Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Greetings from the Odinson,

Some of my favorite stories are the ones where two powerful super hero teams are pitted against one another, then they ultimately team up together to save the world. Some of my personal favorites are The Avengers/Defenders War, The Justice League vs. the Justice Society, The X-Men vs. the Avengers, and JLA/Avengers. These stories are always epic and feature so many of your favorite characters in the same adventure. In the tradition of these classic tussles I’d like to see Dark Horse and IDW step up to the plate and deliver what would be an instant classic – Angel Investigations vs. the Scoobies of Sunnydale.

Angel and Buffy, along with their many sidekicks and allies, have saved the world more times than even they can possibly remember. Now imagine a couple of Big Bads from their Rogues Gallery (probably some team-up featuring Wolfram & Hart and The First) set in motion an Apocalypse. In order to stop this nefarious event our heroes are at first set against each other but eventually team up to save the day. How would the match-ups go down? What would be the outcome, and which organization would come out on top?

First, a couple of ground rules. These are the teams at their best, at full strength. All cards are on the table. This means that this is a mission so big that everybody is called in, even some who may have passed on to other planes. These were, after all, shows that dealt with magic and the supernatural where characters who died sometimes came back. Second rule...no slayer army. That would tilt the scale too far in the favor of the Scoobies and make this exercise a moot point (of course Angel does have that dragon, oh well).

Roll Call for the Scoobies of Sunnydale: Buffy Summers, Xander Harris, Willow Rosenberg, Rupert Giles, Anya (Anyanka), Tara Maclay, Daniel “Oz” Osbourne, Riley Finn, Andrew Wells, Dawn Summers, Robin Wood, and Spike.

Roll Call for Angel Investigations: Angel, Cordelia Chase, Winifred “Fred” Burkle/Illyria, Charles Gunn, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, Lorne, Connor, Faith, Gwen Raiden, Nina Ash, Allen Francis Doyle, and the Groosalugg (Groo).

Here’s how the Odinson sees this epic battle going down.

Buffy vs. Angel – Buffy is the Chosen One, the Slayer, the one girl in all the world with the power and strength to defend mankind against the vampires and the forces of darkness. Angel is the vampire with a soul, forced to atone for a century’s worth of murder and mayhem. Winner: The Scoobies Why: Face-to-face with his one true love would cause Angel to hesitate, plus Buffy has already kicked his butt in the past and that was when he was the uber arch fiend Angelus.

Xander vs. Lorne – Xander is the backbone, the heart, of the core group. His bravery, even against insurmountable odds, is unparalleled, and he is always there for his friends. Lorne is a pacifist demon from the mystical realm of Pylea, a realm where sword and sorcery reign supreme. Lorne has the ability to read people’s future by listening to them sing and is armed with an ear-piercing sonic scream that can stun his adversaries. Winner: The Scoobies Why: Though these two would probably become fast friends, Xander would not hesitate to fall back on good old fashioned fisticuffs to get the job done.

Willow vs. Cordi – Willow is the wallflower with unparalleled computer and science skills that grew to become one of the most powerful witches in the world. Cordi was the sassy cheerleader from Sunnydale High who inherited visions that help Angel with his mission. Cordelia eventually transcended and became a “Higher Being,” a force of immense mystical power. These two have a lot of unresolved issues that date back to childhood (growing up Cordelia relentlessly tormented and teased Willow and Willow kissed Cordi’s boyfriend). This is where they settle the score. Winner: The Scoobies Why: Willow’s powers are so immense that she once almost destroyed the world. We actually got a sneak peak at this showdown in Season 4 of Angel, and Willow came out on top of that one, just like she would here.

Giles vs. Wesley – Giles is a former Watcher with massive amounts of knowledge in the arcane, demonology, history, and fighting techniques. Wesley is a former Watcher with massive amounts of knowledge in the arcane, demonology, history, and fighting techniques. Giles’ pursuit of mystical knowledge and dark past earned him the nickname Ripper. Wesley, before joining Angel Investigations, was a Rogue Demon Hunter. Winner: The Scoobies Why: Nobody messes with the Ripper.

Anya vs. Fred/Illyria – Anya is a thousand year old vengeance demon with the ability to teleport. He is superhumanly strong and highly resistant to injury. However, her greatest power lies in the wish. If she can get a woman to make a wish there is no limit to what Anya can accomplish, especially if it has to do with maiming and torturing men. As Fred, Angel Investigation’s resident Texan is uber smart in the ways of math and science, especially physics. As Illyria, she is a nigh unstoppable earthly avatar of a hell goddess with strength and time-warping powers that dwarf most of the names on this list. Winner: Angel Investigations Why: Illyria is just too powerful.

As of right now it looks like the Scoobies of Sunnydale are running away with it 4 to 1. As we roll onto the second half of the Fight Card, can Angel Investigations pull a “Rocky” and make a triumphant comeback? Tune in next week to find out.

If you are unfamiliar with these characters or would just like to revisit them check out these must read tomes: Buffy The Vampire Slayer Omnibus TPB Vol. 1-6, Buffy the Vampire Slayer TPB (Season 8) Vol. 1-3, Angel Omnibus TPB, and Angel: After the Fall HC Vol. 1-2.

Greetings from the Odinson,

Last week, in the tradition of some of my favorite stories where two powerful super hero teams are pitted against one another then ultimately team up together to save the world, stories like The Avengers/Defenders War, The Justice League vs. the Justice Society, The X-Men vs. the Avengers, and JLA/Avengers, I pitted two such team against each other. I’d like to see Dark Horse and IDW step up to the plate and deliver what would be an instant classic – Angel Investigations vs. the Scoobies of Sunnydale.

The Set-Up: Angel and Buffy along with their many sidekicks and allies have saved the world more times than even they can possibly remember. Now imagine a couple of Big Bads from their Rogues Gallery (probably some team-up between Wolfram & Hart and The First) set in motion an Apocalypse, and in order to stop this nefarious event our heroes are at first set against each other but eventually team up to save the day. How would the match-ups go down? What would be the outcome and which organization would come out on top?

The Rules: These are the teams at their best, at full strength. All cards are on the table. This means that this is a mission so big that everybody is called in for this one, even some who may have passed on to other planes. These people, after all, live in a world where magic and the supernatural run rampant, and characters who die sometimes come back. Second rule...no slayer army. That would tilt the scale too far in the favor of the Scoobies and make this exercise a moot point.

Roll Call Scoobies of Sunnydale: Buffy Summers, Xander Harris, Willow Rosenberg, Rupert Giles, Anya (Anyanka), Tara Maclay, Daniel “Oz” Osbourne, Riley Finn, Andrew Wells, Dawn Summers, Robin Wood, and Spike.

Roll Call Angel Investigations: Angel, Cordelia Chase, Winifred “Fred” Burkle/Illyria, Charles Gunn, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, Lorne, Connor, Faith, Gwen Raiden, Nina Ash, Allen Francis Doyle, and the Groosalugg (Groo).

The Scorecard so far: Scoobies lead Angel Investigations 4 to 1.

Let’s see what happens in Round 2.

Tara vs. Gwen – Tara was an accomplished witch of significant power with a heart of gold and the singing voice of an angel. Gwen is a master thief, an adept hand-to-hand combatant, and a walking conductor of electricity. She is able to throw lightning bolts and confuse electronics. Just touching her delivers a severe shock. Winner: The Scoobies Why: Gwen is a powerful mutant and dangerous fighter, but Tara’s magic would overcome Gwen long before she had a chance to lay a hand on her.

Andrew vs. Groo – Andrew is a former super villain with the ability to summon all sorts of nasty creatures to do his bidding. Currently he is the first in the next generation of Watchers. The Groosalugg is the mightiest warrior from the mystical land of Pylea. His bravery knows no bounds, and his strong swordarm has few rivals. Winner: Angel Investigations Why: This one isn’t even close. No matter what beastie Andrew would summon, Groo could defeat it. Once you get past that, Andrew does not possess nearly enough experience as a Watcher to pose any real threat to a warrior of Groo’s caliber.

Dawn vs. Doyle – Dawn used to be the Key, a ball of mystical energy that could unlock the doors between Earth and other dimensions. Now in the form of a normal human girl, Dawn has been trained to fight by her sister, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and tutored in the ways of magic by Willow, one of the most powerful living witches. Doyle was a hard-living, hard-drinking half-demon seer that helped set Angel on the path of a champion. In his demon form, Doyle is fast, super-strong, and highly resistant to injury. Winner: Angel Investigations Why: Unless she is in the form of a giantess or centaur, Dawn doesn’t possess the strength or mystical prowess to take down the lovable Doyle.

Robin vs. Connor – Robin Wood is the son of a Nikki, one of two slayers that was murdered by Spike. He has trained his whole life to hunt down and destroy the creature responsible for his mother’s death. He is also the only Principle to survive his tenure at Sunnydale High. Connor is the unprecedented offspring of two vampires and possess all the strength and speed of his heritage. He grew up in a hell dimension and learned to fight and hunt until the day he could take revenge on Angelus, the one responsible for the death of his foster father’s family. Winner: Angel Investigations Why: As good of a fighter as Robin is and as strong as he may be, Connor is faster and stronger. In power level, Connor is just a step below Angel himself, maybe even a slayer, and that is just too much power for Robin to overcome.

Spike vs. Faith – Spike is the other vampire with a soul. He is a brutal fighter who in his day as a soulless demon became one of the most feared vampires in the world, even single-handedly killing two slayers. Faith is the other slayer whose strength, speed, and fighting ability rivals that of Buffy Summers. Winner: Angel Investigations Why: This is a battle that is almost too close to call. First off, where do their loyalties lie. Both have spent time in both camps. Even though Spike hates the Scoobies he’d side with Buffy. One, he loves her, and two, he’d do it just to spite Angel. Faith would side with Angel because when she was at her lowest, her darkest point, it was Angel that was there for her. Faith wins by the slimmest of margins because in the end, more times than not, slayers beat vampires.

Oz vs. Nina – Oz is a sardonic lead guitarist in a local band and Willow’s ex-boyfriend who just so happens to also be a werewolf. Nina is a smoking hot art student and erstwhile lover of Angel’s who just so happens to also be a werewolf. Winner: The Scoobies Why: Oz has had more time to come to grips with his curse and has much more control over the beast within. Besides he has fought a she-wolf in the past and came out on top.

Riley vs. Gunn – A natural born leader, Riley is a special forces operative trained to take down the supernatural monsters and the forces of darkness. A natural born leader, Gunn is street smart and an extremely strong fighter who has been taking out vampires since he was a kid. Winner: The Scoobies Why: This is, without a doubt, the most interesting and hardest match-up to decide. Fitting that it should decide the outcome of this epic battle. Strong for a human, Gunn can hold his own against almost any demon. Like many great warriors before him, Gunn has even made his own weapons. These are two men with iron wills and unwavering resolve, and the type of fighters that will keep getting up no matter how many times they get knocked down. But in the end, no matter how tough Gunn is, Riley has too many gadgets and high-tech weapons at his disposal, not to mention the super-soldier drugs that the government feeds him. Riley is the Steve Rogers of the Buffyverse.

Winner by Knockout: The Scoobies of Sunnydale 7 to 5

If you are unfamiliar with the characters or would just like to revisit them check out these must read TPBs: Buffy The Vampire Slayer Omnibus TPB Vol. 1-6, Buffy the Vampire Slayer TPB (Season 8) Vol. 1-3, Angel Omnibus TPB, and Angel: After the Fall HC Vol. 1-2.