Angel/Spike
| Pairing | |
|---|---|
| Pairing: | Angel/Spike |
| Alternative name(s): | Spangel, Angelus/William, Spangelus |
| Gender category: | slash |
| Fandom: | Angel the Series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer |
| Canonical?: | no (possibly briefly in the past) |
| Prevalence: | popular |
| Archives: | The adventures of Captain Peroxide and Deadboy, Slashing the Angel |
| Other: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Angel/Spike is a Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel the Series fandom slash pairing between the characters Angel (alter ego Angelus) and Spike (or William).
Quotes
"Don't mistake me. I do love the ladies. It's just lately I've been wondering what it'd be like to share the slaughter of innocents with another man. Don't think that makes me some kind of a deviant, do you?"
--Angelus to Spike, Angel the Series: "Destiny"
ILLYRIA: A corrupted ruler on such a path sees treachery and betrayal all around him. He cannot suffer intimates and will eventually turn against them.
SPIKE: Guess I don't have to worry about that, 'cause Angel and me have never been intimate. Except that once...
--Angel the Series: "Power Play"
Canon Relationship
On the show, Angel and Spike's relationship was portrayed primarily as antagonistic. There is no canon evidence of an actual romantic/sexual relationship between the two apart from the small mention in season 5 of Angel: the Series episode Power Play (see quote above).
Their relationship is based on a lot of jealousy for the women they are involved with (first Drusilla, then Buffy) and anger at real or perceived crimes against one another.
- more on season 5? - Comics
Fandom & Fanon
The pairing goes by the name smoosh "Spangel".
The Sire Debacle
In BtVS season two episode School Hard, during their first confrontation, Angel pretends to be Angelus and tries to get close to Spike while using Xander as bait. When Spike realizes the trap he reacts violently and ends up speaking one of the most influential sentence in the history of this pairing:
SPIKE: You were my Sire man! My Yoda!
--Spike to Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: "School Hard"
Because of that line, the fandom widely accepted the fact that Angel was the one who turned Spike into a vampire. This resulted in a lot of fanfiction where Spike and Angel shared a Sire/Childe bond, could feel each other's emotions or something similar along those lines.
When it was revealed in season four of Buffy that Spike was actually turned by Drusilla, the popular consensus among the Angel/Spike shippers was that while Drusilla did the actual turning it was Angelus who trained and mentor Spike, resulting in the two of them developing what should be a Sire/Childe relationship.
SPIKE: Drusilla sired me, but you.. you made me a monster.
--Spike to Angel, Angel the Series: "Destiny"
Another (just as popular) approach is to simply ignore the canon and write as if Angel turned Spike.[1]
Common Fanfic Tropes
One of the common fanfic tropes is for Spike to turn to Angel when he needs help or is desperate and Angel stepping in and helping and comforting Spike. This trope was especially common in works set after Spike was chipped, or after Spike's soul was restored. When this trope is used, the Sire/Childe bond is often at play as well.
Variations of Spike's siring often appear in fanworks. Sometimes Angelus meets a human William and seduces him, before siring him. In other works, he interrupts Drusilla and sires William himself. Even in works where Spike has been sired by Drusilla, Angelus takes a more prominent role in mentoring the young vampire and this can lead to a sexual relationship set pre-canon. Historical flashbacks are often employed by fic writers to explain the tension between characters in present day. Also Daddy kink is somewhat common, due to their pseudo familial relationship.
In canon, these characters are often rivals and are shown to be physically violent towards one another on many occasions. In fanworks, similar depictions of violence are common, and there are a large amount of works focusing on the two in a BDSM relationship. The arrival of Spike at Wolfram and Hart lead to the appearance case fic works in this pairing.
There are also fics where one of these characters has become human, after fulfilling the Shanshu prophecy. Sometimes they remember their previous vampire life and other times they have amnesia or altered memories. The other character often has an unhealthy obsession with the newly human version of their former enemy. This can include Spike siring a human Angel, or Angel stalking a human Spike.
Very often Angel will also start referring to Spike as Will (or Wil), especially if the fic uses Spike after he got his soul back.
Archives & Communities
Archives & Rec Lists
- Slashing the Angel
- Dead Sexy
- My Immortal Beloved
- Our Armageddon of the BtVS Writer's Guild
- The Adventures of Captain Peroxide and Deadboy of the BtVS Writer's Guild (Wayback Machine Archived Version)
- Angel/Spike on AO3
- Spangel/Spangelus fics on The Spander Files
- Spangelus!
- Love That Dares
- SASAS: Spike/Angel Slash Appreciation Society
- Not Exactly Blood and Roses, a primarily Spike/Angel site containing fics and meta by Romany
Communities and Shrines
- Forging Ghost, a Yahoo!Group
- Eternal Nightcap
- spangel, spangelus tags on Tumblr
LiveJournal
Wikis
- Spangel on Shipping Wiki
- Spike's relationship with Angel on Buffyverse Wiki
- Angel's relationship with Spike on Buffyverse Wiki
Fanworks
Fanfiction
- Hire by PervertedPomPom (currently unavailable - Feb 2016)
- The Janitor by jans_intentions (sexymermaid) (also The Hired Man, Wings, Man Hunter, Starman and Soapstone) (currently unavailable - Feb 2016)
- Through a Child's Eyes(link) by Dark Amia
- If The Moon Should Crumble by sabershadowkat. BtVS S4. Angel puts Spike back together again.
- Beggars Would Ride by wiseacress (2002)
- Days of Our Unlives by The ficbitches (Kita and Jessica Walker) (2003?), A series of scenes from the life of Spike and Angel in L.A. Total sillyfic, bring your own history and subtext.
- The Soft Insanity of Time by Sajinn (archived link to Sajinn's website). (2002?) When Buffy dies, Spike makes a life-altering deal and ends up on Angel's doorstep.
- Closer by estepheia (2003), All of Spike’s former relationships are in ruins; Angel is in a dark place, alienated from his friends and destiny.
- Protective Custody by Lady Mol (2003?), Angel puts Spike in protective custody. He takes on more than he bargained for.
- The Past Tense of Loving by Lady Mol (2004), Bitter arguments and constant fighting don't make it easy for Spike and Angel to work together in L.A. When Spike disappears during a routine case it appears that he's taken a drastic route to escape
- Thing by Sangpassione (2004), Post NFA, goes AU after Damage and assumes Spike wasn't rescued from Dana.
- Vicarious by lynnenne (2004), Angel and Spike share their memories of Buffy. In bed. Angel/Buffy implied, Spike/Buffy implied.
- Feral by lilithangel (2006), Post NFA, Angel continues the fight thinking he is alone but he finds a badly hurt feral Spike hiding out in the Hyperion. How does he react and can he help Spike heal? Hurt Comfort
- Winding Him Up by eyezrthewindows (2006), Spike just loves winding Angel up.
- Friday (Ao3 link) by girlpire, What would you do if there were no tomorrow?
- On The Road To Somewhere by felisblanco All-human AU (A promising young artist named Liam is on his way to New York to open his first big exhibition when he comes upon Spike, a runaway teen that's stranded with a busted motorbike by the side of the road.
- Home by Mel All-human AU (2007), Angel and Spike grew up together in the foster care system.
- Pivotal by toobusy2write All-human AU (2008), Spike, a singer in a famous rock band, is being stalked. When his security team fails to protect him, Angel and company are brought in to guard him and find the stalker.
- Nothing Ventured by Glassdarkly (2008), It's also one of those Angel/Spike 'that one time' stories.
- Date Night by lynnenne (2009), Spike and Angel go to the movies. Isn't it bromantic?
- One of Your Kind by whichclothes (2010), Several years post-NFA, Angel investigates a series of killings. Is Spike the culprit or a victim?
- Never Get The Girls by lettered (2012), Four scenes, very loosely linked, mostly by sex and violence.
- Popsicle Night by hello_spikey (2013), Set in an alternate Buffy Season 7/ Angel Season 5 (Alternate enough to change how they line up, yes. :P) Warnings for some questionable consent.
- Home Again by salustra (republished 2014), Spike comes to Sunnydale to tempt his Sire.
- The Vampire Princess and the Pea Soup by Lyrstzha (2014), As the prophecy declares, only Angel's true vampire princess can detect the drop of pea soup in the mug of pig's blood....though some of the involved parties might object to the term "princess."
- Playing Daddy: five vignettes by ash_carpenter (2014), The absolutely darling and thoroughly naughty snogged asked me for some Spike/Angelus and daddy issues.
- cling to your body and hang from your bones by spangel (2014)
Fanart
- Angel of Sin by sueworld
- Angel and Spike inked by StevenWilcox (2007)
- Eternal love by Spangel (2008)
- Spangel fanart by Fran García (2008)
- Spike - PuppetAngel vignette by astridv (2008)
- There is only one way for someone like us... by syllirium (2012)
Vids
- Closer - Sisabet (2002)
- Would? - Sisabet
- The Bucket by Sisabet (2004?)
- The More you Ruv Someone - Nicole Anell (2005)
- Your Woman by Charmax (originally made in 2003, remastered in 2008)
- Angel Spike Comedy Trailer by Natbrat32 (2011)
- I Hate You by Double Dutchess (2014)
Meta
- Spike/Angel manifesto by Romany (2006 or before)
- The Angel/Spike Shipper Guide by kita0610 at ship_manifesto (2004)