Wikia

Comic Issue
"Freefall, Part One"

Publication date	September 14, 2011
Pages	32
Series
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine #1
previous "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight" "Last Gleaming, Part Five"	next "Freefall, Part Two"
Creative Team
Published by	Dark Horse Comics
Writer(s)	Joss Whedon
Penciller(s)	Georges Jeanty
Editor(s)	Scott Allie
Cover artist(s)	Phil Noto Georges Jeanty
Inker(s)	Dexter Vines
Colorist(s)	Michelle Madsen
Letterer(s)	Richard Starkings & Jimmy Betancourt

"Freefall, Part One" was the first issue of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine comic book series.

Synopsis

Buffy Summers wakes up the morning after a housewarming party naked and hungover, but unable to recall the events of the previous night. She flashes back to the party; she remembers greeting Xander and Dawn at the front door. She had been glad to finally have her own place, though she was sharing the apartment with a woman named Anaheed and a young man named Tumble. As she recalled, Willow had then arrived with her new girlfriend, Aura.

As Buffy returns to the present, she expresses concern when she sees Willow exit the shower. Willow, however, reassures her that they had not slept together, but adds that she had been quite a riot during the party.

Elsewhere in the city, Detectives Dowling and Cheung find the woundless body of a dead girl in an alley, and reveal her to be the third discovered in one month's time.

Flashback to the party the night before: Buffy greeted Riley, Spike, and Andrew when they arrived. While at the party, Buffy attempted to connect with Andrew about how it felt to not be in charge of the Slayers anymore, but when Andrew said that he took several of his former Slayer squads and started a disaster-relief organization, this made Buffy feel small. Shortly after this, Spike tried to tell Buffy that something was coming after her.

The present: In an office, a man and woman handed a picture of Buffy to a demon. The man said "it has to be dealt with." Buffy reported to work at the coffee shop the next morning but her boss had her shift covered because he didn't think she would be in shape to work after what happened at the party the previous night.

Elsewhere, a group of demons holding energy spears stood in front of a giant green ball of energy. One demon said "the spells that bind it have weakened." The monster inside broke out and killed all of them. It had trouble with words, even in thought.

After leaving the coffee shop, Buffy tried to remember what happened the previous night, and she remembered her and Andrew playing in the pool.

Flashback to the previous night: Buffy and Riley walked down the street to his surveillance van (which he had only been using for human terrorists). While Buffy checked out the inside of the van, Riley told her she had done the right thing by shattering the seed because it was the only way to stop what was happening. Buffy then told him that his van "needs a woman's touch."

The present: Buffy lowered her head in shame, realizing she had made a pass at a married man. Later, her roommates told her how much they liked her friends, and warned her that they couldn't have any more wild parties like that or they would get in trouble with the neighbors.

Elsewhere, the renegade slayer Simone Doffler drove a van toward San Francisco with machine guns and grenades in the back of it. She was planning "something big... That changes things... That shows them we're still here."

Flashback to the previous night at the party: Buffy showed Xander her bedroom. Something was bothering Xander. Buffy asked if he wanted to talk about it. He said he didn't. She placed her hand on his arm. Xander said that Dawn "never has to know" and the scene abruptly ended.

Later, the police showed up at the front door, but they joined the party and danced with everyone else.

The present: It was the following evening. Buffy was patrolling with Willow and they were joined by Spike. Willow said she wanted to talk to Buffy alone but Spike insisted that he stayed. Willow tried to warn Buffy of the consequences of ending magic and told her that by destroying the seed, Buffy "took the spark of creation out of the world." She said that Buffy couldn't see it the way she did and hoped it wouldn't be too late when she (Buffy) finally did.

The demon given Buffy's picture earlier then emerged from the shadows and said "It is too late. Buffy Summers, it is time for you to pay... Your student loan!" Willow and Spike laughed at the absurdity of the situation while Buffy was annoyed.

Continuity

The story was set after "Last Gleaming, Part Five", but before "Slayer, Interrupted".
While at the party Buffy invited him to, Spike appeared to be telling a story about when he first had the chip implanted in his head and failed to attack Willow in "The Initiative", as well as the awkward conversation that followed after. Looking back on it, both Spike and Willow seemed to find the situation amusing.
As Buffy tried to piece together her drunken blackout, she mentioned in her thoughts "But put a few drinks in me and I turn into Mrs. O'Leary's cow. Or a cave person. Boy was she popular." This is a reference to when Buffy drank mystical beer that turned her into a cave woman in "Beer Bad".
Buffy stated that she was "according to popular report, tightly wound. " Faith once said something similar about her, describing her as "wound too tight" in the episode "Faith, Hope & Trick".
Riley is the second person after Spike (both of them being her main love interests at some point) to approve and reassure Buffy that destroying the seed was the right choice. Noted by Buffy, as she mentioned Spike's pep talk in "Last Gleaming, Part Five".
In a drunken state, Buffy tells the police that she scored highest on a test to be a police cop. This is refering to the Career test she did in "What's My Line, Part One".

Appearances

Individuals

Organizations and Titles

Slayer

Species

Events

Locations

San Francisco

Weapons and Objects

Body Count

Cynthia Daniels, siphoned by Severin
Several Unspecified Demons, killed by Eldre Koh

Behind the Scenes

Collections

Pop Culture References

Buffy greet Xander and Dawn with "Honey, I'm home" like Ricky Ricardo from "I Love Lucy"
There is a bus ad for the musical "Wicked" seen behind Buffy in a panel.
Buffy refers to herself as Mrs. O'Leary's cow after having a few drinks. The cow alledgely started the Great Chicago fire of 1871 after kicking over a lantern.

Quotes

Spike - Are you gonna make me ask?

Buffy - Hmm ... any chance I can make you beg?

Spike - Not this year.

Buffy - Wait, didn't the inviation-

Spike - Your text just just said "Party". Actually, it said "Pratty" but I took a chance.

Buffy - My brain is swollen.

Willow - You brought the house down last night, wild thing.

Buffy - Was it awful?

Willow - It was adorable. At least the parts I saw-- I lost you for a while.

Buffy - My limbs feel screwed on wrong.

Willow - Water. Then coffee. If you can keep it down, more water.

Buffy - I taste like face.

Willow - And aspirin in bunches. You'll be right as rain in no time less than four days.

Spike - And then Red here's going "Maybe we should try again in a little while ..."

Willow - I was in shock!

Spike - How do you think I felt?

Buffy - Because this is my time! This is the blossoming of Buffy! The ... Bluffoming.

Riley - I wouldn't bother patenting that phrase.

Buffy - I could do many interesting things in my life! I could enter the challenging world of Haerbradasgrening.

Riley - This is my ride.

Buffy - Habbledaspery. Have-a-dash-of-tea?

Riley - Haberdashery.

Buffy - Yeah, what's that about?

Riley - Hats.

Buffy - I could do hats! Hats are awesome. Everyone needs them when the sun is shining down.

Riley - Buffy, you stop convincing yourself things are better now.

Buffy - [headphones on] I can't hear you so well.

Riley - [takes headphones off her] People were dying. I was nearly one of them. Shattering the seed ... I've heard some complaints but I haven't heard one better way to stop what was happening.

Buffy - You sound like Spike.

Riley - Words to cringe by.

Willow - And if a vampire shows up, you'll barf on them?

Spike - Bloody well hope not.

Buffy - Hey, it's Stalky the Clown.

Spike - That's a bit harsh, after last night.

Willow - It was kinda mean-- Wait, what "last night"?

Buffy - Let's all not find out!

Willow - Buffy, it's not about blame.

Buffy - Well it feels pretty blame-y!

Willow - Or you're being projecting-y!

Spike - I'm also gonna add "y" to the end of my sentence-y.

Willow - You took the spark of creation out of the world. You can't see it the way I can.

Buffy - There's still monsters! There's still stuff!

Spike - You both make valid points-y.

Willow - It isn't the same. Sooner or later, you're going to see what I mean. I just don't want it to be too late.

Wikia

Freefall, Part One

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