EPISODE REVIEWS - PROPHECY

Episode #18 - Prophecy
Original Airdate - May 28th, 1999 - Series Finale

Seeing that Spawn is not what she originally thought, Jade spares Spawn's life. Once Heaven catches wind of this they send more angels, this time for Jade. Knowing that she'll be disgraced if she's not killed in battle by the Hellspawn, she convinces Spawn to shove her own sword through her. Spawn later learns that his sleeping with Wanda left her impregnated with the Devil's child. Tired of being a pawn to Hell, Spawn turns to Cogliostro for help in turning away the shroud.

Media and Review by Bird Boy

Credits
Written by John Leekley
Directed by Brad Rader
Music by J. Peter Robinson
Animation by MOOK Co., LTD.

Voices
Keith David as Spawn
Richard Dysart as Cogliostro
Debbi Morgan as Granny Blake
Ming-Na as Jade
Dominique Jennings as Wanda Blake
James Keane as Sam Burke
Michael McShane as Twitch Williams
Victor Brandt as Chief Banks
Michael Nicolosi as Clown
Michael Beach as Jack
Denise Poirier as Bounty Hunter
John DiMaggio, Dwight Schultz as Additional Voices

Screen Grabs











Pans

Review: The very opening to this episode shows a scene familiar to what happened in Spawn #100. It shows Malebolgia and Angela in battle in Hell; fans undoubtedly know that Angela kicks the bucket after Malebolgia stabs her with his own sword (and Spawn subsequently beheads Malebolgia with another sword—it was great fun!). Whether that’s the route this show was going to take, I don’t think we’ll ever know. Both due to the fact it ended and the fact the rights to use Angela’s character is something that’s been a big issue between McFarlane and Neil Gaiman. But, I don’t really want to go into that here…

Man o man, where do I start on this episode. Over the course of the last few episodes we’ve learned that Wanda is now pregnant with Spawn’s child. A child that will decide the fate of Armageddon; problem is, Wanda doesn’t want this child. But if this story follows the comics, she gives birth to the child anyway, though in the comics the child has gone by the wayside. I don’t remember what’s going on with it (I say “it” because I can’t remember if it’s a boy or girl). As it turns out, Malebolgia’s plan was to get this child for himself and never really wanted Simmons. Talk about a slap in the face!

High on the list this episode is the suicide of Chief Banks. Once Sam and Twitch find out who shot Twitch, they go after Banks. A fight ensues, but ends when Banks takes his own life so his family and ego doesn’t have to suffer the repercussions of being Jason Wynn’s pet. Bank’s pulls the trigger and we’re treated (well, maybe not “treated”, depending on your stomach) to an image of his head splattering over a train car window. It’s a moment you have to let soak in before you realize the veracity of what you just saw. For me, it remains one of the strongest scenes in the series.

On the Spawn and Jade side, we see she has begun to care for Spawn. Due to this, Heaven sent their Bounty Hunter’s after Jade, as she failed her job to kill the Hellspawn. This all builds up to a very dramatic scene where Spawn has to kill Jade in order for her soul to rest. Though he fights it at first, Spawn eventually plunges Jade’s own sword into her chest. The hunters sent by heaven take Jade’s body with them and leave Spawn to grieve.

After these two powerful scenes, we’re taken to Granny Blake and Spawn. Spawn gives her what she desires most: to see her dead husband again. After their meeting is over, Spawn realizes that he can do more in this world than just a demon from hell and Malebolgia’s puppet. Spawn turns to Cog and this episode, season and series ends with the words: "I want my humanity back."

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