--ANGLE ON BUFFY as her face takes on a look of recognition. And just a faint smile, but the first smile we've seen in a long time.--
For fans of the comic series, the scythe Buffy finds looked very familiar when they saw it on screen for the first time. On February 20, 2002, over a year prior, Joss had written and published “Tales,” the eighth and final short story in the Tales of the Slayers comic anthology. Set in the 23rd century, it focused on a Slayer named Melaka Fray, a chosen one in a time when vampires (called “lurks”) are returning to the slums of New York City, and the rich-poor divide is even greater.
“In Fray, Melaka is depicted as the latest in the mystical line of vampire slayers, chosen ones born with the strength and skill to fight the forces of evil, over 200 years in the future. However, unlike other vampire slayers, Mel is unusual in that she was one of a pair of twins; her brother Harth somehow inherited the psychic aspects of a slayer's abilities, leaving her with only the strength, agility, and other physical attributes. Prior to Mel, a slayer had not been "called" to receive her powers for centuries.” -Wikipedia
Mel isn’t aware of the history of Slayers because they’ve all died out except for her. She is given the scythe by a demon and ends up finding a building filled with Watcher diaries and etchings of the scythe. She reads about 4 Slayers from the past, one of whom is Buffy Summers, and that’s how she learns about her heritage.
“It's Fray's SCYTHE... it's the scythe Fray will find in the Fray Comic books in the future. For people who are not aware of it... Joss Whedon created a comic book character named Fray, who is a Slayer in the future, who finds this weapon which is odd because we never saw Buffy wield it... and now we have (Jane Espenson, BtVS Writer, May 6th, 2003).”
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💛 Becoming Buffy Podcast is a rewatch podcast that focuses on the themes, metaphors and foreshadowing of Buffy the Vampire Slayer












