Alyson Hannigan

"Buffy: The Vampire Slayer" Fans gather to watch her at the Mission Theater. Elizabeth Jondahl, 33, is calling more friends on her cell phone.

It’s not enough that two of her friends have shown up for tonight’s free showings of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Or that an entire line of people on this warm Monday evening wraps around the corner of the Mission Theater. (And all are braving hair-raising flashes of summer lightning in the sky above downtown Portland.) Elizabeth, as true a "Buffy" fan as you’re likely to meet, wants more folks to fall under the magnetic spell of the supernatural series.

"I didn’t start watching until Season 7," Jondahl says, heading the front of the line tonight at the Mission, where three episodes of the demon-terminating series are shown every Monday night (along with some stellar Terminator Stout). "Then I watched all the DVDs and got hooked. I got so swept up and involved in the story it eventually became a lifestyle," she says with a laugh.

Jondahl, who sends out weekly reminders to friends that Monday is "Buffy" night, also was an organizer for the recent Portland screening of "Serenity," which was directed by "Buffy" creator Joss Whedon.

The Monday night theatrical showings mark a full circle of sorts for "Buffy": The cultishly popular 1997 series was spawned from the 1992 theatrical movie.

This night’s episodes will feature Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) battling a demon of the mind, and Willow (Alyson Hannigan) and Xander (Nicholas Brendon) facing their worst teen fears — singing an opera and showing up to class in just underwear, respectively.

The series ended its run in May 2003. But hearing the cheers and clapping after each episode, you sure wouldn’t know it.

"We’re still in denial that it’s over," says Jaymie Theissen, 33, here with two of her friends as well.

"Joss will bring it back," Theissen predicts.

But that might not be for a while. Whedon is set to produce "Wonder Woman" for theatrical release in 2007.

Episodes of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" begin at 10 p.m. Mondays at the Mission Theater, 1624 N.W Glisan St.; 503-223-4527. Admission is free; 21 and older.