I think it would be bizarre and loopy to *not* have Spike show up at some point in the comics.
My reading on the whole thing is that Angel is some variation of future!Angel. He's seen the apocalypse that he is prophesied to take part in, the one that bring about the end of all humanity. And the Slayer spell has played some part in that apocalypse. Thus, he's come back to try to prevent the end of humanity from happening. That's the only explanation that would make sense of Angel's behavior, IMO. Angel was *always* about choice, and for him to start killing 1,800 slayers because it *might* save billions isn't enough for him. (That was why he fought Jasmine, after all.) It would have to be something he's already seen with his own eyes, and thinks of as inevitable.
In the last episode of the "Angel: After the Fall" comics (the ones that Joss oversaw), there's a conversation between Angel and Spike about the Shanshu prophecy. Angel says to Spike, "The thing about not being in the books, is that no one pays attention to you. They're never gonna see you coming." And Spike nods and smiles in agreement. I think, as you point out, that Spike is the wild card in the whole story, the one who will upset destiny and help Buffy find a third, alternative way out of this (supposedly) pre-destined apocalypse, the way she always does.
And finally that Spike has a deep bond with Angel as well as Buffy - the two people fighting. He's the only character who has literally had intimate relations with both Buffy and Angel. The only one who knows both of them well, has followed both of their leads, and looks up to both of them at one time or another.
As someone who ships A/S and B/A/S, this paragraph just made me all weak in the knees. <3
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2010-01-13 03:47 pm (UTC)My reading on the whole thing is that Angel is some variation of future!Angel. He's seen the apocalypse that he is prophesied to take part in, the one that bring about the end of all humanity. And the Slayer spell has played some part in that apocalypse. Thus, he's come back to try to prevent the end of humanity from happening. That's the only explanation that would make sense of Angel's behavior, IMO. Angel was *always* about choice, and for him to start killing 1,800 slayers because it *might* save billions isn't enough for him. (That was why he fought Jasmine, after all.) It would have to be something he's already seen with his own eyes, and thinks of as inevitable.
In the last episode of the "Angel: After the Fall" comics (the ones that Joss oversaw), there's a conversation between Angel and Spike about the Shanshu prophecy. Angel says to Spike, "The thing about not being in the books, is that no one pays attention to you. They're never gonna see you coming." And Spike nods and smiles in agreement. I think, as you point out, that Spike is the wild card in the whole story, the one who will upset destiny and help Buffy find a third, alternative way out of this (supposedly) pre-destined apocalypse, the way she always does.
And finally that Spike has a deep bond with Angel as well as Buffy - the two people fighting. He's the only character who has literally had intimate relations with both Buffy and Angel. The only one who knows both of them well, has followed both of their leads, and looks up to both of them at one time or another.
As someone who ships A/S and B/A/S, this paragraph just made me all weak in the knees. <3