Richard Wilkins
Richard Wilkins is a male television character who features in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
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Biography
Richard Wilkins (? - 1999) was the founder and leader of the city of Sunnydale, California, in the year 1899. In his original identity of Richard Wilkins, the sorcerer generally referred to simply as the Mayor constructed the city on a Hellmouth. Using spells to extend his lifespan, Sunnydale was built for the explicit purpose, 100 years in the making, of bringing about the Mayor's Ascension to the form of a pure demon. He married a woman named Edna Mae in 1903, and lived with her until she died of old age. Over the years, he took on the identity of his son, Richard Wilkins II, and his own grandson, Richard Wilkins III, remaining the Mayor for all those years.
By the 1990s, the Mayor was a rather quirky individual, germophobic and focused on family values, despite his intention of sacrificing the entire city in his Ascension. He had woven operatives throughout the entire government of the city, from the police department to the school system, including Principal Snyder of Sunnydale High School. In 1999, his plans finally began to come together. He began employing lackeys to distract or destroy Buffy Summers, who he saw as the greatest threat to his plans. Among these were Ethan Rayne and the vampire Mister Trick.
He performed a ritual to become invulnerable in the 100 days leading his Ascension, and soon after, was able to recruit the rogue Slayer Faith to his side. He soon came to see Faith as a surrogate daughter, and she saw him as a father figure. He performed several further rituals over the next 100 days, and continued to disrupt Buffy's life. Finally, the eve of the Ascension came, but Faith was severely injured and rendered comatose after battle with Buffy. The Mayor, heartbroken, was furious with Buffy.
Wilkins also kept tabs on Spike's various 'shenanigans' the previous year and when it was discovered that he had returned to Sunnydale, Wilkins had Trick arrange a "welcoming committee" consisting of Spike's former lackeys to keep him from messing in his plans. Once again, his attack was thwarted by the Slayer, though Spike left without further incident and would not return until after Wilkins' death. Two days before the Dedication, commencing the 100 days of invulnerability before the Mayor's ascension, Wilkin's old rival Balthazar arrived in Sunnydale along with his vampire army of El Eliminati in search of his amulet that would restore his power. Trick presented the Mayor with evidence that Balthazar's minions had come to town, but the Mayor decided to just keep an eye on them in hopes that the vampires and the Slayers — Buffy and Faith — would kill each other off. He was attacked in his office by one of Bathazar's minions, who Trick managed to intercept, and then used the minion to test his invulnerability following the Dedication. During this, the Mayor's deputy Allan Finch betrayed him by leaving a paper trail of the Mayor's dealings (which the Mayor subsequently shredded) and intending to fill in the Slayers behind his back. However, Faith accidentally killed him in the crossfire. The Mayor initially saw this as beneficial because it meant one of the Slayers would end up in prison and out of his hair, but he soon realized that the Slayers were onto him when he discovered them sneaking into the Sunnydale City Hall. Because he lacked sufficient evidence to lock them away, Wilkins ordered Trick to assassinate the Slayers. To the Mayor's surprise, Faith killed Trick along with his henchmen before visiting the Mayor and offering to work for him in Trick's place.
On the next day, an eclipse signalled the time of the Mayor's Ascension during his speech to Sunnydale High's graduating class of 1999. He transformed into a huge, 60-foot serpentine pure demon, but he was no longer invulnerable. One of his first actions was to eat Principal Snyder, despite his lackey's loyalty. Buffy, her allies, and the entire graduating class (which Buffy had informed of the impending crisis) battled the Mayor, and his vampire minions (free to fight during the day due to the eclipse). Now that he was a demon, the Mayor was no longer invulnerable, and Buffy used his grief over Faith's coma to lure him into a trap. Having filled the school with explosives, the Slayer led the Mayor to be stuck in the library entrance, and dove out when the school exploded, killing the Mayor.
The Mayor left a legacy, however, for Faith- a magical device that enabled her to exchange bodies with Buffy.
Years later, the First Evil came to use the guise of the Mayor in an attempt to manipulate Faith when she returned to Sunnydale. (Episode: Touched)
Overview
Personality and attributes
Powers and abilities
Wilkins was a powerful sorcerer who specialized in the dark arts. He had a cabinet full of shrunken heads, bones, and supernatural paraphernalia. He had gained an extended lifespan and eternal youth thanks to demonic benefactors.
After performing the Dedication, he could not be harmed in any way for 100 days until the Ascension and was able to heal from massive injuries immediately.
Notes
- Richard Wilkins was created by Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt where he was portrayed by actor Harry Groener and featured in the Buffy-Angel universe.
In other media
Comics
- In Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Twelve, the Mayor appeared in the setting of the 2018 comic series published by Dark Horse Comics and set after the events of the television series.
Appearances
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer:
External Links
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