History Main / OurAngelsAreDifferent

* ''{{Supernatural}}'' got into the game by introducing Castiel (an [[http://www.sarahsarchangels.com/C.html angel of Thursday]] apparently) who [[spoiler:dragged Dean out from Hell]]. Glimpsing his true form will ''burn your eyeballs out'', so, like demons, he has to use a human host. Unlike with demons, it takes a special person to be an angel's vessel and they have to consent to the takeover. He also has a "true voice" which creates an effect like a sonic boom. He and his fellows can apparently be killed and he has proven capable of getting pissed off about lack of respect and willing to threaten people in response. His partner Uriel is quite blatantly racist towards humanity, calling us 'mud monkeys', an attitude Castiel warns is close to blasphemy. [[EstrogenBrigadeBait Castiel is also very, very pretty.]] And it has been confirmed as of season 5 episode 16 that at least some have a true form. Zachariah is qouted as saying,"In Heaven I have six wings and four faces, one of which is a lion." This is a shout out to the angel choir known as cherubim.

*** Not much fun is an understatement. After Anna [[spoiler:comes back to kill Sam]], he outright mentions ColdBloodedTorture as a means of "reeducating the faith in them", along with MindRape.
** They've also raised OffscreenTeleportation to an artform, using it in place of traditional flight powers.`Although, whenever they are truly killed a shadowly outline of a pair of wings shows up.

** In Season 6, episode 7, Castiel refers to his own true form as being [[spoiler:"roughly the size of your Chrysler Building"]].

* The NostalgiaCritic Christmas Special: the guardian angel is pretty much like the one in ''ItsAWonderfulLife'', except that he can feel pain, get hurt and, [[spoiler: apparently, get killed by gun.]] Also [[spoiler: he tries to kill his charge on realizing how much better things would be for ''everyone'' including himself, if the Critic wasn't around.]]

* The NostalgiaCritic Christmas Special: the guardian angel is pretty much like the one in WhatAWonderfulLife, except that he can feel pain, get hurt and, [[spoiler: apparently, get killed by gun.]]

** And under certain conditions, they turn into void creatures: beings of shadow and darkness that may or may not remain sane and/or good. They automatically absorb dead spirits that stray too close to them. Sometimes they manage to change back, sometimes not.

* ''{{Mogworld}}'''s plot largely revolves around mysterious, angelic creatures that herd the undead back to their bodies and can delete things from existence. [[spoiler:These actually turn out to be anthropomorphized programs that drive the game's AI and act as game master tools for the developers.]]

* In ''ParadiseLost'' Satan (who is quite distinctly an angel, all be it one who waged a very ill conceived war on God) is described as being "in bulk as huge" as an island, winged, and armed with a spear as tall as a mighty ship's mast. Beyond this, he looks like a physically inspiring leader. Other angels are imposing, but less so.

[[caption-width-right:330:[-[[PitchBlack Where is your God now?]]-] ]]

* In ''Paradise Lost'' Satan (who is quite distinctly an angel, all be it one who waged a very ill conceived war on God) is described as being "in bulk as huge" as an island, winged, and armed with a spear as tall as a mighty ship's mast. Beyond this, he looks like a physically inspiring leader. Other angels are imposing, but less so.

* In ''Angelology'' angels fall into three political categories, the loyal, who it is suggested are all female, the rebellious, who were apparently destroyed and the Watchers, who also fell by mating with human women and producing [[HalfHumanHybrid the Nephilim]], a race of [[CompleteMonster Complete Monsters]]. The Watchers were imprisoned on Earth in a deep cave system which is where the story of Hell comes from. Meanwhile the Nephilim, spread and enslved humanity unti they were wiped out in the Flood, except for one who killed Noah's son Japheth and took his place. All Caucasians are descended either from Japheth's human children or from the Nephilim who killed him. The descendants have manipulated and ruled humanity from behind the scenes ever since.

* The Angyls from ''[[http://forum.blpublishing.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=10343 The Shape of the Nightmare to Come]]''. While the Gods of Chaos are served by Daemons, the Star Father, a God of Order, is served by the Angyls who are androgynous, faceless, glowing humanoids with dozens of razor-feathered wings who seek to create a universe of perfect, self-defeating order.

* ''{{Misfile}}'' has so far given us two PointyHairedBoss angels, one atoning for the (unauthorised) destruction of a city, one whose behaviour is more representative of a succubus and a total drunk who got kicked out of heaven for being stoned. It's no wonder [[HaveYouSeenMyGod God has abandoned them]]. They are all of the WingedHumanoid variety, but can hide their wings to blend in with humans. They also have pointy ears like those of an [[OurElvesAreBetter elf]], but people other than Ash and Emily can't see them. They're also all {{White Haired Pretty Boy}}s and [[WhiteHairedPrettyGirl girls]].

* The Heavenly hosts in ''{{Blip}}'' include white-robed WingedHumanoid {{chibi}}s, white-robed WingedHumanoid {{bishonen}}, and at least one former human who's still wearing his street clothes. There's also the Adversary, who may or may not count as an angel, and wears a tuxedo and a WhiteMaskOfDoom.

* ''Legion'' has PaulBettany as a gun toting, asskicking rebel angel trying to keep the rest of the angelic host from exterminating humanity. Most of the angels aside from Gabriel and Michael ''are'' different--[[spoiler:they possess humans and basically use them as shock troops in an attempt to kill a baby who's hinted to be Jesus 2.0.]] Also, Gabriel slices things up ''with his wings'', which is a pretty neat effect, though I would imagine getting eviscerated by razor-edged angel-wings would not be the most fun way in the world to go.

* ''Legion''has PaulBettany as a gun toting, asskicking rebel angel trying to keep the rest of the angelic host from exterminating humanity. Most of the angels aside from Gabriel and Michael ''are'' different--[[spoiler:they possess humans and basically use them as shock troops in an attempt to kill a baby who's hinted to be Jesus 2.0.]] Also, Gabriel slices things up ''with his wings'', which is a pretty neat effect, though I would imagine getting eviscerated by razor-edged angel-wings would not be the most fun way in the world to go.

*** Actually this makes a lot more sense in context. Some angels are regarded as Angels of the Birds ( [[MindRape Arael]] I'm look at you), Angel of fish, etc. Though some would be more outlandish to attempt to guess.

* ''Earthian'''s angels oversee Earth in pairs from their place on Eden. Each pair is made up of an angel who gives humans (also called "[[TitleDrop Earthians]]") positive points for good deeds and another angel who gives them negative points for bad actions. If the total point tally ever reaches 10,000 negatives, the angels will destroy Earth. The angels are classic light-haired and white-winged humanoids, with the exception of one of the main characters who has dark hair and wings like those of Lucifers, or fallen angels. They're also forbidden from having same-sex relations, which creates a quandary for the two [[BoysLove very male main characters]].

* The angels of ''Angels In The Outfield'' and related films fit the standard good-guys-with-wings image, as befits a feel-good kids' movie. They are repelled by foul language, being pure and ethical in all respects ... except, it seems, for cheating at sports, which is perfectly okay if ''they're'' the ones doing it.

* The trailer for the upcoming movie ''Legion'' appears to show Paul Bettany as a gun toting, asskicking rebel angel trying to keep the rest of the angelic host from exterminating humanity.
** Depending on the viewer the film is either SoBadItsGood or SoBadItsHorrible (personally I'm in the first camp, largely because I adore Bettany and he at least did a good job in the movie, even if hardly anyone else did). Most of the angels aside from Gabriel and Michael ''are'' different--[[spoiler:they possess humans and basically use them as shock troops in an attempt to kill a baby who's hinted to be Jesus 2.0.]] Also, Gabriel slices things up ''with his wings'', which is a pretty neat effect, though I would imagine getting eviscerated by razor-edged angel-wings would not be the most fun way in the world to go.

* The ''NeonGenesisEvangelion'' angels take this to an extreme. The first few are skyscraper-sized humanoids, but then they descend into multi-eyed beasts, abstract shapes, '''nanoviruses''', formless... [[BuffySpeak things]], and, unbelievably enough, [[BishonenLine one that's easily mistaken for a human being]].
** It's explained in the [[AllThereInTheManual Classified Information]], but basically the Angels were born from [[EldritchAbomination Adam]] during [[EarthShatteringKaboom Second Impact]], and each Angel can be considered a parallel to a whole species, hence why humanity as a whole, born from [[TomatoInTheMirror Lilith]], are collectively the 18th Angel.

** The opening sequence has the image of a more biblical looking multi-winged angel with eyes on the wings and a face similar to that of the first angel to appear.
*** Fans speculate that's Sammael; according to the Other Wiki, Sammael is ''"considered in legend both a member of the heavenly host (with often grim and destructive duties) and a fallen angel, equatable with Satan and the chief of the evil spirits. One of Samael's greatest roles in Jewish lore is that of the angel of death. In this capacity he is a fallen angel but nevertheless remains one of the Lord's servants."'' In other words, Sammael is the textbook example of LawfulNeutral.

* In the vampire comic book ''Crimson'', angels are invisible but tangible winged humanoids with odd tattoos. People with special goggles can kill them so they can eat them, as angel blood gives a narcotic effect. If an angel disobeys orders, they're demoted into a mortal, but if they live out a good human life they can ascend to being an angel again after death. The archangel Michael thinks he's in charge of them all, but he and the other archangels aside from Satan are total assholes, and God is really pulling all their strings for benevolent reasons. Satan is the only one who realizes this and seems content at the situation.

* ''HellboyII'': The Angel of Death. To say that this angel is [[MindScrew very weird]] is a massive {{understatement}}.

** Or possibly AN Angel of Death, as she specifically states that she's Hellboy's Death.
* See the above quote regarding the angels in ''{{Dogma}}''.
** Also a DidNotDoTheResearch regarding the above quote as according to Genesis angels are very capable of doing the deed and making {{Half Human Hybrid}}s.
*** It actually fits perfectly. After all, much of the plot is based around how God can RetCon new rules for angels whenever S/He likes, as with the ban for alcohol after Loki's little tantrum. It would make perfect sense that God would castrate the angels to stop more Nephilim from being born.
** Other points of interest for the angels in the film is that if they have their wings cut off, it transforms them into humans (which apparently doesn't work for demons or fallen angels), and they can't drink alcohol (although that was mainly a restriction put on them after one angel had a few too many and insulted The Big Man). Further Metatron, although saying he's a Seraph, only had two wings rather then six, even though he did first manifest as a torrent of flame. The other two angels of the film, although disgraced, seem to have powers retaining to their old posts, with Bartleby, a grigori, knowing everyone's personal history by looking at them, and Loki, the angel of death, mentioned to be able to "rain sulfur" (although he doesn't seem to enjoy doing so). When it battle, both are (nearly) invulnerable to our mortal protagonists.
*** It's much worse for Metatron. Metatron is said to have ''36'' wings with eyes and mouths all over his body, each mouth said to speak a different language.

* ''{{Constantine}}'' uses the WingedHumanoid variety with the archangel Gabriel, who turns out to be quite the jerk. However, Gabriel is not an angel in the purest sense; since Angels and Demons of the purest degree are not permitted on Earth, the angels seen in the film are deceased mortals imbued with Divinity as a reward for good works during life.
** So, the Gabriel in this movie isn't the famous archangel. Just a dead Christian woman, who happened to be named Gabriel.

* ThePrinceOfEgypt has The Angel of Death. This is perhaps one of the few WesternAnimation examples of an angel that is far away from the WingedHumanoid stereotype; it appears as [[LightIsNotGood a glowing smoke]] EldritchAbomination that descends from the sky from what appears to be an '''interdimensional hole''' (yep, there's no doubts its a CosmicHorror). This, as well as its job ([[spoiler:to kill every firstborn in Egypt that isn't an Hebrew]]) can easily be seen as a reason why the movie [[NightmareFuel sticks to biblical tradition]]

* Thomas Sniegoski's ''The Fallen'' series deals with a HalfHumanHybrid ChosenOne being hunted down by the [[KnightTemplar Powers]], helped by a DeadpanSnarker angel and a talking dog, trying to redeem the {{fallen angel}}s.
* In David Almond's ''Skellig'', a boy who moves to a new house discovers an angel in the crumbling garage. Said angel is trapped behind furniture, covered in dust and dead bluebottles, his wings confined under a tattered suit coat; it's unclear how long he's been there, or how sane he is. [[spoiler:In the end he proves himself a benevolent guardian, curing the heart condition that threatens the protagonist's baby sister, before disappearing from the derelict house he shares with a few dozen owls.]]
* Similarly, it is implied that the titular character of ''What Happened to Lani Garver'' might be a "floating angel," which is sort of an ambiguously gendered {{asexual}} teen guardian angel.[[spoiler: This issue is never really resolved in the book]]
* In Terence Blacker's ''The Angel Factory'', Thomas Wisdom discovers that a number of humans on Earth, including his parents, are actually angels created by an alien race. They don't have wings or supernatural powers, but they're more predisposed than "imperfect" humans to be good and kind, and their creators from above believe they are the key to stopping mankind from [[HumansAreBastards destroying itself]]. [[spoiler:In the end, Thomas rejects their offer to run things on Earth, and all the angels living on Earth gradually become human.]]

* ''HisDarkMaterials'' -- Angels aren't really divine higher powers (though they like to tell you they are)! They're actually self-aware incarnations of the AppliedPhlebotinum that feed off sentience and powers the universe. They can either just spring into existence or, a ghost, with the help of another angel, can rise to angelic status. They die, [[WeAreAsMayflies have immeasurably long lifespans]], and envy humans for our bodies -- angels have no real bodies, so they cannot experience real sensations. And sometimes they're [[YaoiGuys very, very gay.]]
** Debatably gay, since they don't really have genders and there's nothing inherently sexual about Balthamos and Baruch's relationship.
** They appear in the books as translucent, winged humans but this is simply for the convenience of humans, and because human minds are too tiny to comprehend their true appearance; their real forms are described as being somewhat like architecture.

* In ''Weaveworld'', the nigh-omnipotent entity Uriel ''claims'' to be an angel. It's probably wrong.

* The littlest girl, Angel, in ''MaximumRide'' is a blonde with blue eyes. She can fly (with pure white wings), read minds, control minds, talk to fish, breathe underwater, transform, and fight as well as Max, the strongest member and leader of the Flock.
** But she's not actually an angel. Angel is ''[[MeaningfulName just her name]]''.
* In Laura Anne Gilman's ''Retriever" series angels are just one of many nonhuman races known as the Fatae although they're among the oldest and most powerful. They are also (by reputation, the only one actually met is dead at the time) a race of [[{{Jerkass}} Jerkasses]].

* While [[TheDresdenFiles Harry Dresden]] tends to have to deal with the more demonic side of the supernatural spectrum, he's also encountered Archangel Uriel twice now in the books (and been given the ability to use heavenly Soulfire). We also know that Archangel Michael personally gave out at least one of the three swords to the Knights of the Cross.

* The angels of Sarah Douglass' ''The Crucible'' trilogy manipulate humanity for their amusement and impregnate women while despising sex. "God" doesn't actually exist but is just the pooled will of the angels.
* In contrast in Matthew Stover's ''Jericho Moon'' it's the angels who are just basically mindless facets of Yahweh.

** This is carried over to ''TouchedByAnAngel'', though the titular angels do get an inner light when they're being particularly inspirational.
*** Which isn't always a good thing. One episode of ''TouchedByAnAngel'', set in October 30, 1938, had then-rookie angel Monica turning on her angel glow to calm down a crowd that was panicked by reports of a Martian Invasion (they were listening to Orson Welles' radio broadcast of ''TheWarOfTheWorlds''). [[{{Understatement}} It didn't quite work.]]

* ''{{Supernatural}}'' just got into the game by introducing Castiel (an [[http://www.sarahsarchangels.com/C.html angel of Thursday]] apparently) who [[spoiler:dragged Dean out from Hell]]. Glimpsing his true form will ''burn your eyeballs out'', so, like demons, he has to use a human host. Unlike with demons, it takes a special person to be an angel's vessel and they have to consent to the takeover. He also has a "true voice" which creates an effect like a sonic boom. He and his fellows can apparently be killed and he has proven capable of getting pissed off about lack of respect and willing to threaten people in response. His partner Uriel is quite blatantly racist towards humanity, calling us 'mud monkeys', an attitude Castiel warns is close to blasphemy. [[EstrogenBrigadeBait Castiel is also very, very pretty.]] And it has been confirmed as of season 5 episode 16 that at least some have a true form. Zachariah is qouted as saying,"In Heaven I have six wings and four faces, one of which is a lion." This is a shout out to the angel choir known as cherubim.

** They've also raised OffscreenTeleportation to an artform, using it in place of traditional flight powers.`
*** Although, whenever they are truly killed a shadowly outline of a pair of wings shows up.

* There is a german rpg named ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engel_(role-playing_game) Engel]]'' (Angel) where you play ... angels.
** Which are [[spoiler:a bit different, [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel to say the least]]]].

* In ''Illusion Of Gaia'' you get to the Angel Village at one point. Their angels are basically really tall humans, no wings and no emotions.

** They've also raised OffscreenTeleportation to an artform, using it in place of traditional flight powers.

Angelic names, by the way, traditionally tend to end in "-el" (meaning "god"), such as in the ArchangelMichael.

* In L. Jagi Lamplighter's ''Prospero Lost'' and ''Prospero in Hell'', Miranda is accustomed to her father's summoning angels. Once, an angel even appeared to her without being summoned. (The traditional nine-fold hierarchy is in effect.)

* Angels in Sharon Shinn's ''[[ArchAngel Samaria]]'' series are genetically engineered from human stock, have wings and can fly and are the only ones who can call upon their god to grant such things as weather control, healing medicine, or holy lightning [[spoiler: which are actually particle beam wweapons since "god" is actually a spaceship orbiting the planet]].