Angel (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
From Iwe
Angel/Angelus | ||
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel character | ||
First appearance | "Welcome to the Hellmouth"(Buffy, 1997) | |
Created by | Joss Whedon | |
Portrayed by | David Boreanaz | |
Information | ||
Affiliation | Scooby Gang Angel Investigations The Powers That Be Wolfram & Hart | |
Notable powers | Supernatural strength, speed, stamina, agility, and reflexes Acute sensory perception, rapid healing, and immortality |
Angel is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt for the American fantasy television programs Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off series Angel. He is played by actor David Boreanaz. As introduced in Buffy in 1997, Angel is a love interest for heroine Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar), a young woman whose destiny as "the Slayer" is to fight the forces of evil, such as vampires and demons. However, their relationship is complicated by the fact that Angel is himself a vampire cursed with remorse and a human soul, which motivates him to assist Buffy in her duties as Slayer. The character's popularity led to the production of the spin-off Angel, which follows the character's struggle towards redemption after moving to Los Angeles. In addition to the two television series, the character appears in the comic book continuations of both series, as well as much other expanded universe literature.
In the character's fictional backstory, Angel—originally known as Liam—was an 18th century Irishman who after becoming a vampire and assuming the name Angelus became famous as the most sadistic vampire in European history. After angering a gypsy clan, he was cursed with his human soul, leading to great personal torment and the decision to resist the evil impulses that come with being a vampire. He later assumes the shortened name Angel, and over the course of Buffy and Angel he matures into an altruistic champion of mankind, and learns he is a central figure of several prophecies concerning an approaching apocalypse. Angel ended its five-year run in 2004. However, the canonical comic books Angel: After the Fall (2007–2009), Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight (2007–2011) and Angel & Faith (2011–2013) depict the character's continued story, in which he is caught up in events of cosmic proportion and must deal with the fallout from enormous mistakes he has made.
Storylines in season two of Buffy and season four of Angel, where he is removed from his soul, see Angel resume his Angelus persona and cruelly torment and even kill some of his allies. Academic literature concerning the character has often focused on the implications of Angel's dichotomous personality in the presence or absence of his soul, and the ways in which his relationship with Buffy conforms to and subverts the tropes of romantic drama and horror fiction.
Contents |
[edit] Buffy the Vampire Slayer
[edit] Angel
[edit] Comic books
[edit] Reception
[edit] References
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 1997–2003, created by Joss Whedon.
- Angel, 1999–2004, created by Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt.
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
Buffy the Vampire Slayer | ||
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Canon • Index • Joss Whedon | ||
Series | Film • Television • (Episodes • 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7) • Comics (Season Eight • Season Nine) • Buffyverse canon | |
Main characters | Buffy • Willow • Xander • Cordelia • Giles • Angel • Spike • Oz • Anya • Tara • Dawn • Riley | |
Major villains | The Master • Drusilla • Angelus • The Mayor • Adam • Glory • The Trio • Dark Willow • The First | |
Spin-offs | Angel • Fray • Tales of the Slayers • Tales of the Vampires • Buffy the Animated Series | |
Expanded universe | Novels • Undeveloped productions • Video games | |
Auxiliary | Academia • CCG • DVDs • Guidebooks • In popular culture • Magazines • Music • RPGs | |
Universe | Big Bads • Hellmouth • Main characters • Minor characters • Monsters • • Scooby Gang • Sunnydale • Vampire |