Adam Milligan (born September 29, 1990) is the son of Kate Milligan and John Winchester, and younger half-brother to Dean and Sam Winchester. He also served as the vessel of Michael when Dean refused to accept him. After Sam successfully seals Michael, Lucifer, Adam and himself in Lucifer's Cage,^[1] Sam's body is eventually rescued by Castiel and later his soul by Death, but Adam was left behind with Michael and Lucifer.^[2]

After God opens every door in Hell as he begins the end of the world,^[3] Adam and Michael are finally able to escape. Having reached an understanding during their years together, Adam and the archangel share control of his body while trying to figure out their purpose in the changed world.^[4] However, when God wipes out all life on Earth, Adam dies as well, although Michael survives and continues using his body. However, he was presumably restored by Jack along with everyone else God wiped out after Michael and his body were destroyed by God.^[5]

History

Adam is the third son of John Winchester and the half-brother of his sons Sam and Dean. Unlike his half-brothers, Adam was not raised in the life of a hunter but was still a lot like Dean in personality. Though John would occasionally appear to spend time with Adam, Adam never really considered him his father and only acknowledged his mother as his family. 

Also, Adam was never aware of his father having other children who likewise had no idea of his existence.

Early life

In January 1990, Adam's mother met John Winchester in Windom, Minnesota when he came into the hospital where she worked as a nurse when he was injured during a hunt. Adam was born on September 29, 1990. That same year, John killed a ghoul.

Adam didn't have any contact with John until he was twelve. After the initial meeting, he had sporadic contact with John who taught him pool and poker, took him to ball games on his birthday, bought him his first beer when he was 15 and taught him to drive in the Impala. In 2009, he was a biology major and was studying pre-med at the University of Wisconsin.

Years later, seeking vengeance, the ghoul's children killed Kate and Adam Milligan and assumed their forms, hoping to lure John into a trap as vengeance for their father's murder at his hands nineteen years earlier.

According to the ghoul that took Adam's form, Adam was still alive when they took their first bite of him and described Adam as "a screamer".

Season 4

In Jump the Shark, Adam calls John's cell phone in order to lure him into a trap, but the call reaches Adam's half-brothers Dean and Sam instead, as John died two years earlier. Dean and Sam discover the trick, killed the two ghouls, avenging Adam's death. They then burn the body of the brother they had never known. Despite Sam's pleas of attempting to ask Castiel to revive him, Dean insists on by saying he was their brother and died like a hunter, so he deserved the funeral of one.

Season 5

In Point of No Return, whilst enjoying eternity in his own private Heaven (making out on his prom night) Adam is approached by angels who offer him the opportunity to live again and help the archangel Michael defeat Lucifer by becoming Michael's vessel. Adam accepts after being promised his mother's return, though he is warned about his half-brothers before he is resurrected by Zachariah. He awakens beneath the ground where his funeral pyre was held and crawls to the surface to find Castiel waiting for him, the angels originally meant to greet him lying dead nearby because of him. Castiel teleports an unconscious Adam to Bobby Singer's house, much to the amazement of Sam and Dean.

Adam regains consciousness when Castiel engraves Enochian runes on his ribs to keep the angels from locating him. Adam formally meets his half-brothers and informs the Winchesters of the angels warning him about them and tells them of his deal with the angels and his intention to say "yes" to Michael as he'd get to see his mother again. Though they are confused as to how Adam can qualify as a vessel for Michael, Castiel deduces that because Adam is of the Winchester bloodline, he is eligible to contain Michael's essence, despite the prophecy that foretells Dean as the one and only candidate. However, Dean doesn't want him to share that fate and slips away.

Sam later catches Adam trying to sneak out and speaks with him. In the talk, Adam is again distant with his brother even stating he'd have taken anything to have a father which leaves Sam at a loss. Adam is then put in Bobby's care while Sam searches for Dean. Meanwhile, Adam dreams of the park his mother used to take him to when he was little and is greeted by Zachariah, who insists that the Winchesters are not to be trusted and that if he cooperates with the angels he will get to see his mother again. Adam is initially doubtful, seeming to have started trusting his brothers somewhat, but agrees at the promise of seeing his mother. Adam gives Zachariah his location and the angels promptly snatch him out from under Bobby's nose.

They take him to the Green Room where they had imprisoned Dean and Zachariah reveals that he has been lying to Adam all along. According to him, Adam's sole purpose was to lure Dean into a position where he would have to say yes to Michael, which proves successful when the Winchesters arrive to rescue their brother, surprising Adam, as he didn't think they'd really come. As Dean helps him, Zachariah appears and tortures Adam and the sneaking Sam until Dean agrees to become the vessel, but this is a ruse as Dean provokes Zachariah into letting his guard down and uses the chance to stab Zachariah through the head with an angel blade, killing him instantly.

Dean helps Adam up and tells him to move as he gets Sam up to escape the room just as Michael descends but the door slams shut behind them, trapping Adam in the room with Michael's true form. Dean smashes the door open to find the room gone, along with Adam and Michael.

In Hammer of the Gods, Dean tells Sam that they will find Adam.

In Two Minutes to Midnight, Castiel tells Sam, and Bobby that Michael is currently using Adam as his vessel, which meant Adam consented to the archangel's possession. Sam is surprised and unhappy to learn of this fact, though Castiel reminds him that he must've at least considered the possibility. Sam admits that he and Dean were trying not to.

In Swan Song, Michael, in Adam's body, faces off against Lucifer in Kansas. When Lucifer tries to convince Michael to join him and rebel against Heaven, Michael refuses and prepares to fight his brother until Dean loudly enters the cemetery in the Impala. Upon seeing Michael in Adam, Dean says "Adam, if you are in there somewhere, I am so sorry," but Michael replies by saying "Adam isn't home right now." This causes Dean to tell Michael he's coming after him next.

Before either archangel can act, Castiel uses a Molotov cocktail of Holy Fire on Michael and indirectly, Adam, banishing him from the cemetery for a time. Lucifer then destroys Castiel for this act. As Sam regains control of his body and is about to jump into Lucifer's Cage, Michael returns and tries to stop him resulting in both falling in. Despite Sam's release from the Cage, Adam is left trapped with Michael and Lucifer.

Season 6

In Appointment In Samarra, Dean tries to make a deal with Death to retrieve both Sam and Adam's souls from Lucifer's Cage, but Death says that Dean can only pick one. Dean picks Sam inevitably, leaving Adam trapped in the Cage with Lucifer and Michael.

Season 10

In Fan Fiction, Marie's stage play of Supernatural included a student dressed as Adam as he and others sung "Carry on Wayward Son". Sam initially didn't realize who the student was imitating until Maeve told them and reminded them that he was still stuck in the cage, leaving an uneasy feeling with them.

Season 11

In The Devil in the Details, Lucifer shows Sam a memory of Sam dragging Lucifer and Michael to Hell. Adam is briefly seen as Michael's vessel in the memory.

Season 15

In Back and to the Future, the demon Belphegor stated God opened all the doors to Hell, including Lucifer's Cage. This means that a way out has been opened for both Adam and Michael, though the last Belphegor knew, Michael was still just sitting in the Cage.

In Our Father, Who Aren't in Heaven, Michael and Adam have escaped the Cage and are back on Earth. Michael allows Adam, still acting as his vessel, to have control over his body and Adam enjoys a burger for the first time in ten years even though he no longer needs to eat. With Michael appearing to his vessel as a duplicate of Adam in the waking world, the two are able to communicate with each other. Adam asks Michael if he will go back to Heaven though the archangel tells him that he doesn't know as with his brothers dead, and God still gone, he is now alone. Adam empathizes as he doesn't have family waiting for him either. When Michael reminds him that he still has Sam and Dean, Adam brushes it off as he only met his brothers once and they left him to rot in Hell before returning to his food. Adam then tries to figure out what he will do next, which includes getting a change of clothes since he is currently still wearing the same clothes he fell into Hell in. He thinks about getting a "little job" as he feels he can't go back to college with him being possessed by an archangel when Lilith interrupts and Michael takes back control to confront the demon.

After being captured by the Winchesters and Castiel, Michael confronts Dean about abandoning Adam in the Cage while allowing Lucifer to roam free upon the Earth. When Sam and Dean try to explain themselves, Michael orders them to explain it to Adam before he switches control back to him, much to their surprise. Adam explains that in his years trapped together with Michael in the Cage, they had come to an agreement as they only had each other. Dean tells Adam that they know that they abandoned him and that there was nothing they could say to fix that. Adam then suggests that they try simply with "I'm sorry". However, Michael abruptly seizes control back from Adam before they can respond. Michael later gives Adam control again so he doesn't have to listen to Sam, Dean and Castiel's claims that God is not who he thought he was. Adam suggests to them to give it a rest as Michael isn't listening anymore.

When they are left alone Adam begins to argue in favor of his brothers, telling Michael that they could possibly be telling the truth. Adam recognizes that Sam and Dean always try to be on the right side of things, including trying to keep him from becoming the archangel's vessel. Michael then asks if this means that Adam has forgiven them though Adam quickly tells him that he doesn't but this wasn't about that. Adam points out that Michael might not know his father as well as he thought he did as all parents keep secrets. With further proding, Adam finally gets the archangel to admit that he can't start questioning everything because then it would mean that he, the "good son" and "favorite", doubts his father. Adam asks if he really still cares about that after God had left him in the Cage.

Castiel then comes back and asks if it was Adam currently in control but Michael revealed that it was him. When Castiel showed him his memories of everything God had been doing, Michael realized that he, Dean, Sam and Adam had been right about his father.

After Michael provides Dean and Castiel with the spell they need to trap God, Dean requests to speak to Adam again before Michael leaves. Adam takes control once more and Dean apologizes to his brother for what happened to him, saying that they are sorry. Dean then tells Adam that he is a good man and didn't deserve his fate. Asking "since when do we get what we deserve?", Adam wishes Dean and Castiel luck before leaving.

In Inherit the Earth, Michael, still using Adam's body, reveals that Adam fell victim to God's destruction of humanity and is visibly saddened as are the Winchesters. Dean comments that the "poor bastard never caught a break."

Later, God obliterates Michael for his earlier betrayal, destroying Adam's body in the process. However, Jack resurrects everyone that God erased from existence which means that Adam was restored too and without Michael inhabiting his body anymore for the first time in years.

Physical Appearance

Adam wears layers of clothes. He stands at 6’2”, with dark blonde hair and strands of lighter blonde. Adam has short hair, like Dean. Unlike his siblings, his eyes are blue.

Personality

Adam is a lot like Dean. He is very sarcastic, sometimes rude, and laid-back most of the time. He even uses some of Dean's sayings such as "rat's ass" and "unbelievable" and "son of a bitch". He could be a "ladies' man" like Dean, however his attention to remembering his prom date's name suggests he may be more sentimental like Sam. Based on the fact that he graduated honors in high school and was taking biology and studying pre-med at a university, like Sam, he may also be very intelligent as well.

He is shown to hold resentment towards his father John for never properly being there for him, yet he voices that he would have liked more of a relationship with him, to Sam. He was slow to warm up to his half-siblings, even stating neither of them were his family. However, he did seem to take their words about the angels into account when talking to Zachariah before realizing they were right. He was also surprised that they cared so much for him and that they'd actually tried to save him from Zachariah, calling him family despite his treatment towards them.

Unlike his brothers, Adam was more accepting of fate and destiny as he was very willing to say "yes" to Michael even knowing that his fight with Lucifer could be catastrophic, something not shared by his brothers.

Following his time in Hell, Adam is shown to retain much the same personality as before he fell in. Though angry with his brothers for abandoning him, Adam also recognizes their good intentions and isn't willing to dismiss their claims, taking them seriously instead. Due to his time with Michael, Adam stands up to and even argues with the archangel without hesitation, something Michael responds to. Adam is even able to get Michael to admit the real reason for his refusal to believe the truth while Michael appears to be somewhat protective of Adam, angry at Dean in particular for abandoning his brother in the Cage while allowing Lucifer to go free. When Dean apologized to him, Adam stated that no one gets what they deserved before accepting Dean's words with a smile and parting on good terms with him.

Relationships

• The Winchesters and Adam - Adam's relationship with the Winchester family.
• Michael and Adam - Adam's relationship with the archangel Michael.
• John and Adam - Adam's relationship with his father.

Appearances

• Season 4
  • Jump the Shark (Corpse)
• Season 5
  • Point of No Return
  • Hammer of the Gods (mentioned only)
  • Two Minutes to Midnight (mentioned only)
  • Swan Song (possessed by Michael)
• Season 6
  • Appointment In Samarra (mentioned only)
  • Like A Virgin (flashback only)
  • The Man Who Would Be King (flashback)
• Season 8
  • Man's Best Friend With Benefits (memory only)
• Season 10
  • Fan Fiction (mentioned only)
• Season 11
  • The Devil is in the Details (flashback only)
• Season 15
  • Our Father, Who Aren't in Heaven (as himself and possessed by Michael)
  • Inherit the Earth (mentioned only)

Trivia

• Adam's birthday coincides with the traditional date of the Feast of Saint Michael, or Michaelmas.
• Adam was twelve years old when John Winchester made contact with him. Mathematically, this would be the same year Sam Winchester left home for Stanford. This could also indicate that John pursued a father-son relationship with Adam to fill the void that Sam leaving made.
• He was sealed in Lucifer's Cage, along with the archangel Michael and formerly Lucifer and Sam for nine consecutive seasons. It has been speculated by multiple characters that Adam was tortured by the archangels out of boredom and a lack of anything to vent their anger on. However, in Our Father, Who Aren't in Heaven, the two are shown to have become close and Adam states that they reached an understanding during the time that they were all each other had, suggesting that the idea that Michael tortured Adam was incorrect.
• The back of Adam's head was shown in a flash-image during the Season 8's Man's Best Friend With Benefits when Spencer Wallis hits Sam with images from within Sam's own mind.
• He has many similarities with his half-brothers.
  • He uses some of Dean's phrases and has a pessimistic attitude like him.
  • He is likely very smart like Sam, having been a biology and pre-med major.
  • He has a troubled relationship with his father, just like Sam and Dean.
  • He has died and been resurrected like them.
  • Zachariah notes that Adam and Dean have the same "refined palate", referring to their mutual appreciation of burgers and beer.
  • Adam has been used as a vessel for an archangel like them.
  • He has been to both Heaven and Hell like them.
  • He lost his mother like they did.
  • As like with his brothers, he is a human that has formed a close bond with an angel. In Adam's case, it is with the archangel that is possessing him.
  • Like his brothers, Adam has shared control of his body with the archangel possessing him, though in Adam's case, it is an agreement between the two rather than a forced arrangement.
  • Adam apparently has a love for cake that matches Dean's love of pie and seems to share his lack of luck in getting to eat it without being interrupted.
• Unlike his brothers, Adam never met his grandfather Henry Winchester.
• Though Adam was only in Lucifer's Cage for nine years, he has technically been gone from the world for ten years due to his death and resurrection a year later. Adam was only alive again for about a day before he was possessed by Michael and spent much of that time either locked in Bobby's house or in the Green Room.
  • It's worthy noting that, since 1 year in Earth is equal to 120 years in Hell, this means that Adam was trapped in the Cage for around 1,080 years.
• Adam's behavior in Our Father, Who Aren't in Heaven suggests that even when Adam isn't in control of his shared body, he remains aware of the world around him and the events occurring and that it is not just Michael filling him in on what he missed. In particular, when Dean requests to speak to Adam, Michael changes over and Adam instantly responds to Dean as if Dean had asked Adam to speak with him and not Michael as the intermediary.
• Adam shares the same name as the original Adam who ironically happens to be his direct ancestor through the Winchester Bloodline.
• As the grandson of Henry Winchester, Adam is a legacy of the Men of Letters.
  • With this, he is one of eight known legacies, the other five are his brothers Sam and Dean Winchester, Ophelia Avila, Marco Avila, Maura, Eileen Leahy, and Dorothy Baum. Of the eight, he is one of seven who are still alive.
• Adam never met his niece and nephew.

References