Circle of the Black Thorn

The Circle of the Black Thorn is a secret society in the television show Angel.

Description

The members of the Circle, the self-fashioned Black Thorns, act as the earthly instruments of the Senior Partners, charged with being the driving force behind WOLFRAM & Hart's apocalyptic plans and dedicated to keeping the wheel of "man's inhumanity to man" perpetually spinning. The members of the Circle do this not from a belief in evil per se, but because being a Black Thorn allows them to amass power for themselves and wield that power with impunity. As an associated organization, Wolfram & Hart works closely with the Circle and performs a number of services for its members.

The Circle's lineup in 2004 is: Archduke Sebassis; Senator Helen Brucker; Cyvus Vail; Ed, Grand Potentate of the Fell Brethren; the leader of the Sahrvin Clan; Izzerial the Devil; and three other men whose names were never mentioned. Their latest recruit was Angel.

Thanks to a vision given to him by Cordelia Chase, Angel learns that the Circle represents the true powers behind Wolfram & Hart's apocalypse. After a lengthy investigation, Angel learns that he could only draw the attention of the Circle by [...] one of his lieutenants. Taking advantage of subsequent events, Angel allows the Circle to believe that he is responsible for the death of Fred.

In the following months, Angel pretends to become corrupted by his position at Wolfram & Hart. He helps the Fell Brethren kidnap a baby to be used as a sacrifice on the child's thirteenth birthday in "Time Bomb, he offers the firm's services in discrediting one of Senator Brucker's political rivals by framing him as a [...], and sends a demon assassin after Drogyn the Battlebrand, guardian of the Deeper Well. After suitably impressing the Circle members, Angel is granted a seat in the Circle following an initiation ritual that includes the [...] of Drogyn, and Angel drinking his blood.

While pleased that Angel is now one of them, the Circle remains wary that Angel could try to betray them as a way to fulfill the Shanshu Prophecy. They demand that Angel renounce his possible destiny, and Angel signs away his right to fulfill the prophecy.

After Angel reveals his machinations to the Angel Investigations team, they set out with Angel on a mission to destroy the Circle as an indirect attack on the Senior Partners. Angel secretly poisons the Archduke Sebassis via the slave demon the duke drinks from. Izzerial and the three unnamed members are slaughtered by Illyria. The leaders of the Sahrvin Clan, including its Representative in the Circle, are slain by Lindsey with the aid of Lorne. Wesley kills his target with the aide of Illyria. Spike wipes out the Fell Brethren and their Grand Potentate Ed while rescuing the infant they had desired to sacrifice. Gunn fights past the vampires staffing Senator Brucker's office, and kills her with an axe.

Writing

• According to the DVD commentary for "Not FADE Away", the symbol of the Circle of the Black Thorn was inspired by a soda bottle cap ring (the plastic ring that helps prevent product tampering) that was turned inside out.

See also

sv:The Circle of the Black Thorn