Who are the victims Halfrek curses? Does she only curse abusive and neglecting parents? Because the first time she showed up, she was going to hurt Xander who was not a parent. Would she answer the plea of a child being abused by a murderer that wasn't one of their parents or guardians?
Halfrek's Powers
- Thread starter sosa lola
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Hallie was a vengeance demon (who rather be called Justice demon) and primarily her targets were men who wronged women; but, as Anya said, she had daddy issues, so she worried about children being abused by bad parents. I don't think she would save them from criminals or murderers...
Did she? I completely forget lol. But in Entropy doesn't she tell Anya that she needs to expend her horizon, that she doesn't always need to avenge women. I got the impression that this was just an Anya thing, and that Halfrek was more into vengeance in general and she didn't really care who wished what.
VisionBoy
Scooby
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Yea, Hallie was more "well rounded" as she put it, but she did seem to see herself as a hero for the children.
Anya seemed to have a major chip on her shoulder since Olaf, but I got the impression that Vengeance Demons in general weren't all that picky.
Anya seemed to have a major chip on her shoulder since Olaf, but I got the impression that Vengeance Demons in general weren't all that picky.
Yeah, I've just read the transcripts for Entropy; Hallie had a more large vision of the vengeance business - being abused children her soft spot. But I still don't think she went after muderers - to me, she seemed to be concerned with more personal suffering.
HALFREK: ...not a single check, so now, every time he picks up a piece of paper that isn't a check for the child? Paper cut. Oh, you know how I hate to toot my own horn... but now his hands are just covered in all these tiny little bandages. Like a quilt. You know, made of bandages.
***
HALFREK: Anyanka. There's an easier way. Now, I know you have this whole female-power, Take Back the Night thing, I think that's cute. But I've been telling you for decades - men need a little vengeance now and then, too.
GwenRaiden
AKA Apology Girl
I guess the whole vengeance demon thing works well because they punish people with specific social roles; men (or partners), parents, guardians - people the majority of us have had to deal with in our lives - it's relatable.
I'd agree with this.
If the kidnapper was caught and apprehended and if they had kids who were suitably disgusted and angry I think Hallie would go in that way.
I'd agree with this.
If the kidnapper was caught and apprehended and if they had kids who were suitably disgusted and angry I think Hallie would go in that way.
Skanky Vamp
Sniffin' the Slayer
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But vengeance demons were exactly that. They exacted vengeance on those that were wronged. That's what a vigilante does. Their goal was not to punish the wrong doers, their goal was to exact vengeance for those that wished it.
That's true, someone has to wish for a Vengeance demon to act.
The child's parents, or the child himself/herself would have to wish for some kind of punishment, and that (the wish) sure happens in those cases - but kidnap, abuse, murder are already punished by human laws.
Wronged women, children who feel neglected (like Dawn in Older and Far Away) or a girl who thinks that another girl is messing with her life and wants her gone (Cordelia, Buffy), on the other hand, don't get to be “avenged” by law, so they need a little help from a Vengeance demon.
If Vengeance demons granted wishes made by people who were victims of crimes, they would be kind of heroes, which I think it's not the case.
CORDELIA : Yeah, I swear! I wish Buffy Summers had never come to Sunnydale.
DAWN: Yeah. Kinda. I-I mean, yes. People keep... people have a tendency to go away... and, I miss them. And sometimes... I wish I could just make them stop. Going away.
YOUNG WOMAN: They laughed and they laughed and I cried and they laughed. And I yelled, "Just once, I wish you could all feel what it's like to have your hearts ripped out. Just once. I wish..." and it came.
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Skanky Vamp
Sniffin' the Slayer
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You could argue that when the Vengeance demon guild was formed, they may have in fact been heroes. It's entirely possible that through the ages the syntax and the frivolity in which people 'wish' for things has changed- much like 'damn you' has changed over the course of time.
You mention there are human laws. That is now. There were not always laws, and certainly not as they are today. A Vengeance Demon could have been seen as a last ditch effort to upholding man's morality. They could have been, thousands of years ago, ones only means of retribution, or justice.
They are bound to the wish for vengeance. It is just that we as a society now have integrated the term wish into our everyday vocabulary, yet they are still bound to follow the commands and unable to ascertain the difference.