- “You taste like strawberries.”
- ―Rack to Willow Rosenberg[src]
Rack was a warlock from Sunnydale, who supplied an addictive kind of magic.
Biography
Rack was an evil warlock who has apparently resided in Sunnydale since 1998, though he went unnoticed until some time in 2001, when he received a visit from Amy Madison and Willow Rosenberg, after they had exhausted all their own magics at the Bronze; this is the first time that his presence was brought to the attention of the Scooby Gang, Buffy Summers or the show's audience. Rack was apparently well known within the demon community, though not a demon himself. Many semi-demons and weaker magical persons were scared of his very name and refused to help guide anyone to him; in fact, when Spike heard his name, he immediately recognized his name and was visibly alarmed to learn that Willow was in his company.
Rack's hideout was cloaked, so that only demons and those with magic abilities could find it. Once inside, there was a waiting room, usually filled with several people (magic junkies), and a back room where he lived and did magic. He pinned Willow to the ceiling in that room with magic, Willow's pupils and irises turned a solid black for several hours at one point while she was on the ceiling - she loved the magical high.
Dark Willow draining Rack's life
Rack was the mystical equivalent of a drug dealer. However he would not share his magic until after Willow (whom he nicknamed "Strawberry" because of her red hair) allowed him to explore her mentally. She didn't seem to like it, but allowed it. After this, Willow and Amy spent several hours with Rack, "high" on magic - literally high as she was lying on the ceiling. Willow's addiction to magic became immediately more severe and she goes back to Rack's apartment the next night with Dawn Summers in tow. Willow had told Dawn they were going to the movies, but before they get to the movie Dawn is told Willow must make a quick stop. Leaving Dawn unprotected in the waiting room, Willow spends at least 2 hours in Rack's room, just being high on magic, again on the ceiling. Willow finally emerges and ignored Dawn's concerns and complaints, apparently not realizing (or caring) how long she was in Rack's room.
Upon leaving Rack's place, they are attacked by a demon who claimed that Willow summoned him. In order to escape, Willow attempts to drive a car with magic, and gets into an accident which leaves Dawn badly injured. This terrifies Dawn, as well as seriously injuring her friendships with the Scoobies, who find them almost immediately. Buffy and her team have been searching all of Sunnydale for the pair, Buffy finally learns about Rack and, confessing sobbingly to Buffy that she is addicted and needs help, Willow renounces her magic and severs her contact with Rack and Amy.
Rack was not seen or heard from again until Warren Mears accidentally shot and killed Tara Maclay. Warren paid Rack for protection after he discovered that Buffy had survived his assassination attempt. Rack warned Warren that Buffy was the least of his problems compared to Willow; Rack gave Warren the protection spells and some magical weapons that Warren had paid for and sent Warren on his way, though he warned Warren that there is no guarantee that they would stop Willow. Shortly thereafter, Rack was visited by Dark Willow, who appears to kill the unstable warlock by draining his life force into hers, which gave her a much needed magical boost.
Return
Rack as "Marrak"
Though Rack appeared to die, in actuality he survived though lost his powers. He eventually found himself as a traveller in an alternate dimension, having acquired a demonic form due to a magical curse. While travelling, magic was cut off from Earth as a result of Buffy Summers breaking the Seed of Wonder, and Rack became trapped in a mystical dimension. Some months later, he would encounter the very witch who robbed him of his powers, Willow Rosenberg, who was on a mission to restore magic to their home dimension. Rack introduced himself as Marrak and became her travelling companion, and earned her trust by rescuing her from attacking wing-heads, demons which contain dreams and nightmares from Earth.
While travelling, Willow was reunited with her long lost lover Aluwyn and her "supercoven" of travelling witches. Marrak tried to dissuade Willow from losing sight of her mission, but was banished from the witches' paradise for his impertinence. Later, he appeared to Willow in her dreams using the wing-heads to inform her that her magical paradise was an illusion and that she was being kept on a perpetual "high" while the Earth suffered. Remembering her friends, Willow parted ways with Aluwyn and returned to Marrak's company, only to find him more covetous of dark magic having absorbed all the dark magic of the wing-heads. It was then she realised who he truly was, and attacked him with a magical blast which restored his true form. Revealed, Rack vowed to steal Willow's magic away from her much as she had stolen his.
Powers and Abilities
Rack was a warlock of the highest order, capable of manipulating dark magics by the wave of a hand. He was capable of charging other beings with magical energy, causing them to experience very vivid hallucinations, and, in the case of witches and warlocks, even losing control of their own powers. He was also capable of telekinesis, extreme cloaking abilities (he could hide his entire building from all but demons and magic users), as well as sensing and reading auras.
Behind the Scenes
- He was portrayed by Jeff Kober.
- Kober previously appeared in "Helpless" as Zachary Kralik.