Spike: Old Times
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Spike: Old Times is a comic based on the Angel television series.
Story description
Summary
Spike struggles to protect a man from Halfrek, a vengeance demon who has wronged Spike in the past.
Expanded Overview
In 1880 London, Spike (then a human, and known only as William Pratt) storms out of the party seen in "Fool for Love." As the other guests jeer at his "bloody awful poetry," William turns and says, "you know what I wish? I wish you were the bloody ones, that's what!" The guests within gossip about William's exit, and relay his parting words to Cecily, the girl to whom William's poetry was addressed. When she hears the words repeated, she morphs into a demon and says, "wish granted." Immediately, the party guests begin to bleed from the eyes and fingernails. In the ensuing panic, the building catches fire. Cecily leaves, locking the door behind her.
A man is reading poetry in a modern tavern. An unseen speaker greets Cecily at the bar. As she criticizes his unpoetic pickup line, she notes the speaker's lack of a reflection in the mirror across the bar. Turning, she sees Spike, who throws her across the bar. The woman morphs into her demon face and runs outside after him, shouting, "William Pratt! I know it's you!" Spike leaps onto her from above, saying, "William Pratt is dead, Cecily!" Cecily angrily replies that he knows her true name is Halfrek, and tosses him into some trash cans. Spike retorts that his "Spike" persona has likewise always existed within him, just waiting to be unleashed. Spike and Halfrek then each demand to know why the other is following them. Spike refuses to believe that they were in the same bar by coincidence, but Halfrek counters that they had already been coincidentally been brought together at Buffy's birthday party, seen in "Older and Far Away". As they argue, Spike declares that it's Halfrek's fault he's a vampire - if she hadn't driven him from the party, he never would have been sired by Drusilla. Halfrek retorts that she actually saved Spike's life - she had been working that night, and all of the partygoers were destined to die from the beginning. Halfrek says, "you're still beneath me," and teleports away, leaving Spike alone in the street.
The man who was reading the poetry, Lenny, leaves the bar and climbs on a motorcycle, muttering that thirtieth birthdays never go well in his family, and that he's "screwed." Spike notes this, and decides it isn't a coincidence that a vengeance demon had been in the same bar as this man. A sudden gust of wind snatches Spike's lit cigarette away, and he stares in horror as it ignites a trail of fire moving towards the departing motorcycle. Lenny notes this in the mirror and braces for his inevitable death, but Spike tackles him, knocking him clear of the explosion just in time. There is a sudden flash to a girl being taken away from a burning village by a large warrior, and Halfrek watches Spike and Lenny in dismay.
Spike yells at Lenny for not trying to avoid his death, but Lenny explains that he's a dead man walking. In Spike's car, Spike explains that he is a vampire. He also says that he has a soft spot for dead poets, and wants to even the score with Halfrek. Suddenly, the hand of a demon punches through the roof of the car. Spike hits the brakes, throwing it to the pavement. Spike gets out of the car and attacks the demon, getting thrown through a store window for his efforts. After a lengthy fight, Spike defeats the demon. Spike declares that he intends to keep Lenny alive past midnight, hoping that this will break the curse because his 30th birthday will be over.
Spike stops at a phone booth, looking in the phone book for "someplace to make a stand." When Lenny mentions his last name - Wexler - Spike realizes that he is protecting the descendant of one of the men who mocked him at the party in 1880. Spike is initially angry, declaring that he should have let Lenny die, but quickly realizes that he can't punish Lenny for the deeds of his ancestor. Suddenly, Lenny pushes Spike from the path of a semi truck full of medical supplies, which misses them both, but obliterates the phone booth. Spike yells at Lenny for risking his life, but Lenny responds that he doesn't want anyone else to die because of his curse. Spike retorts that he didn't ask for permission to rescue Lenny, and they proceed to "borrow" the semi. The demon Spike fought earlier emerges from a manhole and grabs onto the truck, only to be hit, leaving only a hand embedded in the grille.
As they drive, a hail of fireballs falls from the sky, igniting the oxygen tanks the truck is carrying. Spike and Lenny escape from the truck just in time, with Spike snatching the demon's hand from the grille before the explosion. Fortunately, they've arrived at their destination, a dilapidated building. Spike scratches his own chest with the demon's claws, and knocks on the door. When a woman answers, Spike pretends to be injured while Lenny makes up a story about a drive-by shooting. The woman invites them inside, and Spike immediately drops his act and forces his way inside.
Lenny says it is wrong of them to have picked this destination, but Spike responds that Halfrek is coming. Sure enough, she appears, mocking Spike for his choice of hiding places: an orphanage full of children. Spike responds that Halfrek is the one who hides, using breezes and demons to do her dirty work. It's nearly midnight, and if Halfrek wants Lenny dead, she'll have to act now, hoping that no children are hurt in the crossfire. As Halfrek's specialty is vengeance that benefits and protects children, Spike is betting that she won't kill Lenny while he's surrounded by them. Halfrek decides that Lenny and all the males in his family may live, saying, "maybe enough is enough." Lenny is overjoyed, and in his excitement trips over a windowsill, falling to his death.
Later, Halfrek finds Spike at the grave site of actor Béla Lugosi. Spike says that he likes to pay his respects whenever he's in town, as Lugosi played a better Dracula than Dracula himself. Halfrek says she wants Spike to know that she didn't cause Lenny's death. She tells Spike that long ago, a girl she cared about deeply was taken from her village by a Celtic invasion. The man who took her had been celebrating his 30th birthday, and took the girl as a "present" to himself. She killed herself rather than submit to his abuse. The curse Halfrek laid on that man was her very first, which caught D'Hoffryn's attention and led to her becoming a vengeance demon. Halfrek then tells Spike that she thought his poetry was wonderful. Spike kisses her, then abruptly pulls away, saying, "you're beneath me." Declaring the two of them to be "even," Spike walks away.
Writing and artwork
Cultural references
- Boris Karloff: William is given a last name in this comic: Pratt. William Henry Pratt is the birth name of legendary actor Boris Karloff, who built his career on horror movies.
Continuity
- This story explains why Spike and Halfrek appear to recognize each other in "Older and Far Away". In the TV series, both Halfrek and Cecily are played by the same actress, Kali Rocha.
- A number of fans mistakenly assume this takes place in Angel season 5 because Spike appears in Los Angeles, and therefore do not believe it can fit into the continuity of the Buffyverse. Writer Peter David posted in the Newsarama forums regarding this issue:
| “ | Okay, here's the thing: IDW has the rights to do Angel and Spike comics, but not BtVS. However Mutant Enemy was willing to bend slightly on using Halfrek since she was so pivotal in Spike's origin, and also because they really liked the story concept. But we had to be deliberately vague as to when in continuity it actually occurred. My feeling was that it had to be set at some point in the sixth season between when Hallie and Spike first saw each other at the party and the point at which they basically gave each other dirty looks at the Magic Box later on that year. So we have to presume that at some point, Spike felt like stirring up some mischief with Angel and headed out to LA, where he accidentally bumped into Halfrek. My guess would be right after Xander's wedding imploded. | ” |
Timing
- Stories that take place around the same time in the Buffyverse:
| Location, time (if known) |
Buffyverse chronology: January 2002 - Spring 2002 (non-canon = italic) |
|---|---|
| Sunnydale, 2002 | B6.13 Dead Things |
| L.A., 2002 | Angel book: Fearless |
| L.A., 2002 | A3.13 Waiting in the Wings |
| Sunnydale, 2002 | B6.14 Older and Far Away |
| L.A., 2002 | A3.14 Couplet |
| Sunnydale, 2002 | B6.15 As You Were |
| L.A., 2002 | A3.15 Loyalty |
| Sunnydale, 2002 | B6.16 Hell's Bells |
| L.A., 2002 | A3.16 Sleep Tight |
| Sunnydale, 2002 | B6.17 Normal Again |
| L.A., 2002 | A3.17 Forgiving |
| L.A., 2002 | Angel comic: Spike: Old Times |
| Sunnydale, 2002 | B6.18 Entropy |
| L.A., 2002 | A3.18 Double or Nothing |
| Sunnydale, 2002 | B6.19 Seeing Red |
| L.A., 2002 | A3.19 The Price |
| Sunnydale, 2002 | B6.20 Villains |
| Sunnydale, 2002 | Buffy books: Wicked Willow |
| L.A., 2002 | A3.20 A New World |
| Sunnydale, 2002 | B6.21 Two to Go |
| Sunnydale, 2002 | B6.22 Grave |
| L.A., 2002 | A3.21 Benediction |
| L.A., 2002 | A3.22 Tomorrow |
Canonical issues
Buffy and Angel comics such as this one are not usually considered by fans as canonical. Some fans consider them stories from the imaginations of authors and artists, while other fans consider them as taking place in an alternative fictional reality. However unlike fan fiction, overviews summarizing their story, written early in the writing process, were "approved" by both Fox and Joss Whedon (or his office), and the books were therefore later published as officially Buffy merchandise.
References
- ^ David, Peter (2005-08-31). Spike, Old Times (From Buffy/Angel) PAD book. Retrieved on 2007-06-16.
External links
See also
| Angel comics | |
|---|---|
| Comics in publishing order | |
| Dark Horse Comics | |
| IDW Publishing - mini-series | |
|
Angel: The Curse | Spike vs. Dracula | Angel: Old Friends | Spike: Asylum | Angel: Auld Lang Syne | Spike: Shadow Puppets | Angel: After The Fall |
|
| IDW Publishing - one-shots | |
| Spike: Old Times | Spike: Old Wounds | Spike: Lost and Found | Angel: Spotlight series | Angel: Masks |
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