Lucifer

**Lucifer Morningstar**, is a major recurring character in the *Divine Comedy*.

His alignment shifts to either a supporting character or a minor antagonist.

Lucifer was once the greatest angel in all of Heaven, famous for his beauty, wisdom, and talent. He is the second oldest child of God and Goddess, eldest sibling of the Emperors of Hell, patriarch of the Morningstar family, the husband of Lilith, and the father of Charlie.

## Appearance

In the beginning before he fell, Lucifer was the most beautiful angel in existence. According to Lilith, Lucifer looked to have been made out of photons and a churning nuclear forge that cause stars to exude light. He had six pristine white wings with a whitish yellow halo behind his head. Even when he took a more humanoid shape as he introduced himself to Lilith, every bit of his physique was ethereal and phantasmic. His true form has only been seen through glimpses when he becomes enraged, sporting four to six eyes, hair that erupts into "hydrogen fire", and his voice becomes a deep and powerful echo.

After he fell, Lucifer's appearance drastically changed. While he still retained some of his angelic characteristics a majority of it was altered. Lucifer now appears as a thin fallen angel with pure white skin, short blonde hair, red cheeks (which he shares with his daughter), purple eyelids, and a mouth full of sharp, white teeth. He has light yellow eyes with slit pupils, giving him an almost snake-like appearance. He sports rather thin hands with long claws. A running gag is that Lucifer is often mocked for his short stature as he is the shortest compared to his brothers, the other emperors, and is even an inch shorter than his daughter and wife. He still retains his wings when he fell though they have been reduced to a black color than its previous pristine white.

## History

### Background

Lucifer was created by God and Goddess after Michael with Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel soon following in tow. Lucifer and his siblings would become the first Seraphim with Samael soon following after to become the first Cherubim. Lucifer joined his siblings in the Genesis Jam where they would bring the vision of the universe and creation itself to life. Lucifer was said to have stood out amongst the innumerable orchestra of angels with some even accusing him of being a show off as he held the greatest talent amongst his siblings. He would become a favorite of God.

When the universe was made, God and Goddess instructed their children to go out to explore as well as further aid in the growing development of the newly born universe. Lucifer was responsible for creating stars which earned him the nickname "Morningstar" whilst Uriel would ignite them with her flames to make suns and Samael would strike them to spread the sparks out across the universe. Even when he was an angel Lucifer was a "bit of a rebel" and a wild child. He was both ambitious and spontaneously energetic as well as a prankster. More often than not he would drag his siblings into his shenanigans which would result in them being scolded by their parents. He would eventually make his own little gang which consisted of Belphegor, Mammon, Beelzebub, Asmodeus, and Samael.

### Rebel Angel

Lucifer would also venture out beyond the borders of the universe to explore the void and what it beheld though each time he would get dragged back into Heaven by Michael under God's orders. God would also take Lucifer's opinions and thoughts over what He was writing and planning for the future and while he was impressed at first, Lucifer would gradually voice his displeasure in what God was planning and become God's only critic that "didn't shill over His glorious work" as said by Asmodeus. It was especially infuriating when God would only give vague and cryptic answers when Lucifer would question him over more details concerning the content in His book. It escalated to where Lucifer would defy God as he wasn't fond of being confined in one place and being groomed to become the "greatest shining star in Heaven".

This defiance was outwardly displayed when he refused to praise God for presenting His latest and 'greatest' creation: humanity. At first he was insulted at God having him be a shepherd towards Lilith but overtime as he began to mentor her and teach her, Lucifer ended up being infatuated with Lilith as his antics would greatly amuse her. He was responsible for convincing Lilith to stand her ground against Adam and that she's her own woman and must not be a slave all her life. He did not, however, expect Lilith would go so far as to flip Adam off and curse out God's true name. Lucifer resented God when he found out that God forbade Lilith from re-entering Heaven and simply tossed her out on the barren Earth.

### War in Heaven

His relationship with his Father worsened as the more his Father revealed to him about His creations, the plans He had, and His **reasons**, the more Lucifer felt like some test subject who has all his lines and actions written out for him and worse of all the way his exit will be staged when the play is over. His paranoia also made him fear what God might have in store of the rest of his family. It didn't help that God paid more attention to His new toys - humanity - than the angels or even His wife. When Michael approached Lucifer and hesitantly told his brother about how the 'story' would end - which involves him killing Lucifer - that was the breaking point for Lucifer. He declared war against God and gathered all his 'fans and followers', telling them of God's true nature and purpose for them and existence, before going out and attacking.

The war was long and bloody with Lucifer confronting Michael. As they fought, Michael and Lucifer went back and forth on how this fight was already staged and Lucifer trying to convince Michael to cut the strings yet Michael only tried to get his brother to stop as this whole mess was insane. Lucifer was gradually getting overwhelmed by Michael until Samael stepped in, who was saved by Lucifer when he was unjustly attacked by the Heavenly Host thinking that he rebelled as well, taking the form of a Great Red Dragon as they fought Michael two on one. But despite their advantage, Michael was far superior in terms of combat and strategy as he overcame both Lucifer and Samael, bringing them down. After the war, Lucifer and the rebel angels were brought before God in a public trial of sorts with God angrily demanding why Lucifer had done this. When Lucifer scornfully explained, God only responded with the words, "So bright yet so narrow sighted". God was about to destroy Lucifer until Goddess stopped Him and tried to convince Him to give them a second chance. But God refused, instead, He will grant Lucifer's wish for "freedom" by throwing them out of Heaven and into the abyss below.

### Falling in Hell

Lucifer was the first to wake up, disoriented at first, and was surrounded by the unconscious bodies of his brothers and sisters that rebelled with him. He tried to call out to them but they didn't answer for some time until one did; Beelzebub. Lucifer helped Beelzebub up to his feet before healing him and telling him to try and wake up and help the others. Unbeknownst to Lucifer, Lilith was also searching for him after she and her sisters saw them falling out of Heaven. Lucifer was searching for Samael only to find the latter and Lilith who was tending to the fallen angel's injuries. With everyone awake and in the process of healing, Lucifer wanted to go another round until Belphegor stopped him and said that there won't be another after that as their Father was ready to destroy them in the first.

Until then, they start to make use of their current predicament by making a habitable realm for themselves just as they did during the Genesis Jam. Lucifer would be the conductor of the musical number as the fallen angels broke out into song which fashioned and molded the realm around them. Lilith describes this second song number as a "metal punk rock" chorus. With everything set and done, they started to make plans on how to hit back against God and Heaven. Amongst the cacophony of suggestions and arguments, Beelzebub came up to Lucifer and relayed info regarding the humans Adam and Eve to which Lilith jumped at the idea saying that they would hit God where it hurts most by hurting his "magnum opus".

### Ruler of Hell

Lucifer was joined by Lilith and Samael in their quest to bring down God's trophies. The trio saw the walls of Eden being guarded by several angels and had to pick their targets carefully. Lucifer laid his eyes on Gadreel and told Lilith and Samael that while he distracts Gadreel they would use the opportunity to sneak past him and up the gate. As Lucifer would distract Gadreel - by taking the shape of a cherub who was lost and needed directions - Lilith and Samael slipped past the guardsman angel, jumped over the wall, and entered Eden. Lilith and Samael snuck through the grassy plane of Eden looking for Adam and Eve. When they found them, they set their second phase of the plan in motion; Lilith would take the guise of an owl and talk Eve into going over to the Tree of Knowledge where Samael would hit the final nail on the coffin and have her eat the fruit.

When Samael successfully tempted Eve into eating the fruit, the two quickly made their escape from Eden, rendezvoused with Lucifer and went back to their realm. After the end of the war and the fall of man, Lilith and Samael would begin to spend more time together until they eventually began to have a romantic relationship which lasted a couple hundred years. Lucifer, jealous of how close the two were getting, manipulated Samael into being the ruler of the Ninth Circle - the lowest Circle in Hell - so as to keep him and Lilith separated. He did this when he and the seven fallen angels that would become the emperors of their respective Circles drew straws into who gets what. It's indicated that Lucifer tricked Samael into getting the shortest straw. It's also implied that Lucifer perceived Samael as competition in regards to the rulership of their new kingdom, and their future subjects would turn to Samael in reverence more than him.

Overtime, as the monarchy of Hell was established and put forth, Lilith married Lucifer and became one of the Empresses of Hell. As thousands of years pass, Lucifer sired a child with Lilith, a daughter named Charlotte, while also continuing to hamper God's projects mainly by having Samael and other demons do the work for him; he'd manipulate them by playing on their feelings and how they were treated by God after the war. Lucifer would also have Stolas try to decipher the 'codes of creation' to find out the hidden content of God's plans for everyone and everything. When he realized that Lucifer's death would occur during an event known as the Apocalypse, it became an arms race between Heaven and Hell in regards to gathering souls and preparing them for the upcoming war between Heaven and Hell.

## Personality

Contrary to being the lord of Hell, Lucifer comes off as a suave, charming, yet sassy and witty gentleman in a sense. He enjoys having a glass of wine, playing instruments, and being an annoyance to his younger siblings. He is also fairly comedic, often making jokes and pop-culture references during casual conversations, though they are usually played for his own amusement, and at the expense of others. Lucifer can also be rather theatrical, and quite goofy, at times, something which he passed down to his daughter. After establishing Hell and ruling it as a kingdom, Lucifer still retained some of his previous personality traits when he was in Heaven where he would be a generic prankster and comically jovial gentleman. He is notably much more carefree and less reserved than he was during his time in Heaven, as despite his royal status, he has little interest in upholding etiquette, openly enjoying things such as singing, throwing lavish parties, eating junk foods (especially candy corn), and is a connoisseur of polka music.

When he was in Heaven, Lucifer was seen as a showoff, a rebel, and was ambitiously curious. He was called a "wild child" by Death and went out of his way to explore the unknown regions of creation even going against his Father's orders. Lucifer was also something of a prankster and troublemaker as more often than not he would engage in mischievous acts and playing practical jokes on his siblings and other angels. He constantly drags his brothers along to a number of places, often demanding his attendance and still does so after he was banished to Hell. Despite his exalted status and vain qualities, Lucifer never looked down on his siblings as he was always compassionate and supportive towards them. And while Michael was stronger and more skilled, the two were as close as brothers could be. However, Lucifer was renowned for getting into the most amount of trouble compared to his more obedient siblings. His antics would escalate the outcome of situations to the point where he provoked a Cherubim so bad that the angelic beast chased and almost mauled him.

All in all, Lucifer was something of a freedom fighter. He was a childlike, wonder-filled dreamer who had passionate ideas on how humanity would wield their free will. Aside from being the "Morningstar", Lucifer embodied free will which is the sole reason as to why he would always get into arguments with his Father. While in the beginning Lucifer had a close relationship with God, their father-son moments soon began to deteriorate when God would show Lucifer His plans for creation. This resulted in their relationship being rocky to where they would always argue until Michael was forced to separate Lucifer. Lucifer never liked being ordered around and was perhaps the only one out of God and Goddess's children that would question his Father. This eventually culminated in Lucifer growing paranoid as he believes that this entire thing, the "ineffable plan" as God calls it, was staged and that he and his siblings are nothing but pawns and players on a stage waiting for their parts including their ends. However, compared to his relationship with his Father, Lucifer had a relatively healthy and positive one with his Mother to where some of his siblings like Gabriel and Barachiel would playfully mock him for being a "momma's boy" as Lucifer enjoyed being spoiled by Her, though Goddess loved all Her children equally.

While Lucifer can come off as friendly and outgoing, this should not be mistaken for kindness, as he has proven himself to be quite cruel and ruthless when he wants to be. He is cunning, devious, and highly skilled at manipulating others. He cares very little or not at all for his subjects as he views and treats humans with nothing but contempt and disgust. While Lucifer is an emperor, he doesn't always respond to his duties, often leaving the politics to his wife, the Goetia, or his siblings. Lucifer is also well known for his hot temper, although he is fully aware of this and immediately tries to remain calm and maintain composure as much as he can. His temper tantrums are well-known by his family as even in Heaven he was mocked for being a "crybaby" when he would throw tantrums at the slightest inconvenience. Lucifer is infamous for his pride and egocentrism, taking credit for others' work like when he praised himself for thinking to use humanity to hit God back even though it was Beelzebub's idea. He would also take offense when others disagree with him. Lucifer is also quite stubborn, refusing to take blame for the tragedies that befell his brothers. Even though Lucifer loves his family, they themselves are not exempt from manipulative tactics. A prime example is Samael, who used him to tempt Eve knowing how the two feel about each other. He would also use Samael as a scapegoat of sorts to where he would stir Samael's inner turmoil and hatred towards humanity and Heaven, forcing him to undo the work of humanity and ruin Heaven's plans for them. This in turn would have humanity blame Samael for all the evil and misdeeds that occur on Earth.

Beneath his ill-tempered and childishly goofy demeanor, Lucifer is a depressed and broken child to where Death called him a "scared little boy" and Samael describing aspects of his personality as "Only Child Syndrome". It is often implied that a part of Lucifer yearns to return to Heaven and be with his family again but another part of him accepts that the damage was done and to make amends is to go against everything he is and what he stands for. Moreover, seeing as how he was privy to God's secrets and plans, Lucifer grew somewhat obsessed with finding out some of the hidden content of God's story book as he attempted to find out **how** the "story" is going to end and how he can prevent it. Lucifer did not even share this plan with his other siblings aside from Samael and Lilith. Despite his ruthless nature however, he is capable of affection and nowhere is that more potent or evident than with his wife, daughter, and his extended family. Even though he is slightly harsh and overbearing towards Charlie, he truly loves her with all his heart, and even said that he would raid the Heavens and Earth if anything ever happened to her. In addition, even though most of the time he doesn't see eye to eye with his other siblings and are frequently annoyed when Lucifer demands them to tag along on his mischief, they truly care for each other and are supportive of one another.

## Trivia

* Lucifer's character is based on the pop-culture version of the Devil, where he is typically portrayed as being the fallen-archangel, Lucifer, who attempted to conquer Heaven in a great war, before being defeated by the archangel Michael and cast down to Hell as his punishment, where he became its ruler and the primary adversary of God. In some versions and renditions, Lucifer is dubbed "Satan", one of the many names of the Devil.
	+ Despite this, Lucifer and Satan are depicted as being separate characters in this series.
* Lucifer's name translates to "shining one", "the morning star" (referring to Venus), or "light-bringer" in Hebrew.
	+ He was named Hesperus by the ancient Greeks.
* Lucifer's favorite animals in the Garden of Eden are ducks. In fact, he is so fond of them he began to build a collection of rubber ducks.
* It is revealed that Niccolò Paganini bargained with Lucifer to be the greatest violinist in history. Lucifer recalls lending his violin to Paganini and was so consumed by its power that his hands and fingers elongated then burned from playing it so much.
* Despite being the oldest Lucifer is often mocked for his short stature by his brothers who are much taller than he is. The only exception is Belphegor who is small compared to Lucifer but rebutts by saying that he is the smarter of the two.
	+ In addition, he goes to somewhat ridiculous means to compensate for his rather short stature.
* It is implied that Lucifer attempted to have Hell resemble a circus to make his siblings feel more optimistic about their current predicament.
* Lucifer states that he learned to do the Irish jig during his dance off with Oberon the fairy king.
* According to the series writer, Lucifer's favorite drink is an appletini.