10 Facts You Didn t Know About Angels In Magic The Gathering

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10 Facts You Didn t Know About Angels In Magic The Gathering

As the story of Magic: The Gathering has unfolded across the multiverse, angels have become incredibly diverse and interesting creatures. While many creatures in are invented specifically for the game, others are taken from folklore, myth, and other traditional sources. Angels in Magic generally derive from Christian tradition, inspired by references to the Archangel Michael in Revelations 12:7, "Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back." (NIV) Based on this reference, Medieval and Renaissance artists started representing Michael as a warrior , creating an iconography that Magic's creators largely borrowed wholesale for their original vision of angelic creatures. As the story of Magic has unfolded across the multiverse, angels have become incredibly diverse and interesting creatures, with many aspects you likely didn't know. THEGAMER VIDEO OF THE DAY

Angels Were in the First Set of Cards

VIA: PINTEREST The first core set of magic cards, often called Alpha, was issued on August 5, 1993. The set of 295 cards set on the plane Dominaria included Serra Angel. Initially, the cards were going to simply be called by their type, and would have just been "angel," but in trying to create more flavor for the game they added the descriptor "Serra." This uncommon card was considered too powerful (at 4/4! But with flying and what we now call vigilance) and was removed from the core set for many years. Serra Angel is considered the most iconic white mana creature.

Serra Angel Starred in Her Own Comic

VIA: PINTEREST In order to promote the game, Wizards of the Coast partnered with Acclaim Comics to put out many comic books under its imprint Armada. One of these comics featured Serra Angel. The comic was written by Margaret Weis, who is perhaps most famous for her Dungeons & Dragons books. It told the story of a man who was displaced from his castle in Dominaria and summoned a Serra Angel among other creatures to help him regain it. The Serra Angel falls in combat against a fallen angel, but the man wins his castle back.

In Alara Angels Are Confined to Certain Fragments of the Plane

This fractured plane is unique in the multiverse for its fragmented nature, and as the plane broke, most of its angels became bound to certain fragments of the plane. Among the most powerful of these is Asha who banished the abomination Malfegor and created a sigil to protect her people. She is still worshiped. In Alara, there are four ranks of orthodox angels: Asura (the highest), Amesha, Mahra, and Celebrants, who focus on protecting mortals. Unlike most angels, Maelstrom Angels harness the power of all five mana colors and are free to roam the plane.

Most but Not All Angels Are Female

Despite the fact that Magic borrows heavily from the tradition of the Archangel Michael, it also takes inspiration for more modern depictions of angels as feminine beings. This is the default on most planes. However, on Amonkhet the angels are male. Other than Amonkhet's angels, there are only two male angels. Gabriel Angelfire is an angel of Dominaria, first printed in Legends. Malach of the Dawn is an angel from Planar Chaos who has the ability to regenerate. When Amonkhet's angels were male, some players were concerned that this might change the default, but staff revealed that this choice was limited to Amonkhet and future planes would continue to have female angels.

The Angels of Amonkhet Were Twisted by Nicol Bolas

In addition to their masculine nature, the angels of Amonkhet have been twisted by Nicol Bolas, who called himself the God-Pharaoh of the plane. These angels were physically altered to resemble him and bent to his will. They served as enforcers of the faith, binding dissenters in Tombs of Disgrace. These angels can also be embalmed into zombies like many of the denizens of the plane. They became Bolas' chief agents in carrying out the devastation of the plane.

Some Angels Are Created

While most angels are spiritual, or even divine beings, others are artifacts created by planeswalkers, warlords, and others. Copper-leaf angels, for example, were created by the warlord Latulla to help invade Jamuraa in Dominaria. Duler angels are humans mutated by the Sages of Lat-Nam so that they grew wings. They were used as guards to keep the school and its secrets safe. In Kaladesh, inventors make angels, which are typically four-armed with very elaborate wings. The Platinum Angel of Mirrodin references an "artificer," but the nature of that craftsman is vague. In Innistrad, the planeswalker Sorin Markov created the archangel Avacyn.

Other Angels Are Born of the Plane

In contrast to the created angels, many angels appear as essential elements of their plane. In Innistrad, for example, angels were born during the plane's "dawn times." Although they did not feel kinship with the created archangel Avacyn, they followed her orders. In Ravnica, the parun of Boros was an angelic incarnation of the spirit of justice and revenge, though she created other angels as clones. These original angels had four wings, but later angels only had two.

Emrakul Corrupted Two Angels into Her Herald

The Eldrazi titan Emrakul left Zendikar after her release. She went to Innistrad in search of the one who had imprisoned her, Sorin Markov. Though Avacyn initially kept Emrakul at bay, she penetrated the plane after the Archangel's imprisonment. While there, she corrupted two angels, Gisela, commander of the Flight of Goldnight, and Bruna, commander of the Flight of Alabaster, into a single being, her herald Brisela. This nightmarish creation was ultimately defeated by Thalia with the help of Sigarda, described as "the last archangel."

There Are Three Types of Serra Angels

Although all three types are named after the planeswalker Serra, these are very different types of angels. One type of Serra Angel is a pure mana being, whose bodies are nothing but vessels for their divine spirit. The second type were created as part of Serra's Realm, which they populated in pure harmony, until the Phyrexians brought black mana to the Realm. She left the archangel Radiant as caretaker. Radiant and many of the other angels became corrupted. The third type of Serra Angel is created in response to the prayers of mortals. They serve as guardians of mortals, similar to the Celebrants of Alara.

In Zendikar Shame Makes Angels Wear Halos over Their Eyes

When the Eldrazi first came to Zendikar, the angels rose up to meet them. Despite the power of angels, they were defeated, and now they wear their halos over their eyes. This hides their shame but also represents their powerlessness and the blindness they must turn to the horrors created by the Eldrazi. This is similar to the created angels of Kaladesh, who also obscure their eyes. But unlike the Kaladeshi angels, the people of Zendikar still pray to their angels, though they recognize that the angels cannot help them. However, when the Eldrazi returned, the angels shattered their halos and rose anew, with great powers, such as the legendary Linvala, Keeper of Silence.