The Core, Part Five

The Core, Part Five
Publication	September 11, 2013
Length	32 pages
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine #25
← Previous	The Core, Part Four
Next →	Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Ten" – "New Rules, Part One
Publisher	Dark Horse Comics
Writer(s)	Andrew Chambliss
Penciller(s)	Georges Jeanty
Editor(s)	Scott Allie & Sierra Hahn
Cover artist(s)	Phil Noto Variant cover: Georges Jeanty
Inker(s)	Dexter Vines
Colorist(s)	Michelle Madsen
Letterer(s)	Richard Starkings & Jimmy Betancourt

The Core, Part Five was the twenty-fifth and final issue of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine comic book series. Joss Whedon is the executive producer.

Synopsis

Buffy can’t ever just be a vampire Slayer, can she? Always, the world seems to want more, and as the lives of her loved ones are threatened, Buffy shows why she is the Chosen One. Whatever is thrust upon her, she can handle it! Er… sometimes with a little help from her friends.

Summary

While Severin struggled to contain himself due to immense power he held, Illyria was by his side and urged him to keep going so everyone would get out. Meanwhile, Simone roughly tossed an unconscious Buffy off her scythe down to her friends. Despite her injuries, Buffy was determined to fight on and get all of them out alive. Koh and D'Hoffryn attacked Simone, while Maloker suddenly grabbed a weakened Buffy. Koh quickly came to free her, and the two fight together against him. Willow, Xander, and D'Hoffryn are also fighting, talking about a way to get out. Willow suddenly spied a staff used by one of the Council, and tried to get it with the help of Xander. After a while, she reached the staff while Maloker was beginning to weaken.

Meanwhile, Severin was losing all control. He gave him, immediately incinerating both himself and Illyria by the transfer of his magic to the Seed. IIlyria was shown to be at peace with her death, accepting the outcome if it meant bringing magic back to the world. As the light of it burst upward, Maloker was also incinerated, but Willow managed to use the staff to leviate herself, Buffy, Xander, Koh, and D'Hoffryn up, just ahead of the blast. However, Simone appeared from above and grabbed Buffy as the team went past. Willow panicked, by as she fell, Buffy ordered her not to stop. Buffy and Simone fell to the ground, landing in a crevice together. Simone was determined to kill Buffy, and the two have a brutal fight-to-the-death. Still somewhat weakened, Simone nearly decapitated her with her the scythe, but instead cut off some of her hair. Buffy recovered, taunting her over becoming everything a slayer shouldn't be before proceding to gain the upper hand and stake Simone.

The entrance to Deeper Well exploded, though Willow's team flew out and landed safely on the grass just in time. They see a hand and the scythe at the edge, causing the group to assume Simone had survived. However, it was actually Buffy who climbed out, albeit badly bruised and bloodied up. Willow informed her of the sacrifices of Illyria and Severin to get magic back the world, causing Buffy to declare that their deaths wouldn't be in vain. The new 'seedling' suddenly appeared, lit-up with magic successfully. The group then use Willow's teleportation spell to save Dawn back in San Francisco.

Once arriving at Andrew's apartment, Willow quickly used her magic to give Dawn form. It was not immediately successful, causing Buffy, Xander, Koh, Spike, and Andrew to wonder why she hadn't materialized yet. After an off-hand British curse from Spike, Willow figured out that Buffy's blood was needed since Dawn was originally made from her. After cutting her hand to get a few drops, the second try yielded a big blast and a silhoulette of Dawn's face. The group panicked, seeing it as a sign of failure and began grieving. However, it was proven to be a success when Dawn appeared fully materialized behind them.

After having their reunions, both Buffy and Dawn thank Spike for being there to watch out for her, which he modestly shrugged off. Xander also tried to play down his part in the situation, still filled with guilt over his pact with Severin and Simone. Dawn, however, suddenly insisted that he saved her by what he said on the phone. She kissed his cheek, but Xander was confused, asking her "How did you know ...?"  He then left the room, causing Dawn to be confused one.

Xander went to brood on the roof by himself. After Buffy arrived to talk with him, he admitted that he could tell somehow that Dawn knew he had worked with Simone, expressing his guilt and shame over what he had done. Buffy was supportive, saying that Dawn would understand and that in the end, (with tears in her eyes) he had still gotten her sister back. When Xander asked if she had forgiven him, Buffy confirmed she did, and so will Dawn, but he would also have to forgive himself.  After leaving him alone, Dawn came out and asked what was wrong, but Xander did not want to talk about it. He hugged her, and told her it could wait until tommorrow.

Meanwhile, Buffy talked with Willow and asked for the Vampyr book, wanting to reference it now that they've planted a new seed. However, they are shocked to realize that the book's pages went suddenly blank. Buffy wondered what they had done down there, and the scene cut to a zompire nest in Santa Rosita. A red-haired girl woke as a vampire, but could talk and think. She fought the zompires who sired her, but suddenly showed that she was immune to sunlight and could turn into a giant bat.

Continuity

• Simone cuts Buffy's hair down to shoulder length.
• Buffy declares she's sorry for using the Scythe to make Simone a Slayer, in reference to the spell in "Chosen."
• The end of magic (Last Gleaming, Part Four) is successfully undone.
• Willow uses the spell for Dawn's creation from the Order of Dagon, as seen in "No Place Like Home."
• Buffy's blood was used a second time to save Dawn's life. She had earlier sacrificed herself by closing a portal in the "The Gift."
• Dawn questions being a giant, in reference to her time as such (The Long Way Home, Part One to Time of Your Life, Part One).
• Spike tells Buffy his bug ship "has been scuttled", as it exploded in A Dark Place, Part Five.
• Dawn thanks Xander for his phonecall in The Core, Part Three.
• Buffy forgives Xander for his betrayal (The Watcher).
• Buffy mentions the Twilight crisis (Season Eight).
• Among Santa Rosita zompire crisis (Love vs. Life), Vicki debuts as the first new vampire.

Appearances

Individuals

• Buffy Summers
• Willow Rosenberg
• Xander Harris
• Dawn Summers
• Spike
• Andrew Wells
• Simone Doffler
• Severin
• Illyria
• Eldre Koh
• D'Hoffryn
• Maloker
• Vicki
• Twilight (Only mentioned)

Organizations and Titles

• Scooby Gang
• Slayer
• Witch
• The Key
• Magic Council (Only mentioned)
• Order of Dagon (Only mentioned)

Species

• Human
• Vampire
• Slaypire
• Nitobe
• Old One
• New vampire

Locations

• Cotswolds, England
  • Deeper Well
• San Francisco, USA
  • Andrew's apartment
• Santa Rosita, USA

Weapons and Objects

• Scythe
• Seed of Wonder
• Stake
• Vampyr
• Staff
• Spike's ship (Only mentioned)

Death Count

• Severin, incinerated by the his power transfer to the seed.
• Illyria, caught into the blast of the seed transfer.
• Maloker, also incinerated by the power seed transfer.
• Simone Doffler, staked by Buffy.
• Several zompires, killed by Vicki.

Behind the Scenes

Collections

• "The Core"
• "Buffy Season Nine Library Edition, Volume 3"

Pop Culture References

• Simone likens Severin to Little Boy Blue.
• Xander compares the unidentified warlock to Gandalf.
• Vicki wears a Ghost of the Robot shirt, a band of which James Marsters is a member.

Gallery

Cover Artwork

Phil Noto main cover

BS925B.jpg

Georges Jeanty variant

Preview

Quotes

Willow: "You're dead, Simone."

Xander: "What she said, Vamp face."

Simone: "Don't think so. You're the ones who are gonna die in this hellhole."

Maloker: "Slayer blood."

Buffy: "Demon breath."

Buffy: "I let you steal my Slayers. I let you twist what we were al about. I let you terrorize too many people. But now... now you've turned yourself into everything I'm not. And I'm going to stop you."

Simone: "Good luck. The Scythe is mine."

Buffy: "No. It's mine."

Buffy: "Where is she, Will?"

Xander: "What's taking so long?"

Willow: "I dunno. Something's missing..."

Spike: "Yeah. Dawn."

Buffy: "You gave me my sister back."

Xander: "You're really forgiving me?"

Buffy: "And so will Dawn. But you have to forgive yourself first."

Buffy: "You were right. Really should have spent more time with the book when I could."

Xander: "Why? What's wrong?"

Buffy: "It's blank. What did we do down there?"