Xander Harris: Initiative Recruit

Wesley Junior

Wesley Junior

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Imagine Riley never existed in Season 4.

What if Xander had been recruited by the Initiative either early in the season or between Seasons 3 and 4 and was injected with those enhancement drugs?

Do you think he would kept it a secret from Buffy and the others until he was founded out the way Riley was in the episode Hush?

How would his involvement with the Intiative affect his relationship with Anya?

What about life after Season 4? Do you think he would have gone through his own downward spiral the way Riley did feeling useless without his enhancements?
 
R
Ripper666
What an amazing thought!!! This idea is so great ! Maybe you should write a new BTVS script! :D
Imagine is Riley never existed...yes please. 😀

Why do you think the Initiative would want Xander anyway? I don't think they would..
 
Maybe because he helped one of their own in the field like he saves a Initiative soldier from a target that had the upper hand on him and because of the skill Xander shown in protecting the soldier and fighting off the monster, the Initiative becomes interested in him and wonder if they can advance that skill to that of a potential Initiative soldier.
 
I´m not really that into the idea of that, I don't think Xander ever should of had a big storyline like the others, Willow had her magic, Spike vampire, Buffy's the slayer, Anya was a demon, Oz was a werewolf, Dawn was the key and so on - I like that they never pushed it with Xander, he was just a guy and he remained that way but was always a vital member of the Scoobies. It would have been silly if they would have tried to make him more interesting by doing something like that, IMO.
 
F
FetalPig
[No message]
Well, Xander does have an military background - from when he was a soldier back in Halloween and then when he and Cordelia broke into the military base (they had them in Sunnydale?????). Although in season 4 he did admit he's forgotten most of his knowledge. But maybe they can fresh up his memory pretty quickly.

And to the question you asked.
I think Xander would try to hide it from Buffy for some time, but he'd tell her at the end. Actually, he wouldn't tell her, it would slip out of his mouth, for sure. He can't keep a secret! Like he accidently told Buffy that Angel was in town in the end of "Pangs". He can't keep his mouth shut, so I doubt they would even want him to join them.

I think it would make him braver, stronger physically (well, that one is also thanks to the Initiative, I suppose). This way he would be much bigger of a help to Buffy in their fights against the forces of darkness.

I'll need to think about the other quesitons though. I'll get back to you with that.
 
His relationship with Anya would probably be strained severely if he was part of the Initiative. However, this would give Xander something to do in the story. I'm still not sure what his role is. What does a Seer do, exactly? I would think it'd at least give him a special kind of power.
 
Interesting idea. I think Xander would have jumped at the offer, he would see it as a way for him to bring more to the scoobies and finally be a hero rather than the guy being saved. I could see Xander trying to hide it at first but the others would pick up on it fairly quickly and figure out what was going on. I don't think Xander would be able to keep it a secret from Buffy and the others.

I don't think it would have made that big of an impact on his relationship with Anya. I could see it being something they bonded over, like him telling her about it and asking her to keep it a secret for him. I think Anya would have found tough Xander sexy, but when she found out about the demon experimenting Anya would rip Xander a new one.

I think Xander would be upset about the loss of his enhanced powers and might be a little depressed about it but I think he would suck it up and keep trying to help the scoobies. I could see him making snarky comments for an episode or two. Throughout the series Xander seems to handle the fact that he is the "normal" one pretty well.
 
that would of been brilliant,if someone ever does an alternate season 4 this should happen. It would of been even brilliant if riley did exist. Xanders always at his best when hes in an over the top situation where hes a little outmatched(the zeppo,go fish) and this story has the same potential for xander. It could provide him the perfect balance of comedy potential and also badass potential.

I just want to imagine rileys season 4 haircut didnt exist though.
 
The concept of Xander in the Initiative is an interesting one. I'd love to see anyone with an ideas on how this could play out.

My thoughts?

1. I think it could have led to an interesting alternate version of Season 4. Xander could have been picked up if they found out about his earlier knowledge of weaponry.

2. He couldn't keep it a secret. Eventually he would reveal it to Buffy, perhaps first in confidence, perhaps inadvertently - but it would come out sooner.

3. I actually don't think his relationship with Anya would change that much. Maybe it's me, but I think a more confident Xander may end up having a better relationship with Anya.

4. I think post-Season 4, Xander would perhaps go into a spiral ala Riley, but I think the group would eventually bring him back from the brink. Unlike Riley, he had a purpose with the group pre-Initiative and can return back to that purpose.
 
Not sure. Depends on what happens to Initiative Xander at the end of alternate Season 5...for all we know, they could have broken up before then.
 
This is how alternate Season 5 unfolding:

Xander is dissatisified with his life since his stint in the Initiative has ended and has been trying to find ways to bring purpose back into his life by working as one of the Scoobies again and focusing on his relationship with Anya. But his depression mess with his Scoobie role and his relationship with Anya. When Xander and the others learn about the Glory threat, Xander becomes obsessed with finding a way to defeat her and considers some darkly drastic measures in doing that refusing to be just the regular old joker in the group. I can see Xander and Anya breaking up at some point but nearing the end of the season, they'll reunite and Xander will ask her for her hand in marriage like he did originally in the season finale.
 
Wesley Junior - It's an interesting concept for an Alternate Season 5. Have you thought about fleshing this all out as a series of fan fics?
 
Wesley Junior said:
Do you think Initiative Xander would have left Anya at the altar in Season 6?
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No. I think Initiative Xander would have walked down the aisle and married Anya just to see things through. I think the Initiative would have instilled a work ethic in him and would have made him believe that leaving her would be like quitting.
 
What if Anya wasn't in the picture and instead of falling for Riley who wouldn't exist in the Intiative storyline, Buffy slowly falls for the new and improved Xander Harris?
 
Username said:
I´m not really that into the idea of that, I don't think Xander ever should of had a big storyline like the others, Willow had her magic, Spike vampire, Buffy's the slayer, Anya was a demon, Oz was a werewolf, Dawn was the key and so on - I like that they never pushed it with Xander, he was just a guy and he remained that way but was always a vital member of the Scoobies. It would have been silly if they would have tried to make him more interesting by doing something like that, IMO.
Click to expand...

I don't think it would have been silly at all to give one of the main characters of the show a bigger storyline. In fact, it should have been done at some point. But anyway....

This is an interesting idea, but I'm glad they never did it. I hated the Initiative, and was glad they were gone by the end of Season 4 (well, for the most part, anyway). However, Xander having government connections might have made things go a little smoother in future seasons, and definitely would have made Season 8 more interesting.
 
I have to admit this would have been an interesting story. But part of the appeal of Xander is that he's the only Scooby who's just an ordinary person, so I'm glad they didn't do this story.
 
This is actually an amazing concept. Like I said in another thread I have recently started to like Riley. However, The idea of Xander being recruited by the Initiative would have been really great for the plot development. Watching Xander try to be part of the initiative while trying to be one of the scoobies..it wouldn't be easy. He'd have to go down to the initiative, then go to scooby meetings etc..What if during a patrol with Buffy he was spotted by the initiative or visa versa? That would have been a great story. I'm actually bummed that they never made this happen. lol.
 
I really loved this Idea!
1) I don't think he could keep it secret. he is to bungling!
2)But just imagine he could! What would have been different? Would he told Anja about it? I guess, if not I can't see how they could safe their relationship. And if there is another person who is more bungling than Xander it's Anja! So then maybe Anja would tell the others the secret or we have to loose Anja.
3) I think the gang would have been very angry when they would have found out what xander was doing. Becasue at this time they had no secrets which has a importance like this secret, for each other. So there would have been a big dispute!

I really think that this story would have make season 4 much more better and interesting that it actually is! But this is just my oppinion!
 
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