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Results:

Round 2

Wesley 30, Mayor Wilkins 27

Head Boy squeezes by the head Dick in town in a very close match to decide the sixteenth character to move onto the Regional Semi-Finals. Wesley snags not just the last spot in the Slayer Region, but the last win coming out of the second round. The Mayor suffers his first defeat in tournament action, which leaves him a record combined with the Road2Sunnydale of 7-1. Impressive. Be careful not to get any Mayor on your feet on the way out. But stop and check out the comments on your way.

Buffy season 3 Wesley could never defeat the Mayor, but since the rules of this whole contest seem remarkably flexible, I'm moving it to an alternate universe in which A4 Wes meets Wilkins...and I believe he could figure out a way to take him down. Wes understands darkness now, and hard choices, in a way he never did when he was just a hoity-toity head-boy Watcher. So I'm betting on Wes, who also looks way cuter without a shirt. And he's not a giant snake. So far. - MaeveRigan

As my old grandpappy used to say, wait a minute that was me wasn't it? Gosh darn it, the whole thing just gets so confusing doesn't it? What about lunch Thursday? - Celebaelin

God knows, I love Wesly. Especially if he's sitting on my couch with a tub of Chunky Monkey and those delicious glasses... and, okay, that's private. Anyway, as much as I love Wes, I don't think even his scruffy/morally-ambiguous incarnation could take the Mayor. - Anneth

It's payback time. Buffy Season 3 and the Mayor were the downfall of Watcher Wes--and he hasn't forgotten a single moment, no sir. Wes won't be fooled by the Mayor's charm; Wes won't listen to Tricky Dick's folksy wisdom; Wes won't be intimidated by the Mayor's political power. As keeper of Wolfram and Hart's immense library of mystical knowledge, Wes will find a reversal spell for the Box of Gavrok, and Mr. Invincible will be coughing up spider-thingies until he's begging Wes to end it all. The Mayor's reign of terror is OVER. - cjl

As a faithful employee of the Wilkins administration, I, of course, support the Mayor. Wes is dark and unshaven and all, but can he brood-out a giant snake? Can he steal a baby from a giant snake? Can he have an affair with a giant... well, you get the idea. The Mayor's a friggin' GIANT SNAKE!!! Nobody beats a giant snake (except Buffy, but that's neither here nor there). Now Godzilla, that's who you'd call to beat a giant snake. Godzilla can take Wes too, but he wouldn't eat him, not like Mayor Giant Snake. Yep, the Mayor's gonna all kinds of eat Wesley. That boy is one eaten British ex-Watcher throat-scarred guy, all right. No two ways about it. Yessiree... Are you still here? I thought we were done. No, I'm pretty sure that's it. Look, I've got things to do, alright? Just go, man, geez. I don't do this to you. I've got work to do and people are coming over later. What? No, you don't know them. Look, I'm gonna go, and when I come back, you'd better be gone. Seriously. - Apophis

Sorry Mayor, you may have clean hands but you're a bad bad bad man.....and I prefer Wesley...;) - Rufus

So, you reckon a shotgun blast would succeed in giving Invulnerable!Mayor an ouchie where swords and letter-openers failed? Nah, probably not, but worth a shot... regardless, Mayor Wilkins, that paragon of All-American small-town values, virtue and courtesy... basically, even if he *hadn't* literally sold his soul and turned into a giant snake, he needed killin'. As did all his ilk. As an Australian, I cannot stand by and let someone who'd forbid his underlings from swearing in the middle of a gosh-darned f**king battle live... - Caira

Wes... Wilkins may be invulnerable, but he ain't superhumanly strong. Wes knows how to deal with the invulnerable now. Wesley heads into the next round, as a safe conatining Wilkins sinks down into the Mariana Trench. - KdS

Faith 36, Riley 7

The cleavagey slut-bomb has no trouble getting what she wants from the eager government agent. While the former prisoner advances to the Slayer Region Semis, the anarchist finds himself out of the tournament. I guess Riley would rather be parachuting into some new global hotspot anyway. Faith's focus is already off Riley and onto the next thing. The next thing is the comments. Focus on them.

Please, ass-kicking is foreplay for Faith (as Riley knows by now...). I don't care how many neat scars he has, Riley is still too whitebread to accept the idea of Faith, let alone the reality. Not only would she beat the snot out of him, she'd put him in an awkward marital situation by dropping insulting comments about his bedroom prowess in from of his wife, What's-her-name. By the end of this match, Riley is sleeping on the couch in a body cast while Faith heads off to a work off some steam with some lucky bastard. - Apophis

Much as I like Riley--Sorry, but Faith takes it here. Agent Finn couldn't take a Slayer even while hopped up on the Initiative's finest. Good fight, but he's out of the running. Faith triumphant. - HonorH

Faithie-poo vs. Ri-Dogg. She can get that man wrapped around her pinky (or other parts! Heh, naughty, naughty.) in no time. He's never met anyone like her. Well, unless you count her "sister", B. Ri-baby won't know what hit 'im. - deeva

Mmm, I'm not even gonna pretend there's some sort of real contest here. Physically, Faith would beat Riley to a pulp in 3.5 seconds. Faith also wins just about every popularity contest one could throw at her - she's hot, she's tortured, and she's got truck-loads of personality. Poor cute, sweet, tortured-but-it-just-ain't-the-same Riley is left playing 16" softball with no mit when Faith's smacking homers into the next state in the big league. Faith victorious. (And I don't feel that badly for Riley - he has a nice boobie-prize to mope home to. By which I mean that his wife is a metaphorical consolation-prize, you gutter-minded people, you! What the heck did you think I meant? Sheesh.) - Anneth

Sorry, I voted for Riley. Poor bastard gets nothing but contempt, just for having a heartbeat and no on-his-sleeve psychopathology. And to justify it, Faith sees those puppy dog eyes and gets a flashback to the moment when she discovered that sex wasn't necessarily just a de Sadean exercise of power. Riley stun guns her while she's still in the moment... - KdS

Ah, Riley; apparently his pulse was just too strong for the viewers to like him, poor bastard. ;o) While he's virtually the poster boy for fan underappreciation, there's no doubt, particularly in his Initiative-fuelled phase, that there would be few human beings (those with serious magical training excepted) on Earth better qualified for taking on an experienced Slayer one-on-one. Which means Faith'd take two whole minutes to mop the floor with him. (I've got nothing against the guy, but let's be realistic here...) - Caira

Gotta say that Riley is gonna get trounced in this one. Agent Finn, always the realist, knows this as well as anyone but goes through the motions in his fatalistic, dutiful way. All gadgetry is off limits because that would be cheating and Faith's already come round to the Dudly Do-right perspective. All in all it's just as well Riley's got so much experience of camping as there's a very good chance that he'll be spending the next two weeks in an oxygen tent. - Celebaelin

HonorH has it right this time (as she so often does)--Riley's no match for a Slayer, good, bad, or reformed. South America, here he comes. - MaeveRigan

Poor Riley. He's got the cool super-secret Army job with the kick-ass benefits package. He travels around the world battling the forces of evil with the latest military hardware. He's got the wife with the heart of demon fighter and the body of a supermodel--but he's never going to win our love. You know what? He doesn't need our love. (I voted for Faith, but I still like Riley.) - cjl

Gunn 25, Joyce 14

Denzel has it all over Juice Newton. Gunn gets the win in one of those matches where those who leave comments prefer the loser over the eventual winner. Yes, Joyce is something of a fan favorite, at least until it comes to her number of votes. That is were Gunn can flex a little bit of muscle. I wonder how many people voted for Gunn not wanting to see a Buffy v Joyce matchup? I don't blame them if they did. When I see a mother-daughter argument starting, I head the other way. This way to the comments.

Even though I think Joyce will win on the sympathy vote, I'm siding with Gunn. First, because I'm a Gunn mark, but also because he could easily take Joyce in a hand-to-hand fight. Sometimes, at night, I imagine Gunn beating up a middle-aged woman and I giggle until the doctors come and make me sleep. This is indeed a disturbing universe. - Apophis

Me first! I vote Joyce purely (if that's the right word) on the basis of teenage sexual favours. There's no way I can vote against anyone who would, in less self conscious mood, let Ripper slip her a length on the hood of a police car, twice. "Rip it in half and put it in bed with me" you said it Joyce. - Celebaelin

I'm sticking with the trend to favor men with little or no hair....;) Now if it were between Gunn and Wood I'd have a bit of a problem....but then there is time-sharing...:):):):) - Rufus

Going against my general style here. I've been trying not to undersupport Angel characters, but here I'm afraid I have to go with Joyce. I'm so fond of her interactions with Buffy. Her lines in 'Prophecy Girl' and 'Innocence' still always make me cry. - TCH

Joyce has the axe, but Gunn never gives up, never surrenders. - Arethusa

Joyce, of course. Gunn doesn't fight people's mothers who aren't evil. What are we thinking here? His mama taught him better than that. Now, if Joyce were a vampire, we'd be talking a battle, and Gunn would win, but as it is, it's cocoa with little marshmallows again, and some of those cookies cjl mentioned. Joyce doesn't need drugs, just mother-love. Stop grinning like that and wash your mind out with soap! - MaeveRigan

Such a nice young man. [Scene: the Summers kitchen, daytime. Gunn is in the seat of honor at the kitchen table, inhaling some of Joyce's primo oatmeal cookies, and washing it down with some nice, wholesome milk. Joyce is sitting at the edge of the table, observing Gunn with a combination of maternal affection and subconscious lust.]
JOYCE: Well?
GUNN (mouth full): They're great.
JOYCE: I didn't use too much sugar, did I?
GUNN: No, they're perfect.
JOYCE: Thank you..."Charles," is it?
GUNN: That's right, ma'am.
JOYCE: "Ma'am." So polite. You can't find a young man with manners these days. And even if you do, the girls simply don't appreciate them.
GUNN: Pardon me?
JOYCE: Never mind. I have to learn that I can't tell my daughters who they can date. [Pause.] You're single, aren't you, Charles?
GUNN: Yeah. But I don't know if I can handle dating a Slayer. Maybe I should stay clear of women "in the business" for a while.
JOYCE: I understand. [Gunn starts to sway in his seat.] Charles, are you all right?
GUNN: Don't know. Feel a little dizzy. [Realization:] Aw--Mrs. Summers, you didn't drug the milk, did you?
JOYCE (smiling): Sleeping powder. Don't worry. You'll only be out for an hour or two.
GUNN: Damn. I'm never gonna hear the end of this back in the office. [Pitches face first into the cookie dish.]
JOYCE: Such a nice young man. [Drapes a blanket over Gunn's shoulders.] And a lawyer, too. But my beautiful daughter doesn't seem to appreciate anything with a pulse... - cjl

Buffy 36, Holtz 12

Buffy ushers in the second round with a solid, never looked back win over the vampire hunter, Holtz. Now, she didn't exactly taunt him while he chased her across Europe before killing his family and turning his daughter into a vampire, but this was bad too. To get back at her, Holtz has reportedly had Justine stab him in the neck with an ice pick, twice. Yeah, that'll teach her. Buffy is the first to enter Sweet 16, where it hopefully won't be like a birthday party for her. Comments.

Good God Almighty, Holtz would DESPISE Buffy. Sleeping with the enemy, betraying her sacred mission for the sake of her obscene lusts--Old Captain Daniel would work himself into a nice self-righteous froth about our Buffy. He would do whatever he could to take her down, and re-purify the line of Slayers. And it would do him absolutely no good, because Buffy is the one person in Joss' unvierse who's got the vampire hunter beat on self-righteousness. Sorry, Holtz--Buffy IS the law. You're history. - cjl

Buffy'd smack him down. He got to Angel through Angel's guilt. Not happening with Buffy. Sure, she feels guilt, but she doesn't let it get in her way. Score one more for the Buff! - HonorH

Holtz is driven, vicious, hardcore, and will sacrifice everything he has to get the job done. Buffy has all that tenfold, plus she looks good in a miniskirt. Time and space couldn't stop Holtz, but death couldn't stop Buffy. This fight would be vicious, with both combatants exhausting themselves both physically and psychologically. In the end, however, Buffy would be the one left on her feet. - Apophis

No contest. Holtz always had to get someone to do his dirty work for him - couldn't kidnap a baby without using Justine to do the job. Good at manipulation, but Buffy is way beyond all that. She'll hand him his head in a basket. It is still all about Buffy. - jane

Is there a contest here? Buffy not only reduces Holtz to a quivering pile of mush, she also teaches him the error of his ways. He's no match for a Slayer. I'm pretty sure Holtz has never met a real Slayer. Won't he be surprised! - MaeveRigan

Sexy wounds! Oh please, Buffy would wipe the floor with Mr."I must avenge the death and torture of my family by formulating a long and complicated plan that even I didn't know I was planning-plan". Has Holtz ever encountered a Slayer? Highly doubt it. He would be dumbfounded by the existence of a girl whose purpose is to extinguish demons. Of course, once he finds out that B here has a penchant for boyfriends of the fangy variety, he'll get his sea legs and be disgusted with her. And Buffy will take that disgust and shove it up his buckeye. Heh. That just might hurt. - deeva

It's "give an old board joke a home" time. Holtz has read Calvin's 'Institutes of the Christian Religion' and Hobbes 'Leviathan'. Buffy has read 'The Indispensible Calvin and Hobbes '. Holtz's belief that the rationalism of some of the scholastics had displaced God’s wisdom and that the human condition is best represented by rigidly deterministic account of volition, accompanied by a pessimistic vision of the consequently natural state of human beings in perpetual struggle against each other is countered by Buffy's alliterative Haiku.

Twitching tufted tail
A toasty tawny tummy
A tired tiger

Combined with her rejection of the neo-cubist polemic in favour of the more familiar single perspective. Buffy wins by merit of a couple of things Holtz missed out on during the stone age. - Celebaelin

Round 1

Wesley 39, Amanda 7

Wesley has the honor of closing out not just the Slayer Region, but the first round overall. Thank Joss, the first round is over! And in dispatching the erstwhile potential, Amanda, Wesley wins a ballot spot against the, as of yet, undefeated, (tournament play only) Mayor Wilkins. Amanda had a few supporters, but Rogue Wes was just too much for Amanda. At least he didn't do her the indignity of forcing Amanda to use a bucket. It's not quite a bucketful, but I do have a few comments. Ah, the relief.

This will not be pretty. Not sure I want to watch. OK, Amanda is (sob--was) a Slayer, but Wesley is a former Watcher who has plumbed the shadowy depths of his psyche, and he knows a thousand different ways to kill a Slayer (physical and psychological)--none of them pleasant. Amanda may have a rough-and-tumble, coltish spirit, but she's far too innocent and inexperienced to stand up to the likes of Dark Wes. - cjl

I fear you're right. It ain't gonna be pretty, but when it's all over, Wesley will be the one standing. Poor Amanda--I liked her. - HonorH

I'd give Amanda the advantage, actually. It's all a question of territory. If they're in LA, Amanda will kick his ass because, there, Slayers and vampires can jump 20 ft straight up, perform Matrix style martial arts, and, when fighting gun weilding opponents, knock all of them unconscious with one spinning kick. If they're in Sunnydale, Amanda will still win, because Welsey will instantly turn into a cartoonish loser. - Finn Mac Cool

Amanda? What's she even doing here? Would she even bother to show up to the fight? Amanda was a teenage girl capable of the occasional burst of violence when pushed far enough. She gained all the power of the Slayer just in time to get killed despite it. She was a Slayer for 10 minutes; then she was meat. Wesley, on the other hand, has sent men to their deaths, beaten one of his friends unconscious, locked a woman in a closet for months, and stabbed an innocent junkie all in the name of the Greater Good. Wesley is a viscious, focused, hardcore warrior; Amanda was a nerdy little girl who lived in interesting times. If she's smart, she'll stay home and play D&D. - ApOpHiS

Oh dear. Look at Amanda's sweet nature, enthusiasm and coltish looks. Only an utterly vicious, cold-blooded bastard could bring himself to give her a beating. WES: Present! Thump. Thump. Thump. - KdS

You forget that the "head boy's" defining characteristic has always been his servility. Look at the freedom he gave Justine on the ship -- he wanted her to take over and was disappointed that she didn't challenge his "authority". I have no doubt that Wesley's experience will give him an initial edge, but Amanda is a bright girl -- she'll watch and learn. She'll take Buffy's bad counseling advice to heart and, in the end, Wesley wil be the one with the bucket (and loving every minute of it). - Malandanza

Amanda. Not that anyone cares, but even potential Amanda was pretty tough. Slayer Amanda could give Wesley a very hard time, especially if the real contest is: can Wesley do the Watcher thing right this time? He's learned a lot, but I'm betting Amanda will give him the slip. Oops! - MaeveRigan

Faith 48, Kennedy 39

Faith lays a licking on Kennedy, but Kennedy didn't take it lying down. Where am I going with this? Disallowing the huge vote total of the thrown out Lilah v Clem matchup, this is definitely the highest vote total, by far. I hope there is not anything terribly fishy with that. Faith moves on for a rumble with Riley in Round 2. Ah memories. Kennedy put forth a much, much better showing than I ever imagined she would. I'll have to check (and I won't until this weekend), but I believe she has the most votes in defeat in the first round. I summon the comments en masse.

The probable scenario.... After anchoring Willow's "nifty" spell, and kicking Ubervamp booty from here to Cleveland, Kennedy is pumped and ready to take on the world. Her GF gives her the enthusiastic thumbs up, and the newbie Slayer is practically swaggering. Then, two minutes before the match, reality sets in: Willow goes over to Faith's corner and begs her not to beat up Kennedy too badly. Faith, a sucker for lesbian romance (she saw a lot of it in prison) has mercy on Da Wonder Brat and leaves enough of Kennedy intact so W/K can enjoy a little post-bout consolation. (Drop and give me twenty, maggot! Faith and her mad skillz, all the way.) - cjl

Faith and Kennedy would make a swell oil-wrestling match. - Masq

Hmm...what a tough choice. Not really. Faith can so kick Kennedy's ass. Even with her activated slayerness Kennedy is no match. Sorry, K but you're not even in the same league as Fathie-poo. - deeva

Faith and Kennedy in Faith's motel room . . . Am I the only person thinking slashy thoughts here? JBone, what *were* you thinking? - HonorH

My shameful admission.....I don't like Faith very much.....sob! I just can't help myself...her posturing and horrible dialogue make me think that we saw enough of her in season three. I did however like her interaction with Wes on Angel this year...I bet for her he'd monogram a bucket...;) - Rufus

The man from the tiebreaker council- he say... I do really like Kennedy. But Faith inspired the best cross-show period ever, (This Year's Girl, Who Are You?, Five by Five, Sanctuary). So I vote Faith. - TCH

I voted for Faith, and Kennedy was leading! I mean, I like Kennedy and all, but I adore Faith. Maybe I've got the wrong impression but I thought most people on this board preferred Faith over Kennedy. How is it that Kennedy is leading by 50%, with Faith trailing at 49%? Faith is the original bad girl; Kennedy is just a rich kid who plays at being bad, tongue-ring and all. Faith is the true Slayer and the greatest survivor, the street kid from the rough side of Boston, the one with the snark and the attitude and the jaded, old-before-her-time outlook on life. Faith is the one with the best lines, like "five by five", "want. take. have.", and "because it's wrong". She taught us the five torture groups. She showed us it's possible to find peace in prison. What has Kennedy ever taught us except that she's a verbally abusive drill sergeant? - Scroll

Faith may have made mistakes in the past, that's true, but she has faced up to the consequences of her actions and continues even now to pay the price. She understands what it means to strive for redemption, knowing that it is something one must work at day after day. Kennedy is a self-proclaimed "brat" who doesn't have the charisma or life experience to tries to emulate, but doesn't quite pull off, Faith's old lust for power and Faith's newer confidence in being the leader. Kennedy, even more than Gwen, is Faith-lite. Besides, when it comes to sheer sexual magnetism, Kennedy pales in comparison to our girl Faith. Faith is sex on toast. And she will so kick that rich bitch's ass! - Scroll

Even if we're talking about Kennedy the Vampire Slayer, not Kennedy the Bratty Potential, Faith has years of experience and tons of attitude on Miss K. The winner and still champeen--Faith! - MaeveRigan

Faith would so kick that rich bitch's ass back to the Country Club. Faith not only has a few more years as Slayer under her belt, a very strong emotional well to draw on, plus awesome fashion sense, but the girl actually cares now. Faith pre-Orpheus might be close, but Faith now? Kennedy is toast. Willow better start looking for a new girl toy. - Diana

Faith all the way! Both in terms of which character I vastly enjoy more, and who I objectively think would win hands down in physical combat. I never really felt that there was any dimension to Kennedy's character beyond hitting on Willow. Faith's 'broken-goods' story of traumatic events leading a person down the wrong path make her an extremely sympathetic character, even at her most villainous. - AngelVSAngelus

This is more than a simple fight between two young women; this is a living metaphor for the eternal struggle between the valiant Proletariat and the corrupt, vile Bourgeois. Kennedy, the spoiled little rich girl, represents the forces of oppression and greed, while Faith, who lived much of her life on the streets, is the heroine of the working class who must scrape together their livings from the scraps of their despotic masters. It is Faith's destiny to defeat Kennedy, just as it is the Proletariat's destiny to violently overthrow the yoke of the Bourgeois' oppression. A vote for Faith is a vote for the People! Viva la causa! Viva la revolution! - ApOpHiS

Ah, but both switched around. When given the opportunity, Faith gave up her noble, proletariat caste to join with the corrupt and evil establishment of Mayor Wilkins. She helped exploit the working class people of Sunnydale in order to be provided with the enormous extravangences of the Bourgeois. Meanwhile, Kennedy redeemed her capitalist upbringing by coming to live in the communal environment of the Summers' house and being part of a low income, hard working group. While they began as you described, their positions reversed during their lives. - Finn Mac Cool

True, but... Faith's choice to turn her back on the People led to severe reprecussions; she has since seen the error of her ways and returned to the correct side of the struggle. Kennedy, despite helping the People's cause, also spent much of her time engaged in selfish, counter-revolutionary actions, such as sowing disent amongst the Scoobies (ie, suggesting everyone listen to Willow, her lover, rather than Buffy due to Willow's raw power). Her political manuveurings were designed to place her in a position of power, much like the one she was born into but was forced to leave due to the war on the First. - ApOpHiS

Riley 24, Caleb 19

Agent Finn is talented, well trained and educated. Caleb was right in his wheelhouse. Riley wins a sorta close first round matchup to move onto the second round. As a result, Caleb has reportedly traveled to the future and now captains a transport spaceship. I'm not sure how one goes about verifying that. No, there wasn't much to warm up to in the character of Caleb. Maybe if he just had a better attitude about being evil, or some comments, maybe. Comments are always good (and sometimes evil).

Agent Finn is equipped with a sidearm for just this sort of eventuality. - Celebaelin

An off-year election; expect a low turnout at the polls.... Not a lot of love in fandom for either of these gents. After rooting for Riley all the way through Seasons 4 and 5, "As You Were" made me wonder why I bothered; and if I had to listen to any more of Caleb's cornpone anti-Bible stories, I would have grabbed the Scythe and done the job myself. So, all things being substandard, it comes down to whether you think Initiative technology could beat Caleb's Vitamin E(vil) injections. Since I have a small amount of affection left from Riley's TA days, I say the farm boy zaps the preacher good. Riley wins (for whatever it's worth). - cjl

Yeah, Caleb got bland real fast, but I've never liked Riley. It's that simple. The greatest moment of my life was when Angel beat the hell out of him. That moment could only be topped by the mental image of a priest wailing on him. Besides, Riley needs to pay penance for "As You Were." - ApOpHiS

Tough, and I hate doing this, but--I think Caleb would win this one. He took a lot of killing. I don't even think a gun would do the job. Now, if Riley had a handy-dandy grenade he could slip down Caleb's pants when he wasn't looking, that would be something. Otherwise, though, ain't happening. Sorry, Riley--you know I love you, but I gotta be real here. - HonorH

Two words. Heavy artillery. The most unjustly bashed character in the whole Buffyverse blasts Caleb into a smoking smear. Why, oh why, did Buffy never think to use a rocket launcher on Father Ted Bundy, the most boring villain in seven years of ME? - KdS

Riley's learned so much since the days when shades of gray were baffling, and a strong woman was too much for him. He knows how to duck, now, and how to do whatever it takes. Caleb, still stuck in the fundamentals, runs out of evil juice and falls apart. - MaeveRigan

Not only that--he's Capt. Mal! and channels The First! Sure some of that Mal goodness spills over into the power of this new incarnation, lame though it may be. And let's face it, the First is a tough opponent. Just can't see Riley getting around it. - mamcu

In a fair fight, Riley'd be no match for Sir Psycho-unsexy; happily, Riley's learned a lesson or two in his time and no longer goes in for that "even matchup" stuff when he's to be fighting super-powered charicatures. So, Caleb, exhausted after a hard day of wimmin-hatin' and wimmin'-killin', runs himself a nice, relaxing bath (in his ancient but well-equipped-with-modern-amenities wine cellar). Riley stealths in to the steamy bathroom and drops several hungry piranahs into the tub. Caleb is quickly reduced to a jumble of reddish bones, and the piranahs are put on display at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. - Anneth

Truth is? I was rather underwhelmed by both of them. But I suppose I'll vote for Riley anyway cuz he's a good guy and the good guys have to win, y'know. Plus, Xander had a crush on him whereas Caleb poked out my Xand-man's eye :( No rosaries for Caleb! - Scroll

Mayor Wilkins 27, Lindsey 12

Can the Mayor do it again? Wilkins keeps his undefeated streak alive in an efficient dispatch of the lawyer Lindsey. Let's give Lindsey a moment while he wipes his tears with his plastic evil hand. Moment. The Mayor is handing out accommodations like they're not worth the paper that they are written on. Too bad he doesn't have shnazzy comments to hand out like I have.

Ah, Lindsey of the blue eyes and Angelic UST-- Sorry, sweetie, but my vote goes with the Mayor. He just had that something, y'know? What was it? Oh, yeah: immortality, invulnerability, and a heck of a civic plan! - HonorH

Wilkins III! The Mayor was not only one of the best acted roles on BTVS, but also one of their best metaphors as evil. Mayor Wilkins puts on his pasta-eating-napkin and eats up Lyndsey like a big black beatle. - Rochefort

Now, I like Lindsey, I really do. He's a great character. Nobody loves the Evil Hand more than me. However, nobody loves the Mayor more than me, either. He's my leader, my friend, and my biological father. He's taught me that evil is no excuse for impoliteness, nor for poor hygiene. He's immortal, indesctructible, turns into a giant serpent, and is a helluva miniture golf player. Mr. MacDonald gets disbarred while Richard Wilkins, III, begins his 600th term in office. - ApOpHiS

Matter of principle. Yeah, Wilins was cool. But compared to certain other Buffy villains, he still had that faint "He's evil because he's evil" thing that stopped him from being a fully-realised character. Have to vote for Lindsey here. - KdS

As much as I admire Harry Groener's performance as Mayor Wilkins, I'm going to shock everyone here and vote for Lindsey. While Tricky Dick's Delusions of Demonhood were, by their very nature, a dead end on BtVS, Lindsey's character still has a lot of room to grow on ANGEL, and I devoutly hope Joss backs up the Brinks truck to get Christian Kane and the Evil Hand back in action. (If we're lucky, they'll let him sing...) - cjl

While the odds for this match sort of depend on whether it takes place before or after Wilkins ascends to giant-snake-hood, I'm still putting my bet on Lindsey, who may be ambivalent, but who's also backed up by the entire resources of W&H--nothing to sneeze at. And even if a giant, demonic snake sneezed at W&H, I'm sure they have a plan for that. - MaeveRigan

Anyone or -thing that can a) eat Snyder in a single gulp and b) not suffer so much as mild indigestion afterwards gets my vote. Sure, Wilkins was a giant snake-demon-thingee at the time, but, as a wise old man once said, "details, details." If it hadn't been for them interferin' kids, he'd be a giant snake-demon-thingee yet. Wilkins victorious. - Anneth

Holtz 25, Robin Wood 13

On paper, this looked like a matchup that would be neck and neck. Then I read some of the early comments and realized that Holtz would win this one with one hand nailed to the table. So Holtz earns the right to face Buffy the Vampire Slayer in round 2. Good luck. Wood did make a run and earned an respectable showing by avoiding the all too common first round double up. Even in these turbulent times on the ATPoBtVS&AtS posting board, we still get some kick ass comments. I love that board!

Okay, two guys with major vengeance issues against certain souled vampires. Good for them! But while one of them committed assisted suicide in the process of putting them into practice, the other chickened out after his life got seriously threatened. This coward, this sellout must not be allowed to go on! Down with Principal Wimp! ;o) - Caira

Do I go with the hotness, or do I go with the one I think would actually win? Yes, I think Holtz would win if he and Wood went head-to-head. Holtz's crusade against Angel was longer-lasting and far more devastating than Wood's against Spike. Holtz even survived Quar-toth. He didn't die until he wanted to. So yeah, I'm going with Holtz, the good man who allowed himself to be damned by his own bitterness. But Wood's prettier. - HonorH

AKA Style vs. Substance. As a wise man once said (it was probably Sun Tzu, but I heard it from the Kingpin in a Daredevil comic), "You must always be willing to go further than your enemy." Holtz is simply a harder bastard than Wood. Holtz tracked his foe through time, geography, and culture shock. Holtz sacrificed his faith, his soul, his body, his youth, and his life in order to spite one man (yes, and Darla, but he didn't get much time with her). Wood took one physical/verbal smackdown and slunk away with his metaphorical tale betwixt his legs. While Holtz sacrificed everything for his hatred, Wood got taken down by mommy issues. Age and brutality takes youth and pop psychology in my book. - ApOpHiS

Not being a wise MAN, I vote for the pretty one......;):):):):) And since Mr. Rufus has a profile I'll vote for the pretty one twice....because I can. Oh, and I'll bet this Sun Tzu would have voted for Cordy for the same reason I'm voting for Wood.....cause if alive he'd like the pretty one too. - Rufus

Has to be Holtz. Anyone dumb enough to take on a vampire in single combat is doomed. - KdS

Woodman has heart. The similarities between Holtz and Wood are on the surface--their vengeance vendettas. Their fighting skills are probably more or less even, too, but Holtz's heart is long gone, empty or turned to stone. Wood's is warm and beating. He doesn't give up. He turns his crusade from the bitterly personal to embrace the world. And that's why Wood will win. - MaeveRigan

This is evil, JBone... I hate both these guys. Holtz, for what he did to Connor (my favorite "Angel" character). And Wood, for being Wood. So, I had to vote for Holtz. Thinking back to all Wood's annoying, stuck-up speeches throughout S7, I had no choice. - JCC

Fantastic Match-up. At first glance, you'd have to give Holtz the vote because of his pure, fanatical devotion to vengeance, to the point of--and even beyond--death. But for all of Holtz's brilliant strategizing, how did things turn out for both characters? Holtz is despised by everyone who remembers him, including the son he supposedly loved; "Principal Wimp," abandoning vengeance, winds up with Faith. The Woodman comes out on top. (Unless Faith explicity tells him otherwise.) Nevertheless, I'm voting for Holtz, because he was such a fantastic villain and because of Keith Szarabajka's utterly cool voice. (It's a purely academic exercise, anyway; Buffy will wipe out the winner in the next round.....) - cjl

Pretty son of a vampire slayer or really pissed-off hairy guy? I was gonna vote for Holtz, no contest, til I remembered that Wood has one thing going for him that Holtz doesn't - Faith. And no one messes with her boyfriend. Wood and Faith tag-team Holtz and march off, carrying that big-ass belt-thing. Holtz, a shuddering mass of bruises, opens a portal to another dimension and disappears through it, never to be seen again. Wood victorious. - Anneth

Wood in honor of his mother and mothers everywhere. - sdev

Joyce 23, Justine 8

Joyce takes her revenge upon dominates Justine and sets up a second round match with Gunn. Joyce‘s organization skills (see MOO) seem to have played a part. Poor Justine, at least she still has her bucket. A distinguished group of commentators have graciously shared their thoughts with us. Shall we read them, hmm?

Justine's tough and all, and I found her character intriguing, but . . . Joyce would *so* kick her ass. She wasn't the Slayer's mama for nothin'. - HonorH

I love Joyce, I really do, but let's face it. In a battle to the death? She would *so* get her ass kicked! Justine is a lean, mean, vamp-slaying machine. She's a survivor and a street-fighter. Justine survived ice-pick torture, she survived Holtz's manipulation, and she survived listening to Wesley and Lilah doing the nasty all summer. Now that's stoicism! Joyce Summers may be Mom to the Slayer and handy with an axe, but in a post-"Chosen" world? I fully expect Justine Cooper to come into her Potential -- pun *definitely* intended. Slayer beats Slayer's Mom every time! - Scroll

On a purely physical level, Justine would easily win. However, psychology is very important in any fight. What one must remember is that Justine is a stooge with family issues. She doesn't have any problems that a good heart-to-heart with a maternal, caring person couldn't fix. By the end of the week, she's letting Joyce stick ice-picks in her hand (ah, memories... excuse me, I have to call my mother...). - ApOpHiS

anyone besides me seeing...joyce with an axe standing over a dazed and bewildered justine..a la, get the !!!! away from my conner....[winks] - Ronia

Never underestimate......the power of hot cocoa with little marshmallows! - MaeveRigan

Gunn 24, Kendra 15

I've been wondering what would happen when a high seeded character on Angel, who had never appeared on Buffy, met up with a lower seeded, strictly Buffy character. I wouldn't call this a prototype, but it's interesting. Gunn wins a well contested match with the exotic Kendra. There are some interesting theories about Gunn and Kendra in ze comments. I tink I'll post dem...

This was a toughie. But I went with my heart and voted for Gunn. Poor guy needs a break. - LadyStarlight

I like Gunn, but I have to go with Kendra on this one. On the purely psychical side of things- she's a slayer...he's well..not. Otherwise- Kendra had so much potential (no pun intended). Her characters underlying fragility almost makes me regret her tragic end, although Faith nearly makes up for it. Had she lived, you could just tell how great she was going to be. - Alison

I vote for Kendra. Even if that would make her get all shy and call me sir. - Rochefort

This is another judgment call. On the purely physical side of things, again, we've got a no-brainer. Kendra's a Slayer, trained from infancy. She should be able to make mulch out of any Merely Human Male. But Gunn's been fighting vampires since he was a kid. He's smart--street smart, in a way Kendra's, well, not. She fights by a rule book. The only rules he knows are the ones he's broken. And Gunn's the survivor. Let's face it: he should never have lived to see 18, but he did. After a long, tough, drawn-out battle, Gunn prevails by the nonexistent hair on his head. - HonorH

I agree with HonorH. Kendra's just too rigid to take Gunn and Gunn's just too hardcore to go down. Kendra's slavish devotion to tradition and protocol would cost her dearly in a fight with someone raised in constant chaos. Plus, she'd swoon at first sight of Gunn and his overwhelming man-ness. - Apophis

Does this have to involve killing? Cos I'm voting for Gunn, but he does have a distinct record with the inexperienced and curious... - KdS

Havent posted anything in a while.. but you threw up a Gunn poll, so I had to respond. (that sounds quite nasty doesnt it) anyhoo. my vote. Gunn! - neaux

Buffy 32, Vi 6

Buffy wins a laugher over the mismatched potential/newly chosen slayer. Apparently Vi's choice of head wear was a big factor with voters. So that, and Buffy's seven year history was just too much to overcome. Enough of my bs, to the comments!

Buffy hammers Vi with a set of roundhouse rights, but the junior slayer shrugs it off with a laugh: "What, is that the best you've got? That was nothing, you hear me? NOTHING!" "Sorry," says Buffy, shaking her head and laughing, "I guess I was distracted by that stupid hat." Vi breaks down, sobbing, and runs from the battlefield. Winner: Buffy. - cjl

like Vi. But She got the short end of the stick here. Buffy's THE Slayer, no doubt about it. - Rook

Buffy pulls "The Hat" Down over Vi's eyes, and then starts to work Vi's midsection. All the while Vi cry's out, "Why don't people like me?" Come on, this isn't even a matchup. Vi has all of the subtalty of a Were-wolf on speed and the charm and chrasima of Warren trying to pick up girls! Winner: Buffy! - Wolfhowl3

Vi comes from behind with the win because, unlike the titular Slayer, she never belittled the unfortunate dead or gave terrible, awful speeches about war (and then promptly ignored them anyway). While Buffy is reiterating her "he has a sooouuuul" speech for the umpteenth time, Vi sneaks up behind Buffy and smothers her with the infamous hat. And kicks her in the shin, for good measure. Hey, I can dream, can't I? :) Take it and run. - Earl Allison

I figure Buffy wins soley by having a personality. She's beaten every robot she's faced so far; what's one more soulless automaton? Those hats don't help any, either. - Apophis

Huh. Why did Vi even show up? Oh I know, she heard JBone was giving away free HATS. Buffy taunted her hat from the invisible zone, and Vi ran away to crochet something. Call the Wah-mbulance, Vi [even though I sorta liked her]. - pr10n

I'm with Earl. 7 seasons against 10 minutes seems like an unfair comparison, but what a ten minutes! - d'Herblay

Vi was only SORT of getting her butt kicked and then Buffy was like "*I* am not left handed." - Rochefort