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About This Quiz
It only ran for one season on The CW, but The Messengers was filled with superpowers, the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and literal conversations with the Devil. How well do you remember this fun show?
The first Messenger we meet is Rose. What is Rose’s power?
Power to read minds
Visions of the future
Understanding of all languages
Rose is shown to have the ability to understand every language, even dead languages and computer coding. The ability to understand all languages is called omnilingualism.
Shapeshifting
Rose explains to the Messengers that their gifts come with side effects until all the Messengers are united. What is Rose's side effect?
Loss of memory
Seizures
Headaches
None
Rose does not have a side effect to her powers, which doesn't seem like a red flag, as a few of the other Messengers don't appear to have side effects. However, in Rose's case, her lack of side effect is because she's not entirely truthful with the others about who she really is.
Prior to being shot and put in a coma, what was Rose's job?
Student
Federal Agent
Nurse
Rose worked as a hospital nurse and also did a stint as an Army medic. Rose was played by Anna Diop, who will soon be on screens in 2017 as Nicole Carter on 24: Legacy.
Scientist
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Next we meet Erin. What is Erin's power?
Telepathy
Visions
Physical healing
Erin was given the power to heal the wounds of others. This is known in mythology as "healing hands" or "recovery touch" and can be found in shows like Charmed, movies like Push, and books like Vampire Academy.
Spirit-walking
What was Erin's side effect for using her power?
Seizures
Physical deterioration of her own body
Until the group is finally united, Erin suffers physical deterioration of her own body every time she heals someone. At first, it's minor bruises, but eventually she ends up in the hospital needing surgery.
Loss of memory
None
What was Erin's job?
Nurse
Cop
Student
Not specified
Erin's job is never specified. She's shown as a stay-at-home mom to her daughter, Amy, but once they leave her abusive husband, no information is given about how she provided for herself and her daughter. Erin was played by Sofia Black-D'Elia, who also plays Sabrina Pemberton in The Mick.
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What was the occupation of Erin’s ex-husband?
Doctor
Grifter
Lawyer
Cop
Erin’s ex-husband and Amy’s father Ronnie is a cop, who becomes controlling and abusive in his desire to keep them safe. Ronnie was played by Lane Garrison, who previously played Tweener on Prison Break.
Erin ends up crossing paths with fellow Messenger Raul. What is Raul's power?
Telepathy
Raul is shown to have telepathy, or the power to read minds. Possibly the most famous telepathic character in pop culture is Professor X from the X-Men, but other examples include Aro from Twilight, Sookie from True Blood, and, for one episode, Buffy from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Visions
Shapeshifting
Superstrength
What is the side effect of Raul's power?
Memory loss
Headaches
Raul is shown to have severe headaches when he uses his telepathy. Headaches are extremely common, with more than half of all adults having at least one headache per year.
Loss of physical strength
None
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What was Raul's job?
Scientist
Nurse
Grifter
Federal Agent
Raul begins the show as an undercover federal agent trying to infiltrate a drug cartel. Raul was played by JD Pardo, who formerly played Jason Neville on Revolution.
Raul tries to warn his family but is too late to save his brother. He ends up bringing along his niece, Nadia (later revealed to be his daughter). What skill does Nadia have that helps the Messengers in their quests?
Lock-picking
Computers
Nadia is shown to be excellent with computers, a skill she says came from growing up in a bad neighborhood where her mom didn’t want her to play outside. Nadia was played by Brittany O’Grady, who also appears as Simone on Star.
Translating languages
Speed reading
Soon after, we meet Vera, whose power takes a long time to manifest. What is Vera's ability?
Visions
Reading minds
Spirit-walking
While it takes a few episodes for her to realize it, Vera's power is eventually shown to be spirit-walking, or the ability to leave her physical body and observe the world around her. It is very similar to astral projection, which is used by many witches and superheroes in both Marvel and DC comics.
Channeling electricity
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What is Vera's side effect?
Loss of memory
Headaches
Seizures
She will die if she's out of her body too long
Vera only has the ability to spirit-walk for a few minutes. If she does not return to her body before time is up, her physical body will die. Also, while she is out of her body, her physical form is essentially defenseless, as if she were in a coma.
What was Vera's job prior to becoming a Messenger?
Radio-astronomer
Vera and her colleague Alan are radio-astronomers, studying radio frequencies of celestial objects. Vera was played by Shantel VanSanten, who recently played another scientist with ties to the unusual as Patty Spivot on The Flash.
Student
Grifter
Journalist
We soon learn that Vera had a son who was kidnapped as a baby. Where were Vera and her son when he was taken?
Airport
Vera’s son is taken while at an airport, quite literally from right underneath her nose. There is no standard regulation on how old an infant must be in order to fly. Some airlines say two days old, some say two weeks, and some say two months.
Train station
Bus depot
Highway rest stop
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What is the name of Vera’s son?
Jeremiah
Michael
In the series finale, Joshua tells Vera he’d had a vision that revealed Michael to be the Archangel sent to destroy the Antichrist. Michael was played by Zeb Sanders, who recently appeared as Camper Henry in Independence Day: Resurgence.
Joseph
Leo
Next, we find Joshua. What was Joshua's power?
Reading minds
Visions
Joshua was able to have visions of the future. This is also known as precognition and shows up in comics like X-Men, movies like Minority Report, and TV shows like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Shapeshifting
Super-strength
What was Joshua's side effect?
Seizures
Until the group is completed, Joshua has a seizure every time he has a vision. Seizures occur when an excess of abnormal brain waves happen at once.
Memory loss
Headaches
None
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What was Joshua's job?
Federal agent
Televangelist
Joshua is shown to be an up-and-coming televangelist set to follow in his father's footsteps. Joshua was played by Jon Fletcher, who played Miles Cratchit in the mini-series 12 Deadly Days.
Journalist
Nurse
The youngest Messenger is Peter. What is Peter's power?
Shapeshifting
Conducting electricity
Super strength
Peter is shown to have superhuman strength. Other pop culture examples of this power include Jessica Jones from Jessica Jones, Mr. Incredible from The Incredibles, and Blossom from The Powerpuff Girls.
Teleportation
What is Peter's side effect?
Physical exhaustion
Seizures
Loss of memory
None
While it's logical to assume he has one, Peter's side effect is never shown or mentioned. He is not the only true Messenger to not have a defined side effect.
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What was Peter's job?
Student
Peter is shown to be in high school at the beginning of the show. Peter was played by Joel Courtney, who was 20 at the time of the show.
Nurse
Journalist
Grifter
What city do the messengers live in?
Los Angeles
Boston
Houston
The Messengers eventually converge in Houston, where they set up camp in an abandoned foreclosure property. Houston is the most populous city in all of Texas and the fourth most-populous city in the US. Pretty good place for fugitives like the Messengers to hide.
Atlanta
What is the name of the bar they hang out at?
The Message
Last Supper Bar and Grill
The group eventually unite at a dive bar called the Last Supper Bar and Grill and are often seen regrouping and occasionally celebrating here. There is no record of a Last Supper Bar and Grill in Houston. There used to be a The Last Supper Club in San Francisco, but it has closed down.
Bread and Fishes
Metaphoric Biblical Reference Bar and Grill
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The group, not yet at full strength, try to stop the Horseman of War. Who is War?
Leland Fuller
Mark Plowman
Alan Harris
Senator Cindy Richards
By signaling snipers to kill the Prime Minister of Afghanistan, Senator Cindy Richards broke her seal and became the Horse(wo)man of War. Lauren Bowles, who played Cindy Richards, is no stranger to playing unhinged and evil characters. She played Chloe Kelcher on Criminal Minds and Holly Cleary on True Blood.
Just before the Horseman of Pestilence is set to attack, we supposedly meet the final Messenger, Koa. What was Koa’s power?
Shape shifting
Koa’s ability is shape-shifting. Probably the best-known shapeshifter in modern pop culture is Mystique from the X-Men or Tonks from the Harry Potter books.
Levitation
Conducting electricity
Controlling metal
What is Koa’s side effect?
She cannot control who she looks like.
She has trouble going back to her real appearance
She can only change her appearance, not her voice.
She loses her own memories.
While she hides it well at first, Koa eventually admits that she is beginning to lose her own personal memories every time she changes her appearance. Shapeshifting lore is full of stories about shifters who can access the memories of those they impersonate (Zygons from Doctor Who, Tessa Gray from The Infernal Devices, and all shapeshifters on Supernatural), but Koa is the only example of a shifter who loses their own memories.
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Prior to joining the group, what had been Koa’s job?
Nurse
Journalist
Grifter
Koa was a grifter most of her life, having learned as a child from her father. Koa was played by Jessika Van, who played Becca on Awkward.
Musician
The group meets Koa while trying to stop the Horseman of Pestilence. Who was Pestilence?
Leland Schiller
The idea of pestilence, an infectious disease, was loosely interpreted by the show to be a widespread computer virus unleashed by hacker Leland Schiller, who was trying to avenge the death of his mother. Leland was played by Sam Littlefield, who has mostly appeared in independent films.
Mark Plowman
Alan Harris
Diego Morado
While trying to save the world, Joshua notices the group is being followed by a strange older woman named Eliza. Who is Eliza revealed to be?
A crazy homeless person
A spy for the Horsemen
A former Messenger from a previous generation
Eliza is revealed to have been from a previous generation of Messengers, which comes as a shock to the group. It is Eliza who helps the group to realize that Rose is not who she claims to be, as her power is not one having belonged to any of the previous generations.
A PI hired by his family to track him down
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What was Eliza’s power?
Healing
Telepathy
Visions
Eliza is shown to have been the vision-receiver of their group. She tells them that when their battle is over, they will lose their powers and carry on having normal lives.
Shapeshifting
Eventually, it is revealed that the Horseman of Death is actually Rose. How did she break her seal?
Killing a coworker to get a promotion
Infecting the water supply of a town
Euthanizing a mortally wounded soldier in combat
Killing her lover’s wife and stealing her wedding ring
While Rose’s first kill was euthanizing a mortally wounded soldier, this was a mercy killing and did not break the seal. None of her other Angel of Mercy killings did either. What eventually broke the seal is when the wife of a doctor with whom Rose was having an affair got into a car accident and was admitted to Rose’s hospital. Rose took the opportunity to kill her romantic competition and steal her engagement ring to pass off as her own.
Around the time that the group discovers Rose’s duplicity, Erin discovers that Amy might not be the only one in the family with a superpower. What power does Amy have?
Ability to understand all languages
Pyrokinesis
Clairvoyance
When Erin discovers important clues about the mission in Amy’s drawings, she comes to realize that Amy is clairvoyant. Amy was played by Madison Dellamea, who has mostly appeared in independent films.
Levitation
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While dealing with the fallout from revelations about Rose and Amy, the still-not-at-full-strength Messengers try to stop the Horseman of Famine. Who is Famine?
Leo Travers
Jeff Fairburn
Mason Dakota
Mark Plowman
While the group initially suspects Vincent Plowman, Mark becomes the 4th Horseman after he kills his brother out of resentment and jealousy. Mark Plowman was played by Riley Smith, who also played Markus Keen on Nashville.
Eventually, the group tracks down the 7th Messenger, Zahir. What is his power?
Controlling metal
Electricity manipulation
Zahir is shown to have the ability to control and manipulate electricity. As obscure a power as it may sound, he’s not the first character in pop culture to have this ability. Other examples include Iroh from Avatar: The Last Airbender, Peter Petrelli from Heroes, and Mare Barrow from Red Queen.
Teleportation
Can freeze time
What is Zahir’s side effect?
Unknown
While it’s safe to assume Zahir did have a side effect of his powers, the audience doesn’t meet him until the whole group is united, ending the existence of the side effects. Zahir was played by Winston Duke, who played Dominic in Person of Interest.
He can’t touch other people or they will get electrocuted.
Headaches
Insomnia
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What was Zahir's job?
Farmer
Journalist
Zahir is shown to have been interrogated at a government black site for trying to break the storm of the Plowman smart rain. Zahir’s full name is Zahir Zakaria, which may have been a subtle nod to journalist Fareed Zakaria, who contributes to CNN and The Washington Post.
Athlete
Musician
Who is revealed to be the antichrist?
Amy
In the series finale, Erin’s daughter Amy is revealed to be the Antichrist, showing her true face to the Devil and calling him Father. The Devil was played by Diogo Morado, who ironically played Jesus in the TV mini-series The Bible.
Michael
Alan
Peter’s birth mother
You Got:
/38
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