Buffy The Vampire Slayer

The Bard blabs about... Power Corrupts

By The Bard November 21, 2003

The magicks I used are very powerful. I’m very powerful. And maybe it’s not such a good idea for you to piss me off. - Willow - BtVS Season 6, episode 04 - "Flooded"

Trying to do what’s right, just like her. You still don’t get it. It’s not about right, not about wrong... it’s about power. - The First Evil - BtVS Season 7, episode 01 - "Lessons"

In every generation, one slayer is born... because a bunch of men who died thousands of years ago made up that rule. They were powerful men. This woman (points to Willow) is more powerful than all of them combined. (Willow whimpers) So I say we change the rule. I say my power... should be our power. - Buffy - BtVS Season 7, episode 22 - "Chosen"

Power, as the saying goes, corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. How does power affect people in our universe compared to the fictional universes? Well, most probably the same way.

In the Buffyverse we’ve seen power corrupt Willow, turning her from the timid, nerdy red-head from seasons 1 and 2, into the super-powerful raven-haired magickal witch of season 6, and finally into, momentarily, white-haired goddess of season 7.

We’ve seen power corrupt the Mayor of Sunnydale Richard Wilkins III, I mean he sold his soul to start the process of becoming a fully fledged demon, he built Sunnydale "for demons to feed on" he killed, maimed and went after all the students of Sunnydale High. He *ate* Principal Snyder... Although whether that is considered evil or not is another question...

We’ve seen that power had corrupted The Watchers Council, causing them to become very power mad, controlling the Slayer. We’ve seen the prospect of power corrupt Angelus, When he tried to destroy the world with Acathla. And that’s only in the Buffyverse.

In other television programs we’ve seen examples of power corrupting individuals and groups, one of these examples is in the Charmed season 5 two part final "Oh My Goddess." When the lead characters, Piper, Phoebe and Paige were transformed into modern day Greek Gods, namely The Goddess of The Earth, The Goddess of Love and The Goddess of War, respectively. All these examples are of mortals, human mortals mostly, gaining powers that are akin to those of gods.

**Willow is performing a spell while holding onto the scythe laid out in front of her. Suddenly, she’s overcome with power. She looks up, as the scythe and Willow start to glow with a bright white light.** Oh...my...Goddess... - Willow - BtVS Season 7, episode 22 - "Chosen"

(A tornado of light swirls around the girls. It disappears and reveals them wearing outfits from ancient Greece. Phoebe has extremely long and thick blonde hair. Paige is holding onto a trident. Phoebe gasps. Chris smiles.) Chris: That’s what that means. Paige: What happened? What are we? Chris: You’re gods. - Chris and Paige - Charmed Season 5, episode 22 - "Oh My Goddess, part 1"

So, what does this say about humanity? Does it mean we’re ready for god-like power? Nope, it means the exact opposite, we’re not, as a race humans are the worst on the planet, in our universe that is, we kill our own kind for no real good reason, we destroy the environment around us, we spread with no regard to nature, as Agent Smith said in the first Matrix film, that’s not the behavior of mammals, it’s the behavior of a virus.

So if we were given the choice would we give, say, the smallpox virus powers of the gods? Hell no, so why should humans get those powers? No good reason that I can see. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Humanity as a whole isn’t ready for godly power, but guess what... We go after it anyway.

One example is cloning and genetic engineering, now here in New Zealand we had a moratorium on genetic engineering which ended on October the 30th this year, amid masses of protests I might add. When humanity can’t even agree on progress and how that should be handled, how can we expect to be responsible with that power. And yes, GE is power, godlike power. And there are always people who want to use cloning to try to extend the natural lifespan far beyond that which is possible under current medical conditions, now don’t get me wrong, I have no problem using it to clone organs or parts, it’s the cloning of complete human beings I have problems with.

Another example hits much closer to home for us online people, website and group ownership. Positions like these offer people the possibility of unlimited power over the people who frequent the sites and groups. It can also make some owners feel like they are gods, that everything they see is theirs for the taking, there are several sites that are like this, that take things that they see, even when they are specifically told not to.

However people like that need to learn that with great power comes great responsibility. Responsibility to the fans, responsibility to the sources, responsibility to the truth, and responsibility to justice. Some people cannot handle that power, that responsibility, in the Buffyverse those people went on to do great things yes, but terrible things, rather similar to what Voldemort is said to have done in the Harry Potter books before his downfall.

And that brings us to another point, downfalls, all the villains, if you will, who have been corrupted by power have had their downfall, The Mayor was blown up, Angelus was sent to hell, Willow’s downfall was slightly different, as she was talked down by Xander, but still you get the drift. My point is that all those who get corrupted by power experience a downfall, where they are taken down by more experienced and in control people. One can only hope that those who have not experienced their downfall yet experience it soon, for the safety and security of all of us.

Till that time, remember this little tidbit, pride goeth before a fall...