Buffy the Vampire Slayer isn't a conventional superhero story. Buffy doesn't wear a costume or mask, her villains are supernatural, and she didn't get her start in the pages of a comic book. But she fits all the criteria for a superhero. She has special powers that were granted to her through a mystical, sacred birthright. She has to hide her identity from the rest of the world, except for a small, dedicated group of friends who are affectionately referred to as the Scooby Gang. And she spends most of her time fighting against the forces of darkness. While a lot of superheroes are plucky outsiders when shown in high school (probably due to their writers working out issues about their own adolescence), Joss Whedon takes Buffy in a different direction. She's a beautiful blond cheerleader, who would probably be the most popular girl in school if she didn't keep getting into weird unexplainable hijinks week after week.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
