Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Titles: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997 TV Series)

People: Sarah Michelle Gellar

What becomes a legend most? IMDb editors Melanie McFarland and Mark Englehart talk about the notable films and television shows that have created and chronicled the origin stories of some of our favorite classic and contemporary heroes and heroines.

“ Into every generation a Slayer is born: one girl in all the world, a chosen one. She alone will wield the strength and skill to fight the vampires, demons, and the forces of darkness; to stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their number." So goes, more or less, the prophecy of Slayer. But the prophecy said nothing about said heroine being blonde, relatively slight of build and possessing quick wit... and a fashion fetish.

When Joss Whedon introduced the character of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" to American TV audiences, few people could have predicted how deeply Buffy Summers would resonate with her fans — even now, after nearly a decade of being off the air. The name alone still keeps a significant number of people from watching it. Their loss.

What makes her an extraordinary character is the way Whedon and his team of writers blended heartbreaking pathos with a unique wit and word-play into every step of her adventures. And after Buffy, the characterization of the helpless girl in horror movies began to ring increasingly false. Yes, slasher flicks will always have young women recklessly stumbling into dark basements. But now we know that some of them can pack a serious punch. ”

Titles: Firefly (2002 TV Series)

People: Nathan Fillion

“ Joss Whedon’s other widely-loved creation was much more short-lived than "Buffy" or its spinoff, "Angel." "Buffy" fans were gifted with seven seasons of her adventures, while the exploits of Mal Reynolds and his crew are limited to a mere 14 episodes and a theatrical release, "Serenity." That was enough to develop a rich mythos for each of the characters navigating the hardscrabble, Wild West-style future following a war between the government and the outer colonies who struggled to maintain their independence.

Mal Reynolds, an unsung war hero and captain of Serenity, takes on odd jobs and works diligently to remain beyond the grasp of the authoritarian centralized government, the Alliance. But even his crew is unusual by TV and standard pop culture storytelling standards. It includes a preacher, Shepherd Book; the Tams, a doctor and his sister being hunted by government forces; a lunkheaded merc named Jayne; Mal’s steely right hand woman Zoe, who was also his best buddy in the war; a throughout girly mechanic named Kaylee; Wash, a geeky pilot; and Inara, a "companion," the future’s version of a courtesan. Each of them has an interesting backstory, only some of which was revealed during the show’s only season. They were all so well realized in those episodes, however, that fans are happy to fill in the blanks.

In some cases, they no longer have to. "Firefly" lives on in comic books which, among other things, illustrate the pasts of the most auxiliary members of the crew (such as Shepherd Book). And if you explore the Internet, you’ll even find a full boat of hip-hop songs devoted to Mal Reynolds and his crew. ”