ANGEL

The successful television series, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, introduced several vampire characters as objects of the Slayer's deadly intentions. However, one of the vampires, proved distinct, Angel or Angelus. He was young and handsome. He appeared to be only a few years older than Buffy, but in fact was some 240 years older. He originally hailed from Greece and spent the first decades as a vampire in Europe. He killed freely, like other vampires lacking any conscience, killing his own family and neighbours. His search for further victims eventually led him to Budapest. While there he met a young gypsy who eventually became another victim and her family retaliated by punishing Angelus. Although they left him a vampire, they restored his conscience. From that time forward, in spite of the blood lust, he found himself unable to feed on a human being. He changed his name from Angelus to Angel, and shortly thereafter, around World War 1, he moved to America. He lived alone and shunned the company of other vampires.

Moving forward in time to the town of Sunnydale in the mid 1990s, where Angel meets some of his old friends, Darla and the Master. Darla had originally turned him, and the Master invited him back into the fold. He refused their offer. In the meantime, Angel took a liking to buffy and made himself her self-appointed guardian, warning and protecting her. One evening, as three vampires sent by the Master attacked Buffy, Angel helped her defeat them. His intervention warned her of the Master's initial attempt to establish himself in Sunnydale, taking advantage of a particular moment each century - the Harvest. And still another time he came to her aid and during the process he was injured. Buffy cared for his wounds and found herself falling in love with this vampire.

Angel soon had to confront two new vampires who arrived in Sunnydale to fill the vacuum caused by the death of the Master, Spike and Drusilla. While Buffy was concentrating on Spike and Drusilla, Angel placed his ability to feel human emotion in jeopardy when he and Buffy shared an intimate moment.

The result was disastrous; Angel lost his soul and reverted to his previous persona of Angelus. Buffy now realised that she had to destroy the evil vampire with whom she had fallen in love. As Buffy readjusted her relationship with Angel, and as Angel, who still remembered his feelings for Buffy, began toying with her, the stage was set for their future confrontations.