Abraxas

Abraxas is the name given to a demon character who appeared in the WB Network television series Charmed. He appeared in the premiere episode of season two, "Witch Trial", and was played by actor/stuntman Walter Phelan.

Overview
Abraxas was a demon who emerged on the physical plane and stole the Book of Shadows from the attic of the Halliwell Manor in San Francisco, California. Reciting passages from the book backwards, he resurrected several of the Charmed Ones' former vanquished foes, such as serial killer warlock Jeremy Burns. The ghost of their grandmother, Penny Halliwell, warned them that the Power of One was required to defeat him. Believing that Prue Halliwell was their strongest member, they agreed to open a portal and have Prue use her telekinesis to push him into it. When this failed, they realized that the Power of One meant that they all had to work together. They recited a spell from the Book of Shadows, just as Abraxas was reciting the same spell backwards. Their power converged and they succeeded in banishing him.

Notes & Trivia



 * The name Abraxas is taken from a word relating to Gnosticism. Also referred to as Abrasax, it is a word of mystic meaning in the system of the Gnostic Basilides, being there applied to the 365 spheres. In Gnostic cosmology, the 7 letters spelling its name represent each of the 7 classic planets—Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.


 * Abraxas is the first antagonist to appear in season two of Charmed.


 * Actor/stuntman Walter Phelan usually plays monstrous characters in film and television. He has also appeared in episodes of the horror anthology programs, Fear Itself and Masters of Horror.