- "I should have known the Charmed Ones weren't really dead."
- —The Source to the Charmed Ones
The Source of All Evil is the title given to the most powerful demon and ruler of the Underworld.
The Source itself is an essence of pure evil, which possesses and merges with a new host each time it is vanquished. However, the vast majority of demons is unaware of this truth, believing that each Source is a new demon risen to power.
The Evil Essence
- "...Once I take on a new body that I will use to finally destroy the Charmed Ones."
- —The Source.[src]
The Source is an evil essence which possessed the bodies of numerous demons over the centuries. When the demon body is vanquished, the essence is transferred into another evil entity.
This means that every known Source was in fact the same essence, while demons in general believe that a new Source has risen. The essence will take a new host and merge with that host's own spirit, taking over their personality and consuming their own consciousness. The essence can also be reborn in beings who are related to its hosts by blood or those who are in possession of its powers. The essence of the Source lies within its powers. When Cole Turner gained the powers of the Source through The Hollow, the essence began to merge with him until they were the same entity. By merging with Cole, the Source began to share his love for Phoebe Halliwell.
Once Cole was vanquished, the essence went into their unborn son and used his powers to take control of Phoebe until the child was tranferred to The Seer. When the Seer was vanquished, the essence became disembodied until it was resurrected as a Golem.
Background
The Source of All Evil is the ruler of The Underworld and must be coronated by a Dark Priest in a dark ritual involving the Grimoire to be recognized as such. Many demons seek to claim the title of the Source.
The first notable Source
The most prominent Source of All Evil was the demon known as the half-faced Source, who had been in power for centuries. His face was mutilated from his battles during his rise to power and only a few demons had ever seen his face.[1] This Source was the ruler of the Underworld for centuries and defeated all opposition until he was vanquished by the Charmed Ones.
History
War against the Charmed Ones
- "He's gonna be none too pleased to learn that we have failed."
- —Rex Buckland mentioning a mysterious "he".[src]
When the Halliwell sisters first became the Charmed Ones, they were pursued by two warlocks named Rex Buckland and Hannah Webster. When Matthew Tate failed to kill the sisters, Rex mentioned that "he" would not be pleased, to which Hannah replied that it was not a complete failure, as they as confirmed the sisters were the Charmed Ones.[2] Rex and Hannah later attempted to steal the sisters' powers, though they failed and Hannah accidentally killed Rex. She then mysteriously combusted in flames, screaming that is was not her fault.[3]
A year later, the demon Litvack mentioned the Source by name for the first time as referred to him as his boss.[4] Some time later, the Source released the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse upon the world, but vanquished them through a vortex when they failed.[5]
The Source of All Evil made his first appearance when magic was exposed to the world after Prue and Piper Halliwell vanquished Shax on the street after the Source had sent him after an innocent named Dr. Griffiths. He made a deal with Cole Turner to have Tempus reset time on the condition that Phoebe Halliwell remained in the Underworld. After the deal was made, the Source ordered his demons to kill both Cole and Phoebe while his assassin succeeded in killing Prue, thus destroying the Power of Three.[6]
Renewed War against the Charmed Ones
The Source renewed his war against the Charmed Ones when the existence of a fourth sister was revealed by his Oracle. During the Window of Opportunity, the Source tried to sway Paige Matthews to the side of evil by possessing her boyfriend Shane and manipulating her into killing an innocent. However, when he attacked her sisters, Paige turned on the Source and he retreated.[7]
In an attempt to destroy the Power of Three, the Source kidnapped Piper and placed her in an illusionary world inside her mind where she was a patient in a mental hospital with delusions of magic. He nearly succeeded in getting her to give up her powers, though her sisters and Leo Wyatt entered her mind to help her. The magic severely weakened the Source and he was nearly vanquished by Cole, though the Oracle sacrificed herself, allowing him to escape.[8] He was left seriously weakened for a time to the point that a warlock faction led by Devlin rose up against him and he lacked the strength to stop them or curtail their stealing demonic powers. However, the Charmed Ones vanquished Devlin and most of his faction, eliminating that threat to him.
The Source trapped in the crystal cage
When a demonic advisor known as The Seer foresaw his defeat at the hands of the Charmed Ones, the Source obtained The Hollow, a dangerous power with the ability to absorb magic, and tried to use it to kill the sisters. However, the Seer went to the then mortal Cole Turner and granted him the Hollow to stop the Source, as she had foreseen the future. The Source managed to steal the sisters' powers and tried to kill them, though Cole intervened and took his powers. The Charmed Ones then cast a spell and vanquished the Source. The Seer then appeared and returned the Hollow to its box with the sisters. When Phoebe asked where the Source's powers went, the Seer cryptically mentioned it had gone "into the void".[9]
As Cole Turner and his Heir
Phoebe joining Cole
It was soon revealed that the Source was not vanquished as the sisters believed, but that his essence had possessed Cole Turner through The Hollow, filling the "void" left in Cole when his demonic half was vanquished. The Source slowly manifested in Cole until the two eventually merged. However, Cole's love for Phoebe proved too strong for the Source to beat and he wanted her as his queen. Cole was then guided by The Seer in his attempt to reorganize the Underworld and to conceive an heir. He eventually managed to marry Phoebe in a dark wedding and together they conceived a child that would be pure evil. Cole was then coronated as the new Source of All Evil with Phoebe as his Queen.[10]
However, the good in Phoebe eventually overcame the evil inside and she rejoined her sisters in vanquishing Cole.[11] The essence of the Source then possessed his unborn son. After Cole's vanquish, The Seer revealed her true intentions and sought to take the child for herself, claiming it had always been hers. The Seer was then coronated as the new Source, though the child's power proved too much for her to handle and the child vanquished itself, the Seer and all demons present at the ceremony.[12]
Resurrection of the Half-Faced Source
The Source with Wyatt
Four years later, a Possessor Demon invaded the body of a mortal named Mandi and used to manipulate Wyatt Halliwell in helping her resurrect the half-faced Source. However, as the Source was bound to the Possessor Demon through the magic used to resurrect him, he was once again vanquished when Piper Halliwell blew up the Possessor Demon.[13]
Resurrection as a Golem
The Source is resurrected
As an disembodied essence, the Source worked with the mysterious Neena and a warlock named Hogan to plan his resurrection once more. A Dark Priest then performed a ritual requiring the blood of innocents saved by the Charmed Ones and soil from The Ancient Burial Ground to resurrect the Source in the form of a Golem.[14]
Desiring revenge against the sisters, the Source cast a spell to increase the Discord of Hogan, turning all mortals in San Francisco against the sisters. He then attacked the manor in person, though the sisters fled to Magic School and swore to vanquish the Source once and for all.[15]
The Source began attacking Magic School while the sisters prepared to vanquish him by collecting magic from various magical beings. When the Source broke through, the sisters combined a potion with Excalibur and a spell to truly vanquish the Source. At the same time, Neena cast a spell to obtain the Source's power and shared with her demons to set her own plans in motion.[16]
Powers and Abilities
As the ruler of the Underworld and all that's evil, The Source is one of the most powerful magical beings, and one of the Charmed Ones' greatest enemies. He has displayed a multitude of powers, more than any other demon in the series. Notable instances of his great powers are when he delayed Cole's death so that Phoebe could see him die, and by blocking Phoebe's premonitions about Cole for months. He is extremely difficult to truly vanquish due his existence as an essence of evil, even surviving being destroyed by the Power of Three on more than one occasion. After being reborn as a Golem, the Source's already immense powers grow even further due to his powerful new body, and he could only truly be vanquished when the sisters attacked him with the Excalibur, a potion brewed with the power of the entire good Magical Community and a more powerful version of the Power of Three spell.
Aside from his powers, the Source is an intelligent and cunning demon, having ruled the Underworld for centuries and dealing with all kinds of threats and concealing his true nature to other demons. He also has an understanding of the human nature and has exploited the sisters' bonds, their desires on a peaceful life and their calling to protect the innocents to his advantage on more than one occasion.
Basic Powers
- Spell Casting: The ability to cast spells and perform rituals. When Cole was the Source, he cast a curse on a facial cream so that Phoebe would have an allergic reaction. The curse also tampered with the effects of a vanishing spell, causing Phoebe to become invisible. Also, as a Golem, the Source was able to cast a spell to magnify the effects of Hogan's Discord power, causing the near-entire mortal population of San Francisco to attack the Charmed Ones.
Active Powers
- Conjuration: The ability to draw objects into existence out of thin air. As Cole, the Source once conjured an entire dinner table for him and Phoebe.
- Electrokinesis: The ability to create strong forces of lightning and electricity. Used when possessing Shane.
- Energy Balls: The ability to throw spheres of energy that resemble electrical discharges.
- Energy Beam: The power to shoot deadly beams of energy, usually through the hands, at an intended target. Used as a Golem.
- Energy Blast: The ability to shoot an incredibly powerful blast of pure energy, hitting a target with great force. Used when possessing Shane, through his eyes. Also used while in ethereal form, through his hands.
- Flaming: The ability to teleport through flames.
- Fireballs: The ability to throw spheres of fire. The Fire Balls used by the Source had a distinct upper-level appearance, manifesting as swirling metallic rings engulfed in flames. After his resurrection as a Golem, his fire balls increased in destructive power, causing large explosions on impact and he could also produce much larger ones than the typical hand-held ones.
- Force Fields: The ability to generate protective force fields. The Source possessed the ability to cast an invisible force field around himself, which would manifest itself in a flash of flames and violently repel those who came in contact with it.
- Incineration: The ability to incinerate a being with intense fire through a single look.
- Invisibility: The ability to become unseen by the naked eye. The Source used this power while posing as a Chameleon Demon and followed Piper through an alley.
- Mind Manipulation: The ability to manipulate the minds of others. The Source once used this power to enter and manipulate the mind of Piper Halliwell to make her think magic wasn't real.
- Suggestion: The ability to project oneself as an inner voice to others, implanting suggestions and thoughts to unknowing victims. Used when possessing Shane.
- Portal Creation: The ability to create portals to other locations or planes. The Source once opened a portal through which he vanquished the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. He also created a portal which would suck the losers of the wrestling ring of Kellman's Academy to Purgatory.
- Apportation: The ability to teleport objects from one place to another. As Cole, the Source used this ability multiple times to remove the evidences of his interactions with Demons.
- Possession: The ability to possess and control the body of other being by entering it.
- Pyrokinesis: The ability to create and manipulate fire with the mind.
- Rising: The ability to magically defy gravity and rise immediately upright when falling or after a fall.
- Shapeshifting: The ability to alter one's physical shape to assume the appearance of another.
- Summoning: The ability to summon someone into the user's vicinity.
- Banishing: The ability to cast one out and forbid their return.
- Hyper Speed: The ability to move at supernatural speeds.
- Super Strength: Magically augmented physical strength. As a Golem, his raw physical strength is further augmented, due to his new massive physique.
- Thermokinesis: The ability to control and manipulate heat. As Cole, he used this power to rapidly heat up and vaporize a Harpy's cut-off hand.
- Technopathy: The ability to control and manipulate all forms of technology. As Cole he triggered a smoke alarm, a toaster and to cause his phone to ring.
- Telepathy: The ability to hear and broadcast one's thoughts and those of others.
- Transformation: The ability to alter the physical shape of another being or object. As Cole, the Source once used this power to turn The Seer into a man to avoid detection. He also used it to enlarge Phoebe's wedding dress and to change the name on the card attached to it.
- Telekinesis: The ability to move objects and beings with the power of the mind.
- Crushing: The ability to surround an objects or power with pressure, causing it to be destroyed.
- Sleep Induction: The power to put someone to sleep on command.
Other Powers
- Adjusting: The ability to resist and fight through inhibitory molecular-based powers.
- High Resistance: The ability to be highly resistant to physical and magical harm. Enhanced after becoming a Golem, due to his new body's stone skin, as Piper noted that her new power would be useless against him, instead resorting into using Excalibur.
- Immortality: The ability to have an infinite lifespan and an arrested aging process.
- Reconstitution: The ability to reform the body once it has been destroyed. The Source was able to reconstitute himself after being blown up by Molecular Combustion.
- Sensing: The ability to sense the location of other magical beings.
- Soul Containment: The ability to contain souls of the dead in physical vessels.
Vanquish Spells
The Ancestors spell
To Call Upon Our Ancestors
- Prudence, Penelope
- Patricia, Melinda...
- Astrid, Helena
- Laura and Grace
- Halliwell Witches
- Stand strong beside us
- Vanquish this evil
- from time and space
The Source is vanquished
To Vanquish the Source
- Cast by the Charmed Ones.
- Piper impaled the Source with The Sword of Excalibur and Paige threw a potion infused with the magic of Billie Jenkins and various members of the Magical Community after which they recited this spell:
- The Power of Three we now decree!
- The Power of Three will set you free!
- The Power of Three will DESTROY thee!
- Used in Season 9 by Neena.
- Neena cast the spell causing the power to split amongst herself and many other demons around her.
- Ancient evil now destroyed.
- Others rise to fill the void.
- To build our strength within this hour,
- Leave vanquished Source, but share his power.
Gallery
Notes
- The Source was responsible for incarcerating the powerful demon Zankou[17] and the Tall Man.[18] He is also responsible for banishing numerous beings from the Underworld, such as Vampires and the demon Kurzon, and the near extinction of Wizards.
- The Source was the main antagonist during the first four seasons, though he was not formally introduced until "All Hell Breaks Loose". It is assumed that the Source was the "he" mentioned by Rex and Hannah in "Wicca Envy". The Source was first officially named in "Give Me a Sign" by Litvack.
- Hecate was mentioned as being the Queen of the Underworld, though it is unknown if she was connected to the Source.
- The Source's appearance changed drastically between "All Hell Breaks Loose" and "Charmed Again". This is due to the Source being portrayed by another actor in Season 4. Additionally, the color of his hands changed three times.
- The Source's face was first seen in "Charmed and Dangerous" when Phoebe had her premonition. it is mentioned that only upper-level demons and the Charmed Ones have seen his face.
- The half-faced Source was said to have been the Source for thousands of years, though a Dark Priest said that it only had been five hundred years.
- The Source is shown to have black blood.
- The Source was aware of the prophecy of the Twice-Blessed Child, but did not live to see Wyatt come to be until this brief resurrection in late 2005.
- The Source possessed a sword[19], which he only used twice: first time when he stabbed Cole Turner[20] and the second time when Cole/The Source summoned that sword to fight against the unnamed wizard.
- Prue Halliwell is the only Charmed One to have never met the Source. Her death, at the hands of the assassin Shax, occurred in the same episode as the Source's first appearance.
- The Avatars seem to have been comparable in power to the Source, as in 2004, around the time of the Avatars' 21st-century rise, an Elder told Leo Wyatt that they had sensed a power like no other since the Source was alive.
- Actor Peter Woodward, who portrayed the half faced Source, also appears as the demon Aku in the season seven episodes "Someone to Witch Over Me" and "Ordinary Witches".
Appearances
The Source of All Evil appeared in a total of 14 episodes throughout the course of the series, and 4 issues throughout the course of the comic series.
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References
- ↑ "Charmed and Dangerous"
- ↑ "The Witch is Back"
- ↑ "Wicca Envy"
- ↑ "Give Me a Sign"
- ↑ "Apocalypse, Not"
- ↑ "All Hell Breaks Loose"
- ↑ Charmed Again, Part 1 and Part 2
- ↑ "Brain Drain"
- ↑ Charmed and Dangerous
- ↑ "We're Off to See the Wizard"
- ↑ "Long Live the Queen"
- ↑ "Womb Raider"
- ↑ "Desperate Housewitches"
- ↑ "Innocents Lost"
- ↑ "Mortal Enemies"
- ↑ "Unnatural Resources"
- ↑ "Witchness Protection"
- ↑ "Womb Raider"
- ↑ "All Hell Breaks Loose"
- ↑ "Charmed Again, Part 2"
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