Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Carrie White, “Carrie”: In the world of horror movies, puberty equals power - mad crazy paranormal power that teenagers will either lose control of or abuse - or, as in “Carrie” (1976), both. Poor ol’ Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) has the embarrassing (but universal) experience of getting her period at school. Next thing you know, she’s using her newfound telekinetic powers to ruin the prom for everyone. To be fair, the student body majority, not to mention faculty, treated her horribly. And nobody enjoys getting soaked with a bucket of pig’s blood. But who didn’t have a tough time in high school? At least Carrie got to be prom queen.

David, “The Lost Boys”: As vampire gang leader David in 1987’s “The Lost Boys,” Kiefer Sutherland is a blood-sucking Peter Pan who wields serious peer pressure. What dull teenage mortal wouldn’t give his soul to fit in with David’s clique? He’s got the girl, the attitude and a motorcycle! Wearing a black leather duster, cigarette behind his ear and a spiky bleached mullet he makes look good, David is the coolest thing on the boardwalk in the fictional town of Santa Carla, Calif. He also sets precedent for vampires using hair product. (See “Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s” Angel and Spike.) Though how the undead do their hair sans reflection is a mystery.

Buffy Anne Summers, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”: To every generation a slayer is born, one girl who alone has the power to blah blah blah ... So much has been written about “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” from fan fiction to academia, you should know this. To be clear, we’re talking TV Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar), not 1992 movie Buffy (Kristy Swanson). This petite blonde archetypal hero comes complete with strength, endurance, agility, super-healing ability, intuition and prophetic dreams. Yet she still has to deal with standard issue teen problems: popularity, peer pressure and an age-inappropriate boyfriend who turns evil after she gives him her virginity.

Nancy Downs, “The Craft”: As the power-crazed goth girl in 1996’s “The Craft,” Nancy Downs (Fairuza Balk) is freakin’ scary - even before she turns evil witch. It’s more than her white skin, piercing violet eyes and sneering burgundy lips. Nancy is the outsider who carries herself like Queen Bee. She’s cool. She’s tough. She’s also nuts. Being friends with girls like Nancy is wicked fun - until your coven summons the four winds and a bunch of dead sharks wash up on the beach. Then, next thing you know, she’s floating across the room trying to kill you just because Skeet Ulrich likes you best. It happens every time.

Tony Rivers, “I Was A Teenage Werewolf”: Tony Rivers (Michael Landon) is a high school student with anger issues. “I was a Teenage Werewolf” came out in 1957, so ‘roid rage isn’t to blame. Serotonin reuptake inhibitors didn’t exist yet either, so Tony turns to hypnotherapy � with hirsute results. It seems the mad scientist on his HMO is more interested in crazy experiments than helping Tony improve his social skills. Now Tony is a werewolf (as if puberty’s many embarrassments aren’t enough). At least he’s a werewolf with school spirit - no matter what phase of lycanthropic transformation, he’s always wearing his letterman jacket. Even on blood-thirsty rampages.