Stephen Colbert is not dead, he's deathless. After 9 truthy years and 1,447 episodes, America's favorite fake conservative pundit—played by a truly smart writer, comedian and satirist—rode off into eternity on the wings of a song Thursday night, vowing to return when America needs him most.

There to send him off was a mob of celebrities too numerous to list—Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Patrick Stewart, James Franco, Andrew Sullivan, Ariana Huffington, Katie Couric, George Lucas, and Andy Cohen, to name a handful—with Randy Newman on piano.

Bill Clinton, J.J. Abrams, and Smaug the dragon also filmed cameos for the finale.

The official, scheduled guest was Grimmy, the grim reaper, who Colbert strongly foreshadowed would be there to kill him. Instead, he got a happier ending: Soaring off into the moonlight with mythical figures Santa Claus, Abraham Lincoln, and Alex Trebek.

Larry Wilmore will take over the Report's time slot in January. Stephen Colbert (the character) will live in our hearts forever, and Stephen Colbert (the real person) will take over the Late Show next September, after Letterman finally steps down.