# Buffy question, regarding source of vamps (open spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 6, 2008, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffy-question-regarding-source-of-vamps-open-spoilers/466671 "2008-10-06T14:15:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffy-question-regarding-source-of-vamps-open-spoilers/466671/21 "2008-10-08T14:21:03Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Yep. Joss has stated in old interviews that the dust bit was 1) neat (although expensive), and 2) kept Sunnydale clean of excessive corpses. Which is also neat, now that I think about it. šŸ˜ƒ My big problem with it is why did the vampires clothes turn to dust? And even then itā€™s pretty inconsistentā€¦that one time Angel staked a vampire from Las Vegas, his sunglasses _didnā€™t_ turn to dust with the rest of his outfit, so Angel took them. šŸ˜• ---
**Author:** ![ArizonaTeach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/45deac/32.png) [@ArizonaTeach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArizonaTeach)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffy-question-regarding-source-of-vamps-open-spoilers/466671/22 "2008-10-08T14:29:11Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > My big problem with it is why did the vampires clothes turn to dust? And even then itā€™s pretty inconsistentā€¦that one time Angel staked a vampire from Las Vegas, his sunglasses _didnā€™t_ turn to dust with the rest of his outfit, so Angel took them. šŸ˜• Itā€™s magic! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffy-question-regarding-source-of-vamps-open-spoilers/466671/23 "2008-10-08T17:05:53Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > My big problem with it is why did the vampires clothes turn to dust? And even then itā€™s pretty inconsistentā€¦that one time Angel staked a vampire from Las Vegas, his sunglasses _didnā€™t_ turn to dust with the rest of his outfit, so Angel took them. šŸ˜• Fanwank: The clothes turn to dust if they are what the vamp was wearing when they are turned. We know they tend to keep the same clothes - Buffy commented on the bad fashions in the pilot. Have we ever seen a vamps clothes dust that were obviously not what they were wearing when turned? That would explain the sunglasses, at least. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffy-question-regarding-source-of-vamps-open-spoilers/466671/24 "2008-10-08T17:14:05Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Fanwank: The clothes turn to dust if they are what the vamp was wearing when they are turned. We know they tend to keep the same clothes - Buffy commented on the bad fashions in the pilot. Have we ever seen a vamps clothes dust that were obviously not what they were wearing when turned? That would explain the sunglasses, at least. Any vamp more than 50 years old or so is generally seen wearing modern clothes. For example, Darla is dusted with clothing. ---
**Author:** ![brewha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@brewha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brewha)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffy-question-regarding-source-of-vamps-open-spoilers/466671/25 "2008-10-08T17:38:33Z")
> [@ArizonaTeach](#): > > Itā€™s magic! You forgot to wave your hands! ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffy-question-regarding-source-of-vamps-open-spoilers/466671/26 "2008-10-08T17:55:47Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > My big problem with it is why did the vampires clothes turn to dust? And even then itā€™s pretty inconsistentā€¦that one time Angel staked a vampire from Las Vegas, his sunglasses _didnā€™t_ turn to dust with the rest of his outfit, so Angel took them. šŸ˜• Simple. The sunglasses were made of phlebotenum. Or maybe plotonium. Oh, man! Plot - onium! Substance which moves the plot! Itā€™s a \*way \*better word than phlebotenum. Did I just invent it? Pretty please? ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffy-question-regarding-source-of-vamps-open-spoilers/466671/27 "2008-10-08T23:45:12Z")
[http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Plotonium](http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Plotonium) ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffy-question-regarding-source-of-vamps-open-spoilers/466671/28 "2008-10-09T01:13:24Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > [http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Plotonium](http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Plotonium) drat. ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffy-question-regarding-source-of-vamps-open-spoilers/466671/29 "2008-10-09T11:38:02Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Fanwank: The clothes turn to dust if they are what the vamp was wearing when they are turned. We know they tend to keep the same clothes - Buffy commented on the bad fashions in the pilot. Have we ever seen a vamps clothes dust that were obviously not what they were wearing when turned? That would explain the sunglasses, at least. I believe Angel was just very quick on the draw, and grabbed them before the dusting spread that far. In ā€œDoomedā€, Xander was concerned about staking Spike while heā€™s wearing one of Xanderā€™s shirts, because he didnā€™t want it dusted. Darla was definitely wearing different clothes than from when she was vamped, but her clothes still dusted with her. Both times. \*\*\* Ponder ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffy-question-regarding-source-of-vamps-open-spoilers/466671/30 "2008-10-09T13:49:05Z")
Then obviously itā€™s the animating power of the demon that causes everything to dust, including the clothing. This might also explain why newly-created vamps dust almost instantly when staked, while older, more powerful vamps can often get a farewell line in before disintegrating (see Mr. Trick). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffy-question-regarding-source-of-vamps-open-spoilers/466671.md?page=1)