The story of Marcus Pierce from the TV series Lucifer.
Origins[]
Cain was born thousands of years ago to the first man Adam and the first woman Eve, along with his brother, Abel, whom he considered to be an "ass-hat". While he was initially a farmer as opposed to his brother being a shepherd, Cain eventually killed him and became the world's first murderer.
Angered, God sent Amenadiel to mark Cain which cursed him with immortality and left him to walk the Earth alone for eternity. Over the years, Cain watched everyone he cares for die, did everything there is to do (sex, music, sport, food, etc.) and went everyplace there is to go.
Eventually, Cain, having grown completely bored of not dying and was sick of everything he loved "turning to ash" repeatedly, he made it his sole purpose to find a way to end his own life. He tried every method of dying "since the Bronze Age", including jumping in a treacherous volcano, getting chopped by chainsaw, devoured by wolves, dropping in helicopter blades, killed by demon blades forged in hell, grenade down the throat and dipping in an acid bath.
But no matter what he did, he kept healing from any method he tried. He also kept an eye on every Celestial that ever visited Earth, including Lucifer Morningstar, Amenadiel, Mazikeen, Goddess and Gaudium.
Cain eventually became a criminal mastermind known as the Sinnerman, developing a fearsome reputation within the underworld. His signature trait was that he gave out favors to various people that included both criminals and ordinary citizens. Through this method, he helped them out with anything they wanted in exchange for doing something for him, and he would often use these favors to tie up any loose ends against him. He also at some point adopted the legal alias "Marcus Pierce" and went under the guise of a police lieutenant.
Sometime in the 20th century, Pierce befriended a boy who he later mentored and groomed into being his right-hand, while secretly using him as a decoy and figurehead for his operations and dealing out favors. Eventually though, the decoy went rogue on him for unknown reasons, prompting Pierce to find him and kill him to tie up loose ends.
Meeting Lucifer and Chloe[]
In 2017, after learning that L.A.P.D. detective Chloe Decker somehow made the devil himself bleed, he believed that it could do the same with him. With a new glimmer of hope that he could get what he truly wanted, he arranged his own transfer to the police department in Los Angeles to test this theory.
Needing Lucifer out of the way in order to do so, Pierce cashed in one of his favors and hired someone to kidnap Lucifer when Chloe was nearby, having him left in middle of the desert. However, much to the surprise of Pierce, Lucifer returned earlier than he predicted with his angel wings somehow fully restored. But, still confident that this wouldn't be much of a problem to his scheme, Pierce continued forward with his plan.
Pierce meeting Lucifer for the first time.
Upon arriving at the L.A.P.D., Pierce met the department's members Dan Espinoza, Ella Lopez and of course Lucifer and Chloe. Still maintaining his facade, Pierce pointed out Lucifer's recklessness, thus not getting off on the right track with any of them. Pierce then oversaw their current murder case that involved Lucifer's kidnapping.
After the case, the suspect was being released on bail which was being questioned by Chloe. Pierce, knowing that the suspect is connected to his secret operations, shrugged off this suspicion and simply stated that it was "out of their hands". Later, Pierce had the suspect brutally killed because he failed to complete his job and whose body was then found by the L.A.P.D., which horrified both Lucifer and Chloe.
A few days later, Pierce creepily watches Lucifer, Chloe and Dan at the latest crime scene. Later, he orders Dan to gather up any information that he found in his previous investigations when he and Chloe were married at the time. That night, Pierce breaks into Lucifer's loft and declares him as an idiot for going after "the Sinnerman", secretly knowing that the risk of everyone knowing would lead the trail back to him.
He then lies to him that he butted heads with him in Chicago to implying that they were archenemies. Lucifer, however, refuses to stand down. The next day, Pierce confronts Lucifer and notes that what he said was true about "the Sinnerman" being in Los Angeles, but demands him to keep it between them. Lucifer agrees. A week later, one of Pierce's criminal subordinates, Lieutenant Herrera was arrested for his crimes, in which it was learned that Pierce used him to learn more about Mazikeen.
The next week, Pierce is approached by Chloe in his office who requests for her resume to be built to fill the vacant union rep position. Pierce flatly declines it and then gives her the next murder case before booting her out of his office. He later chides Chloe for not making an arrest yet. While overseeing the interrogation of a suspect, Pierce praises Lucifer's methods much to Chloe's chagrin and later that night, Pierce joins Chloe in confronting a new suspect.
Upon arriving, wanting to test the theory of her rendering him vulnerable, secretly alerts them. He then bickers with Chloe about her value to the L.A.P.D. and lies that he came to the precinct to see her in action, which makes her happy. After seeing the suspect, taking this opportunity, he dives in front of her to get shot. However, this theory is debunked as he easily survived after arriving at hospital. He then compliments her efforts, but is secretly disappointed in the result of his theory.
Confronting his Decoy[]
Pierce confronting and arrest his former secret decoy.
Released from hospital, Pierce is in his office where Chloe enters and asks for a personal day off. He curtly says he will consider it, annoying Chloe as she leaves for a new murder crime scene, the body of someone who Lucifer actually recognized. After another body drops that is the same as the last victim, Lucifer rightfully believes that "the Sinnerman" is connected.
Chloe, believing that "the Sinnerman is an urban legend in the underworld, still doesn't believe him but Pierce steps in to say that he is definitely real but that this is not his M.O. Needing involvement to getting involved in the case to get "the Sinnerman", Pierce goes with Chloe to find and track him down. While waiting for a crime lord to arrange a meeting, the two start bonding. Chloe asks why Pierce is obsessed with finding "the Sinnerman".
Wanting to maintain his facade, Pierce lies that he killed his brother, completely convincing her effortlessly. He then sympathizes with Chloe confessing that the personal day was the anniversary of her father's death. They then spot a man arriving and after Lucifer called, they learn that the man is indeed "the Sinnerman".
They pursue him throughout the diner and after he tries to escape through the back, Pierce stops him. "Sinnerman" tries to tempt him into killing him. After convincing by Chloe, Pierce, unable to kill his former friend, instead arrests him. They then inform Lucifer after he arrives.
A few days later, Pierce has "Sinnerman" brought into interrogation. They then learn that he has kidnapped a woman and threatens to kill her. Since she was kidnapped after his arrest, Pierce comes to the conclusion that "the Sinnerman" has a secret accomplice. He also sees this as an obvious escape plan. Later, he is distracted by Ella while Chloe and Lucifer sneak "Sinnerman" out to find the girl.
He, however, catches on and appears in the driver seat but, to agrees to help. "The Sinnerman" leads them to the girl but they learn it is a trap and that he and Lucifer are gone. Having deduced that Lucifer kidnapped "Sinnerman", they quickly track them down and, now able to fulfill his task and kills "Sinnerman" to keep him from talking. At the precinct, Pierce is approached by Ella but angrily yells at her for "talking too much", greatly upsetting Ella.
Pierce's true identity and nature being outed by Lucifer.
Lucifer, after realizing who Pierce really is, calls him to Lux to establish his theory that "the Sinnerman" was actually a scapegoat who was working for someone else, and then compares a photo of a young "Sinnerman" with a man whose mark on his arm resembles the shape of Pierce's tattoo. Pierce is amused by this theory, even though it is correct, and asks for proof. Without being able to counteract, Pierce is stabbed by Lucifer in the chest with a large knife and then seemingly dies, only for him awaken in pain before pulling the blade out, therefore outing his true nature and identity to Lucifer.
Identity Exposed[]
Pierce comes clean to Lucifer about who he really is and confirms that the decoy referred to as "the Sinnerman" was "the closest he had to a friend" and after he went rogue for unknown reasons, he had to take him out. Lucifer accuses him of being an emissary of God, but Pierce denies it and then shrugs off his threat of exposure, bringing up how no one even believes he's the devil before leaving Lux.
With no reason to stay at the L.A.P.D., Pierce decides to transfer and begins packing up, much to Chloe's dismay and later Lucifer's surprise. Pierce is then scolded by the new prosecutor Charlotte Richards in the break-room for yelling at Ella Lopez, much to his dissatisfaction. Later, to make progress in the murder case involving a surfer tribe, Pierce oversees alongside Chloe in her plan involving Dan joining the tribe. He simply declares that it isn't a good idea but Chloe convinces him to have faith in the plan. Whilst waiting for a development, he and Chloe begin bonding as she tries to convince him that he doesn't have to leave.
Lucifer then arrives and asks to talk to Pierce, prompting Chloe to leave in dissatisfaction. Lucifer demands answer where Pierce tells him to ask what he desires, in which he does so and learns he wants to die. He explains that his immortality is his own personal Hell and he reveals that he had him kidnapped, kept an eye on the celestial beings on Earth, arrived in Los Angeles to see if Chloe's affect on Lucifer's immortality would do the same for him (hence tipping off the farmer who shot him before they arrived to question him) only for no result. He then states that he had nothing to do with Lucifer's wings returning, in which he believes.
Pierce forming an alliance with Lucifer to end his immortality.
As Pierce started leaving the precinct, he saw Ella in the lab and, feeling guilty for harshly yelling at her, approaches her to apologize, in which she accepts and hugs him that results in him smiling. Lucifer, after theorizing that God restored his wings to stop Pierce from defying him, approaches Pierce and offers to help him achieve his greatest desire: to permanently die. Pierce accepts this offer.
Partnership with Lucifer[]
Lucifer calls Pierce to his loft and after he arrives, he finds Lucifer about to attack him with a chainsaw, only for Pierce to assure him that if it were that easy, he would have been dead already. Pierce shocks Lucifer after ticking off every death method there is, including jumping in a volcano (which he claimed was rough six months of healing).
He then explained that he cut himself in half, only for one half to fully regrow; and that he had already tried a demon blade before. Disappointed Lucifer's progress, Pierce already began to lose faith in his attempt to make good on his promise and leaves the loft.
Later, Lucifer attempts to fill in the shoes of Linda Martin's role as a therapist in order to find out what makes Pierce vulnerable, and even rearranged his office. As Pierce leaves in a huff, he bumps into Chloe, who is thrilled to see that Pierce hadn't left the L.A.P.D. She asks for assistance in the new case involving a newly murdered woman who turns out to be a criminal, in which her death is found to be connected to her role of cooking "K-pop", a form of ecstasy.
To get close to solving the case, Chloe has Pierce and Lucifer go undercover in a neighborhood as a newly married gay couple, annoying Pierce. Eventually, after the case is solved, Pierce notes that as much as Lucifer wants to help him end his mortality, he is more interested in using him to get revenge on his father.
Confronting Amenadiel[]
At the precinct, Lucifer arrives in Pierce's office and tells him to take off his shirt. Lucifer realizes that the only way to render him mortal is to understand the mark on his arm. Pierce notes that he already did read every book and analyzed every language to no avail. Nevertheless, he still complies.
Lucifer then asks where his tattoo is, for which Pierce explains that since his body constantly heals, he must reapply the tattoo every few months and he only bothers because it represents his curse. Getting infuriated, Pierce then questions his sources for information. Lucifer then notes that since Amenadiel is brainy one, they should ask him.
Lucifer later returns to tell a dissatisfied Pierce that Amenadiel won't help him before explaining that him learning that he is God's favorite made him "a bit of a dick". Pierce, catching on what Lucifer said, realizes that Amenadiel, being God's supposed favorite son, is most likely the one who marked him. This leaves Pierce satisfied now that he knew which angel was the one to let anger out on for marking him.
Pierce fighting Amenadiel for giving him his mark.
Aware that he was at Lux, Pierce confronted Amenadiel, first explaining how he hates being immortal and that it has been a "literal Hell on Earth", and then confirms that he did indeed put the mark on him. Amenadiel refuses. Pierce then pulls out a gun and points it at someone, threatening him to tell him or he kills the man.
Amenadiel then insists that even if he wanted, he didn't know how to. Believing him, Pierce still shot in the air to clear the nightclub before proceeding to assault Amenadiel. After a few rounds, they are at even ground before Amenadiel throws him onto a stack of spikes and ordered him to accept his punishment. Pierce points out that he and Amenadiel both tried to kill their brothers, but that Amenadiel's failure makes him worse. He then leaves the club.
Reunion with Abel[]
Pierce listens to Lucifer's new plan to try and end his curse, which involved Lucifer going down to Hell and releasing his brother Abel's spirit in order to inhabit a dead body on Earth. Aware that they need a fresh body for it to work and questioning how to do so, they were alerted by Chloe of an explosion which brings up the possibility of new dead bodies.
They arrive at the hospital and as Pierce waits for a 97-year-old victim to reawaken, Lucifer goes down to Hell and releases Abel's soul, only for him to inhabit the body of another victim, Bree Arland, and leaves, upsetting Pierce, particularly as the mark on his arm is still present. They turn to Maze for guidance on how to find Abel and they therefore track him down. However, upon arriving, Amenadiel appears and tries to rectify his resurrection only to fail and result in a mass shootout.
Pierce reuniting with his long-deceased brother Abel.
Pierce arrives at Lucifer's loft and manipulates Maze by telling her that Amenadiel would hate it if she helped him. Maze hops right on board and says Abel would occasionally do something Maze never saw coming, only for Abel to burst in and shoot Pierce in the chest, then does an endearingly dorky victory dance over his body. Pierce doesn’t stay down long, though, and Abel falls to the floor and begs her brother to make this death quick. But Pierce explains that this isn’t a Hell loop and tells him he is truly alive. Later, Pierce helps walk Abel, Chloe and Lucifer over the phone in defusing a bomb related to the previous bombing.
Cain and Abel part as almost-friends where Abel expresses sympathy that he’s been living through his own version of Hell on Earth and then leaves to seek his own way in the new world. As he walks away, Lucifer arrives to dissolve his agreement with Pierce, even though he’s still got the mark. Lucifer’s fine endangering himself, but he can’t risk Chloe’s life anymore. Pierce is surprised that the devil’s going back on his word, and Lucifer agrees but says it’s the easiest decision he ever made. Pierce says that’s fine because as long as Abel’s alive, he still has hope for ending his mortality. But, almost instantly, Abel crosses the street and gets nailed by an ambulance, upsetting Pierce and shocking Lucifer.
Losing Hope of Mortality[]
Following the end of his deal with Lucifer, Pierce ends into a deep depression as he begins losing hope in ending his immortality and passes the time nursing his wounds at the precinct with a guitar and a little Kansas. Ella arrives to try and cheer him up but to no success. Dan arrives and then Ella suggests that he takes the lieutenant to Lux for a drink, much to Dan's protests.
Pierce starts droning about the eternal wasteland of meaningless existence, "like a beaten dog scrounging by the side of the road". Amenadiel arrives and begins gloating on Pierce's gloominess and congratulates himself on ending the immortal's alliance with Lucifer and passed God's test. Pierce quickly fires back regarding the absence of his wings, only for the angel to feel unfazed by this attempted insult.
Pierce asking Chloe out on a date.
Still at Lux, Amenadiel and Pierce watch the events regarding the latest murder case unfold. Amenadiel states that if even the literal devil can feel love, there is hope for them all. This initially snaps Pierce out of his current depression and sparks some hope back into him. Taking Amenadiel's statement to heart, Pierce approaches Chloe and asks her to a concert with her, for which she accepts. He later arrives at the precinct for Chloe and they both head off to the concert, much to Lucifer's chagrin.
Manipulating Chloe's Feelings[]
Pierce decides to get close to Chloe in the hope it would lead to making himself mortal. The pair go to an Axara concert and have dinner together. Lucifer gets jealous of Chloe's attention to Pierce, but later realizes that she can have all sorts of relationships in her life. Aware that Maze desires to return to Hell, having become done with co-existing with humans, Pierce approaches her just as she is about to leave Los Angeles, offering a partnership so that he can finally die and she can return to the underworld.
Pierce realizing that his mark was gone and he was finally mortal.
Pierce asks Chloe to meet him in the evidence room. Once Chloe arrives, they begin their sexual rendezvous, which gets noticed by Ella in the next room. Pierce gets closer to Chloe but struggles to get her to take the next step in their relationship and get her to say that she loves him. When he arrives back in his home, he notices that Maze has trespassed on his property and warns her of the legal repercussions for such a crime to which Maze responded that they would have to catch her first. Maze impatiently asks Pierce whether it is time to kill him to which he said that it wasn't as he still possessed the mark. Maze then asked how Pierce would like to die and if he wanted a painful death, to which he declined as he had had plenty of painful deaths already. Maze then remarks that his death will result in suffering even if he isn't the one experiencing it. Maze begins to tell Pierce how ruthless it would be to make Chloe fall in love with him and then vanish and the pain it would cause to her. When he later arrives at Chloe's apartment with some chocolate cake, he nearly has her tell him that she loves him before realizing how his death would impact Chloe and decides to end their relationship in fear of further hurting her. When Lucifer realized what Pierce had been doing and seen how much he had hurt Chloe, infuriatingly confronts Pierce in his home and demanded to know why he did it. During their confrontation, Lucifer notices that Pierce's mark was gone, thus rendering him mortal.
Rivalry for Chloe's Heart[]
Lucifer and Pierce began bickering as to why Pierce's mark was finally removed, to which Pierce's belief that Chloe's love would render immortals vulnerable was correct, much to Lucifer's disbelief, who recommended that he finally kill himself since it was all he ever wanted, but Pierce doesn't proceed to do so. The next day at the precinct, Pierce was confronted by Ella who demanded to know why he did so. Pierce initially tried to defend his actions, but, upon realizing that he was genuinely in love with Chloe as he broke up with her to protect her, he came to the conclusion that he can grow old with her now that he is mortal, thus prompting his new mission to win her back, with Ella fully supporting him with her good faith.
Pierce asking Chloe to marry him.
Pierce arrives at the latest crime scene to tell her that he got scared the night before, but he does love her and wants to be with her. However, Chloe declares that she doesn't trust what he says anymore. Continuing his apology tour, Pierce later covers Chloe’s car with roses and a note that reads, "No more empty words". He later exchanges notes with a fence, unaware that Amenadiel and Charlotte Richards are spying on him to prove his ties to the criminal underworld. After leaving, Pierce catches Charlotte pursuing him and knows that they do not believe his love for Chloe before declaring the contrary. The next day, Pierce asks her to dinner to which she accepts but she does not arrive to. Later, Pierce turns up at Chloe's apartment and asks her to marry him and she accepts while Lucifer secretly sees.
Pierce getting furious after realizing that Chloe loves Lucifer more than him.
In the precinct, Pierce was confronted by Maze who learned about their engagement. Pierce later has a drink with Amenadiel, who claimed to have been happy (but was secretly against it). Amenadiel brought up that losing his immortality isn't always worth it, as being mortal allows death to still steal his happiness. Pierce went over to check up on Trixie for Chloe, who was at a sleepover, but he brought her home when she wanted to. Maze arrived at the apartment, who figured out that the mark was fake. Before she could kill him, Pierce used Trixie's presence as a human shield, angering Maze. Chloe later returned from her bachelorette party and Pierce considered that they don't overthink their wedding. Chloe, who was having second thoughts about the engagement, ends their engagement, breaking Pierce's heart. The next day at the precinct, he notices her hanging out with Lucifer, realizing that she was actually in love with Lucifer, greatly angering him.
Fateful Mistake[]
Knowing that Chloe was actually more in love with Lucifer than with him, Pierce comes up with a plan to remove him: he'll kill Amenadiel to reclaim his mark (therefore his immortality), frame Lucifer so he can return to Hell and he can win back Chloe. Maze, still furious with Pierce initially going against their deal, finds him hiding out in an old refinery, where he fills her in on the new plan so Lucifer can get her back to Hell. He sends her with a syringe to knock out Amenadiel to bring her back so he can kill him.
Pierce accidentally killing Charlotte Richards.
After Maze returns without Amenadiel, he accuses her of chickening out and decides to kill Amenadiel himself. Maze, not wanting to let that happen, fights him and gains the upper-hand. However, Pierce mentions that if she kills him, Linda Martin gets hurt, and uses this advantage to knock her out with the syringe.
Pierce finds Amenadiel and Charlotte Richards sitting together at a bench overlooking Los Angeles. Taking his as an opportunity to further his plan, Pierce hides in nearby bushes and aims his gun at Amenadiel. However, Charlotte hears his rustling in the bushes and as he fires, she ends up shielding him as the bullet hits her. Pierce, shocked by what had just unfolded, quickly retreats.
Death[]
Knowing that Lucifer will come after him for the rest of his life if he finds out he killed Charlotte, Pierce keeps his cool at the crime scene of her death. He advises Dan to go home and that they will find out who did it, unintentionally leading Dan to go through her files and find a case file on him. At that moment, Pierce, afraid for his life regarding Lucifer, decides to set up a frame job so he can kill him. He meets with his new right-hand John Barrow to call in a favour and warns him that his fear of dying and losing everything just makes him that much more dangerous. He also has some of his men to watch over a knocked-out Maze, but this ultimately failed. Later, Pierce, emotionally eulogies Charlotte to the precinct, unaware that Lucifer, Chloe and Dan realize that he's faking his grief.
Pierce realizing that Lucifer was onto him.
Pierce, using the cigarette for the frame job, has Ella scan it for a match and traces it to a man whom Charlotte was prosecuting for embezzlement, and as so, Lucifer, Chloe and Dan investigate him. He later speaks with Ella who said that Dan spoke of a frame job. Fearing of his exposure, Pierce sends Barrow to kill him, which was a setup. Later, Lucifer confronts him that he knows he killed Charlotte. Pierce confesses to what he did and said it was an accident. After Lucifer points out that hid only disappeared because he fell in love with Chloe and not the other way around, Pierce calls for help and has Lucifer dragged out. Pierce then receives a call from Chloe, who confesses that she, Dan and Ella all know that he is the Sinnerman and he killed Charlotte. He tries to defend his actions but she doesn't believe anything that he says and tells him to turn himself in or they will make Barrow talk. He lies and says that he will kill the man's sister if he talks. At that moment, he learns that Maze has escaped.
Pierce's final fight with Lucifer.
Knowing that Barrow will talk if they protect his "sister", he sets up an ambush. Eventually, Lucifer and Chloe arrive and Pierce has them at gunpoint. He explains that he cannot leave Los Angeles until he kills Lucifer, knowing that he will not stop until he kills him for what he has done. Chloe is able to use Pierce's love for her to throw him off his game enough to shoot him, only for one of his men to shoot her. Angered, he orders his men to shoot them, only for Lucifer to use his wings to protect him and an unconscious Chloe before retreating. He later returns and knocks out his men, leaving Pierce on his own. After shooting him to no avail, Pierce takes out a demon blade, knowing that it can kill him. They start fighting which ends with Lucifer stabbing him in the chest.
As he lays dying, he believes that since he doesn't regret a lot of his actions, he is going to Heaven. Lucifer, however, knowing that he regrets killing Charlotte, tells him that his guilt of killing Charlotte will be his constant torture in Hell as he knows deep down that he is a monster and he cannot escape from who he truly is. Knowing that Chloe was about to walk in and see Lucifer's devil-face that had now returned, Pierce spitefully tells Lucifer that he cannot either just before laughing as he finally succumbs to his wound and dies once and for all.
Legacy[]
A news article of Pierce's death.
Following his death, Pierce's actions had an effect on some of the protagonists while his true occupation as the real Sinnerman was presumably exposed. His killing of Charlotte, which is widely considered a line he shouldn't have crossed, had a major effect on Dan Espinoza, who became bitter and deluded the point that he constantly blamed Lucifer for it along with everything else that has gone wrong in their lives and would chastise him at every chance he got. Pierce's death was brought up by Amenadiel when he encountered his mother Eve, who explained that she met both Charlotte and "sweet and gentle" Abel (his two most notable victims) in Heaven, adding that he got what he deserved. This proved that even his mother was ashamed of him for what he had done.
Pierce killing Charlotte also caused Ella to lose her faith in God and no longer believed that he is real, as she felt betrayed by her former boss and became depressed to the extent that she now believed that life is unfair no matter what you do or why. Pierce's actions also caused Lucifer to regain his "devil-face" as the two of them saw themselves as monsters, which inadvertently led to Chloe witnessing his face and finally learning everything he said was all true, leaving her initially horrified. Her fear of him and whether or not he was putting on a façade led to her encountering Father Kinley in Rome, who tells her that everything history says about Lucifer is true and convinces her to help him send the devil back to Hell. Although, she later had second thoughts and changed her mind, seeing Lucifer capable of changing. Pierce's manipulations of both Mazikeen and Amenadiel caused them to reconcile with their friends and loved ones. When Eve refused to become immortal, she explained it was because of what happened to Pierce and how it affected him.