Archon

archon (n.) one of the nine chief magistrates of ancient Athens, 1650s, from Greek arkhon "ruler, commander, chief, captain," noun use of present participle of arkhein "be the first," thence "to begin, begin from or with, make preparation for;" also "to rule, lead the way, govern, rule over, be leader of," a word of uncertain origin.etym
----Derived from the Greek Archon ("ruler" or "lord"), "archon" has been adopted by Gnostic religion to refer to the supernatural ruling powers of the world. Considered either demonic or angelic (largely because of the Demiurge), archons are syncretised with both, and not without reason, being hostile  (or else ignorant) powers associated with order and bureaucracy. Described as animalistic monstrosities that control the physical world, they're strongly associated with planetary bodies and stars, twisting the then common Greek pagan belief that Stars Are Souls, as they devour human souls after we die. Nonetheless, in spite of this Lovecraftian setup, they're often considered weaker than enlightened humans, and following the gnostic instruction manual will guarantee your escape from their clutches.
Being associated with oppression and bureaucracy, many works have adopted archons as agents of The Conspiracy or evil world orders, keeping the masses as complacent cattle and turning on the protagonists once they discover the truth. In most cases, their Lovecraftian attributes are replaced by more mundane sci-fi gimmicks like being aliens (favourably reptilian ones). Other times their association with order and angelic traits are enhanced upon, and they become extremists trying to impose order on the world. Regardless of their portrayal, it's exceptionally rare to see "classical" archons in media, but as long as themes of Order Versus Chaos remain, so will archons, In Name Only or not. They may be led by the literal Demiurge himself or by a Demiurge Archetype.tvtropes
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* AQ-1121: the keys that will unlock the prison gates of the cosmic archons
* AQ-257: cosmic archons
*AQ-113: archon
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