WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for "The Sisters of Angelus," by Caitlin Yarsky and Jim Campbell, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Every Generation #1, available now.
In the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, there are few villains more terrifying than Angelus. Over the centuries, this malevolent vampire was responsible for countless atrocities. Watchers must have a class specifically devoted to his handiwork. However, the first issue of Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Every Generation might have highlighted the worst thing he ever created: The Sisters of Angelus.
When the TV version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer launched, it introduced fans to a new group of characters supporting the young slayer in her work. One of those characters was the mysterious Angel, a brooding, handsome man often seen lurking in the shadows. Viewers were shocked to find out that not only was Angel a vampire but he was also a good guy, working to defeat the same evil forces as Buffy -- but it wasn't always that way.
Born in 1727, Liam was sired by Darla in 1753 and Angelus was born. Sometimes with allies, other times alone, Angelus cut a swath of destruction across Europe that was so devastating, he earned the title of the Scourge of Europe. After more than a century of carnage, Angelus was cursed by Clan Kalderash and had his soul returned to him -- forcing him to feel and reconcile his guilt for every atrocity he had committed in his unnaturally long, undead life.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Every Generation #1, explores three different slayers and periods in history. The third story, "The Sisters of Angelus," is set in in Dublin, Ireland in the year 1947 and focuses on a young slayer named Una. When a friend of hers is taken to a nearby asylum by her father after an unfounded rumor spreads, Una decides to mount a rescue operation. The name of the facility is Angelus Asylum, which is a dead giveaway that something is wrong.
What Una finds at the asylum is truly horrifying. The nuns that run the convent, the Sisters of Angelus, are all vampires who were reputedly sired by the man himself. They take in young women under the guise of helping them, only to use them as a virtually inexhaustible source of blood. The ones who die are disposed of in a mass grave. Even worse, the Sisters appear to be just one of several convents across Europe.
Angelus was sired in 1753 and became Angel in 1898; "The Sisters of Angelus" is set in 1947. That means he would have created these convents decades earlier than this story is set. Some convents may have even been in operation for a century or more. Being that this appears to be the first one discovered by a slayer, it's highly likely the rest of the Sisters of Angelus are still doing their "holy" work.
Considering how prolific Angelus was when it came to sewing chaos, it's impossible to guess how many nuns and convents are still around. He loved committing affronts to God, so this would have been an especially fun pastime for him. The part that doesn't add up is Angel. Part of regaining his soul was feeling guilt for every atrocity, which presumably includes the Sisters of Angelus. The fact that he has yet to shut them all down is shocking at best and the nuns appear unaware that Angelus is long gone.
The worst case scenario is that another vampire continued his work, siring new Sisters and establishing new convents in the name of Angelus. Angel may not even be aware of how many facilities like Angelus Asylum have been created. If that turns out to be true, the problem is much bigger than anyone could have imagined. Regardless of the true origins of these places, they are still a testament to the true horror Angelus was capable of inflicting. The slayers have a lot of work ahead of them.