"The Problem with Vampires" is a short story from the Tales of the Vampires comic book miniseries. Written by Drew Goddard and illustrated by Paul Lee, it was originally published on December 22, 2003, by Dark Horse Comics.
Summary[]
Drusilla has been captured by a human inquisitor and thrown into a jail. The inquisitor proceeds to torture her in a unique chair built for that purpose in 1478. He believes that vampires can only feel pain and hopes Dru will remember it forever, serving as a warning to other vampires to stay away from the people of Prague. Drusilla tries to recount the things that make her happy, including little girls lost at the fair and little boys wandering too far from home, so that she can forget the torture.
Meanwhile, Spike has been lying on the ground beneath a bridge he was thrown from by a mob that shoved a stake into his chest, inches from his heart, thus not dusting him. Spike crosses the city, killing everyone in his path, in search of Drusilla.
Nothing helps Drusilla to distract herself from the torture, except thinking of herself with Spike declaring their love for each other. She gets catatonic and the inquisitor stops. Spike arrives and kills her captor. He picks up the injured Drusilla from the chair and carries her out the door.
Thinking about how no one else understand the love they have for each other, the couple make plans for visiting the Hellmouth and hunt the Slayer there.
Continuity[]
- This story takes place in 1997, revealing the events that caused Drusilla's weakening before she and Spike first arrived in Sunnydale ("School Hard").
- The torturer accuses Drusilla of lacking emotion. Both her and Spike would be eventually accused by the Judge of "stinking" of humanity, as they shared "affection and jealousy" ("Surprise"). Years later, when Buffy declared vampires weren't able to love without a soul, Drusilla would be able to answer: "Oh, we can, you know. We can love quite well. If not wisely." ("Crush").
- Drusilla's health will be restored through a ritual in the episode "What's My Line? Part Two."
- They mention going after the Hellmouth and the Slayer, which happens in "School Hard." Ironically, the couple expect that it would bring them some peace, when in fact they would have their relationship and lives shaken after their encounter with Buffy and Angel in Sunnydale, notably in episodes "Becoming, Part Two" and "Fool for Love."
Appearances[]
Individuals[]
- Drusilla
- Peter
- Spike
- Buffy Summers (Only mentioned)
- Inquisitor
Organizations and titles[]
- Slayer (Only mentioned)
Species[]
Locations[]
- London, England (Only mentioned)
- Madrid, Spain (Only mentioned)
- Sunnydale, USA (Only mentioned)
- Hellmouth (Only mentioned)
- Prague, Czech Republic
Objects[]
Death count[]
- Unknown number of humans, including Peter and the inquisitor, killed by Spike.
Behind the scenes[]
Collections[]
Pop culture references[]
- Drusilla compares her torture with the story of Daniel in the lions' den.