Buffy the Vampire Slayer Reveals a New, Doomed Scooby Gang | CBR – CBR – Comic Book Resources

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Every Generation tweaks Buffy's backstory and Scooby gang in an alternate universe to show the importance of Buffy's friends.

WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for "Where All Paths Lead," by Nilah Magruder, Lauren Knight, Alex Guimares and Jim Campbell, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Every Generation #1, available now.

With the story Where All Paths Lead, theBuffy the Vampire Slayer: Every Generation anthology offers fans a glimpse of an alternate universe from "Hellmouth," a crossover between the Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel comics, in which Buffy doesn't win the fateful final battle against Hellmother and Sunnydale destroyed. Interestingly, the comic reimagines Buffys original Scooby gang. and this change leads to this Buffy's unfortunate fate.

In "Hellmouth," Buffy enters Hellmouth with Angel and several of her friends in order to defeat Hellmother and liberate Sunnydale from her power. In a turn of events, Hellmother possesses Angel, but Buffy doesn't fight her alone. With the help of Willow, Cordelia, Kendra, Anyanka and Rose, Buffy is able to cast Hellmother out of Angel and into the Hellmouth lake where a Buffy from an alternate universe pulls the demon deeper into the lake and to her certain doom. It's that Buffy that is the focus of "Where All Paths Lead," which gives a little more backstory as to why this Buffy failed.

One of the first things revealed to be different in this alternate universe is that Cordelia, who often butts heads with Buffy, is actually Buffys girlfriend. Where All Paths Lead tweaks Cordelias role in Buffys past, revealing that the two had been dating since their time in high school. While not canon, it is great to see Buffy, who is often considered queer by fans, presented as undeniably queer in this universe and in a meaningful relationship with Cordelia.

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While Buffy's relationship with Cordelia may seem to be a positive, the second difference in this universe is shocking and sobering -- Willow is dead. Snippets of flashbacks reveal that Willow was killed before the Hellmouth opened and that Buffy blames herself for not being able to protect Willow. Struggling to cope with Willow's death, Buffy distances herself from Xander and many of her other friends, leaving her Scooby gang in "Where All Paths Lead" to consist of only Giles and Cordelia. To make matters worse, Buffy believes facing Hellmother alone will be the only way to keep everyone she loves safe, and after arguing with Giles and Cordelia, Buffy pushes Cordelia into Giles and jumps into Hellmouth by herself.

Of course, as echoed by Giles, Cordelia, and even the demon Agog, Buffy is defeated by Hellmother, who, in turn, destroys Sunnydale. Ironically, Hellmother only destroys Sunnydale out of spite because Buffy did not bring her friends into Hellmouth and therefore Hellmother did not have a suitable vessel for her wicked scheme. Shocked and refusing to believe that her world is gone along with all her friends, "Where All Paths Lead" closes with this Buffy running through the tunnels of Hellmouth, hoping she can save Cordelia.

RELATED: Buffy: Cordelia Was Black, But The WB Told Whedon to Make Her White

Ultimately, it's Buffy's love for Cordelia and fear for her friends' safety that brings doom upon Buffy and her loved ones. "Where All Paths Lead" reveals that only with the help of her Scooby gang can Buffy hope to defeat Hellmother, emphasizing the importance Buffy's friends play in her battles, although it seems this is not the first time Buffy has had to learn this lesson the hard way. When facing off with Hellmother, the demon hints that Buffy has tried to fight her alone, perhaps in other alternate universes, but they all end in failure.

Buffy's love for her friends and determination to keep them safe is her bane, but her friends themselves are her boon and, ultimately, are the reason she's able to defeat Hellmother in the "Hellmouth" crossover. Buffy's watered down Scooby gang in "Where All Paths Lead" wasn't enough for her to succeed and reveals that this was the cause of her downfall. While there's no happy ending in "Where All Paths Lead," it does show insight into Buffy's character and loyalty to her friends as well as how much her friends likewise care for her. After all, Buffy wouldn't be as good of a vampire slayer without her slayer Scooby gang.

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer Reveals a New, Doomed Scooby Gang | CBR - CBR - Comic Book Resources