The fight with Archaeus is coming to an end, but the situation is tense and there’s no indication which side will win. Will Magic Town fall under his destruction or can Angel and the team finally pull out a victory? It’s anyone’s guess.
Note: This recap may contain spoilers!
Archaeus is still going full force, threatening Angel and throwing punches. I can understand him lashing out at Angel’s team, but when he turns his anger on Dru, then that’s where I have to draw the line. She only wants to be a loved daughter and gets slapped for her trouble. And though Angel and she don’t always see eye to eye, even he knows that she should leave Archaeus’s abusive hold and save herself.
But they can’t wait around for her decision. Her minions are still fighting the good fight against them, so they have to defend themselves in any way they can. Angel’s friends from Magic Town join them, so it’s more of a fair fight against Dru’s minions, and a dramatic battle ensues. Faith takes on Dru herself, while Koh and Angel try to take on Archaeus. Then almost everyone from Magic Town piles on Archaeus as well. When it looks like the fight will surely be lost for Dru and her minions, they split and leave Archaeus to defend himself alone.
Even though it’s one against many, Archaeus is not going to lie down and let Angel claim victory. He picks Nadira up by the neck, hoping to end her. But he has continued to underestimate her abilities. Nadira isn’t some random human who he can crush with a flick of his wrist. She is a being that houses untold power and the ability to control it like no other. She taps into the magic of the statue, pure magic, and is able to be released. Then she wields her power to trap Archaeus inside the statue, sealing him in so that he cannot be released for a thousand years. But while it’s a win for them, Koh points out they didn’t come through unscathed. Parker is dead. War means losses.
Later, Rory talks to Angel before he goes up to Faith’s apartment. He thanks the vampire for what he and the others do, what they stand for. Angel and his team are a key part of Magic Town and, as they have shown, this is their home for better or worse. We end the issue up on the roof, where the gang is having a get-together celebration. They are in a good place, for now, but there’s always a new danger around the corner. Until the next arc, we can let them celebrate their short victories.
Rating: 3 / 5 Stars
I think you got it a little wrong – Nadira doesn’t have any magical abilities. Magic is a being on its own, although it’s an entity without form (a body). That’s why Archaeus gifted the statue to the Magic; Archaeus was giving Magic form, a physical body.
My only question is– why did the Magic simply trap Archaeus inside the statue, and not outright destroy him and kill him? In 1,000 years, when Archaeus is somehow released from the statue (and you know this would happen in the Buffy/Angel world), he will wreck havoc on the world again. Why risk him coming back ever again? Why not just destroy him? The Magic is obviously so powerful that defeating Archaeus was no sweat at all.
Nadira later says she serves magic, but initially it did appear the magic worked through her and she could control it. But, yes, giving magic corporeal form was a goal in this instance.
As for why Archaeus was not outright destroyed, I would think it was to teach him a lesson and hope that his time trapped would make him reflect on his actions. Magic knew which side was motivated by good intentions, therefore Archaeus was trapped and left to think about how good intentions will always win. Therefore, his attempts now or later will always result in the same outcome.