every intent to kill kelly, but he couldn't do it. After Sam and Dean had caught up with them, they explained their plan to make the Nephilim into a human so both the baby and Kelly can live, but Kelly refused to let them do it because she wants her child to be born with their powers. After waiting in the Impala, Kelly had taken the keys and drove away with Castiel intending to go to Heaven's Gate, leaving the Colt with Sam and Dean. When they arrived, they discovered that Dagon had caught up with them after killing Hozai, Kelvin, and Joshua when he appeared. When Sam and Dean arrived and tried to stop Dagon from taking Kelly again, she attacked Dean and took the Colt from him. She used her powers to melt down the Colt, destroying it along with the remaining bullet in the chamber right before she died of spontaneous combustion due to the powers of Castiel and the Nephilim; Jack.
Sam retrieves the damaged Colt, and tells Dean he will try his best to repair it. [6]
Special Features
Colt Gun
Invented by Samuel Colt, a gun named after its inventor “Colt”, and after its revolving cylinder. Before the Colt revolver, only one and two-barrel flintlock pistols had been invented for hand held use. Colt revolvers were all based on cap-and-ball technology until the Smith and Wesson license on the bored-through cylinder (bought from Rollin White) expired around 1869.
– Pad of Definitions (1.20 Dead Man's Blood), Official Website
The Colt used in Supernatural has some special "features":
Latin Inscription: Non timebo mala translates to "I will fear no evil" from Latin, and is a reference to Psalm 23 and the quote "For though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me." It has inspired many Fan Tattoos. The font used is Plakat Fraktur.
Pentagram: See Pentagram
Make and Model of The Colt: The Colt has the appearance of an 1836 Colt Paterson Pietta Paterson Super Deluxe. In reality, the Colt Paterson, which is the first Revolver ever built, is surprisingly difficult to load. It can be assumed that the gun itself was modified in 3.04 Sin City when Bobby agreed to let Ruby restore its supernatural killing abilities which would explain how it can be easily reloaded without undergoing the painstakingly long process of deconstructing it's barrel. See: History of the Colt Paterson.
Bullets: The 13 bullets made by Samuel Colt are engraved with numbers. Ruby was able to build more bullets for the Colt in 3.04 Sin City, and later in 12.14 The Raid, Sam relates that Bobby had learned the method and passed it on to him. The process requires holy oil, sage and myrrh. They are mixed to make a tincture and use it to coat silver bullets and recite the following spell to mimic the original etchings:
- "Signum est imitandum. Signum est imitandum."
 The pentagram on the handle of the gun. |
Chronological Appearances and Uses
Use of the Colt
How Samuel Colt's original bullets are used
- 6.18 Frontierland - Samuel Colt, in 1861, shoots and kills two demons. Colt gives Sam the gun to give to Dean, who shoots and kills the phoenix.
- 1.20 Dead Man's Blood - The Colt is introduced with 5 (out of 13) remaining bullets. John Winchester shoots Luther, the vampire to save Sam's life.
- 1.21 Salvation - Sam shoots at the Yellow-Eyed Demon in Rose's nursery.
- 1.22 Devil's Trap - Dean shoots the demon Tom to save Sam's life. Sam later shoots John in the thigh while he is possessed by the Yellow-Eyed Demon.
- 2.22 All Hell Breaks Loose: Part Two - Dean kills Azazel with a shot in the heart.
Other Uses
- 2.22 All Hell Breaks Loose: Part Two: The Colt is used by Jake as a key to open the Devil's Gate in Wyoming.
- 3.04 Sin City: Ruby helps Bobby rebuild the Colt so it will use any ammunition. Sam then uses it to kill Father Gil and Casey. This also marks the first time the Colt bullets now give off an orange-red hue when they kill a demon much like the bullet's effects with Azazel, but now it's for every demon Sam and Dean use the Colt on.
- 3.05 Bedtime Stories: Sam uses the Colt to kill a crossroads demon.
- 3.07 Fresh Blood: Dean shoots a vampire with it. This is the first time after Ruby helps Bobby make more bullets for the Colt, as well as the last time (so far), that we've seen the blue-colored hue being used after Dean kills the vampire. It can be suggested that the blue hue is only used against monsters now.
- 3.09 Malleus Maleficarum: First Dean threatens to shoot Ruby with it, but Sam stops him. Later Sam tries to shoot Tammi with the Colt, but she stops the bullet in mid-air.
- 3.10 Dream a Little Dream of Me: Bela steals the Colt.
- 3.15 Time Is on My Side: Bela gave the Colt to demons to try and get her way out of her crossroads deal, but it doesn't go as planned for her.
- 5.09 The Real Ghostbusters: Becky tells Sam that in Chuck's book of Time Is on My Side, Bela gave the Colt to a crossroads demon named Crowley instead of Lilith.
- 5.10 Abandon All Hope...: Crowley used it to kill two of his "hench-demons" and gives the Colt to the Winchesters along with some more bullets. During the hunt that follows, Dean shoots and presumably kills a hellhound with the Colt. The boys then track down Lucifer and Dean shoots him straight through the head but Lucifer is unharmed and he flings Dean towards the trees and the Colt is last seen in Dean's hand after he lands. He also mentions he is one of five things in all of Creation that the Colt cannot kill. [2]
- 12.14 The Raid: Sam uses it to kill the Alpha Vampire with a shot through the head.
- 12.17 The British Invasion: Eileen Leahy accidentally kills Renny Rawlings when Dagon vanishes as she takes her shot.
- 12.18 The Memory Remains: Sam uses it to kill the god Moloch.
- 12.19 The Future: Castiel attempted to kill Dagon with the Colt, but she teleported out of the way, while the bullet struck the wall.
Episodes
1.20 Dead Man's Blood
When Daniel Elkins is killed, he leaves a note for John Winchester saying that he had "it" (along with the five remaining bullets) in his possession. John is interested in it as since the Colt can supposedly kill anything, it could possibly be used to kill the Yellow-Eyed Demon and avenge Mary's death. After retrieving the Colt from the vampires who killed Elkins and looted his property, John uses it to kill the vampire pack leader, Luther, proving that the gun is the one he's been searching for, as an ordinary revolver would not have killed a vampire.
1.21 Salvation
Sam shoots at the Yellow-Eyed Demon as he stands over the crib of the baby Rose Holt, while John is off trading a fake Colt with Meg. He misses as the demon disappears and wastes a bullet.
1.22 Devil's Trap
Dean uses the third remaining bullet to kill the demon Tom, after he and Sam rescue John. Their father, possessed by the Yellow-Eyed Demon, begs Sam to shoot him, but he cannot kill his father and uses the fourth bullet to shoot John in the leg, the hesitation to kill the demon and John with him, allowing it to flee.
2.01 In My Time of Dying
Sam uses the Colt to frighten off the demon-possessed trucker. Later, John trades the Colt and the remaining bullet (and his soul) in a deal with Azazel for Dean's life.
2.22 All Hell Breaks Loose: Part Two
the Yellow-Eyed Demon gives the Colt to Jake Talley in order to open the Devil's Gate in Wyoming. Jake succeeds in opening the gate by threatening Ellen's life, but after Sam kills him, Dean retrieves the Colt from the crypt door. The Yellow-Eyed Demon shows up and takes the Colt from Dean, but after John's spirit distracts the demon by pulling him from his meatsuit, Dean grabs the Colt back and shoots Azazel in the heart with the last bullet just as he returns to his host, finally killing him.
3.03 Bad Day at Black Rock
Bobby is seen working on the Colt.
3.04 Sin City
Bobby is trying to figure out how the Colt works when Ruby arrives and offers to help return its demon killing powers. Bobby later shoots at the possessed Father Gil with it -– and misses. Sam eventually uses it to kill Father Gil and Casey.
3.05 Bedtime Stories
Sam uses the Colt to kill a crossroads demon.
3.07 Fresh Blood
Dean uses the Colt to kill a girl that the hunter Gordon Walker turned into a vampire.
3.09 Malleus Maleficarum
Dean tries to shoot Ruby with the Colt but is stopped by Sam. Sam later tries to shoot the demon Tammi with it, but she is able to stop the bullet in mid-air.
3.10 Dream a Little Dream of Me
Bela steals the Colt from Sam and Dean's motel safe after she brings them African Dream Root to help save Bobby.
3.12 Jus in Bello
When Bela calls the Winchesters to taunt them about stealing the Colt, it is seen on the seat next to her sitting on a towel. Later, Ruby is annoyed to learn that the Colt is gone when they have to face off against an army of around thirty demons.
3.15 Time Is on My Side
Bela tells Dean she gave the gun to Lilith in a hope of breaking her deal.
4.03 In the Beginning
When Dean goes back to 1973 he "borrows" the Colt from a young Daniel Elkins, telling him the gun will be in Lawrence, Kansas. He has two opportunities to shoot Azazel, but the demon flees before he gets the chance to kill him.
5.01 Sympathy for the Devil
Dean tells Bobby he thinks they should use the Colt to kill Lucifer, but later explains to Sam he was just mentioning it to give hope to Bobby.
5.04 The End
Castiel tells Dean that he has learned the demons have not destroyed the gun. In 2014, Future Dean finally retrieves the Colt from the demons and tries to kill Lucifer with it, but fails and is killed.
5.09 The Real Ghostbusters
Becky tells Sam that in theSupernatural book written by Chuck Shurley which tells the events of 3.15 Time Is on My Side, Bela gave the Colt not to Lilith but to her right hand demon, and possibly lover, Crowley.
5.10 Abandon All Hope...
After using it to kill two of his hench-demons, Crowley gives the Colt and some more bullets to the Winchesters to kill Lucifer. Dean uses it against the hellhounds, and either wounds, or kills one, but is unable to stop them all. Dean shoots Lucifer in the head at point-blank range, telling him to "suck it." Lucifer falls and appears to be dead at first, but he gets up in pain, the bullet wound in his forehead heals, and he punches Dean into a tree, dropping the Colt when Castiel rescues him. Lucifer goes on to explain to Sam that he is one of five things in all of creation that the gun can't kill.
6.18 Frontierland
Sam and Dean find Samuel Colt's Journal and learn that in 1861 the Colt was used to kill a phoenix. They need the phoenix's ashes to fight Eve, so they travel back to 1861. Samuel Colt is retired from hunting, and completing the railway devil's trap. Two demons enter his home, and he shoots them with the Colt. When Sam arrives and asks for his assistance, he refuses, but eventually gives Sam the Colt. Dean uses the Colt to kill Elias Finch — the phoenix.
However, Dean drops the Colt just before he and Sam are transported back to the present day. It is possible that the Colt was retrieved by the saloon owner Elkins. In the present day, the Colt was originally in the possession of Daniel Elkins and its possible that the Elkins of 1861 was an ancestor who passed it down to him.
12.12 Stuck in the Middle (With You)
In a flashback to after Lucifer's defeat, Crowley turns the Colt along with the Lance of Michael over to the Prince of Hell Ramiel as a gift.
In the present, Mary Winchester is sent by the British Men of Letters to steal the Colt from Ramiel. While she succeeds with the help of her sons, Castiel and the hunter Wally, Wally is killed and Castiel is gravely injured as Ramiel chases them to retrieve the Colt. Ramiel offers the Winchesters their lives if they give him back what they stole, but Sam and Dean have no idea what he's talking about. After a fight, Ramiel is killed by Sam with the Lance of Michael, leaving Sam and Dean unaware of what Mary did.
After killing Ramiel, Mary meets with Mr. Ketch and threatens to kill him and the British Men of Letters in general after what happened to Wally and what almost happened to Castiel, because they unknowingly sent them after a Prince of Hell. After a moment of silence, Mr. Ketch admits that they made a mistake and apologizes. She then hands over the Colt, telling him that her father used to tell her stories about the gun. Crowley also panics about not knowing where the Colt is while Lucifer taunts him about it.
12.14 The Raid
After learning that the Alpha Vampire is attacking, Mary Winchester has the British Men of Letters reveal to Sam that they possess the Colt, the only weapon they have that can kill the Alpha Vampire. While the British Men of Letters have no bullets and don't know how to make any, Sam is able to give them Bobby Singer's recipe and they create new bullets shortly before the Alpha Vampire enters. Sam bluffs the Alpha Vampire with the empty Colt, with the Alpha Vampire claiming to be one of the five things the gun can't kill. Sam tries to negotiate a deal with the Alpha Vampire before Mary attacks him and Mick Davies barreled after Sam in a ruse to get him a bullet for the Colt so he can load it. Once Sam reveals this, the Alpha Vampire calls him a "clever, clever boy" moments before Sam shoots him through the head with the Colt. As the Colt's power works on him, the Alpha Vampire chuckles briefly before dropping to the ground, dead.
12.17 The British Invasion
While going after the Prince of Hell Dagon, Mick Davies brings the Winchesters the Colt to use against the powerful demon. In the brief fight that follows, Eileen Leahy grabs the Colt off the ground and shoots at Dagon. Dagon teleports away just before the bullet hits her. Instead, the shot strikes Renny Rawlings in the heart, killing him. While leaving the scene, Eileen holds onto the Colt rather than returning it to Mick.
After Eileen leaves, Sam reveals to Dean that she has left them the Colt. Dean tests the weapon, clearly excited to have ownership of the legendary gun once more.
12.18 The Memory Remains
Dean arms himself with the Colt in lieu of his regular pistol. While hunting Moloch, Pete Garfinkle steals the Colt and tries to use it to kill Sheriff Barrett Bishop, Jr. before he himself is killed by Sam. Sam then uses the Colt to kill Moloch with a shot through the chest, causing Moloch to dissolve into a puddle.
While in the Bunker, Mr. Ketch orders his team to search for the Colt which Mick had let the Winchesters take. The team is unable to find the Colt and Mr. Ketch is annoyed to realize that the Winchesters must have it with them.
12.19 The Future
Castiel returns to the Bunker from Heaven. He steals the Colt, from under Dean's pillow where Dean has kept it rather than locking it in the safe. Castiel along with some other angels find Dagon and Kelly Kline, entering the home Castiel misses when he tries to kill Dagon, and then is unable to kill Kelly when faced with the task. After his truck breaks down, Sam and Dean find Castiel and Kelly, and Dean takes possession of the Colt. When Kelly and Castiel take off and try to return to Heaven, Dagon appears, waiting for them. The Winchesters arrive and Dean tries to kill her with the Colt, but Dagon takes the weapon from him, and uses her power to melt and destroy it. Castiel is later able to use the Nephilim's powers to kill Dagon without the Colt through spontaneous combustion.
12.20 Twigs & Twine & Tasha Banes
In the aftermath of Castiel disappearing with Kelly Kline, Dean asks Sam if he is able to fix the Colt, which is now in two pieces, who is hopeful, but uncertain.
Legend of the Colt
Samuel Colt
Samuel Colt (1814-1862) was the inventor of the Colt revolver, and founder of the Colt Firearms company. His huge achievement was for inventing a functional design for a gun that could shoot multiple times before having to be reloaded. He was highly influential in the munitions industry and was a noted inventor. See also:
It should be noted that Samuel Colt spent 1835 in England and France, securing the first patent on his revolving-breech pistol. He returned home and obtained an American patent in 1836.
The Alamo
The Battle of the Alamo was a 19th-century battle between the Republic of Mexico and the rebel Texian forces during the latter's fight for independence - the Texas Revolution. It took place at the Alamo mission in San Antonio, Texas (then known as "San Antonio de Béxar") in February and March of 1836.
History of Conflicts
Although most people automatically think of the famous battle that occurred in 1836 when the Alamo is mentioned there is a history of minor battles that occurred at the Alamo. The Alamo has a long and bloody history beginning in the mid to late 1700's.
In October of 1835 one of many battles occurred between residents of Gonzales and the Mexican troops that occupied the Alamo at the time. This skirmish led to Santa Anna sending in troops under Martin Perfecto de Cós to San Antonio. This was only one of many smaller battles over the course of October, November, and December of 1835 that eventually led to the famous battle that occurred in February and March of 1836.
For more information about the history/timeline of the Alamo check out the Daughters of the Republic of Texas website. They include a detailed history of the Alamo and all its battles.
The battle in 1835 is usually referred to as the Siege of Béxar, was the first battle for the occupation of the Alamo, in which the Texians took possession from the Mexican Governmental troops. It took place between October 12 and December 11th, 1835. On December 7th, the Texians had all of their artillery in place and began their assault on the Alamo. The flag of surrender was sent out from the Alamo to the Texian army on December 9th. So a good guess as to the exact 'night those men died' would be December 8th, 1835. (sources Siege of Béxar (Bejar) - Wikipedia Siege of Béxar (Bejar) - Wikipedia and Siege & Battle of Béxar from the Dairy of Samuel Maverick)
Halley's Comet
Comet Halley ... more generally known as Halley's Comet after Edmond Halley, is a comet that can be seen every 75-76 years. It is the most famous of all periodic comets, even though in every century many comets appear brighter and more spectacular. Halley's comet last appeared in the inner Solar System in 1986, and will next appear in the summer of 2061." (Source: Wikipedia)
In 1835, it achieved perihelion on 16 November, but would have been visible from Earth for several weeks before and after.
Arizona claims Colt
- Arizona has adopted the Colt as its state firearm (April, 2011)
The Texas Paterson 1836
The first type of production handgun made by the real Samuel Colt is a Texas Paterson 1836. Supernatural Prop Master Chris Cooper found a replica of the gun at a Las Vegas gun show. The original revolver was a powder and cap gun, but the Supernatural prop department made a new revolver piece that could take cartridges.[7]
Although not obvious to anyone not familiar with the Paterson model, "the Colt" does in fact, have a trigger. While the Colt Paterson Revolvers in general, as well as "the Colt" do not have trigger guards, the trigger for these revolvers are inset flush into base of the frame, and drop down automatically when the hammer is cocked. The trigger can be clearly seen behind Bobby's finger when he is test-firing it in the scene where Ruby first appears to help him restore it to its Demon killing abilities. The trigger and the hammer can also be seen up close when Sam kills the Alpha Vampire with The Colt in 12.14 The Raid.
Crosses Design on the Bullets
Whenever The Colt fires a bullet, a cross within a circle along with a few vestiges of ancient scripture appear on the tip of it and burns red right before it hits anything. It was first noticed in 2.22 All Hell Breaks Loose: Part Two when Dean uses the final original bullet in the chamber to kill Azazel. Whenever the Colt was used in Season 12, the cross can be seen in 12.14 The Raid when the Alpha Vampire was killed by Sam and 12.17 The British Invasion when Eileen Leahy intended to shoot Dagon, but hits Renny Rawlings when she teleports out of the way. The cross appears to resemble a Cross Potent, the Sun Cross, or a Ringed Cross.
