Meta: Angels, Genetics, and the End of the World

[chasingtides]

Around midnight, while painting up some fresh art deco inspire designs, I had a sudden though about Supernatural, which happens on occasion (perhaps more occasions than I would be willing to admit in public).

Angels have the ability to possess people through hereditary lines (Michael can possess both John and Dean, Castiel can possess both Jimmy and his daughter). Now I know that this is going to be a shocker to everyone: Sam and Dean are full-blood brothers (they have the same biological sperm and egg donors that created them).

This means that both Sam and Dean have the same hereditary lines - logically, if angelic possession depends upon some sort of supernatural genetic factor, both Sam and Dean should have the ability to be possessed by Michael or Lucifer.

What if - with Dean's exhaustion, apathy, and general depression and Sam's fervor, anger, and need to explode things with his brain - Dean ends up as Lucifer's vessel and Sam as Michael? Logically speaking, if we take Michael's metaphor of the fallen brother vs the unfallen one, Dean is the one who went to Hell. Sam's made mistakes, but he's still alive and good Lord, Sam Winchester could make a career out of being sorry.

Comments

[13chapters.livejournal.com]

This is an interesting idea, but I'm not sure how accurate it is. Does ability to serve as a vessel = ability to serve as a vessel for ANY angel? It seems to me that some people ad angels may be better fit than other combinations.

I'm gonna think about it.

[getyourguns.livejournal.com]

I've said this myself before. I think it's possible in canon but, like everything, it all depends on what the writers go with. It would be a hell of a twist, though.

[woodstarling.livejournal.com]

I do really like this theory, but I think that the demon blood Azazel fed Sam as a baby might have some effect on whether Lucifer can possess him. I know the whole demon blood thing from the beginning has been muddled a little, but if indeed it is important, then Dean wouldn't have that blood in him.

But I really would like Lucifer!Dean&Michael!Sam. It's very vair interesting.

[optimus-life.livejournal.com]

Between you and another friend of mine(who writes Sam/Dean slash) you've got me intrested in the show. Prior to this I had no knowldge of the show or intrest, keep perking my curiosity. :P

[darksilvercat.livejournal.com]

I've seen this idea toyed with in several fics, particularly the possibility that Sam and Dean being vessels means they could be vessels for any angel (including Castiel on a couple of occasions). It's actually something I've considered since - well - since before S5 began. I've always held that, technically, Sam fits the (somewhat loosely defined) profile for Dean's role: righteous man, started the apocalypse. Dean may be the righteous man who spilled blood in hell, but does that necessarily have to make him the only suitable candidate? According to Castiel: "the righteous man who begins it is the only one who can finish it". Officially, they both had a hand in starting it.

I doubt it'll happen in canon, but in fic it's a very interesting possibility to play with.

[larienelengasse.livejournal.com]

This isn't a strictly canonical pov I'm about to espouse here, but it comes from my quasi-Miltonian roots. Both my roommate and I have seen the influence of Paradise Lost woven into the story line, but then again, it might just be us seeing what we want to see. I'm by no means an expert on Milton, but this is my interpretation:

Dean, while having gone to Hell and tortured there, isn't technically fallen because of that. I mean, he went to Hell as a sacrifice to save his brother, which is a noble reason - a reason that could and should earn him redemption (through his being a vessel for Michael, as one example). Now, Milton would say that he's fallen in many other ways, (actually Milton would say we all are), but the trip to Hell doesn't necessarily constitute fallen. Sam, on the other hand, is fallen, and not just because of the demon blood. His actions with Ruby, particularly the drinking of her blood - HUGE TABOO - and their sexual relationship do make him fallen.

That's what I like so much about this show - Dean, the one who is "bad" on the outside (through his actions) is actually more hopeful and more innocent than Sam on the inside, and Sam, who is "good" on the outside is struggling with a darkness inside him that threatens to make him fall forever.

I think that the angels, however, are capricious. They have the ability to do what they please so if Michael decides that taking Sam is better or easier than taking Dean, then he'll find a way - probably by putting Dean in imminent danger. My guess is that Sam wouldn't survive it. And the same goes for Lucifer - if he decides to take Dean, for whatever reason, he'd also find a way to convince him, namely through Sam.

Either way, it would be bad for both of them.

[chasingtides.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I'm looking more at their attitudes - Dean's depression and apathy seem more well suited to Lucifer's ends while Sam's need to repent and fightfightfight is more Michael's style. More accurately, I think if Lucifer ended up possessing Dean, Sam might say yes to Michael.

[larienelengasse.livejournal.com]

I think that we're all at the mercy of the writers, who have proven that they're not afraid to do crazy things. Dean's depression is suited to Lucifer's ends as you say, but he's also a stubborn ox and is damned and determined not to let anyone possess him. Could make for interesting fic, though. I see Sam as the more unstable one, in my interpretation.

[chasingtides.livejournal.com]

I agree with your assessment, but I also see Lucifer as more stable than Michael. Michael, I think, could get under Sam's skin, telling him all of the horrible things he's done, how Dean suffered for him, how Sam is damned, etc. That, I think, might make Sam say yes to him. Dean would probably do something like shoot Michael in the face if he tried it on him.

[mobiusklein.livejournal.com]

I'm not a fan of this idea in the sense that I'd like to think something about the person's personality is a fit for the angel. Castiel's Jimmy is a true believer who was terribly naive.

Also, I can't see Dean ever saying yes to Lucifer (not exactly seeing Sam doing it either) no matter what. He stood 30 years of torture simply not to torture other people (most of them bad). He'd probably stand another 30 years at least knowing the whole world would burn if he did. I think that people would also feel that there was a bait-and-switch smell to it.

[actingbunny.livejournal.com]

I thought that the demon blood in sam slightly altered him so it made it possible for Lucifer to possess him.

[dorian-mauve.livejournal.com]

I've actually been thinking about this. What an excellent twist it'd be, if the show decided to go that route--but somehow, I don't think they'd have the balls to do it. Still, I can cross my fingers.

[brianshanelvr.livejournal.com]

I know where you're going with this... hopefully it gets brought up... but GOD saves the day. I love angst... as long as there is a happy endy. Cheesy I am.