The Ultimate Joss Whedon Quiz: Can You Get A Perfect Score?
- by Kym
- – on
- in Movies and TV
Joss Whedon has gone from writing scripts for TV shows like Roseanne to creating his own shows and then on to directing big budget studio films for Marvel and, now, DC. His first show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, despite being based on a cheesy idea, was one of the most popular shows of the 90s and 00s and was critically successful due to its use of metaphor to explore complex issues. From Buffy, an equally popular spin off show - following the life of the vampire Angel - was ordered. Following that, Joss created the cult space western Firefly, the short-lived but overlooked Dollhouse, the award-winning web series Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, and an adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing.
He produced The Cabin the Woods, wrote and directed the first Avengers film, created Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, and then directed and wrote the second Avengers film: The Age of Ultron. He's also signed on to direct some of Justice League reshoots for the film which is due to be released in November 2017.
He's known for being openly feminist - Buffy is often praised for it's feminist slant - and for attempting to create awareness of overlooked groups - specifically LGBT. He's not without his detractors, but even those who criticize him can't deny his success - and his talent. And for those who are dedicated fans of his, any new addition to the Whedonverse is welcomed.
Think you're the ultimate Whedon fan? You won't ace this quiz unless you're a fan of all his most famous work. Good luck!
In Buffy the Vampire Slayer, what is Giles's first name?
When we first meet Giles in Season 1 of Buff the Vampire Slayer, he's a bookish, awkward, but knowledgeable librarian - all characteristics that make him an excellent Watcher for a vampire slayer. Over the course of the show, Buffy's rebellious nature challenges him but is also the reason why he comes to care so deeply for her - often acting as much like a father as a mentor. He not only guides her, he often defends and protects her from physical, emotional, and non-slayer related things.
What kind of creature is Oz on Buffy?
Daniel "Oz" Osbourne is Willow's first serious love interest on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. When we first see him, he's playing guitar in a band at the Bronze. Willow, feeling unnoticed and lonely (and dressed as an eskimo) doesn't see him watching her. The first thing he says about her is, "Who IS that girl?" He's a chilled out, calm, and is responsible for giving Willow someone else to love that isn't Xander who she has had a crush on for years.
What is Pietro Maximoff's alter ego's name?
In the Avengers: Age of Ultron, we are introduced to the Maximoff twins - both have superpowers that they have gained from the Sceptre of Loki. Pietro gains super speed and can act, think and, perceive faster than humanly possible. He uses his speed to generate force, has an increased metabolism and has superhuman reflexes. With his twin, Wanda, he initially works for HYDRA but they help the Avengers to defeat Ultron's during the Battle of Sokovia - their home country.
Where do Loki, Thor, and Odin live?
Thor is Loki's brother and Odin is his father. Other than their family heritage, the thing they have in common is that they're all Norse gods and live in a realm separate to the one in which Earth is located. Their home is in one of many and they travel between them via the Bifrost Bridge, which is guarded by Heimdall - an all seeing warrior that can locate anyone in any realm. Some say his power comes from one of the Infinity Stones.
What is the name of Serenity's pilot in Firefly?
Serenity is the name of the Firefly class ship that Captain Malcolm Reynolds and his adopted family call home. The team includes their pilot and his wife Zoe, the ship engineer Kaylee and the violent (but hilarious) mercenary, Jayne Cobb. As they travel through the 'Verse, they pick up a few new team members including a Priest-like figure called Shepherd Book, a mysterious brother and sister - Simon and River Tam - on the run from the law while still conducting a variety of criminal activities.
What does S.H.I.E.L.D classify Skye as?
Before she becomes a fully fledged member of SHIELD (after extensive training with the awesome Agent Melinda May) Skye is a hacktivist with a group called the Rising Tide who believed that information should be accessible and available to the public. On the side, she used her skills to try to discover who her parents were. The only information she could find about them was a redacted file from SHIELD which is when she decided to infiltrate the agency to discover more.
What power links Doyle to Angel?
Allan Francis Doyle is a half-human and half-demon servant of The Powers That Be. Early on in the series, he helps Angel and Cordelia set up Angel Investigations (we help the hopeless!) and is invaluable to the team due to a special power. We spend the first season with him nursing a crush on Cordy while hiding that he is half demon, which we later learn is why he could handle his power in the first place. Eventually he passes it on to Cordy.
What aliens come to Earth in the Avengers?
In the first Avengers movie, the god Loki invades Earth with an army of powerful alien warriors. This invasion comes to be called the Battle of New York or The Incident and is the first time people on Earth are exposed to the existence of extra terrestrials. It causes massive damage to the city and plays a role in the rise of SHIELD and The Avengers as the primary agency and team tasked with protecting the earth from similar threats.
What does Amy's mother get trapped in on Buffy?
Amy Madison is one of the other students at Sunnydale High and is an acquaintance of Willow's. Her mother is a powerful witch who is obsessed with reliving her youth - especially her time as a talented and popular cheerleader. Amy is not a gifted cheerleader but, after a series of weird things happen to the people who tried out for the squad and got placed above Amy, Buffy suspects that she's using magic to cause these accidents. The Scoobies learn that the spell is being performed by her mother.
What is Anya afraid of in Buffy?
Anya Jenkins becomes one of the Scoobies and Xander's girlfriend/fiancee, but she is originally introduced as Anyanka the vengeance demon. Having cursed her husband a thousand years prior to her appearance in Sunnydale, she is approached by the demon D'Hoffryn and offered a position as a vengeance demon - a demon who could grant wishes to people seeking revenge. While other vengeance demons would grant wishes to anyone, Anya was more specific and would only grant them to a woman who had been wronged by a man.
Who sired Darla?
Darla is an ancient vampire that was turned by a powerful vampire posing as a priest who visits her when she's dying of syphilis in the 16th Century. She met a younger man named Liam in the 17th Century and turned him into a vampire and then renaming him. They would terrorize, rampage, and cause havoc all over Europe and America after siring two other equally insane and dangerous vampires - a gang that Darla called The Whirlwind. She is Connor's mother in Angel.
Why does Angel have a soul?
Angel arguably evolves the most throughout the Buffy and Angel tv series. He goes from a blood thirsty mass murderer to managing the most powerful law firm in the known universe with plenty of adventure in between. When we get introduced to him in Buffy, he is timid and frightened but looking to atone for his sins. By the end of the Angel tv series, he has faced just about the worst anybody could throw at him and seems ready for more.
Who killed Agent Phil Coulson in The Avengers?
In many ways, Agent Phil Coulson is the heart of the first Avengers movie. Selected by Nick Fury to be his right-hand man. He is the agent that discovers Mjolnir - Thor's Hammer - after it crashes to earth in the first Thor movie. His death in The Avengers is the event that brings the Avengers together and unites them in a mission against threats to the Earth. He is resurrected and eventually appointed to the role of Director of SHIELD.
What dimension did Fred return from in Angel?
Winifred "Fred" Burkle is one of the main characters that make up the Angel Investigations team. Fred attended graduate school at UCLA until her physics professor, Oliver Seidel, used dark magic to banish her a demon dimension where she spent five years as a slave. The time she spent there wore down her sanity. She was saved and returned to Earth when Angel went to the dimension and freed the human slaves from their masters and took Fred back to Earth.
Who says, "I swear by my pretty floral bonnet, I will end you."
Captain Mal and his team of bandits often used complicated ruses to lure people into traps so that they could steal from them. Some of their plans were complete failures and often involved at least one member of the team getting hurt, lost, left behind or laughed at. When they needed it, there were more than a few daring feats of piloting genius - courtesy of Wash - that saved the day. They were often on the run from the Alliance.
In Dollhouse, what is the name of Eliza Dushkus character?
Her character is a "doll" or "active" that is employed (and owned) by the Dollhouse. Dolls are hired by clients to go out on engagements that can range from a date to a criminal activity depending on what the client is looking for. Dolls like her have the necessary personality traits and abilities imprinted onto them based on what their engagement requires. When they have finished each job they have these removed and their memories erased. Dolls are not robots or androids, they're people who have (supposedly) volunteered for the job in exchange for large sums of money.
In Cabin in the Woods, what happens to Curt?
The Cabin in the Woods is a 2012 horror movie directed by Drew Goddard and produced by Joss Whedon. The film's action follows a group of college friends who travel to a remote forest cabin where they fall victim to backwoods zombies as part of a manipulative experiment by two scientists. Drew Goddard worked with Joss on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel and wrote this film in an attempt to revitalize the slasher horror flick. They wrote the script in three days.
What is the name of the Alliance-manipulated planet in Serenity?
Firefly fans still complain (rightfully so) about the show being canceled after one season - without the story being completed. Called Serenity, the film would bring the action of the first season to a close. It follows the Serenity crew as they journey to a mysterious planet where they discover a secret that the Alliance had been hiding for years. To film the movie, the Serenity set had to be rebuilt from scratch because it had been destroyed after the show was canceled.
What was the name of the murderous preacher played by Nathan Filion in Buffy?
The big bad in the final season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer was called The First Evil and was essentially the evil entity that created (and pre-dated) every demon, monster, and evil being in the world. Because The First Evil had no physical form, it had to act through minions which included uber-vamps, eyeless monks, and a ruthless priest. This part is played by one of Joss Whedon's go-to actors (there are a few, like Amy Acker, that appear in many of his shows) - Nathan Fillion.
Who is ultimately responsible for the existence of Ultron in the Avengers: Age of Ultron?
Ultron has had many origins, as have most of the characters in the Marvel universe. Though the movies don't stray too far in most cases, Age of Ultron reinvents quite a few of the characters. Ultron in particular was originally created by Hank Pim who MCU fans will recognize as the original Ant Man. However, in the movie, another super intelligent sciencey type unleashes him instead, which ultimately becomes the background and divisive issue in Civil War. Who created Ultron?
What is Quake's real name?
Quake is an Inhuman who discovers latent powers when exposed to Terrigen mist and undergoes Terrigenesis. When she comes out of it, she causes an earthquake that levels an entire temple but doesn't cause her any injuries. Her main power is that she can manipulate and create vibrations in the universe. This gives her the ability to produce shock waves, earthquakes, and the ability to affect objects by shaking them and moving them. She is not immune to these vibrations which injure her bones without control and specialist gauntlets.
Who does Nathan Fillion play in Much Ado About Nothing?
Nathan Fillion is clearly one of Joss Whedon's favorites since he's appeared in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, and Much Ado About Nothing. Based on Shakespeare's play, it stars other Whedon usuals Amy Acker from Angel, Alexis Denisof from Buffy and Angel, Sean Maher from Firefly, Tom Lenk from Buffy, and Clark Gregg from Avengers and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The reason he was interested in the project is because he, "fixated on this notion that our ideas of romantic love are created for us by the society around us, and then escape from that is grown-up love, is marriage, is mature love, to escape the ideals of love that we’re supposed to follow."
What did the Other ask Loki to retrieve from Earth in The Avengers?
The first Avengers movie brought Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Hulk, Hawkeye, and Scarlet Widow together after Loki attacks earth with an army of Chitauri aliens. Nick Fury - Director of S.H.I.E.L.D - is the man who recruits the Avengers and they work with other Agents from the organization, Maria Hill and Phil Coulson. The film went on to gross $623.4 million in North America. The next Avengers film, Infinity War Part 1, will be released in 2018 and Infinity Wars Part 2 in 2019, but will not be directed by Joss.
Where was the Watchers Council's base of operations?
The Watchers Council was a group of men and women who were tasked with overseeing the Watchers of Vampire Slayers and potential slayers. Watchers are mentors and guides who are responsible for finding and training Slayers and are required to report back to the Council about their charges. Watchers attend an Academy from a young age so that they can learn demonology, ancient languages and combat skills that would help the Slayer in her fight against vampires and other supernatural elements.
Why does Xander seem to be cursed when it comes to women?
Xander Harris is one of the original three Scoobies. Like Willow and Buffy, he's an outcast at school and is generally considered a nerd. He enjoys a few moments of popularity in episodes like The Pack and he even dates the most popular girl in the school - Cordelia Chase. While Willow goes on to become a powerful (sometimes evil) witch, Xander doesn't gain any special abilities, but he's often considered the heart of the gang and always fights (badly) alongside Buffy.
Who stole Sunnydales' residents voices?
'Hush' is an episode in Season 4 where a group of supernatural creatures steal all Sunnydale residents' voices so that they can take the hearts of seven people without them being able to scream. This is the first episode that Tara Maclay - who would become Willow's girlfriend later in the season - appears in. Joss wrote the episode in an attempt to challenge himself after learning that people thought the dialogue in the show was its most important element.
What are the cannibal pirates in Firefly known as?
While the crew members of the Serenity go about their business as space pirates, they often encounter enemies. Their main concern is to avoid the law imposed by the Alliance - they are criminals after all - especially after they discover that River Tam is wanted for escaping from their custody. But as the season goes on, we learn that there is a much more malevolent threat in the 'Verse: Cannibal pirates that roam space in search of victims that they can steal from, pillage, and eat.
Who has Loki's Scepter at the beginning of Avengers 2?
Loki gets his Sceptre from an alien called the Other - a Chitauri who tasks Loki with stealing the Tesseract from Earth. The Sceptre gave Loki the power to control the mind of anyone it touched - a power he used on Dr. Selvig and then on Hawkeye. In Age of Ultron, we learn that the Sceptre contains the Mind Stone - one of the five Infinity Stones that will play a significant role in the next two Avengers films.
In Buffy, what was Glory looking for?
Glory, also know as the Divine Glorificus, the Beast and the Abomination, was a Goddess from a different realm who was banished to Earth and forced into human form. Her primary focus was the quest to find The Key - a supernatural entity that would allow her to return to her own realm. The problem was that, if she used the Key, it would break down the barriers between all dimensions which mean that all worlds would bleed into each other.
Who is Dr. Horrible's nemesis?
Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog is a musical dramedy produced for the Internet. Joss created it during the 2008 Writer's Strike with the aim of producing something that was small and inexpensive but would look professional. It starred Neil Patrick Harris as the titular villain - Dr. Horrible - and Nathan Fillion as his nemesis. It also starred Felicia Day as his love interest, Penny. Joss funded it and wrote the music for his project himself. The music was influenced by Stephen Sondheim.
In the Age of Ultron, where does Wanda send a hypnotized Hulk to attack?
Wanda Maximoff is also known as Scarlet Witch and her brother Pietro Maximoff, is Quicksilver. In the comics, both of them are X-Men, but in the Avengers, they get their powers from experiments conducted using Loki's Sceptre. This is because Marvel does not own the rights to X-Men and can't use the word 'mutant' in any of their films. Scarlet Witch's powers include energy blasts, waves and bolts projecting her own psionic and telekinetic energy, which allows her to push/pull or blow away targets with enough force to destroy them.
In Angel, who resurrected Illyria?
Illyria was one of the Old Ones - a group of powerful pure-blood demones who ruled Earth before humans took over. When she is resurrected, she reincarnates in Fred's body and immediately wants to return to her previous plans to use her army to destroy human kind. She discovers that, in the time between her original life and her resurrection, her army has been destroyed and she becomes confused and lost. She eventually joined Angel's team to fight Wolfram & Hart.
Who portrayed both Faith Lehane and Caroline Farrell?
Whenever a Slayer dies, a new Slayer is called. The new slayer gains all the same abilities and then works with their watcher to take over the Slayer's duties. After Buffy dies (technically) in Season 1, Faith becomes the new slayer and comes to Sunnydale to take over. Buffy, still alive, and Faith are initially friends but they become enemies later on in the season when Faith becomes increasingly unpredictable and violent. She returns in Season 7 to help Buffy defeat the First Evil.
What is Spike's real name?
Spike and Drusilla come to Sunnydale after the Master is killed, believing that there's a power vacuum in the town that they can fill. Later on in the show, we see where Spike comes from and how he became the white-haired, leather coat wearing, punk that kills more than one slayer and tries to kill Buffy numerous times. (Until he falls in love with her, of course.) He was turned by Drusilla but was never as cruel as Angelus or Darla.
What is Mal's wife's name in Firefly?
Captain Malcolm Reynolds doesn't actually ask anyone to marry him, he's duped into it during a celebration on a planet where he is unaware of the customs of the people that inhabit it. As it turns out, his wife is actually a con artist who attempts to have Serenity stolen and scrapped for metal. After Saffron tries to seduce her too, Inara tells the crew that she believes that "Mrs. Reynolds" must have had some Companion's Guild training to be such a successful con artist.
What is the name of Oz's band?
Oz is a werewolf in Buffy the Vampire Slayer who is also Willow's first boyfriend. After he finds Xander and Willow kissing, he breaks up with her and then gets back together with her after missing her. While he learns to control and manage his lycanthropy, he isn't immune to the effects of another - female - werewolf named Veruca who convinces him to give in to his wolf side. Later on, he leaves Sunnydale because he's afraid that he'll hurt his friends more.
What is Rupert Giles's nickname?
Giles seems like a mild-mannered, intelligent, but dorky librarian but as the series progresses, we learn that he has a much more interesting past. He is the third generation in his family to serve as a Watcher but initially rebelled against the family trade, becoming a rogue magician who eventually gets a friend of his killed. During his time as a rebellious youth, he delved into dark magic and demon summoning as well as becoming something of a petty criminal.
Who gave Buffy the sword that closed Acathla's portal?
After a moment of pure happiness (courtesy of time spent with Buffy) Angel loses his soul and becomes Angelus again. As Angelus, he conspires to bring the demon Acathla to Earth to destroy it after discovering that his blood is the key to reawakening the dormant demon. Buffy spends a chunk of time trying to remind him that Angel is still inside him, but eventually, accepts that he must be killed and uses the sword to close the portal to Acathla's dimension.
True of False: Drusilla and Spike end up together
After he is crushed by a pipe organ during a ritual to heal Drusilla, he is paralyzed for months and is subject to Angelus's mocking and his attempts to steal Drusilla from him. After he regains his ability to walk, he pretends to still be paralyzed and decides to work with Buffy to defeat Angelus because he (actually) doesn't want the world to end. In return for letting him live, he agrees to leave Sunnydale with Drusilla and never return.
What is the name of the club the Scooby Gang hang out at in Sunnydale?
Apparently, there aren't many options in Sunnydale because the Scoobies only ever hang out at one club. Some of the best scenes in the show happen in that club, including some great (and not so great dancing), Dingoes Ate My Baby gigs, Willow in an Eskimo costume, performances by K's Choice, Pavlov's Bell and Michelle Branch and many, many fights with various vampires and demons. Next to the Sunnydale High library, it's the most common gathering place for Buffy and her friends.
How did Angelus kill the Beast?
When the Beast returns to the world - along with a powerful uber-boss, Jasmine - the Angel Investigations team decide that they need to find out more about the demon because all references to him had been magically erased before he arrived. The only being they know of who can remember the Beast is Angelus so they remove Angel's soul and question Angelus. With the help of a jailbroken Faith the team attempts to kill the Beast, but eventually, only Angelus has the strength to stop him.
Where is Bruce Banner hiding when he is recruited for the Avengers?
When Nick Fury decides that the threat from Loki is enough to put together the Avengers, he sends Black Widow to find Bruce Banner so that the Hulk could join the team. When she went to find him, he was working as a doctor and hadn't transformed into the Hulk in a year. After a disagreement that causes a fight with Natasha Romanoff, he goes on a rampage. When he finally turns back into Bruce, he returns to New York to help the Avengers fight the Chitauri.
What does Jayne Cobb name his favorite gun in Firefly?
Jayne Cobb is a mercenary who doesn't seem loyal to anything except himself and money. There are numerous occasions when he seems to be actively working to betray the rest of the Serenity's crew and - knowing Jayne's propensity for violence - Captain Mal keeps an eye on him. There are only two things (besides money) that he cares for: The first is his mother. The second is his large cache of weapons, which includes a Callahan Full-bore Auto-lock armor piercing gun.
What were the names of the first two lawyers to try to take Angel down?
The law firm Wolfram & Hart emerged as one of the major villains in Angel. They weren't just an international company, they were interdimensional as well. They were actually a front for the Wolf, Ram and Hart, an ancient cabal of demons known as the Senior Partners who worked through the Circle of the Black Thorn. They conducted a variety of nefarious activities that ranged from stealing and assassination to organizing attempts at the Apocalypse via departments that specialized in real estate, entertainment, science and research, intelligence and voodoo.
How did Joyce Summers die?
According to Joss, killing Joyce was one of the choices he made and was also the most difficult character for him to kill. The episode where she dies, titled 'the Body' features no music and is considered one of the best episodes of the show - not only because of how it was filmed but because of the empathy it evoked. It was especially touching because it dealt with natural death and Joss went to great lengths to make sure he captured a realistic expression of grief.
What was special about the Buffy episode 'Once More, With Feeling?'
One of the other standout episodes of the show, 'Once More, With Feeling' is a special episode that features performances by the cast after a demon - Sweet arrives in Sunnydale and forces the residents his will upon the inhabitants that forces them to reveal their deepest secrets. This is the episode where, against her will, Buffy admits to the others that they didn't rescue her from hell as they had thought, but that they'd taken her from a kind of heaven where she'd been at peace.
Who does Mark Shepphard portray in Firefly?
Mark Shepphard is the Everyman of cult science-fiction TV. He has appeared in Warehouse 13, Dr. Who, Dollhouse (another Joss Whedon show), Battlestar Galactica, Medium, Charmed, Star Trek: Vogayer and The X-Files. He has played the evil but charismatic (and hilarious) King of Hell, Crowley, on Supernatural for the last few years. He normally gravitates towards characters that are villainous or mysterious and any real science-fiction nerd will know exactly who he is and point him out if they see him on their screens.
Who killed Tara in Buffy?
There are many characters that are killed off in TV shows that should never have been killed off or that are never forgotten. Tara Maclay is on that list of characters. Her relationship with Willow was groundbreaking in its depiction of an LGBT relationship. Their first kiss, which occurred during 'The Body,' caused the WB some concern. Joss had to fight them to ensure that it wasn't cut from the final episode - threatening to walk from the show if they didn't.
What artefact held the memories of the Angel Investigations team?
After a couple comes to Angel Investigations and ask for their help in a case that involved their son, he realizes that their son is actually his son, Connor. No one else remembers this because Angel has had their memories of him removed. Wolfram & Hart altered reality so that Conor could lead a normal life. When Wesley breaks the artefact that maintains the illusion of the altered reality, he breaks the spell and everyone's memories - including Connor's - are restored.
What DC movie will Joss direct?
After the release of the second Avengers film - The Age of Ultron - Joss Whedon confessed that the entire process of working on such big films had exhausted him. The fact that Age of Ultron wasn't as well received as the first film in the franchise probably played a part in his confession, but those major studio films are a huge step up from his time directing low-budgeted episodes of Buffy. Despite this confession, he has signed on to direct a new DC film.