The Core, Part Three

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The Core, Part Three
Publication	July 10, 2013
Length	32 pages
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine #23
← Previous	The Core, Part Two
Next →	The Core, Part Four
Publisher	Dark Horse Comics
Writer(s)	Andrew Chambliss
Penciller(s)	Georges Jeanty
Editor(s)	Scott Allie & Sierra Hahn
Cover artist(s)	Phil Noto Georges Jeanty
Inker(s)	Dexter Vines
Colorist(s)	Michelle Madsen
Letterer(s)	Richard Starkings & Jimmy Betancourt

"The Core, Part Three" was the twenty-third issue of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine comic book series.

Synopsis

Simone and Severin descend into the Deeper well . Simone is irked when Severin is overwhelmed by the power he drained from Illyria and mistakenly calls her Clare. Meanwhile, Buffy and Willow decide not to help the mystical council fight The Siphon and Simone and jump down into the well, leaving Xander behind with a Zen demon. 

Spike is enraged at finding out that the memories he recorded ofDawn on the tape recording have become static and blames Andrew for giving him a bum recorder. He is also frustrated that he has forgotten her name. Dawn interrupts Spike from where she is listening at a doorway and show him her hand which has become transparent. 

Buffy and Willow continue their descent and neither one of them can recall the name of Buffy's sister. Illyria and Eldre Koh also move down the well to try to stop the siphon. Xander begs the Zen demon guarding him to let him go down and stop The Siphon too, but the demon tells Xander to accept his place in the universe. Xander receives a telephone call from Spike who informs him that the Slayer's sister is disappearing and that he is giving him a chance to say goodbye. Xander also can't remember Dawn's name.

Severin is in the Deeper Well drawing power and calls out for Simone's help but she has left his side, saying she has her own reunion planned. Buffy follows Willow through the tombs as Willow seeks the magic she need to save Dawn. Willow begins glowing red and excitedly tells Buffy there might be enough magic in the well for everyone. 

Xander tells Dawn not to worry and that Buffy will figure everything out. He says that even if Dawn fades and everyone forgets her, she is still a part of him and he will never stop fighting for him. Dawn smiles at this but she is no longer able to hold the phone and her arms are both fading. Spike tells Xander the news that Simone is turning slayers into zompires .

Simone cuts herself in order to summon Maloker, the demon who sired the first vampire. Everyone in the well begins to hear a loud roar. Buffy and well Willow stumble across Maloker's now empty tomb and Willow convinces Buffy that she should go and do her slayer duties while she gets the magic for Dawn. Buffy hesistates becasue she remembers when Willow left earlier without saying goodbye but eventually agrees to go. 

Maloker fights off The council and Illyria and Eldre Koh slip past him to find Severin. Buffy mistakes Xander for Maloker and almost attacks him but he warns her of Simone's plan. Buffy recognizes the slayer Tessa as the extra strong zompire that attacked her. Xander asks why Buffy is bleeding and she says she's not and they find Simone's lifeless body on the ground. Buffy realizes Simone's real plan and moves to slay her prone body but Simone reaches up and stops Buffy, breaking her wrist. Simone is now a slaypire.

Continuity

The story was set after "The Watcher"  and "What You Want, Not What You Need, Part One" and before "TBA.

• Dawn's condition was rapidly getting worse, to the point no one could remember her name and her form becoming transparent.
• Willow declared that it was never really the magic that corrupted her, it was herself. This was a reference to her realization previously in "Wonderland, Part Five".
• Xander sarcastically referred to a major mistake of Willow's in the past to defend himself, mentioning how she turned dark and nearly ended the world in "Two to Go" through "Grave".
• Buffy mentioned how lonely she felt when Willow left her in her moment of need in "Slayer, Interrupted."

Appearances

Individuals

• Buffy Summers
• Xander Harris
• Willow Rosenberg
• Dawn Summers
• Spike
• Andrew Wells
• Severin
• Simone Doffler (drained, sired into a vampire)
• Eldre Koh
• Illyria
• D'Hoffryn
• Maloker

Organizations and Titles

• Slayer

Species

• Slayer
• Demon
• Human
• Old One
• Nitobe Demon
• Vampire
• Zompire

Locations

• Deeper Well, Cotswolds, U.K
• San Francisco

Weapons and Objects

• The Scythe
• Vampyr Book
• Simone's Dagger

Death Count

• Simone Doffler is killed, only to resurrect as a vampire.
• At least one member of the demon council

Behind the Scenes

Collections

• The Core

Pop Culture References

• Simone sports a pin like The Comedian's badge from Watchmen on her hat.
• Andrew has a Ghostbusters poster on his wall. 
• Buffy calls Simone and Severin the Wonder Twins.

Quotes

“	: "'"
- The Core, Part Three		”