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Alone Together Now

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⤷ Note: This article is about the issue. For the collection, see Alone Together Now (HC).

Alone Together Now is the first issue of the Spike comic book series. Written by Brian Lynch and illustrated by Franco Urru, it was originally published on October 13, 2010, by IDW Publishing.

Synopsis[]

No Bad too big in this all-new monthly series! The fan-favorite Angel team of Brian Lynch and artist Franco Urru are back! And this time, it's all about Spike. He's out on his own, away from Angel's watchful eye, and in charge of his own destiny. Lover, fighter, vampire with a soul, he's kick-starting his biggest adventure yet. Damsels, prepare to be saved and wooed! Forces of evil, get ready to be destroyed and mocked! Featuring guest-appearances by Angel, Illyria, and a face from the past seeking to destroy his future![1]

Summary[]

In Las Vegas, a woman plays a slot machine while talking on the phone. Her spin lands on unusual symbols — a wolf, a ram, and a heart — but instead of winning, a giant bug drops into her hand. Suddenly, a swarm of flesh-eating insects attacks the casino patrons, devouring them as chaos ensues.

Spike observes that Las Vegas has been quietly covering up such horrors, with staff silenced and police bribed. Recognizing that the danger usually goes unnoticed, he concludes that the city needs a hero to protect its people — a Champion.

Spike recounts his origin as a vampire, explaining how Drusilla turned him — an unsuspecting young ponce named William — into a soulless predator who terrorized the world for decades. After Drusilla drifted away, he fell in love with Buffy Summers, inspiring him to regain his soul and fight on the side of good. By his own reckoning, he rated himself a chaotic 8½ on a morality scale from 1, representing pure evil, to 10, representing pure noble. He ultimately sacrificed himself during the battle of the Hellmouth, after which Buffy went her own way.

Following these events, Spike found himself in the Wolfram & Hart office of his grandsire, surviving countless supernatural conflicts as chaos continued in the world. Hollywood adapted his exploits into a film, Last Angel in Hell, though it contained numerous inaccuracies — and Spike received no royalties after the director's cut was released on Blu-ray and DVD.

Maria "Spider" Harley, Spike's ex-girlfriend, wrote a series of novels loosely based on their time together, which were later adapted into the Twinkle film trilogy. The movies became a cultural phenomenon, with fans lining up for weeks to see each release, fueling a widespread vampire craze and public fascination with real vampires.

In the present day, Spike fights alongside Team Angel during the premiere of Re-clipse, the third installment of the Twinkle film series. As fans line up for the first showing, the crowd is attacked by vampires. Angel, Illyria, and Spike intervene, killing the attackers to protect the civilians. Amid the chaos, Spike jokes about asking survivors where they got their "Team William" t-shirts and poses for nearby cameras, irritating Angel. During the battle, a vampire recognizes Spike as a hero and a legend before Spike stakes him without hesitation. Afterward, when Angel reminds him they are on a schedule, Spike agrees, noting that he needs to make a stop in Las Vegas.

At the Mosaic Wellness Center, Spike requests permission to take Beck on a weekend excursion. Malposo expresses concern, noting that Beck has been exhibiting unusual behavior, including outbursts that have caused property damage, and questions whether exposure to Spike might worsen her condition. Spike argues that Beck is capable of handling herself in a fight and takes direction well. He emphasizes that his intentions are strictly professional and that there are no romantic motives. Malposo remains skeptical, pointing out Spike's reputation and unpredictability, but Spike reassures her by bringing along a chaperone, Betta George.

Outside the facility, Spike meets with George to discuss the upcoming mission. George asks for details, but Spike provides little, explaining only that Las Vegas "has gone to hell," though not literally, and that their goal is to prevent it from reaching that point. Assuming they will be joining Angel, Illyria, or even Connor, George is surprised when Spike admits that their small group is the team. Spike emphasizes that he wants to keep Team Spike limited to people he can trust and control, avoiding betrayal, death, and "aerial sex." When George hesitates, Spike tells him that he is tired of being a passenger on other people's missions and wants to take the lead. Spike reassures George that Beck is stable enough to participate and notes that their fourth team member — whose identity he doesn't reveal — is highly reliable, describing him as a "bloody rock."

A short time later, Beck leaves the facility accompanied by Malposo and guards. When Malposo warns her to be careful, Beck tells her to "get bent." When Spike notices that Beck is wearing gauntlets designed to suppress her pyrokinesis, Malposo explains that they are necessary to keep her abilities in check. Beck appears more grown-up and confident, dressed in a revealing outfit, which concerns Spike. George notes that it is not too late to call Angel for assistance, but Spike assures him that Angel is unavailable and that he will handle Beck himself. Suddenly, Beck destroys the gauntlets in an eruption of fire and declares that she is ready to go, leaving Spike momentarily stunned.

While the trio travels to Las Vegas on a motorcycle with a sidecar, Beck excitedly talks about seeing shows and gambling, while George reminds her to remain incognito, explaining that he uses an illusion to appear human despite being a giant talking fish. Their conversation is interrupted when several Elvis Presley impersonators suddenly fly through the air. Stopping the vehicle, the group discovers that dozens of impersonators are being forcibly merged together into a massive creature made of human bodies. Beck prepares to burn it down, but Spike stops her, realizing the humans are unwilling participants.

Spike instructs Beck to create a wall of flame to protect nearby tourists and begins climbing the towering mass of bodies. He briefly considers calling their mysterious fourth team member but decides he can handle the situation himself. As he pushes toward the center, he remarks that the problem is "always in the heart." At the core, Spike discovers a demon with glowing eyes. The creature recognizes him and reports to unseen allies, exclaiming, "They sent Spike!" Before Spike can respond, the mass tightens around him, dislocating his shoulder.

George warns that the collapsing structure could crush nearby civilians, but Spike manages to stab the demon through the chest, breaking its control. The tower collapses, sending Spike tumbling to the ground among the impersonators. After Beck helps him up, Spike admits he does not know who was behind the attack but notes that they now know his identity and that he has arrived in Las Vegas. Bruised and unable to move his arm, Spike declares the city his territory and asks Beck to light him a cigarette.

Meanwhile, in a luxury apartment overlooking the Las Vegas Strip, a man takes a phone call amid scattered clothes and signs of a wild sexual encounter. Lying beside him is Drusilla. After ending the call, the man confirms that Spike has arrived in the city, crediting Drusilla's visions for the accurate prediction. Smiling, she tells him that they "get to play." As they kiss, Drusilla confesses that no matter what he does or where he goes, she will always belong to Spike — he has her heart. The man replies that he understands more than she knows, revealing that Spike possesses something of his as well: his soul.

Continuity[]

Appearances[]

Individuals[]

Organizations and titles[]

Species[]

Events[]

Locations[]

Objects[]

Death count[]

  • Spike, sired by Drusilla (in flashback).
  • Unidentified woman, bitten by Spike (in flashback).
  • Unknown number of vampires, beheaded by Spike, Angel, and Illyria.
  • "Pinky," stabbed by Spike.

Behind the scenes[]

Production[]

  • Writer Brian Lynch discussed his original plans for the issue:[2]
    "To be honest, when it went from unlimited series to mini-series, I completely rewrote issue one, but kept the Twinkle stuff because I thought it was a good set-up for Spike's exposition. That said, originally, Spike didn't go to Vegas in the first issue (he got there around issue 3). Issue 2 was going to end with John going to a Spider book signing and killing her as a 'message' for Spike. Would have been sad end for her, and this way, Spider goes out in a happy place (successful writer!) so in a way I'm glad it was cut. I should ask IDW if we can put the entire original first issue script in the back of the SPIKE collected."
  • The opening line of the issue is, "Las Vegas. Started evil. Stayed that way." This is a reference to Big City Girl, in which Melaka Fray's first line of dialogue is, "Bad day. Started bad, stayed that way." Another variation of the line also appears in issue Time of Your Life, Part One, uttered by Buffy Summers.
  • Spike's mention of "aerial sex" is a tongue-in-cheek reference to Buffy and Angel's superpowered sex in issue Twilight, Part Three. That event has not yet occurred at the time Alone Together Now takes place.
  • IDW editor Chris Ryall makes a cameo appearance in the story as one of the civilians, in page 16.

Distribution[]

  • Alone Together Now was the 146th best-selling comic issue in its publishing month, with 12,044 sales in October 2010 at comic specialty stores.[3]

Collections[]

Pop culture references[]

  • Spike mentions tribute shows to the singer Frank Sinatra.
  • Betta George compares Beck to the character Sandy from the film Grease.
  • Team Spike encounters numerous flying impersonators of Elvis Presley.
  • George mentions Wade Lion from the television series Voltron: Defender of the Universe.
  • George mentions profile pictures of the social media Facebook, founded in 2004.

Gallery[]

Covers[]

Cover artwork[]

Quotes[]

Spike: "Las Vegas. Started evil. Stayed that way."

References[]

  1. ↑ "Spike #1 (of 8)." IDW Publishing. Retrieved on September 10, 2019.
  2. ↑ Brian Lynch, "Spike #1 gets released today." Whedonesque.com, October 13, 2010.
  3. ↑ "Top 300 Comics Actual--October 2010." ICv2, November 8, 2010.
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