The Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise – Angel included – has always been linked with celebrities. The original series had numerous celebrity cameos – including the likes of Ashanti and John Ritter – while also providing a career jumping off point for future stars like Pedro Pascal and Amy Adams. Meanwhile, numerous celebs have been mentioned in its lore, such as Billy Idol canonically taking inspiration from Spike for his iconic look.
Perhaps the strangest celebrity cameo in the history of the franchise comes in Angel: After the Fall #2 by Joss Whedon, Brian Lynch, and Franco Urru, a canonical comic book continuation of Buffy the Vampire Slayer that shows how Spike officially replaces Hugh Hefner, the Playboy founder.
In an arc that is further elaborated on two years later in the Spike: After the Fall prequel, Spike takes residence at the Playboy Mansion, surrounded by a bevy of women, who worship him as the Lord of Beverly Hills. Seeing how Spike gains this mantle highlights how some of the franchise’s most whimsical moments come from delivering unique takes on real-world celebrities.
How Spike Takes Hugh Hefner’s Place at the Playboy Mansion
Angel: After the Fall #2 by Joss Whedon, Brian Lynch, Franco Urru, Ilaria Traversi, Robbie Robbins, and Chris Ryall
The Buffy the Vampire Slayer television shows officially concluded with the Angel series finale, but the universe continued in the comics. While Angel turned into a dragon-taming human and Los Angeles into a literal Hell, Spike’s story begins in Spike: After the Fall. Alongside Illyria, Spike takes in a group of survivors looking for a safe haven. Along the way, Team Spike is confronted by a group of leather-clad women claiming to be followers of the Lord of Beverly Hills, Non. Upon defeating Non in Spike: After the Fall #4 by Brian Lynch and Franco Urru, the “Spikettes” become Spike’s followers, and Spike takes Non’s title.
Buffyverse fans already view Spike as a sex symbol, so having him replace the face of sex symbols in the Playboy founder is fitting.
Trying to take refuge, Spike takes his flock to the Playboy Mansion, where they’re greeted by a vampiric Hugh Hefner. After staking him, Spike takes residence there, posing as a demon lord to ward off intruding demons and training the ladies to protect themselves. It’s a natural, almost meta evolution for Spike. Buffyverse fans already view Spike as a sex symbol, so having him replace the face of sex symbols in the Playboy founder is fitting. At the same time, Spike stays true to his evolution as a vampire warrior by training his followers.
Spike Killing Hugh Hefner Pinpoints Why Buffy’s Celebrity Cameos Are Perfect
Canonizing Icons in Fun Ways
Whether it’s naming a celebrity in reference or actually featuring them onscreen and on-panel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer has always been self-aware about celebrities’ place in pop culture. It’s why John Ritter’s innocent boy next door image from the ’70s is replaced with a menacing villain in Season 2’s episode “Ted.” This moment in After the Fall is a moment of such self-awareness, leaning into Spike’s reputation in Buffy the Vampire Slayer as an irresistible womanizer and catering to Hugh Hefner’s seductive succubus reputation by turning him into a vampire.
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In any and every iteration of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its encompassing universe, be it in the comics or televised, the creative teams have understood their audience and the wider pop culture sphere. It’s especially reassuring to anyone who has heard the news about Buffy returning thanks to a Hulu sequel, as every Buffy creative team needs to have its finger on the pulse when it comes to understanding and reflecting pop culture. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s resident heartthrob, Spike, killing the creator of Playboy is the best possible example.
Angel: After the Fall and Spike: After the Fall are available now from Dark Horse Comics.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
