The Hollow (Charmed)

The Hollow
Charmed character
First appearance	"Charmed and Dangerous"
Last appearance	"Forever Charmed"
Created by	Brad Kern
Information
Classification	Mystical vapor

The Hollow is a fictional entity created by Brad Kern for the American television series, Charmed. It first appears in the fourth season of the supernatural drama and is used again in the last two episodes of the series in its eighth season. It is an essence that can possess any living being, and when it is allowed to take on a corporeal form, it was portrayed by Peter Woodward, Julian McMahon, Holly Marie Combs, Alyssa Milano, Rose McGowan, Kaley Cuoco, Marnette Patterson, Lawrence Smilgys, and Robert Madrid.

Characteristics

Description

The Hollow is an ancient vapour and the most powerful force of unknown origin which absorbs all forms of magic it comes in contact with, whether it be good or evil. It appears in a swarm of vapor-like particles floating in mid-air that constitutes a power similar to a black hole, and it can also reside inside a magical living being, thus possessing their corporeal form. It cannot be destroyed by any known means, rather it can only be contained when powerful representatives from both sides of good and evil join forces.^[1] It actually possesses no mind or personality but rather acts like a virus in a vacuum, mindlessly consuming all magic it touches. It is kept in an ancient burial ground and is heavily guarded by powerful representatives of both sides.^[1] It has been said that this is the "ultimate power" that will be the end of good and evil, therefore creating a void as a reality. The Hollow's only desire is to absorb power. Anyone possessed by the Hollow will only be able to control it for a short time. They will gradually fall victim to its insatiable hunger for more power. In their quest for more power, anyone possessed by it will ultimately destroy all magic.

The Hollow also appears to exist outside of space and time; every time it is released it changes the future. The first time it was released during the series' run, the Seer foresaw that the Source had indeed destroyed all magic. The second time, after Christy and Billie had used it to absorb Wyatt's powers, Wyatt's future self lost his powers while battling demons in his own time.

Storylines

Background

The Hollow was last released 3,500 years ago. It was only contained when the most powerful representatives from the sides of both good and evil joined forces to put it back in its containment. Both sides took the responsibility of guarding The Hollow by composing an incantation to be recited together by good and evil.^[1] The spell was made to contain the essence in an enchanted box and kept it in the Ancient Burial Ground which exists in infinity, outside of space and time. Both sides also agreed that no one could even visit the burial ground in order to prevent its release and risk the destruction of all magic. The brief history of the Hollow and its guardians appears in the Halliwells' Book of Shadows.^[1]

Season four

In the fourth season of Charmed, The Source breaks the agreement between good and evil when he steals the Hollow to use against the Charmed Ones. The Seer, the Source's principal advisor, vehemently opposes this, as it would ultimately lead to the destruction of all magic. She even warned him that the future will become a void if he continued in this madness.^[1] However, the Source was so consumed by his determination to eliminate the Charmed Ones that he persisted. He barged into the crypt, killed the good guardian, and set about stealing the Charmed Ones' powers. Piper Halliwell's powers were taken by the demon guardian, while Paige Matthews' powers were taken by a Darklighter. The Seer, convinced that the Source has gone mad, talks Cole Turner into taking in the Hollow to help the Charmed Ones vanquish the Source. The Charmed Ones trapped the Source in a crystal cage, and were about to use the magic of their entire line against him when the Source orbed one of the crystals out of the way. At that moment, Cole shimmers in and ran in front of a fireball hurled by the Source, absorbing his powers in the process. With Cole distracting him by throwing fireballs at him, the Charmed Ones then vanquished the Source. The Seer and Phoebe Halliwell then spoke a spell and returned the Hollow to its crypt.^[1]

The day was not a total loss for the forces of evil, however. Unknown to Cole and the Charmed Ones, the Seer intended for Cole to become the new Source and help her set up a new evil order. She believed that if she could get Cole to take in the Hollow and absorb the Source's powers, the Source's essence and powers would enter the void in Cole's soul where Belthazor had once been and stay there once the Hollow was contained. As a result, while the Charmed Ones got their powers back from the Hollow, the Source's essence and powers remained in Cole, thus making him the embodiment of the Source.^[1]

Season eight

In season eight, the Triad are not satisfied with having fought the Charmed Ones to a draw. As part of their plan to use another pair of powerful sister witches, Billie and Christy Jenkins, to kill the Charmed Ones, they decide to have the Jenkinses summon the Hollow. However, Nomed, a younger demon who had previously worked with the Triad, got wind of this and suggested the Charmed Ones to summon it in order to even the odds. Phoebe and Paige still remember how the Hollow infected the Source and Cole five years earlier, and are initially skeptical about taking this step. However, Piper fears it's even riskier to let the Jenkinses get the Hollow first, and eventually convinces Phoebe and Paige to go along. She believes that they'll be able to kill the Triad and the Jenkinses, then send the Hollow away before they get infected.^[2]

It takes three upper-level witches, to summon the Hollow. The Halliwells were thus able to use their own magic to summon it, but the Jenkinses have to get Wyatt Halliwell to hold hands with them so they'll have enough power to do so. Both sets of sisters summon the Hollow at the same time, and it splits into two vapors and goes into all five girls. The Charmed Ones then use their Hollow-enhanced powers to vanquish the Triad, while the Jenkinses steal Wyatt's powers so they'll be evenly matched with the Halliwells. When the Charmed Ones return to the Manor to confront the Jenkinses, both sets of sisters are surprised that the other neither has or needs vanquishing potions. The Jenkinses throw fire and the Halliwells reply with lightning. The power is so strong that it blows the Manor to bits, killing Phoebe, Paige and Christy.^[2] Piper goes back in time to fix the present, and seeks the help of her mother, Patty and her grandmother, Penny, both summoned from the past, to re-create the "Power of Three" and extract the Hollow from the sisters, thus sending it back to the ancient burial ground.^[3]

The Guardians of the Hollow

The Guardians of The Hollow are two high-ranking, powerful beings from both sides who are tasked to watch over the Hollow. It is eternally kept inside its containment in the Ancient Burial Ground. They appear to be thousands of years old as they were chosen to guard The Hollow as early as 3,500 years ago.

Powers and abilities

The Angel of Light had the powers of hovering, telekinesis and orbing. The evil guardian, an upper-level demon, had the powers of lightning bolts, telekinesis and shimmering.

Spells

To Contain The Hollow:

Aboleo exitum cavium du eternias^[1]

To Summon the Hollow:

Nos Dico Super

In Concesses Vox

Bonus Quod Malum

Ultirisque A Profugus

Addo Is Hic

Addo Is Iam

To Extract the Hollow from a Possessed Being:

Iam is Addo,

Hic Is Addo

Malum Quod Bonus,

Vox In Consesses,

Super Dico Nos ^[3]

See also

• The Source (Charmed)
• The similar character Ungoliant from The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien.

References

1. "Charmed and Dangerous". Charmed. 2002-02-07. The WB Television Network.
2. "Kill Billie Vol. 2". Charmed. 2006-05-14. The WB Television Network.
3. "Forever Charmed". Charmed. 2006-05-21. The WB Television Network.