No Future for You
"No Future for You" | |
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Publisher | Dark Horse Comics |
Publication date | September – December 2007 |
Genre |
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Title(s) | Faith Lehane Rupert Giles |
Creative team | |
Writer(s) | Brian K. Vaughan |
Penciller(s) | Georges Jeanty |
Inker(s) | Andy Owens |
Colorist(s) | Dave Stewart |
With respect to the Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise | |
The material covered in this article is a continuity issue in the canon of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. |
"No Future for You" is the second story arc of the
Plot
Part I (Issue #6)
She finds Rupert Giles waiting for her and drinking tea. Giles needs Faith for a dangerous mission with high stakes. If she succeeds, he will give her a passport to anywhere, with a new name and an early retirement. Faith agrees, and finds out Giles wants her to kill a rogue Slayer for whom there is no hope of rehabilitation. Giles trains a reluctant Faith to pass as an English aristocrat, so that she can crash Lady Genevieve's 19th birthday party and assassinate her.
In Scotland, Buffy and Xander are training. After Buffy questions him, Xander states that he needs to train so he can be Renee's sparring partner. After Buffy makes fun of his love interest, she stares blankly at the symbol of twilight from the first arc. Buffy confides that she has a recurring nightmare in which a monster says, "The Queen is dead. Long live the Queen" and then devours her.
Now in England, Faith dresses for the party while Giles gives her a last-minute quiz in etiquette. Faith appears at the top of the stairs in an elegant gown, ready to leave for the party, and asks Giles if things are all right, to which Giles responds that things are "
Part II (Issue #7)
Faith has a flashback of her battle with Buffy ("
In Scotland,
Later, Faith is outside Genevieve's house, smoking a cigarette and seems to be experiencing trepidations about her assignment. However Faith is determined to go back in and kill Genevieve once she has finished smoking. Genevieve startles Faith, who introduces herself as Hope Lyonne, daughter of the Viscount Avalon. As they chat about life and family, Faith slowly draws out the knife from her hair. Suddenly, Faith is lifted off her feet by Roden's flying gargoyles. She climbs onto one and sends it crashing to the ground. After disposing of the other, she faints.
In Genevieve's room, she and Roden argue whether or not to kill the unconscious Faith. Genevieve doesn't want to and thinks Faith would be a great asset as a partner. Faith wakes up and talks to Genevieve. When Genevieve mentions that she wants to overtake the queen, Faith asks if Genevieve is going to kill the current queen of Britain. Genevieve opens her closet, which is filled with pictures of Buffy, the symbol of Twilight marked on one of them, and says, "No, Hope. Not Elizabeth."
Part III (Issue #8)
After discovering Genevieve is planning to kill Buffy, Faith jumps to the conclusion that Giles sent her to save Buffy from Genevieve. Nevertheless, she continues her assignment, and convinces Genevieve that she has sided with her. They immediately start bonding, even taking a bath together.
Outside the Savidge Manor, Giles along with a freelancer is trying to break into the manor to rescue Faith. The freelancer suggests that Faith has gone "native", and she's not working for Giles anymore.
In Scotland, Buffy and Willow are fixing up some of the force fields around the arena and discussing how they should respond to the danger posed by the army. Genevieve and Roden teleport Buffy to their stately home. Buffy and Genevieve fight, while Faith watches from a balcony. While the rogue Slayer proves to be an accomplished fighter, she is defeated by the more experienced Buffy. As Buffy is about to deliver the killing blow, and Roden prepares to attack Buffy with magic, Faith leaps into the fight. Buffy accuses her of switching sides again, despite Faith's attempts to convince her otherwise. Buffy attacks Faith, and during the ensuing battle, Faith almost drowns Buffy in a swimming pool, but comes to her senses in time. At that moment, Willow teleports Buffy back to Scotland, leaving Faith alone and shaken. While Buffy orders Willow to contact Giles immediately, back at the Savidge residence, Faith sits crestfallen as Genevieve approaches and prepares to swing an axe at her head, realizing that her friend has betrayed her...
Part IV (Issue #9)
A flashback to a scene in Buffy the Vampire Slayer's third season, between the Mayor and Faith, shows how Faith currently views the Mayor. She knows he was wrong and evil, yet how she can't help but feel loved when she thinks of him. Once the flashback ends, Genevieve and Faith start to fight. Faith tries to make Genevieve understand that Roden is wrong and is steering her in the wrong direction, but Genevieve refuses to listen.
Outside Savidge Manor, Giles and the freelancer are still trying to break in to the grounds. Giles talks to Willow and Buffy. Willow adds her magic to his task; Buffy conveys she is angry with him for recent incidents.
Back in the greenhouse, Faith and Genevieve are still fighting. Faith mortally wounds her opponent in self-defense and begs Roden to heal her. He tries to recruit her instead, an offer she turns down. Roden attacks, only to be slain by Giles.
The following morning, Faith and Giles discuss the situation and agree to be 'social workers' for rogue Slayers, especially considering Buffy is mad at both of them.
Somewhere on top of a plateau a woman named Lieutenant Molter talks to a floating figure called Twilight. He states Roden and Gigi's deaths were part of a plan and Buffy will die soon enough.
Production
Canonical issues
This series has been described as canon by both Whedon and various commentators. As the creator of Buffy, Joss Whedon's association with Buffyverse story is often linked to how canonical the various stories are. Since this story is part of the larger canonical Season Eight plotted by Whedon, it is considered to continue from the official continuity established by Buffy and Angel.
Season Eight contradicts and supersedes information given in the paperback novels set after Season Seven, such as
Timeline
- Intended to be set at least a year and a half after BtVS's seventh season. The precise timing of this arc is currently uncertain.
References
- ^ "Comics Continuum by Rob Allstetter: Dark Horse Comics for September". Comics Continuum. Retrieved 2007-06-11.
- ^ a b Stakes and Salvation: An Interview with Scott Allie. Archived October 13, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Talking Faith & Buffy With Brian K Vaughan - Newsarama". Forum.newsarama.com. 2007-08-23. Archived from the original on 2010-01-07. Retrieved 2011-03-20.
- ^ Mata, Shiai, "CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN INTERVIEW 2 Archived 2011-07-23 at the Wayback Machine", SlayerLit.us (2007).