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Last Gleaming, Part Two is the thirty-seventh issue of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight comic book series. It was written by Joss Whedon and Scott Allie, and illustrated by Georges Jeanty. It was originally published on October 6, 2010 by Dark Horse Comics.

Synopsis[]

Spike and Buffy are finally reunited (*sigh*) and lucky him — he's discovered the source of all her problems, and it's not Angel. Now Buffy must revisit the place where love was indiscriminate, the Scoobies were formed, and Hell's mouth was closed for good.

Joss Whedon and Georges Jeanty launch readers into the finale of Buffy Season Eight, promising more adventure, twists, and turns. Bonds are tested, lives altered, and oh! — the fate of humanity hangs in the balance.[1]

Summary[]

All cleaned up from her rather messy fight with the legions of demons now making their way into this universe; Buffy exits the shower in Spike's room drying her hair with a towel, while Spike looks on from his bed. They briefly reminisce at the fact that they are heading back to Sunnydale, but decide to move on to more pressing matters - the Seed of Wonder. The seed, Spike explains has been there before anything else, humans or even the First Evil, which is nicely ironic. He explains that it is just as the name implies, the source of all the magic in the world. Everything in this universe came from it, from the time when demons overran the world (which was most likely spillover from a lesser dimension). The Seed brought them forth and kept them in place. It kept all of the old magics, warring demons and bubbling energies from seeping back into the Old dimension, though the location of this dimension was not known. The Seed is the only thing powerful enough to keep everything from bleeding back.

Spike explains to Buffy that it's best to think of it as a cork in a bottle: "As long as the cork (the Seed) stays firmly in place at its current residence, the Hellmouth, (Sunnydale), then the world will remain as it should. On the other hand, if the seed is pulled out, the world as they know it ends. As long as it stays buried underground with its protector they're safe. Spike explains that due to the impulsive actions of two “super-powered morons” (Buffy and Angel), shagging a new universe into existence has caused the catastrophic release of interdimensional demons into their world.

Buffy immediately rushes to her own defense, explaining that it wasn't like she and Angel were out of control (though they were), it was more elemental. She describes it like they were outside themselves, but still in each other. Visibly upset, Spike declines the details, considering his feelings for Buffy. This disappoints Buffy, who misses the fact that they aren’t close and don't talk anymore like they once did - she reveals him to be her “dark place.” Sharing a moment, they kiss each other — which turns out to be a romantic daydream she is having instead of listening to Spike’s plan to stop the apocalypse. Unbeknownst of her Spike-fueled daydream, he playfully dismisses her as being what Giles calls a “crap student”. He then decides to leave his bed to Buffy so she can get some rest for the long journey ahead. He goes to update the group of his plans while Buffy continues to fantasize about steamy sex with Spike.

While Dawn anxiously attempts to block out thoughts of Spike's bug minions working around them, Xander consoles her by telling her maybe after all of this — and if they survive — they should get an apartment together. Without Buffy and the mess that accompanies living with a slayer army, just the two of them. Xander would get a job, Dawn would return to school and they could just scrape a living. She immediately agrees but questions whether or not they have what's in them to survive the fight that's coming. While they talk, the General listens on through an air vent.

In Japan, Angel arrives to assist a group of troubled slayers with the task of killing a Placenturian targeting them and a group of civilians. Back on the ship the gang discusses the seed and how odd it is that it's been there the whole time unbeknownst to the Scoobies for seven years. But Spike says they do have an advantage: the Earth demons will not want the new universe demons to get the Seed because the world will end as a result. He also explains that ever since the seed was planted, Twilight has been an inevitability. It is possible that the world may have just run its course since everything has a life span, including Earth.

As they talk, Willow suddenly collapses. She wakes up in her Spirit world with Aluwyn standing over her. Aluwyn immediately begins to warn her, if things go the way they do, Willow will never be able to return there. Willow however isn't worried considering how close Earth is to being swallowed by hell. Aluwyn says her friends won't let that happen - the vampire and the Watcher will find another way. With the seed removed, the gates of hell are opened wide: that is what Twilight wants. Mother Earth destroyed so the new world can thrive — the queen, dead — Long live the queen. But hell only pours in if the seed is removed. If the Seed is successfully destroyed, the gates and path are gone. As a result, hell has no available avenue to this world and the world will be void of all magic. The slayers and vampires already active would remain but all other connections to other realms would be severed. Everyone who gets their power from elsewhere (namely witches), lose everything. She continues that it's not only Twilight she must stop. Willow asks her if she knows who will betray Buffy, and Aluwyn's face falls. Back on the ship, Willow wakes up and tells her friends that they have to protect the Seed.

Angel still keeps up the fight, saving and assisting Slayers and killing as many demons as can. He says to himself: "But you were right Buffy, I do need this." And then swoops down to save more people.

On the ship, Faith asks what the plan is, but Giles says there is no plan. They just need to prevent the Seed's removal. He is aware this was not what Faith wanted to do, but unsuccessfully reassures her that after this there will still be girls for Faith to guide. Suddenly, Spike announces they've arrived when he sees the huge crater left of Sunnydale from the windows of his ship. He is astonished by the mass destruction - he never got to see the outcome due to burning up with the amulet when he saved the world before. To everyones sheer horror, various demons are all over wreaking havoc. Willow suddenly pulls Buffy aside to tell her that no one — not just the demons — can get the seed. Buffy responds by saying no one will and leaps out of the ship. Spike grabs onto her as they fall through the Earth and Buffy realizes it all ends here - the war.

Willow goes to follow but Xander stops her, stating that it's Sunnydale you can't leave him out of this, he wants to go home and it is clear so do Giles, Dawn and Faith. Under the earth Buffy wants to know about the seed, and where it is. But Spike says he still doesn't know where it's hidden. Out of nowhere the Master appears and hits Buffy from behind, and Spike realizes he's the protector. The Master is surprised - he was told by an unknown source that they would be coming - but Buffy would be with Angel, not Spike. He says their new world is not worthy of this power, Buffy has created nothing but a soulless shell. In response, Buffy crushes the Master’s head into the ground as Spike declares her his “hero”.

In an city destroyed in battle, Angel stands unharmed along a group of Slayers, prepared for more fighting, with Placentuarian corpses laying around. Suddenly, a creature appears to him in the guise of a cat and bird telling him his work isn't nearly done. It also explains that when it appeared to Angel through its previous vessel (a dog), it was just talking through it. It then goes on to call Angel its father. It says that it had to use vessels because it hadn't been born yet, but it's here now thanks to him and unfortunately Angel can't deny the universe he created. The bird and the cat merge creating a winged lion — Twilight — who tells Angel he has to finish what he started.

Continuity[]

  • Buffy tells Spike he's her "dark place"; in On Your Own, Part Two, he'll tell her he doesn't want to be "the dark place you run to when things aren't working."
  • As he promises her, Xander and Dawn will indeed have an apartment together after surviving the battle on Sunnydale (Last Gleaming, Part Five), when she'll be back to school and he'll work in construction again.
  • The General hears Xander and Dawn's plans to build a new life away from the war; in Last Gleaming, Part Three, he'll use this knowledge to convince Xander the way to end this battle is destroying the Seed of Wonder, which will be done in Last Gleaming, Part Four.
  • Spike mentions being able to speak Fyarl, as he had done in "A New Man".
  • Willow mentions that Buffy had a vision someone close would betray her, as revealed in Anywhere but Here.
  • Spike is amazed at the destruction he caused in Sunnydale, which he wasn't able to see with his death in "Chosen".
  • The Twilight manifests in the same form from the dreams Buffy mentioned in No Future for You, Part One. Aluwyn repeats the words he had pronounced in these visions: "Long live the queen."

Appearances[]

Individuals[]

Organizations and titles[]

Species[]

Locations[]

Weapons and objects[]

Death count[]

  • Unidentified Placenturian, beheaded by Angel in Japan.
  • Unidentified Placenturian, beheaded by an unidentified Slayer.
  • Unidentified Placenturian, killed by Angel at the sea.
  • Unknown number of Placenturians, killed by Angel and Slayers.

Behind the scenes[]

Production[]

B8-37-00b bogus

Jo Chen's bogus cover without the Master.

  • In order to avoid revealing the Master's appearance in the previous issue ahead of time, the solicitation for this issue had a bogus cover by Jo Chen in which his presence was erased.
  • Georges Jeanty's variant cover features Buffy, Xander, and Willow as the were in high school, more specifically a reference to their clothes in "Welcome to the Hellmouth". The other students sitting on desks were also confirmed as Cordelia and Oz.[2]

Distribution[]

  • Last Gleaming, Part Two was the 32nd best selling comic issue in its publishing month, with 43,021 sales in October 2010 at comic specialty stores.[3]

Collections[]

Pop culture references[]

Gallery[]

Cover artwork[]

Preview[]

Quotes[]

Buffy: "Wow. Probably would have been more impressive if something poured out. Like if you held it upside down—"
Spike: "It's a seventy-year-old Madeira, I'm not dumping on the floor just 'cause you have no imagination."
Buffy: "You're the one who made a big thing with the cork—"
Buffy: "I can feel it. One way or another, the war ends here. Spike's totally touching my butt."
Master: "It said you'd come… Although she was supposed to be with the other one. Twilight. Pfft. You think your new world is worthy of this power? You've created nothing. A soulless shell — no matter what you might think of it. And this is what you bring for protection?"
Spike: Not protection. Distraction.
Buffy: "I'm sorry… You were taking about power." (slams the Master's head into the ground)
Spike: "My hero."

References[]

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