Wesely - you are right about his arc. He goes a monsterous route trying to help Angel, doing the whole ends justify the means thing. And it is ironically similar to Angel's own tatics. Then Wes, in late S4, gets redeemed in a way. Tries to save Lilah by sacrificing himself. Then the mindwipe and he forgets, he re-winds back to who he was before he stole Connor for the child's own good, when he was obsessed with Fred - before he got involved with Lilah. Before Justine slit his throat and he in turn tortured Justine to learn Angel's whereabouts. Before Lilah dies at Cordy's hands, although he's convinced it was Angel's. Before he tried to save her and failed miserably then cut off her head to ensure she did not come back as a vampire. And is so wracked with guilt regarding Lilah's death - at Bad Cordy's hands, he can no longer look at Fred.
It is no accident that it is Wes who breaks the orion box in Origin and reveals the truth of the mindwipe assisted by Illyria to all. Or that it is Wes who feels the most betrayed by Angel and wants to kick him for it. Proof perhaps that Wes would not have chosen it? But then again, maybe he would. Fred did. And Wes loved Fred. He may have done it follow her. And he may have done it to follow Angel. I'm not sure what he's feelings were towards Angel or Fred before the mindwipe occurred, we aren't really told. And I like the fact that it is kept ambiguous - particularly since we are after all in Angel's pov in the comics. Not really Wes's. And Angel needs to believe that his friends would have chosen WRH regardless, that the mindwipe he agreed to did not make a difference. There's only so much guilt a man can endure, after all.
I disagree with you that Wes got completely short-changed by the comic. We are told quite a bit. Wes keeps telling Angel that this is all about him, it almost accusatory in tone. Wes does blame Angel a bit for what occurred. But he also blames himself for his own part in it. He chose to kill the magician that enacted the Orion box and caused the mindwipe. I always found it interesting that Wes goes after that member of the Circle of the Black Thorn. And it is Wes, of all the characters who dies. The one - as Spike notes, Angel seems closest to.
"What was that about, looked like you were about to kiss?" Wes was Angel's brother - he shared Angel's father issues, Angel's desire for redemptation, and Angel's love of innocence. Wes discovered the shanshue prophecy. It was Wes who gave Angel hope. Wes and Cordelia.
In ATF - Wes and Cordelia are now ghosts haunting Angel. One for WRH and one for the PTB. Both show him - a nightmare vision of himself. That he is the destroyer of all things. That he is the apocalypse. Wes and Cordy like Angel are incredibly ego-centric and somewhat vain characters and always have been, they share Angel's flaws. Both have a bit of a god complex. Both crave parental approval - particularly their fathers. And both think they are right, almost self-righteous about it. Cordy thinks her gift is from the gods, that she has been lifted. But once there can't not interfer, can't not play god. And Wes - enters WRH thinking he can free Lilah, that he can undue her choice. Both tell Angel that the only way he won't become WRH's pawn is to die. That he can't win.
Continued...
It is no accident that it is Wes who breaks the orion box in Origin and reveals the truth of the mindwipe assisted by Illyria to all. Or that it is Wes who feels the most betrayed by Angel and wants to kick him for it. Proof perhaps that Wes would not have chosen it? But then again, maybe he would.
Fred did. And Wes loved Fred. He may have done it follow her.
And he may have done it to follow Angel. I'm not sure what he's feelings were towards Angel or Fred before the mindwipe occurred, we aren't really told. And I like the fact that it is kept ambiguous - particularly since we are after all in Angel's pov in the comics. Not really Wes's. And Angel needs to believe that his friends would have chosen WRH regardless, that the mindwipe he agreed to did not make a difference. There's only so much guilt a man can endure, after all.
I disagree with you that Wes got completely short-changed by the comic. We are told quite a bit. Wes keeps telling Angel that this is all about him, it almost accusatory in tone. Wes does blame Angel a bit for what occurred. But he also blames himself for his own part in it. He chose to kill the magician that enacted the Orion box and caused the mindwipe. I always found it interesting that Wes goes after that member of the Circle of the Black Thorn. And it is Wes, of all the characters who dies. The one - as Spike notes, Angel seems closest to.
"What was that about, looked like you were about to kiss?" Wes was Angel's brother - he shared Angel's father issues, Angel's desire for redemptation, and Angel's love of innocence. Wes discovered the shanshue prophecy. It was Wes who gave Angel hope. Wes and Cordelia.
In ATF - Wes and Cordelia are now ghosts haunting Angel. One for WRH and one for the PTB. Both show him - a nightmare vision of himself. That he is the destroyer of all things. That he is the apocalypse. Wes and Cordy like Angel are incredibly ego-centric and somewhat vain characters and always have been, they share Angel's flaws. Both have a bit of a god complex. Both crave parental approval - particularly their fathers. And both think they are right, almost self-righteous about it. Cordy thinks her gift is from the gods, that she has been lifted. But once there can't not interfer, can't not play god. And Wes - enters WRH thinking he can free Lilah, that he can undue her choice. Both tell Angel that the only way he won't become WRH's pawn is to die. That he can't win.