Happy endings are hard to come by in the world ofBuffy the Vampire Slayer. The show, and its spin-offAngel, frequently ended the arcs, and lives, of fan-favorite characters in tragedy. However,the canonical comic book continuations of both showshave helped give many of those characters a second chance at happiness, and give fansthe happy endings they wanted for beloved characters.
Angel: After the Fall– written by Brian Lynch, from a story by Joss Whedon, and featuring art by Franco Urru –gave Wesley Wyndam-Pryce a long overdue chance to rest in peace, following his death in theAngelseries finale, “Not Fade Away.”
Wesley’s story didn’t end there, as he continued to guide Angel from beyond the grave in the canon comic book continuation of the series – though, in due time, he actually did manage to earn himself a happy ending in the afterlife.
Wesley’s Death At The End Of The “Angel” Series Finale Wasn’t The End For The Complicated Hero
“Wesley,” FromAngel: After the Fall#7 – Written By Brian Lynch; Art By Nick Runge
Wesley’s first on-panel appearance and ghostly reveal is inAngel: After the Fall#1, but chronologically,Angel: After the Fall#7 picks up right after “Not Fade Away,” where Wes is killed and Illyria morphs into his deceased lover - Winifred “Fred” Burkle - to give him a friendly face to see one last time before passing on. What the show doesn’t reveal is that Wes doesn’t pass on. Instead, he awakens in a figment of the afterlife, with a figment of Fred telling him thathis contract with Wolfram & Hart doesn’t end just because he’s dead.
Instead, Wesley is brought back to Earth in a Los Angeles that’s been plunged into Hell as a ghost (or “non-corporeal being”). He’s allowed to work with Angel as per usual but must report everything he sees, hears, and learns back to Wolfram & Hart if he ever wants to transition to the afterlife to see Fred again. He reluctantly complies, no matter how badly he wants to, there’s no way out of his contract until further notice. He settles on coaching Angel through his newfound humanity and delivering messages on Wolfram & Hart’s behalf.
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The most vital piece of information that Wesley delivers to Angel on Wolfram & Hart’s behalf is a vision promising Angel will help bring about the apocalypse. Anxious to thwart destiny, Angel convinces Gunn to kill him. This forces Wolfram & Hart to play their hand to keep Angel alive for their plans. The evil law firm reverts the world to the way things were before. By doing so, it deems Wesley’s contract null and void as, before, he was still dead. This means he’s finally allowed to transition to the afterlife inAngel: After the Fall#16.
Wesley’s Final Fate In The Canon “Angel” Comics Is An Attempt To Finally Let The Character Rest
How The Angel Comics Commemorate Him
This moment marks Wesley’s permanent death in the franchise and one that he never returns from, not even in later comics. Audiences who watched Wesley’s journey from cowardly bookworm inBuffy the Vampire Slayerto burnt-out and grizzled hero on Angel may view this as a bittersweet moment. Contextually, it’s just the opposite. Wesley says so himself as he walks into the light moments before Los Angeles flashes back to before Angel’s death. The former liaison to Wolfram & Hart’s Senior Partners acknowledges that he was dead before LA went to Hell,“but so was she,“referring to Fred.
The prospect of an eternity together gives Wesley and Fred the happiness they were deprived of when they were alive.
Wesley accepts his fate without fear or regret. Anyone who watched his redemption arc on Angel understands thathis death and transition into the afterlife would give Wesley the peace he never found in life. Wesley only ever found happiness with Fred, and she was killed off one episode after their first kiss. The prospect of an eternity together gives Wesley and Fred the happiness they were deprived of when they were alive. Furthermore, in becoming a worldwide celebrity after saving the world, Angel commemorates his friends by naming a section of the local library the Burkle-Wyndam-Pryce Wing.
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Angel and Faith Season 10– Written By Victor Gischler; Art By Will Conrad
AfterAngel: After the Fall’s17-issue run, Angel’s adventures continue in anAngel & Faithspinoff, as well as inBuffy the Vampire Slayer’scomic continuation asa controversial Big Bad named Twilight. It was during the Twilight arc that Buffy destroys the Seed of Wonder, the source of all magic, thus destroying all magic. Magic is restored thanks to Willow with help from Angel’s son Connor, but because the return of magic resets everything supernatural, including Illyria’s usage of Fred’s body as a vessel, it brings Fred back to life.
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Fred learns to share her body with Illyria, but Wesley is never afforded the luxury of a return. Continuing the trend of the Buffyverse’s most tragic characters, with Fred’s revival, Wesley has been deprived of his happy ending. That is where the bittersweet tragedy lies, making Wesley all the more tragic of a hero than he already was. He unlearns his worst behaviors and becomes a savior, but despite succeeding, he never reaps rewards.TheBuffy the Vampire Slayeralumni come closest to peace thanks toAngel, only for happiness to be ripped from himin life and death.
Angel: After the FallandAngel & Faith Season 10are available now from Dark Horse Comics.
