Nerds of the Round Table

I haven’t talked about it much on the site, but I was a big fan of a couple of Joss Whedon’s other shows namely Buffy and Angel.  I’ve got most all of it on DVD right now and have been known to pop a random episode in the DVD player from time to time.  In a typical Whedon fashion the characters on both these shows grew and evolved over time, but none as much as William the Bloody, aka Spike.  For those who aren’t familiar with the character, a little background information.

Though he was of upper class origins, once turned into a vampire, William became a rebel without a soul, wantonly killing for the rush of it, and joining up with his sire, Drusilla, and he evil family, consisting of Angelus and Darla, two of the most notorious vampires ever to come to Sunnydale.  This family was known as the Scourge of Europe.  Spike earned his name by killing those that mocked him when he was human.  His method was to shove railroad spikes through their heads.  During his younger years the vampire also became known as the Slayer of Slayers due to his murdering of two slayers.  After parting ways with his family Spike and Drusilla traveled to Prague, where Drusilla was injured severely by an angry mob.  Some time after this, they made their way to Sunnydale and began terrorizing Buffy Summers and her Scooby Gang.

The character was brought to Sunnydale to be one of the big bads, but overtime he went through a transformation.  To start with he was evil but decided to side with the Slayer to save the world for Angelus.  Siding with the Slayer was not for any altruistic reasons, but mainly for jealously over Angelus stealing Drusilla away and because Spike enjoyed a world with ‘little Happy Meals on legs.’  After helping to save the world Spike vanished with his sire temporarily.

Spike became a regular in season four, having returned to Sunnydale and been ambushed by a paramilitary group call the Initiative.  The Initiative captures him and implants a microchip in his skull preventing the vampire from harming humans.  Spike goes to Buffy and her group asking for help and they reluctantly take him.

Spike Captured by the Scoobies

It is during his time with the Scoobies that Spike realized he was capable of harming demons and begins killing demons so as to get his ’spot of violence.’  Spike provides his assistance to the Scoobies for cash to buy blood and smokes.  But during this time he has no qualms about betraying them in an attempt to get the chip removed.

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