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Keys turn both ways. You can lock something away...but you can also throw a bolt and set something free. Basically, I see your crazy and raise. It's the only way to live.

The Alpha Key was the first key created by Tyler Locke, made from the Whispering Iron in the fishing lure given to him by his father, Rendell Locke.

History[]

Hat

Rendell's fish hook

The Whispering Iron that would become the Alpha Key originally came from a demon through the Black Door in 1988 at the same time as Dodge.[1] While Dodge was able to find a host in Lucas Caravaggio,[2] another demon was unable to find one and thus turned into Whispering Iron.

After the deaths of Luke, Kim Topher, and Mark Cho, as well as the mental disabilities inflicted on Erin Voss, Rendell Locke went back into the Drowning Cave and found the Whispering Iron. He attempted to melt it away, but was left with a small amount that he couldn't destroy. Due to the magic of the Riffel Rule, Rendell forgot the origin of the metal, and eventually made it into a fishing lure that he would pass to his son, Tyler Locke.

When Tyler learned about the history of his father and his friends by using the Timeshift Key,[1] Tyler requested help from Duncan Locke to teach him how to work metal.[3]

After Tyler was accidentally shot by the partner of Daniel Mutuku, he was brought to the Mending Cabinet, where he spoke with an apparition of his father. Rendell told Tyler that he "can and can't save someone who has been infected", and that "keys turn both ways", giving Tyler the inspiration for the Alpha Key.

AlphaKey

Tyler hiding the Alpha Key in his hat.

While Duncan held back the shadows, Tyler went to the foundry and forged the key. He went down to the Drowning Cave, and used the Key on the possessed Scot Kavanaugh, killing the demon inside him, turning it to Whispering Iron inside Scot's body. Scot's life was prolonged as he wore the Hercules Key, and Tyler used the Alpha Key on another possessed student, saving her from the demon but killing her immediately. Tyler left the Alpha Key in the girl's chest as he left to pursue Dodge. It was taken by Jamal Saturday, who gave it to Scot after the group returned to the surface. Scot used it to save Jackie Veda, and after removing the Hercules Key, the two died.[4]

Tyler later summons Dodge once again in the body of Lucas Caravaggio using the Echo Key. Wanting to free Lucas' soul from Dodge, Tyler uses the Alpha Key on him, killing Dodge once and for all and separating Lucas' soul from that of the demon's so that he can finally have peace.[5]

Netflix Adaptation[]

After his girlfriend, Jackie, is possessed by a demon, Tyler decides to create a new key to unlock demons from a person's soul, the Alpha Key. Tyler finds a piece of Whispering Iron in his father's old fishing lure, but it speaks to Tyler instead of Duncan, meaning that Tyler must create the new key himself.[6] With Duncan guiding him through the process, Tyler manages to make the key. Although Tyler succeeds in using the key to kill the demon possessing Jackie, the key also kills Jackie[7] with paramedics stating that it looks like she died of an aneurysm.[8]

During the final battle with Dodge, Tyler uses the key to kill several demons, including the one possessing Daniel Mutuku. Later, as Dodge fights Kinsey, Tyler stabs her in the back of the head with the Alpha Key, killing Dodge. Lucas is separated from the demon by the key, but as an Echo, it can't kill him, and he survives the separation. A week later, when he leaves on a road trip, Tyler leaves the Alpha Key with Kinsey.[8]

Months later, when Frederick Gideon lays siege to Keyhouse, the Lockes take the Alpha Key out of the Harlequin Chest as it is the only way of stopping him. During the battle, after a time-displaced Dodge earns her trust, Kinsey gives the demon the Alpha Key. Dodge nearly succeeds in killing Gideon with it, but she is suddenly returned to her own time as the Timeshift Key's time limit runs out. The Alpha Key falls from her as she disappears, leaving it in the possession of Gideon along with all the other keys.[9] When Gideon goes after the missing Creation Key, he locks the Alpha Key in the Harlequin Chest along with all the rest of the keys.[10]

Under attack by a seemingly unstoppable Gideon, Kinsey uses the Creation Key to create a door in the chest and remove the Alpha Key. Unaware that Kinsey has the Alpha Key, Gideon grabs her and dangles Kinsey over the portal that he would created to his world, threatening to drop Kinsey in if he is not given the Creation Key. Kinsey stabs Gideon in the heart with the Alpha Key, but unlike Dodge and the other demons, his death is not to be virtually instantaneous and he attempts to throw Kinsey into the portal as the Alpha Key's power consumes him. Tyler and Bode pull Kinsey to safety, and Nina shoves Gideon into the portal with the Alpha Key still in his chest. Gideon dies from the Alpha Key's power as he and the key are sent back to his world.[11]

Uses[]

When a person is possessed by a demon, the Alpha Key has the power to separate the demon from the host's soul. When the Alpha Key is near the host's chest, a lock appears on their chest and when the Alpha Key is inserted and turned, the demon materializes inside the host and turns into Whispering Iron. This kills the demon; however, the process also kills the host.[4]

Netflix Adaptation[]

The key works much the same way as in the comics. However, while it is never explicitly said why the key kills the host, and the paramedics suggesting that Jackie suffered an aneurysm rather than heavy metal poisoning, liquid metal leaks out of the host's eyes in the same way it does in the comics,[12][7][11] which may suggest the metal was involved. In addition, unlike the comics when the key was fatal to Lucas Caravaggio despite him being an Echo, in this version, Lucas is completely unharmed and restored to normal by the key's use.

Furthermore, it doesn't appear to matter where the key is used on a demon's body: Tyler stabbed Jackie in the back while giving her a hug, stabbed Mutuku in the chest, and appeared to stab Dodge in the back of the head. In turn, Dodge attempts to stab Gideon in the side of the neck and Kinsey stabs Gideon in the heart when the key is successfully used on him.

With most demons, including Dodge, the Alpha Key kills them almost instantly. However, with Gideon, who is stated to be so powerful that he's like a god to the other demons, he remains alive for a little longer, even as the Alpha Key's power works on him, causing liquid metal to come out of the demon's eyes and mouth as the key kills him.[11]

Guide to the Known Keys entry[]

GTKK Alpha Key 1

"ALPHA KEY (Possessed Souls Fixer)"

Trivia[]

  • This key and its counterpart, the Omega Key, were created in reverse order. As has been stated, the Omega Key was created first, and the Alpha Key was created last, about 237 years later.
  • The fact that this key kills a demon but also kills the host in the process makes it similar to the demon-killing knife and angel blade from Supernatural.

Info[]

References[]

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