View source for Spike: After the Fall, Part One

{{ComicIssue
|coverA    = SATF-01-00a.jpg
|released  = July 16, [[2008]]
|pages     = 22
|series    = ''[[Spike: After the Fall]]''
|number    = 1
|previous  = First issue in the series.
|next      = ''[[Spike: After the Fall, Part Two]]''
|publisher = [[IDW Publishing]]
|writer    = [[Brian Lynch]]
|penciller = [[Franco Urru]]
|editor    = [[Chris Ryall]]
|coverart  = [[Franco Urru]]<br>[[The Sharp Brothers]]
|colorist  = [[Art Lyon]]<br>[[Tom Smith]]
|letterer  = [[Robbie Robbins]]
}}

'''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is the first issue of the ''[[Spike: After the Fall]]'' comic book miniseries. Written by [[Brian Lynch]] and illustrated by [[Franco Urru]], it was originally published on July 16, [[2008]] by [[IDW Publishing]].

==Synopsis==
RAISE SOME HELL!

Spinning out of the "First Night" events in ''Angel: [[After the Fall]]'' comes the official story of [[Spike]]'s first months in hell. How did he come to be here? Why is [[Illyria]] with him? And exactly how did he come to set up shop in a certain famous mansion in Beverly Hills?

It's all the hell, none of the Angels in the first of four issues courtesy of the ''After the Fall'' team of Brian Lynch and Franco Urru, who provides two special ''Spike'' covers offered in a 50/50 ratio-one featuring Spike's [[human]] face, one in all its [[vampire|vamped]]-out fury! Aussie art team [[The Sharp Brothers]] offer a special "grindhouse"-inspired incentive cover, too!<ref>[https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/MAY083932 "MAY083932 - SPIKE AFTER THE FALL #1 (OF 4)."] ''Previews World''. Retrieved on January 27, 2020.</ref>

==Summary==
A group of [[lizard-like demon]]s roams the streets of what used to be LA. Spike charges in with a chain and a motorcycle, but the [[demon]]s quickly get the upper hand in the fight. Spike tries talking his way out, to no success. Still worn out from some previous battle, Spike cannot gain ground against the demons. They want to take Spike and a young human for a tribute to one of the Lords of LA.

Before they go, though, they question the whereabouts of [[Nata]], a member of their pack gone missing. Illyria walks in holding the dead beast, saying that Nata's will do nothing but strengthen "flock." Using this distraction, Spike takes the rather long tongue of the head demon, wraps it around the demon's neck and begins to choke him, but Illyria who kills all five demons.

Many humans watch the fight from the [[Happytime Studios]] amusement park. Spike holds up the saved child and asks if someone wanted a kid. A few hours later, Spike and his right-hand man [[Jeremy Johns]] (whose name Spike thinks is Jerry) raid the place gathering its stocked food. They tell the group of humans that they will dine "like tourists" tonight.

Spike reflects on having fought a few gargantuan demons. He joined the good team, fought to the death, and the city went to hell. Spike then found Illyria in the form of [[Winifred Burkle|Fred]] and tried to move people to safety.

Back in the present, Spike and Jeremy see Illyria, looking like Fred, talking to the child they saved. Spike gets upset and pulls her away. A couple from the crowd agrees to take in the boy, so Spike threatens them to keep the kid far from Illyria. As Fred, Illyria begins to realize that she is in pain from a bad wound to her side. Spike distracts her back to her true form with a large robotic attraction of ''[[Dicky Duck]]'' that angers her. Jeremy, who turned the robot on at Spike's request, says he's grateful that Spike saved him from werewolves, but questions the ethics behind encouraging an ally to "be an evil demigoddess."

In answer, Spike slaps Jeremy. When asked if Jeremy felt it, he says he did. Spike explains that as a [[vampire]], he feels less and Illyria would feel nearly nothing. It was the only way she would survive Hell A. Jeremy confides to Spike that he was on his way to San Diego to propose to his girlfriend, saying that he should have left a few hours earlier. Spike laments to himself that now he ought to feel guilty and apologize for the slapping. Spike gets ready to leave, but the crowd complains about the lack of entertainment, wanting to play around the amusement park before moving on.

The remaining lizard-like demons look on, saying that when Spike leaves, they will attack again and avenge Nata's death. Before they move, though, they are killed by two leather-wearing female demons.

Meanwhile, Spike, unaware of the danger he was nearly in, talks about finding a new place to stay. He goes to the old [[Wolfram & Hart Los Angeles branch|Wolfram & Hart offices]], saying that it might, ironically, be the safest place to stay. Suddenly fire erupts nearby, and the dragon [[Cordelia (dragon)|Cordelia]] appears.

The crowd is now annoying Jeremy to play around the park. Suddenly, they are surrounded by a group of the leather-clad demons, much to their excitement.

==Continuity==
*The story is set between Spike's appearances in ''[[After the Fall, Part Six]]'' and ''[[After the Fall, Part Two]]''.
*The deaths during the [[Fall of Los Angeles]] are all eventually reversed in ''[[After the Fall, Part Sixteen]]''.
*The Happytime Studios amusement park features a ''Dicky Duck'' ride, the fictional character first featured in the miniseries ''[[Spike: Shadow Puppets]]''.
*Spike reflects on Silver Lake being rumored to be "a promised land," but would make a friend a favor and stay away; this refers to [[Krevlornswath of the Deathwok Clan|Lorne]] being the Lord of his own sanctuary (''[[After the Fall, Part Four]]'').

==Appearances==
===Individuals===
*[[Angel]] {{Om}}
*[[Winifred Burkle]] {{FBO}}
*[[Ms. Clean]]
*[[Cordelia (dragon)|Cordelia]]
*[[Illyria]]
*[[Jeremy Johns]]
*[[Kr'ph]] {{Om}}
*[[Krevlornswath of the Deathwok Clan]] {{Om}}
*[[Nata]]
*[[Spike]]
*[[Buffy Summers]] {{Om}}
*Jeremy Johns's girlfriend {{Om}}
===Organizations and titles===
*[[Demon Lord]] {{Om}}
*[[Spikettes]]
*[[Team Spike]]
*[[Witch]] {{Om}}
===Species===
*[[Demon]]
**[[Lizard-like demon]]
**[[Old One]]
*[[Dragon]]
*[[Human]]
**[[Werewolf]] {{Om}}
*[[Vampire]]
===Events===
*[[Fall of Los Angeles]]
===Locations===
*Los Angeles
**[[Happytime Studios]]
**[[Wolfram & Hart Los Angeles branch]]
*San Diego {{Om}}
===Objects===
*''[[Dicky Duck]]'' {{Om}}
*[[Soul]] {{Om}}

==Death count==
*Nata, killed by Illyria.
*Other five lizard-like demons, killed by Illyria.
*Two lizard-like demon, killed by a Spikette.

==Behind the scenes==
===Distribution===
*''{{PAGENAME}}'' was the 59th best selling comic issue in its publishing month, with 36,874 sales in July 2008 at comic specialty stores.<ref>[https://icv2.com/articles/comics/view/13107/ "Top 300 Comics Actual--July 2008"]. ''ICv2'', August 18, 2008.</ref>

===Collections===
*''[[Spike: After the Fall (TPB)|Spike: After the Fall]]'' (paperback)
*''[[Spike: After the Fall (HC)|Spike: After the Fall]]'' (hardcover)
*''[[Angel Season Six, Volume 1]]''

===Pop culture references===
*Jeremy compares Illyria in Fred's form to the character [[Wikipedia:Mary Ann Summers|Mary Ann Summers]] from the television series ''[[Wikipedia:Gilligan's Island|Gilligan's Island]]'' (1964–1967).
*Jeremy mentions reading ''[[Wikipedia:Cosmopolitan (magazine)|Cosmopolitan]]'' magazine.
*One of the humans mentions the television series ''[[Wikipedia:Charmed|Charmed]]'' (1998–2006), describing it as "that awful show about the witch sisters."

==Gallery==
===Covers===
<gallery widths="120" spacing="small" captionalign="center">
SATF-01-00a.jpg|Cover A
SATF-01-01a.jpg|Cover B
SATF-01-02a.jpg|Retailer incentive A
SATF-01-03a.jpg|Retailer incentive B
SATF-01-04a.jpg|Apocalypse Comics exclusive
S06-01-00f.jpg|Comic Con exclusive Vellum cover
S06-01-00g.jpg|Diamond Retailer Summit exclusive
S06-01-00e.jpg|Dynamic Forces exclusive
S06-01-00i.jpg|New Dimension Comics exclusive
S06-01-00j.jpg|Things From Another World exclusive
</gallery>
===Cover artwork===
<gallery spacing="small" captionalign="center">
SATF-01-00b.jpg|Franco Urru
SATF-01-01b.jpg|Franco Urru
SATF-01-03a.jpg|Joe & Rob Sharp
</gallery>

==References==
{{References}}

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[[Category:Spike comics|After the Fall, Part 1]]
[[Category:IDW Publishing]]