Abel wasn't talking to God. He was talking to Lucifer. Lucifer was gonna make my brother into his pet. I couldn't bear to watch him be corrupted, so I offered a deal — Abel's soul in Heaven for my soul in Hell. Lucifer accepted... as long as I was the one who sent Abel to Heaven. So, I killed him. Became a soldier of Hell — a knight.
Cain, also known as The Father of Murder, was the firstborn of Adam and Eve, the brother of Abel, founder, former leader, and trainer of the Knights of Hell and one of the most legendary, powerful and feared demons of all time. Cain and his brother are also the direct ancestors of Sam and Dean. Cain became known as the worst demon to ever exist before retiring for love. After coming out of a 150-year retirement to fight Abaddon's forces, Cain fell back under the influence of the Mark of Cain and began slaughtering his descendants, leading to Dean killing him.[1][2]
Cain was the firstborn son of Adam and Eve and the older brother of Abel. Although it was originally and commonly thought that Cain was jealous of his brother Abel for being God's favorite, and killed him out of rage and contempt, Cain revealed that Abel was, in fact, talking to Lucifer. In an effort to protect his brother from corruption, Cain offered Lucifer a deal: his soul in Hell so that Abel would go to Heaven instead. Lucifer agreed, on the condition that Cain himself would send his brother to Heaven. Thus, Abel was struck down by Cain using the First Blade, which he created from the jawbone of a donkey. This act of killing between brothers would set the precedent of their descendants being the vessels of Michael and Lucifer, and thus, again require a brother killing a brother during the Apocalypse.
Cain kills Abel
After Abel's death, Lucifer transferred The Mark onto Cain's right arm and somehow bound it to the First Blade. After killing Abel and receiving the Mark, it began to turn him into a killer. To keep himself from becoming what the Mark wanted, he turned the First Blade on himself. However, the Mark resurrected him as a Demon, specifically a Knight of Hell. Cain was also the founder and mentor of the Knights of Hell and created the entire order on his own. Cain became a scourge upon the earth, feared by humans, demons, angels and monsters alike and was considered to be the worst, deadliest, and most terrible demon to ever walk the face of the Earth, killing thousands before suddenly vanishing. As Crowley put it, he was "the best at being the worst."[1]
In the 19th century, in Jasper Springs, Mississippi, Cain fell in love with a human woman named Colette Mullen. She forgave him for all of his past sins if he would only promise to lay down the First Blade and never kill again. Cain agreed, and they eventually married. But once the rest of the Knights of Hell found out about Colette, they kidnapped her, forcing Cain to pick the First Blade back up and slaughter all but one. Abaddon, the last remaining Knight, possessed Cain's wife in an attempt to coerce Cain to return to his work, reminding him of the affair they had previously shared. Cain declined and tried to kill Abaddon, but she fled Colette's body, and Cain succeeded only in stabbing his wife. It was then that Cain made a promise to a dying Colette that he would retire from his work as a Knight.[1]
During Cain's disappearance, all other demons thought, or at least hoped, he was dead.
Cain shows the Mark given to him by Lucifer himself.
150 years after the events of Colette's death, Cain lived the rest of his life alone, as a bee collector in Missouri. He met Dean and Crowley when they came looking for the First Blade to kill Abaddon. Cain was initially unwilling to help and sent them away, warning them to never return. However, still searching for the blade, they broke back into his home and were caught when Cain returned.
Cain confronts Abaddon's forces
Meanwhile, an army of demons arrived. Intrigued by Dean, Cain tested him to see if he could live up to his reputation. Cain realized that the hunter was similar to himself. Going back to his wife's grave just as the demon forces were advancing, Cain agreed to transfer the Mark of Cain to Dean, when Dean promised to eventually return and kill him with the First Blade. He then teleported Dean and Crowley to safety and engaged the entire army of demons single-handedly and massacred them.[1]
After Dean was killed by Metatron, Crowley visited his body and told him the story of Cain's own demonic transformation from the Mark's power; Dean went through the same process moments later.[3]
Following Dean starting to fall under the Mark's influence once more, Castiel began searching for Cain in hopes of learning a cure from him as he'd lived with its power for so long.[4]
Cain and Dean face off.
Some time after copying the Mark to Dean, Cain has fallen back under the influence of the Mark after slaughtering Abaddon's demons. Believing his bloodline to be "tainted" due to the number of violent criminals in it, Cain decides to kill off his bloodline despite it being "legion" and starts tracking down and slaughtering his descendants. After killing many, Cain draws the attention of Sam and Dean when he kidnaps and kills serial killer Tommy Tolliver. Cain finds Castiel at his victims' gravesite but lets him go so that he will tell Dean and get him to bring the First Blade to kill him so Cain can get it back.
Cain is killed by Dean with the First Blade
Going after Austin Reynolds, Tommy's twelve-year-old son, Cain falls into a trap laid for him by Sam, Dean, Castiel, and Crowley using an Illusion Spell and is ultimately stuck in a devil's trap. Dean confronts Cain alone with Cain telling him there is no cure for the Mark and it is better to give into its power. Cain and Dean fight and despite the devil's trap, Cain still possesses his superhuman strength and telekinesis and easily beats Dean, something he attributes to the fact that Dean refuses to give in to the Mark. As Cain goes to kill Dean with the First Blade, Dean cuts Cain's hand off with Cain's own knife, defeating him. Dean asks if Cain will stop his killing so he doesn't have to kill him, but Cain tells him he will never stop and bows his head, accepting his fate. Dean stabs Cain in the back with the First Blade, killing him. However, Cain's words leave Dean and Sam deeply worried.[2]
Castiel later suggests that Dean might be able to resist the Mark's effects for centuries like Cain but he will eventually succumb.[5]
While discussing their options regarding Dean and the Mark, Sam reminds Castiel that once Cain fell back under the full influence of the Mark, the only thing that stopped him was death and Sam doesn't want to have to kill Dean.[6]
While arguing with Sam about the mistakes they've made and how they can't fix them, Dean comments that he can't go back in time "and tell Cain to shove that Mark up his ass."[7]
Unlike most demons, Cain still possessed a good deal of his humanity and was one of the few demons to show love. He dearly loved his brother Abel, willingly becoming Lucifer's soldier to save him, and personally murdering him so that Abel would get into Heaven. He spent thousands of years doing terrible and brutal things with the Knights. However, he fell in love with a woman named Colette, who loved him even after she found out what he was. Following his love dying because of Abaddon, Cain gave up his life of violence in a promise to her, and buried his head, declaring himself retired.
By the time Dean came to him looking for the First Blade, Cain was living an isolated life like a normal man and showed a passion for bees. Initially seeming apathetic and uncaring towards Dean, Cain refused to help, but once Dean proved his strength, Cain agreed to return partially to old ways. However, he was tired of life and what he was going to do, he asked Dean to kill him once Abaddon was dead, showing a death wish. This could also be as he knew killing all those demons would permanently make him fall into the Mark's influence and thus he was warning Dean he would have to be killed and also because he didn't want to kill as many as he did before. Dean himself suggested this to Cain when they fought and though he only stated that with the Mark influencing him, he wanted the First Blade back, he did not actually deny it, further proving how this was also a warning and a desire to be killed before he caused too much harm.
Cain mourning Colette's death.
Cain also had an interest in Dean Winchester, having, despite being retired, heard a lot about him. He considered Dean to be a lot like him and was impressed to see Dean lived up to his reputation. He eventually agreed he was worthy of taking the Mark of Cain, making him the one to kill Cain.
After slaughtering Abaddon's demons, Cain fell back under the Mark's influence, believing that his bloodline was "tainted" and that it was his duty to kill them all. Nevertheless, he did retain his politeness and respect for Dean Winchester. He came to feel he should never have resisted the Mark's influence and that it was inevitable that he and Dean fall to it. He genuinely believed he was doing Dean a favor by killing him so that he would not have to slaughter everyone he loved. However, when Dean defeated him, Cain accepted his fate with dignity, bowing his head and waiting for the fatal blow.[1][2]
Due to his level of sheer power, Cain seems to be somewhat overconfident as a fighter, though well-deservedly. Even in a devil's trap, Cain is still a powerful opponent, but his level of skill causes him to underestimate his opponents as Dean was able to catch him off-guard by simply cutting off his hand with his own knife when Cain allowed himself to get too close to Dean. Cain was also so over-confident that he walked straight into a devil's trap while chasing an illusion of his target. At least after his retirement, Cain doesn't seem to personally engage opponents or at least fight to kill unless he sees them as worthy of facing him. This is shown with Castiel who he dismisses as a threat upon their first meeting and leaves alone, though he later admits that this is partially due to the fact that he wants Castiel to bring Dean and the First Blade to him. However, upon their second meeting, Cain doesn't bother doing more than knocking Castiel out even though he could've very easily killed the angel, seeming to not see him as worth his time. This seems to suggest that Cain wasn't entirely without mercy. However, Cain does show a level of respect for enemies who manage to outthink him in battle as seen when Sam and Crowley lure him into a devil's trap. While telling them that the devil's trap can't contain him long, Cain admits that its a clever trick and seems to be genuinely impressed with the move.
Upon returning to his old ways, Cain is shown to be somewhat arrogant, believing in his power and superiority as a result. He also believes he is superior due to giving into the Mark of Cain. Cain is more amused than angered when faced with enemies attacking him. After being unaffected by Castiel's white light, Cain didn't display any sign of anger for the attempt on his life and simply knocked Castiel out and moved on. When Sam and Crowley lured him into a devil's trap, Cain was amused by the tactic, saying it wouldn't hold him for long and didn't even try to break it in the time Sam and Crowley had left until Dean arrived to fight him. Rather than trying to free himself, Cain just cleared the devil's trap of the hay covering it and was unconcerned about fighting in a devil's trap.
As one of the oldest demons to appear and the first Knight of Hell, Cain was an extraordinarily powerful demon, among the most powerful demons ever to appear in the series. His reputation alone made Crowley reluctant to go anywhere near him, opting that he and Dean go "a world away" from Cain. He could kill other demons with a mere touch. He could even prevent Crowley, the King of Hell and a powerful demon himself, from escaping and speaking just by a simple gesture. His strength was also shown when he killed an army of demons single-handedly, with Dean and Crowley being left in awe. His power is such that even while confined by a devil's trap, he didn't lose his powers. When the Winchesters, Castiel, and Crowley faced him in battle, he was unaffected by everything they tried against him (including angelic white light) except a devil's trap and the First Blade.[1][2]
Demonic Possession - Like all demons, Cain can possess humans to exist on Earth.[1]
Immortality - Being one of the original humans as well as one of the original demons, Cain had the potential to live forever. He hasn't aged since he became a demon.[1]
Invulnerability - Cain's body, being physical and contactable, can be pierced and penetrated; however, Cain himself is very resistant to the damage. When Dean cut off one of Cain's hands and as he was in a devil's trap, it hurt him, but it wasn't fatal despite him bleeding profusely. Even angelic white light merely ruffled his hair.[2][6]
Regeneration - Cain was shown to heal almost instantly after getting stabbed by the demon killing knife.
Super Strength - Being the original Knight of Hell and due to the power of the Mark, Cain is considerably stronger than humans, monsters, ghosts, most angels, and other demons, casually overpowering and lifting one off his feet with one hand and snapping his neck with very little effort. He later massacred about 20-40 demons with his bare hands with no difficulty and in a short space of time. Even when Dean was powered by the Mark of Cain, Cain effortlessly beat him despite being held in a devil's trap. Cain's strength was such that he was able to casually restrain and strangle Dean with one hand and a visibly struggling Dean couldn't break his grip.[1][2]
Cain uses telekinesis on Dean
Telekinesis - Cain could move objects and beings, even ones as powerful as angels, by snapping his fingers and with a wave of his hand and even threw Dean into a window in a devil's trap. He also threw Castiel and his angel blade. Unlike other demons, Cain retained this power in a devil's trap.[1][2]
Teleportation - He could teleport from one place to another instantly. He teleported from across a field to beside Dean and Crowley and then to Collette's grave and back. He was also able to teleport out of a prison cell and into a barn when the door was locked.[1][2]
Terrakinesis - Cain's arrival could create local tremors.
Weather Manipulation - His arrival could also cause sudden gusts of wind. His death also seemed to cause a clap of thunder.[2]
Cain uses his unique demonic smiting on a demon.
DemonicSmiting - An ability unique to himself as the very first Knight of Hell, Cain can kill other entities with a demonic smiting ability that is similar to an angel's touch. In Cain's case, however, the color is red rather than bright white, and it doesn't burn out the victim's eyes. He can use this ability to kill humans, demons, and possibly angels, as he said he could "swat Castiel like a fly" and also "end him" when he had no weapon capable of killing an angel.[1][2]
Apporting - Cain was able to teleport Dean and Crowley outside with a touch.[1]
Biokinesis - Cain was able to strip Crowley of his ability to speak with a simple gesture.[1]
Electrokinesis - Cain was able to cause all the lights in a prison to turn off as he walked through the prison.[2]
Power Negation - Cain was able to strip Crowley of his ability to teleport.[1]
Master Hand-to-Hand Combatant - Being the Father of Murder and the trainer of the Knights of Hell, Cain was a highly skilled martial artist. He was able to overpower and slaughter a battalion of demons with little effort. He was able to casually fight Dean when most of his powers were suppressed and retain the upper hand.
Although Cain is the Original Knight of Hell, thus making him one of the oldest and most powerful demons to exist, even he still has weaknesses of his own. However, with the Mark, Cain can't be killed by anyone.[6]
After Cain began slaughtering his own descendants, the Winchesters teamed up with Castiel and Crowley to kill him. After Cain was lured into a devil's trap, he engaged in battle with Dean with Cain possessing the upper hand as he still retained his superhuman strength and telekinesis. Finally, as Cain went to kill Dean, Dean cut off Cain's hand with Cain's own knife before stabbing the First Blade into Cain's back, killing him.
As stated by Jensen Ackles, a demon and Knight of Hell with the Mark of Cain is a über-demon. [8] This makes sense, compared the durability and immunity of Cain with that of other Knights of Hell or high-tier demons.
Cain is the only demon, who's actually immune to the demon-killing knife (also Alastair and Ramiel were actually durable to knife's demon-killing power, but the knife made sparks).
Compared to Abaddon, Cain also threw Castiel and his angel blade, but Abaddon fleed from Gadreel.
Cain is the first known demon whose actual eye color has never been revealed. The only other known demon that the eye color that has never been shown is Belphegor.
The set for Cain's home is the same as Bobby's. However, the household items are rearranged.
Cain is the first and only demon to display the ability to smite.
Cain is similar to Dean in many ways. Both of them wanted to keep their younger brothers from being corrupted. They also took extreme measures to make sure their brothers were saved, regardless of the rest of the consequences. Cain also remarked that Dean's bravery was very much like his. They both had gone to Hell for a deal they made to protect their brothers. They both carried the same bloodline that could host the archangels. Finally, both of them were humans who became demons due to the Mark of Cain, and they both wanted to die so that the mark would not make them something they were not. The only noticeable difference is that Cain saved his brother from corruption by killing his brother whereas Dean refused to kill his brother regardless of what happened.
As shown when Dean killed Abaddon, the First Blade creates an effect similar to Cain's smiting ability when killing a Knight of Hell.
It was never revealed what color of demonic eyes Cain possessed.
Cain was portrayed by Timothy Omundson, who also appeared together with Zachariah's actor Kurt Fuller in Psych.
Omundson has also appeared in the FOX television series Lucifer, playing the character Earl Johnson. Since Johnson takes on the identity of God, this is almost ironic, considering Cain's status as a demon.
Cain also makes an appearance in Lucifer under the alias of Marcus Pierce, who, like his character in Supernatural, was also marked and rendered immortal by said mark.
According to Sam, Cain didn't actually transfer the Mark to Dean, but instead copied it, and still has it. Sam also suggests that Cain is able to fight the Mark's power because he does it consciously.
Interestingly, when Dean kills him, there is only the sound effect of stabbing, rather than the demonic glow effect usually shown when a demon is killed. However, killing Cain also seems to cause a clap of thunder.
As Cain asked Dean to kill him for what he was about to do, it's possible he knew that taking out Abaddon's Demon Army would cause him to fall back under the Mark's influence and warned Dean ahead of time while he still cared that he would have to be killed in the future.
Cain is the creator of the First Blade and the first to use the weapon. He is also the last being to die by the First Blade.
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