White Christmas

The subject of this article is non-canonical.
While created as part of licensed material, it has not been confirmed as part of the "real" Buffyverse continuity.

White Christmas

Publication

December 23, 1998

Length

22 pages

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Classic #4

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Cold Turkey	Happy New Year

White Christmas is the fourth issue of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Classic comic book series. Written by Andi Watson and illustrated by Hector Gomez, it was originally published on December 23, 1998, by Dark Horse Comics.

Synopsis[]

Dashing through the snow, in a one horse open slay! The comics adaption of the hit television show continues as the Yuletide rolls into Sunnydale. A puzzling heat wave is the least of Buffy's concerns when she realizes she does not possess the monetary means to afford the holiday season (or a new dress for the Winter Dance!). To add insult to injury, she is forced to get a job in the mall to pay for her expenditures. All would be well, though, if she didn't have to wear a paper hat and if her employer wasn't quite so "cold" toward her…^[1]

Summary[]

Buffy is battling a vampire at the local burger drive in. After slaying the demon half-breed, she is faced with the owner of the car that was mangled in the process. The next day at school, Buffy complains to Giles that she can't afford to buy Christmas presents or an outfit for the school dance, since she has to pay for damages done to the car. When Buffy talks about getting a job, Giles is adamantly against it.

Buffy finds herself at the local mall, where she has a job at Popsicle Parlor and wears an uniform of pink apron and hat. Her coworker, Felicia, joins Buffy in complaining that no cool guy will date her after seeing her in the outfit. Felicia thinks the new boss is weird, but the pay is good enough for her to do the work. Mr. Richter, the new boss, comes in and makes excuses to go into the freezer in his grey suit and tie. Buffy thinks it odd that he isn't wearing more appropriate clothing for freezing weather, while Felicia points out he isn't even breaking a sweat in the winter current heatwave in Sunnydale.

Angel comes by to see Buffy, and ends up going to the mall's skating rink with her. A job perk that makes Buffy very happy. Meanwhile, Mr. Richter hasn't left and is summoning an elemental in the freezer. Just as Buffy falls into Angel on the rink, the elemental comes after them. Buffy fights it off while Angel finds a heat source and the elemental is made no more by a food court pizza oven.

The next day, Buffy has to come clean to Giles and the Scooby Gang that she is working at the mall. Back at the mall for her next shift, Giles comes to see Buffy just after Mr. Richter makes excuses to go into the freezer again. Shift over, Buffy goes to do her Christmas shopping and buy her dress for the dance. She realizes she has to change at the mall in order to make it to the dance on it.

After she changes, she realizes the mall is freezing and that the cold originates at the popsicle stand. Going inside, she realizes Mr. Richter is still there and is summoning a larger, more powerful elemental. Buffy breaks the enchantment before Richter could bind the demon, and it proceeds to destroy the mall as it fights Buffy.

Willow, Xander, Giles, Oz, and Cordelia show up in formal attire looking for Buffy, since she was late to be picked up. Buffy fights for and gets the spellbook from the elemental, while the Scoobies pour antifreeze over the demon. Richter runs away, the mall exploded and everyone is left with rags instead of their school dance finery. Making the best of it, the gang get to enjoy a White Christmas outside the mall, complete with snowman and sled rides.

Continuity[]

This story is established as taking place during Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 3.
Willow and Oz, and Cordelia and Xander are still couples, contrary to the their separations in "Lovers Walk." Willow and Oz would only reconcile in Christmas Eve ("Amends").
Buffy gets at a job in customer food service, as she had at Helen's Kitchen ("Anne"), then years later at Doublemeat Palace ("Doublemeat Palace"), then at Pick Me Up (Last Gleaming, Part Five).
Buffy and Angel go ice skating, as they've first went together in Sunnydale Ice Palace ("What's My Line? Part One").

Appearances[]

Individuals[]

Organizations and titles[]

Species[]

Elemental demon
Human
Vampire

Events[]

Christmas (Only mentioned)
Winter Dance (Only mentioned)

Locations[]

Central Angola (Only mentioned)
Sunnydale, USA
- Bronze
- Hellmouth (Only mentioned)
- Out-N-In Burger
- Sunnydale High School library
- Sunnydale Mall
  - The Arcade (Only mentioned)
  - Popsicle Parlor
  - Texas Pizza Ranch

Objects[]

Slayer Handbook (Only mentioned)
Stake

Death count[]

An unidentified vampire, staked by Buffy Summers.
The first elemental demon, thrown and burnt at an oven by Buffy and Angel.
The second elemental and Mr. Richter, banished by Buffy.

Behind the scenes[]

Production[]

The photo cover features a promotional still taken from episode "When She Was Bad."
Differently from other representations, at this point the comics had vampires also able to transform into green creatures with red eyes, pointy ears, a wide mouth, and long teeth. Although, this seems more like an artistic choice, not having direct consequence to the stories.