History Main / OurArchonsAreDifferent

* In ''[[https://jennyeverywhere.fandom.com/wiki/The_Hermetic_Garbage_of_Jenny_Everywhere_(novel) The Hermetic Garbage of]] WebOriginal/JennyEverywhere'', the Archons of the Redoubt are former time- and dimension-travellers who have retired from individual adventuring, and dwell in a fortress at the End of Time, from which they oversee threats to the stability of the cosmos. Jenny's own mother is one; formerly Captain Amelia Midnight of the hypership ''Zephyrus'', she is now addressed as "Amelia, Archon Midnight".

[[folder:Card Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'': Archons are one of [[LightEmUp White]]'s iconic races, usually showing up whenever [[OurAngelsAreDifferent angels]] can't, like in the [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek-inspired]] ''Theros'' block. Usually taking the form of [[HumanoidAbomination mysterious humanoid]] figures riding winged steeds, most often either winged lions or winged stags, they represent White's more [[LightIsNotGood malevolent]] traits, [[KnightTemplar such as vicious justice and oppression]]. Indeed, in the aforementioned Theros they are the last remnants of a tyrannical empire that spanned the entire plane. Archons are never seen without their mounts, and in at least some planes the two are one and the same creature.
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** ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'': Abraxas is the antithesis of the multiverse and will kill all life everywhere if he has his way. Somehow he was bound to has to Galactus devour sentient civilizations to keep him that way (which seems to be defeating the purpose but whatever). This is an especially odd use, since the Marvel Demiurge is [[GodIsGood decidedly platonic]] and created Elder Gods instead of archons.

* In ''VideoGame/XCOM2'', Archons are elite soldiers fielded by the [[VichyEarth ADVENT Administration]], and were designed in response to the horrified reaction humans had to the [[AirborneMook Floaters]] who fought in the conquest of Earth. So while Floaters were [[CyberneticsEatYourSoul tortured combinations of alien flesh and metal]], little more than an upper torso fused to a JetPack, Archons have [[WalkingShirtlessScene sculpted bodies]], a [[LightIsNotGood gold and white]] coloration, and a thruster array that resembles stylized wings, giving them an overall angelic look. However, there's obvious seams in their "chest," suggesting they're the same old Floaters stuffed into a new casing, and despite their more human appearance, Archons are just as AxCrazy as their predecessors, and [[TurnsRed go into a Battle Frenzy upon taking damage.]] When they aren't berserk, Archons like to fight with their [[MacrossMissileMassacre "Blazing Pinions"]] attack, so they're anything but heavenly.

[[caption-width-right:350:Know your archons.[[note]]Clockwise from top left: a Protoss archon unit from ''VideoGame/{{Starcraft}}''; the King of Chains from ''ComicBook/TheInvisibles''; Yaldabaoth, a Faced Mechon from ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1''; a lantern archon from ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}''; an ancient coin depicting the Demiurge[[/note]] ]]

* In ''Literature/TheSecretsOfTheImmortalNicholasFlamel'', the Archons are a group of ancient immortal beings who ruled over the primordial Earth, vaguely humanoid {{Precursors}} with little known about them. The only ones seen in the series are [[Myth/CelticMythology Cernunnos]] and [[Myth/AztecMythology Coatlicue]].

* ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'': The god of flesh that the Sarkic gods worship, Yaldabaoth, has Archons of its own. They're named after figures in Chinese Mythology known as the Four Perils... [[OddNameOut and Zhurong]]. The [[https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/sarkic-case-study-05-korean-seulga Seulga case study]] also seems to imply [[spoiler:one of them is [[DefectorFromDecadence good]].]]

* The Archons in ''VideoGame/GenshinImpact'' are a group of seven PhysicalGods, each of whom command one of the seven [[ElementalPowers elements]] of the world and rule over one of the nations of Teyvat. Finding the Seven forms the basis of the main questline of the game. While generally benevolent, the Archon system was set up by Celestia, a group of even more powerful gods living on a FloatingContinent with [[AmbiguouslyEvil shady motives]]. The Archons have been implied to have done terrible things on Celestia's behalf despite their misgivings, enough that they have drifted from Celestia to pursue their own agendas by the present day.

* The Archons in ''VideoGame/GenshinImpact'' are a group of seven PhysicalGods, each of whom command one of the seven [[ElementalPowers elements]] of the world and rule over one of the nations of Teyvat. Finding the Seven forms the basis of the main questline of the game. While generally benevolent, the Archon system was set up by Celestia, a group of even more powerful gods living on a FloatingContinent with [[AmbiguouslyEvil shady motives]]. The Archons have been implied to do terrible things on behalf of Celestia despite their misgivings, enough that they have drifted from Celestia to pursue their own agendas by the present day.

* Archons in ''VideoGame/GenshinImpact'' are PhysicalGods who command the elements, and the most powerful amongst them is the Seven, who have power over one of the 7 Elements of the world. Finding the Seven forms the basis of the main questline of the game. At the end ot the Prologue, it's revealed that [[spoiler: all Archons were once humans who ascended to Celestia, and Vision-holders, which includes the vast majority of playable characters, are destined to one day ascend to divinity.]]

** The Archon Hestus is briefly mentioned by Uriel as having been one of the Hellguard's leaders and presumably an archangel himself in the fight against the demons on Earth and wielder of [[SimpleStaff the Rod of Arafel]], a weapon of immense holy power, before his death in battle.

UsefulNotes/{{Gnosticism}} has influenced western media for hundreds of years, and as such its cosmology has occasionally served as the inspiration of fantasy or sci-fi settings. As such, the main mythological agents of gnostic mythology, the [[EldritchAbomination otherworldly]], [[TheMan oppressive]] beings collectively referred to as archons, often make an appearance in numerous works.

* ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'': The god of flesh that the Sarkic gods worship, Yaldabaoth, has Archons of its own. They're named after figures in Chinese Mythology known as the Four Perils... [[OddNameOut and Zhurong]].

* In ''VideoGame/XCOM2'', Archons are elite soldiers fielded by the [[VichyEarth ADVENT Administration]], and were designed in response to the horrified reaction humans had to the [[AirborneMook Floaters]] who fought in the conquest of Earth. So while Floaters were [[CyberneticsEatYourSoul tortured combinations of alien flesh and metal]], little more than an upper torso fused to a JetPack, Archons have [[WalkingShirtlessScene sculpted bodies]], a [[LightIsNotGood gold and white]] coloration, and a thruster array that resembles stylized wings, giving them an overall angelic look. However, there's obvious seams in their "chest," suggesting they're the same old Floaters stuffed into a new casing, and despite their more human appearance, Archons are just as AxeCrazy as their predecessors, and [[TurnsRed go into a Battle Frenzy upon taking damage.]] When they aren't berserk, Archons like to fight with their [[MacrossMissileMassacre "Blazing Pinions"]] attack, so they're anything but heavenly.

* ''VisualNovel/{{Nerus}}'' is a furry work based primarily on Valentian Gnostic mythology. The "shapeshifters" have several traits in common with mythological archons in being fleshy beings opposed to angels, but context clues imply that the angels might actually be the archons.

* The Wizard's Archon skill in ''VideoGame/DiabloIII'' is a kind of SuperMode, transforming the user temporarily into an EnergyBeing with a different set of powers.

[[folder:Visual Novels]]
* ''VisualNovel/{{Nerus}}'' is a furry work based primarily on Valentian Gnostic mythology. The "shapeshifters" have several traits in common with mythological archons in being fleshy beings opposed to angels, but context clues imply that the angels might actually be the archons.
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Being associated with oppression and bureaucracy, many works have adopted archons as agents of TheConspiracy or evil world orders, keeping the masses as complacent cattle and turning on the protagonists once they discover the truth. In most cases, their Lovecraftian attributes are replaced by more mundane sci-fi gimmicks like being [[AncientAstronauts aliens]] (favourably [[LizardFolk reptilian]] ones). Other times their association with order and angelic traits are enhanced upon, and they become [[KnightTemplar extremists trying to impose order on the world]]. Regardless of their portrayal, it's exceptionally rare to see "classical" archons in media, but as long as themes of OrderVersusChaos remain, so will archons, InNameOnly or not.

** Prior to 4th Edition, Archons are the race of celestials native to the Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia, who correspond to the LawfulGood alignment. Among celestials they're known for their ability to teleport, as well as their "Aura of Menace" (which [[StatusAilment lowers the stats]] of nearby creatures who are hostile towards the archon, until they manage to hit the archon with an attack). From weakest to strongest, they consist of:

[[caption-width-right:350:Know your archons.[[note]]Clockwise from top left: a Protoss archon unit from ''VideoGame/{{Starcraft}}''; the King of Chains from ''ComicBook/TheInvisibles''; Yaldabaoth, a Faced Mechon from ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles''; a lantern archon from ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}''; an ancient coin depicting the Demiurge[[/note]] ]]

* ''ComicBook/{{Hellboy}}'' borrows from Gnostic mythology, though the Archons are instead called Watchers. The Watchers were the first beings created by God, then they were sent to the newborn Earth to watch and protect it. One of them, Anum, stole some ''vril'' (the secret fire of creation) from God, but his creation wound up being the [[EldritchAbomination Ogdru Jahad]], the BigBad of the entire series. Horrified at this creation, the Watchers sealed away the Ogdru Jahad, then turned against Anum and slayed him. At this point, God punished the rest of the Watchers by banishing them all-some of them to Hell, where they became known as demons, and others to Earth, where they became the gods of various mythologies and gave birth to monsters. Meanwhile, Anum's severed right hand was preserved and passed down among many generations of humans, [[spoiler:and eventually wound up as Hellboy's right hand]].

* In ‘’The Hermetic Garbage of WebOriginal/JennyEverywhere'', the Archons of the Redoubt are former time- and dimension-travellers who have retired from individual adventuring, and dwell in a fortress at the End of Time, from which they oversee threats to the stability of the cosmos. Jenny's own mother is one; formerly Captain Amelia Midnight of the hypership ''Zephyrus'', she is now addressed as "Amelia, Archon Midnight".

* In ‘’[[The Hermetic Garbage of]] WebOriginal/JennyEverywhere'', the Archons of the Redoubt are former time- and dimension-travellers who have retired from individual adventuring, and dwell in a fortress at the End of Time, from which they oversee threats to the stability of the cosmos. Jenny's own mother is one; formerly Captain Amelia Midnight of the hypership ''Zephyrus'', she is now addressed as "Amelia, Archon Midnight".

''[[https://jennyeverywhere.fandom.com/wiki/The_Hermetic_Garbage_of_Jenny_Everywhere_(novel*In ‘’[[The Hermetic Garbage of]] WebOriginal/JennyEverywhere'', the Archons of the Redoubt are a group of former time- and dimension-travellers who have retired from individual adventuring, and dwell in a fortress at the End of Time, from which they oversee threats to the stability of the cosmos. Jenny's own mother is one; formerly Captain Amelia Midnight of the hypership ''Zephyrus'', she is now addressed as "Amelia, Archon Midnight".

* In ''[[https://jennyeverywhere.fandom.com/wiki/The_Hermetic_Garbage_of_Jenny_Everywhere_(novel) The Hermetic Garbage of]]'' ''WebOriginal/JennyEverywhere'', the Archons of the Redoubt are a group of former time- and dimension-travellers who have retired from individual adventuring, and dwell in a fortress at the End of Time, from which they oversee threats to the stability of the cosmos. Jenny's own mother is one; formerly Captain Amelia Midnight of the hypership ''Zephyrus'', she is now addressed as "Amelia, Archon Midnight".

* ''Series/DoomPatrol2019'': Much like in the comics, the worshippers of the [[GodIsEvil Decreator]] can become archons. The scene is very faithfully restored.