Opinions on Buffy having a baby...

[Mrs Gordo]

The Season 12 variant cover includes a cover of Buffy holding a baby. No one knows if this will be Buffy's baby or if this will be any number of other character's potential offspring. But what has been interesting is seeing some of the reactions and the responses from different members of the fandom with regards to the idea of Buffy potentially being a mom.

Buffy is (arguably) a feminist icon. The idea of Buffy having a baby may be perceived by some as Buffy, the character and the story, embracing a traditional gender norm of women having babies instead of subverting these types of tropes in favor of Buffy the superhero/badass. Are these two mutually exclusive?

I wanted to know your thoughts. Do you like the idea of Buffy having a baby and being a mom? If Buffy does have a baby is that selling out to an overly traditional idea of what women are expected to do?

 

[WillowFromBuffy]

Buffy having a baby is a great idea in theory. It can be good to subvert the idea of women as caregiver and mothers, but for the human race to survive, most people will have to make babies. Any complete feminist statement needs to tackle motherhood in some form. Buffy is the every girl, so it makes sense that she will eventually become a mother. I think it would make more sense for Willow to be the one who chooses to remain childless.

That being said, I don't see how four issues bringing all the characters together for lots of fighting and time travelling shenanigans will have time to deal with pregnancy or motherhood any more seriously than AtS did.

The child is probably Dawn and Xander's, though. They have long carried the burden of grounding the comics all by themselves.

 

[Mrs Gordo]

I'm less interested in the speculation as to whether it is Buffy's baby and more interested in the reactions in the fandom regarding Buffy potentially having a baby if that makes sense? We aren't going to know what the what is on the kid until June-ish anyway.

 

[WillowFromBuffy]

I'm less interested in the speculation as to whether it is Buffy's baby and more interested in the reactions in the fandom regarding Buffy potentially having a baby if that makes sense? We aren't going to know what the what is on the kid until June-ish anyway.

If it is Buffy's and there is nothing magical, weird or silly about it, then I am positive.

Nothing like this! One of the few times the comics seemed as though they were going to explore something interesting but got seriously distracted along the way.

 

[Mylie]

I don't really have a problem with it either way, as long as it makes sense in the story. It doesn't go against my vision of who Buffy is as a character but it's also not something that I absolutely want for her.

One thing though... If it is her baby, I'd prefer it to not be a supernatural baby. And it has to be something she chose and that wasn't forced on her. Basically, I'll be okay with it if Buffy made a choice.

 

[Ethan Reigns]

Buffy popping out an urchin would be a repeat of the Nikki / Robin Wood story with things possibly becoming less dangerous due to the multitude of slayers. I don't like the idea of it being Buffy's baby because the writers would be obliged to show us how she is at motherhood and I don't care. I want to read about the badass slayer who changed the entire slayer game, not about diapers and bottles. BTW I was glad Connor was taken out of the picture early - I wasn't into the "Gee I'm a dad!" phase in Angel and it would be an even worse mistake with Buffy because she would be expected to be the primary caregiver for the baby.

 

[Mrs Gordo]

Yeah I can see that like that’s not the story you signed up for.

 

[DeepBlueJoy]

The only way it could work well in a long term story would be for her partner to be stuck at home with childcare, while Buffy assumed the role of relationship alpha.

 

[white avenger]

The question has to be asked, "If this actually is Buffy's baby, who is the father?" We've already had one vampire father a miracle child, so we don't need to go down that road again, and if there is a normal human father, it seems awful soon after her declaration of love to Spike at the end of Season 7.

Maybe it's adopted?

Most likely, it's a total red herring in the same vein as Spike's supposed reason for going to Africa being to have the chip removed. It's just some random baby that Buffy's watching while its mother is off shopping.

Or, maybe it's actually Faith's baby. She seems prone to fool around whenever the mood and opportunity both seem right, and she seems to be an exclusively human oriented lady, no vampires or demons for her.

 

[DeepBlueJoy]

Could be the baby of a dead slayer. Instant family that they get to raise together without having to do the normal adoption thing, which could be complicated given Spike.

 

[Andreana22]

I watched Wynonna Earp and then decided to watch Buffy because the showrunner was such a fan.

In that show,

Spoiler: major season 2 spoilers

the actress who plays Wynonna found out she was pregnant, but instead of trying to hide it, the showrunners decided to make the character pregnant too, but unintentionally. Her character was in denial for most of her pregnancy because she can't continue her fight to end the curse while being a mother as well. She's also worried the father might be a revenant (demon). In the end, her friends and family help her to accept her fate and she gives up her child to be raised by her aunt after it's born.

I don't think they would have a storyline that complex in 4 issues, but I could see Buffy in a similar situation in the future or maybe through having to adopt the child of a fellow slayer or Dawn. It could be resolved similarly, which would allow her or continue being a slayer.

 

[Fool for Buffy]

As others have said, if it’s not some sort of miracle child I’m okay with it. That’s why I think adoption is the only option for it to be hers. I’d still rather the baby be Xander and Dawn’s though.

 

[SunnydaleGlitz]

Off topic, but according to Morphthings, this is what a Spike and Buffy girl baby would look like.



In all seriousness, I don't think I'd want that for her, unless the 'child' is with Spike, and given that he's a vampire, I don't see how it won't be supernatural. So, no, I wouldn't want them to have kids.

 

[thetopher]

My initial reaction was that this was more proof- if it were needed- that the comics had just run out of ideas.

 

[RomanticSoul]

Poor baby. That's my only opinion. Buffy is not mature enough to be a mother. And too ****ed up herself which will also **** up the kid. And as long as demons exist and Buffy is still THE slayer, bringing a kid into it would be too dangerous for the kid.

It is either going to be a kid whose mother is not Buffy or alternate timeline Buffy's. I would be good with alternate timeline Buffy having a kid if she is in a demon free world and an actual well adjusted adult herself.

 

[Blair]

From what I've read, Buffy plays with the timeline in this season. I'm *hoping* that this picture indicates that she visits herself in the past- way in the past as a baby. Or it is someone else's kid, as mentioned, Xander and Dawn.

I think I'd actually be angry if it's hers. Doesn't fit her character in my eyes. I can't see her being maternal. Not only that but if it is hers- has she learned NOTHING from Robin Wood and his mummy issues? Just overall, a bad idea in her being a mum.

 

[TriBel]

As Willow for Buffy says

Any complete feminist statement needs to tackle motherhood in some form.

For the French feminist in particular, the mother is a foundational metaphor. Season 5 onwards, BtVS had a subtext concerned with reconceptualising "the mother". If this comes to fruition, it's associated with massive social upheaval - reconceiving of time, history, language and the self - rearrangements that fit nicely with Fray. From this perspective, being Buffy/Spike's baby makes sense (and I can see a window of opportunity is S11 for the text to explain this). If it's a Dander baby, given Buffy's complex relationship with Dawn, it takes us back to Chosen "And, no, I don't see fat grandchildren in the offing with Spike". However, it doesn't NEED to be any of these. It could be - as suggested - anyone's child. It's quite telling that Buffy is also carrying the Scythe and the stakes are rather suggestively positioned as a sort of "cod piece". For me this implies that regardless of its origins - the baby (or the relationship between mother/daughter or the intergenerational relationship between females) is a source of empowerment.

 

[Buffy Summers]

It would be interesting for about a minute and then there would be a kid around all the time lol

 

[Grace]

(and I can see a window of opportunity is S11 for the text to explain this)

Because Spike was feeding off of Buffy? Or something else? (Just curious.)

Do you like the idea of Buffy having a baby and being a mom?

I really do, actually. But not in four issues. And not with Joss and Christos as the writing team.

 

[DeepBlueJoy]

You know, the drama isn't really necessary. Women have children. Many, but not all women want to have children. I think if they do it in the comics, it may end up being a dog's breakfast, but I've read several fanfic takes on Buffy as a mom and provided it wasn't all crisis all the time, it could work just fine.

Otherwise, we're saying we trust Buffy with the fate of the world, but not with a child. Are we that paternalistic? I know it doesn't take exactly the same skill set, but I believe she's smart enough, compassionate enough and protective enough to be a mom. And post Sunnydale, it seems she has resources enough too. And even as a step father/adoptive father Spike would be caring and protective and also fun as a father. Since when has being a great general/warrior/soldier stopped anyone from being a parent before? So, just because she's a woman, then? If everyone in a big, important fight refrained from reproducing because it was inconvenient, the human race would have died out a long time ago.

EDIT: and we know she's already sort of raised a child... Dawn. Becoming an instant mom of a teen is in someways harder than starting with a baby. You don't need 'life answers' for a baby, just basic caregiving skills any human can learn.