The Father Will Kill the Son

Connor is prophesied to destroy the time-shifting demon known as Sahjhan. In an effort to negate the prophecy and save his own life, Sahjhan travels back and forth through time and rewrites the prophecy to read "The father will kill the son," in reference to Angel and Connor. Shocked and worried for the baby's safety, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce kidnaps the baby and plans on taking him away from Angel permanently in order to save his life. However, before Wesley has the chance to leave Los Angeles, Daniel Holtz orders his follower Justine Cooper to slit Wesley's throat and take Connor as vengeance for Angel's murder of his own family centuries ago. It was Holtz's intent to raise Connor as his own son, even renaming him Steven Franklin Thomas Holtz. However, there were several factions that wanted baby Connor for different reasons, ultimately resulting in no one getting what they really wanted. The lawyers at Wolfram & Hart wanted the miracle baby to dissect and analyze it, Sahjhan wanted the baby killed, Holtz wanted to escape and raise the baby as his own, and Angel just wanted his son returned. In an intense power play, Holtz runs into a portal to a hell dimension, opened by Sahjhan, called Quor-Toth, with baby Connor in his arms.

Connor's Return

Since time runs more quickly in Quor-Toth, Connor ages at an accelerated rate in relation to the time on Earth. He is forced to constantly fight for his life in this violent, demonic dimension. Holtz raises Connor as his own son Steven and tells him tales about Angelus, Angel's soulless vampiric persona, not telling Connor anything about what Angel has become since regaining his soul. This effectively turns Connor against his true father and Connor grows to despise him. Mere days have passed since his disappearance in Los Angeles when Connor (called "The Destroyer" by beings in Quor-Toth) suddenly returns, now nearly eighteen years old. He had discovered a rift in the dimension and is transported into the lobby of the Hyperion Hotel with one goal: to kill Angel. Conflict and confusion are abundant as Connor adjusts to L.A. and is further manipulated by Holtz, who had followed him back into this reality. Eventually, under his own plan, Holtz is killed by Justine in a manner that frames Angel for the action. Enraged, Connor (with help from Justine) seals Angel in a box and sinks him to the bottom of the ocean, forcing him to live forever in a sealed prison.

A Fresh Start

Afterward, Connor seemingly joins Angel Investigations, who, at this point, consists of Gunn and Fred. During this time, their primary mission is searching for clues around the disappearance of both Angel and Cordelia. In the meantime, Gunn and Fred act as Connor's guardians. Upon Angel's return, relations are quite shaky, yet slowly improve, Connor even starting to call Angel "Dad" on occasion. Due to his difficult upbringing, Connor finds it difficult to develop emotional attachments to people, yet, once she returns, he forms a close bond with Cordelia Chase.

Destiny Revealed

When a demon known as The Beast rises from the ground in the very same place that he had been born, Connor feels responsible, and as fire rains from the sky, he seeks solace in Cordelia's arms. Unknown to him, and to everyone else, is the fact that Cordelia is under the control of a powerful entity who seeks dominion over the human race, and who for years has been orchestrating events in order to be fully brought forth into the world. Connor's night of passion with Cordelia, then, has serious repercussions as it allows the arrival of this very being, later named "Jasmine." It is revealed that Connor's existence was orchestrated in order for this event to occur.

Unfortunately, whilst everyone basks in the glory of Jasmine, who causes immense joy and peace for whomever is in her presence, Connor does not feel the same inner peace and is left with untold loneliness and isolation. Struggling with his inner demons and weary from the constant fighting, both for and against Angel, all he wants is to rest. This ultimately leads him into a desperate situation where he is willing to hurt not only himself, but others as well. In a final act of love, Angel agrees to take over the Los Angeles branch of Wolfram & Hart in exchange for his son's life. As per the agreement, Connor is to have a whole new existence as an ordinary boy raised in a happy family, with no memory of his kidnapping, his childhood in Quor-Toth with Holtz, and the subsequent year since his return. Connor dies at Angel's own hand so that he can be "reborn" into his new life. Other than Angel (and some special cases like Cordelia and Eve), everyone's memories are rewritten to accommodate this new reality.

Connor Reilly

Part of his new reality, Connor becomes Connor Reilly, the son of Laurence and Colleen Reilly. However, he is destined to cross Angel's path again. A few months after Angel takes over Wolfram & Hart, Laurence and Colleen bring Connor to the office in order to get some answers about their son. Apparently, Connor was hit by a van and suffered no injuries. Angel sends the family away, saying that there is nothing that he can do for their situation. Soon after, Connor's family is attacked by demons, and in the struggle, Connor displays an amazing feat of strength, much to everyone's surprise. Having no other choice, Angel informs Connor of his special abilities, but leaves out the fact that he is his father. However, the attacks were not random occurrences. Cyvus Vail, an elderly demonic sorcerer and the architect of Connor's new life, drew Connor out on purpose. Vail demands that Connor fulfill his destiny and kill Sahjhan, who Vail considers an enemy. When Angel resists, Vail threatens to return Connor's memories.

Connor agrees to the fight, but is outmatched (due to having forgotten his formidable fighting skills). Meanwhile, Wesley discovers Angel's deception and confronts him at Vail's. No longer trusting Angel, he shatters the Orlon Window, a magical artifact holding the memories of Connor's original existence, which upon breaking restores everyone's memories and enables Connor to kill Sahjhan. Even though his memory is restored, Connor says goodbye and returns to his family.

Still Connected

On the eve of his final battle with the Circle of the Black Thorn, Angel visits Connor for coffee. Connor reveals that he knows Angel is his father and is grateful for all he has done for him, but prefers to leave it at that. Later, when Angel fights Marcus Hamilton, Connor shows up to fight by his father's side, saving Angel from being staked by Hamilton and helping him to gain the upper hand in the fight. As the Senior Partners begin to exact their vengeance, Angel tells Connor to go home and that as long as Connor is all right, the Partners can never destroy him.