Glorificus
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| Glory | ||||||||||||||
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| Image:Glory501.jpg Clare Kramer as Glory | ||||||||||||||
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Glory, also known as Glorificus, The Beast, The Abomination and That Which Cannot Be Named is a fictional deity in the American television series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, played by Clare Kramer. She appeared during most of the 5th Season of the program.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
[edit] Character history
Glory is a god from a hell dimension, over which she ruled alongside two other deities. She was the most powerful of the three. Afraid that she would take full control of their dimension, the other two began a war against her; Glory lost the war and was banished into the earthly dimension, where she was forced to share a body with a child named Ben, who was created solely to hold her. She soon began to gain control over Ben for short periods of time, taking the form of a vain, self-centered human female who possessed superhuman strength but lacked many of Glory's other powers. A magical "amnesia" spell keeps humans from learning that Glory and Ben are one and the same, even if she transforms right in front of them, although since the spell does not affect non-humans, Spike can know that Glory and Ben are the same entity. This becomes a recurring joke in the penultimate episode of Season Five, where Spike finds himself repeatedly having to explain to the Scoobie Gang that Ben and Glory are the same person, only for them either to misunderstand him or to instantly forget. However, as Ben's and Glory's personalities begin to merge more and more (see below), the magical ruse weakens until, in the finale, the whole gang are able to see through it.
Glory comes to Sunnydale looking for "the Key", a mystical item that will break down the walls between all dimensions, allowing Glorificus to return to reign in her own dimension. Use of the Key will also cause the merging of all other dimensions, including the one Buffy and her friends inhabit. Glory is not aware of what form the Key has taken. Glory surrounds herself with loyal minions, and begins the quest to locate the key.
In order to maintain her sanity and power, Glory feeds off other humans by a process that Buffy and her friends refer to as "brain-sucking." She inserts her fingers into the victims head, absorbing the energies that bind the victim's mind. The humans that she "devours" in this way become incoherent and mentally unstable; Glory's arrival in Sunnydale is followed by an inexplicable increase in the number of mental patients. One of her unfortunate victims is Willow's girlfriend, Tara.
For her part, Buffy is not initially aware of the Key's nature either. It is eventually revealed that Buffy's sister Dawn is the Key, in human form. Glory soon discovers this fact, and manages to kidnap Dawn.
The Key can only be used at a certain time, and as that time draws near the power that separates Glory from Ben dissolves. They still inhabit Ben's body separately, but their memories and personalities begin to blur together.
Buffy attacks Glory with everything she has: the Dagon Sphere, the Hammer of Olaf, her identical robot twin (the "Buffybot"), and eventually a wrecking ball, commandeered by Xander. However, the final spell that will open the dimensions has already been started. Ultimately, Buffy jumps into the portal that is opening between dimensions, resulting in its closure and her own death.
Glory is left significantly weakened, losing her hold on this reality, and returning to the form and mind of Ben. Giles knows that Glory will eventually return and get her revenge unless Ben is killed, so he suffocates him. As Ben dies, so does Glory.
Glory is also referred to as Glorificus by her minions and in most textual references, and occasionally as "The Beast" by the monks who created Dawn (although she has nothing to do with The Beast who appeared in Angel, the spinoff series of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.)
[edit] Powers & Abilities
It is revealed that Glory's powers were reduced when she was imprisoned in human form, however the powers that remained were:
- Near-invulnerability. Only a Troll God's hammer was able to do any lasting damage to her when used repeatedly. In her original form , she is immortal.
- Superhuman strength: Glory possesses physical strength far beyond demons or slayers. At one point, a building collapses on her after she repeatedly stomps her feet in a temper tantrum over a broken shoe; the collapse slows her down, but she is left without a scratch.
- Super speed.
- The ability to drain the mental energy of humans to maintain her own mental strength. Victims were left in an insane state and appeared to be psychically linked to Glory from that point on.
- She mentioned to Ben that she could make him immortal and his emotions would disappear as well. If she had that power or not is unknown.
Additionally, there was a mystical shroud cast to prevent people from learning that she and Ben were the same person, the origins of which are unclear.
The extent of her true powers as a Hell god were never revealed, though it is suggested that they were beyond what even her compatriot hell gods could conceive.
[edit] Servants
[edit] Quotes
- To Buffy during their first fight:You hit me! What, are you crazy? You can't go around hitting people. What, were you born in a barn? Fine. Be that way.
- As Buffy helps a monk escape Glory: Hey! Hands off my holy man!
- Buffy on Glory: Glory is evil. And powerful. And in no way prettier than me.
[edit] Trivia
[edit] See also
| Preceded by: Adam | Buffy Big Bad Season Five | Succeeded by: Warren Mears/Dark Willow |
