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The Calling is the second issue of the Fray comic book series. Written by Joss Whedon and illustrated by Karl Moline, it was originally published on July 4, 2001, by Dark Horse Comics.

Synopsis[]

Fray's world has been turned upside down. After finishing a routine breaking and entering job, she's returned to her apartment to find an eight-foot-tall demon. Now she's got another job proposal put in front of her, and her life will never be the same. Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, makes his comics writing debut with this epic, eight-issue saga of a young girl in a futuristic world where monsters are all but unheard of — and now she's got to chase them all out of the shadows.[1]

Summary[]

Melaka is aware of the demon lurking behind her, and he lunges for her without hesitation. He refers to himself as Urkonn of the D'Avvrus. She zaps him with her ray gun and put it down for the count. However, as soon as she tries to catch a breather, Urkonn wakes and plunges them both out of a window. As they fall, Fray continues to fight, until Urkonn tells her that he was not trying to kill her.

Urkonn tells her that he was simply trying to halt her flight. He claims that he was sent to train her and that she is the Chosen One, destined to lead humankind in war against the vampires. Fray is unimpressed, asking what vampires are.

Meanwhile, a vampire named Icarus is feeding from a girl. Two minions approaches him with the stolen amulet, and he elects to take it do their leader. As he walks away, the minions talks about Icarus' past glory and how he is nothing but a lackey now. Icarus overhears and exerts his power over the minions by making one bite his own finger off.

Mel has figured out that Urkonn was referring to lurks, but she doesn't believe a word the he has said. Trying to prove his point, Urkonn tells her about the dreams about past Slayers she's supposed to have, but Mel claims never to have dreamed anything like that.

On patrol, Erin is fuming at Mel's attitude to her, concerned that she would lose her sister to the dark side. Meanwhile, in Versi, Loo is trying to convince her friends that Mel is cool, and a hero, but they become convinced only when says that Mel is also a thief.

In her apartment, Fray says she doesn't care about the lurks, until Urkonn tells that they will eventually overrun the world. Suddenly, a device that has traveled across Haddyn comes through the window, and Mel catches it. She calls it a "carrier pigeon", and it means that she is being summoned for a job. She chooses to leave Urkonn and take the gig, telling him to get another plan. When she has left, Urkonn points out that there is another plan, but she won't like it.

Mel is on her grab in a museum. She is distracted by Urkonn's claims, but has to make the grab: a totem. Suddenly, an alarm goes off. She realizes that she didn't cause it, and finds a lurk feasting on the guard. It lunges for her and bites into her arm. She manages to overpower him and throws him at a display case, shattering it.

Escaping from the scene, Fray returns to Urkonn and asks him: "What's a Slayer?"

Continuity[]

  • Mentioning past slayers, Urkonn describes "a girl in school in a sunlit city," a reference to Buffy's slaying years in Buffy the Vampire Slayer seasons one, two, and three.
  • Melaka denies having the Slayer dreams; in The Worst of It, it's revealed her twin brother Harth inherited them in her place.
  • Urkonn mentions Melaka won't be pleased with his alternative plan, a threat he'll accomplish with Loo's death, manipulating her into wanting vengeance against the lurks, as revealed in All Hell.
  • Melaka fights a lurk at the museum but doesn't know how to kill him; Urkonn will teach her in Ready, Steady..., but she'll dust her first lurks in Alarums.
  • The totem's grab, as well as her previous amulet's grab (Big City Girl), will be revealed as collected for Icarus' master (Ready, Steady...).

Appearances[]

Individuals[]

Organizations and titles[]

Species[]

Locations[]

Objects[]

Death count[]

  • Unidentified woman, blood drained by Icarus.
  • Unidentified museum guard, blood drained by a lurk.

Behind the scenes[]

Production[]

  • The Chrysler Building is featured in Haddyn landscape, altered with more floors above the real 20th century construction.
  • Urkunn's explanation to Melaka, "In your dreams, you're someone else. A slave. A princess," is a callback to Merrick's explanation to Buffy in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer film: "In the past. A girl. Maybe... a Magyar peasant. An Indian princess. A slave."

Distribution[]

  • The Calling was the 133rd best selling comic issue in its publishing month, with 14,633 sales in July 2001 at comic specialty stores.[2] It was also among the 300 best selling of October 2001[3] and January 2002.[4]

Collections[]

Gallery[]

Cover artwork[]

Quotes[]

Urkonn: "In your dreams, you known. In your dreams, you're someone else. A slave. A princess. A girl in school in a sunlit city. In every dream you have great power. In every dream you fight them. The ones you call lurks."
Erin: "She doesn't stop, she'll kill someone else. Maybe on purpose this time. And then she's gone."

References[]

  1. "Joss Whedon's Fray #2 (of 8)." Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved on March 6, 2018.
  2. "Top 300 Comics--July 2001." ICv2, June 30, 2001.
  3. "Top 300 Comics--October 2001." ICv2, October 3, 2001.
  4. "Top 300 Comics--January 2002." ICv2, January 2, 2002.
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