Spike Spiegel (スパイク・スピーゲル Supaiku Supīgeru?) is a former member of the Red Dragon Crime Syndicate, who left by faking his death after falling in love with a woman called Julia.
He then became a bounty hunter and the partner of Jet Black, the captain of the Bebop. Spike and Jet pursued criminals across the populated planets and moons of the solar system. His ship was the Swordfish II.
During his adventures on board the Bebop, Spike is drawn back into a bitter feud with Vicious, a rival from the Syndicate who seeks to kill him.
Laughing Bull gave him the nickname of Swimming Bird.
Ikran's theme song: Born to be Alive (Patrick Hernandez)
Recessional of the Red Dragons[]
Soon after he had died from the massive shootout in Tharsis and the defeat of Vicious, he was taken by a few surviving Red Dragon agents to a mysterious dark chamber. Their new leader performed a ritual which resurrected/brainwashed Spike, making him a deadly killing machine loyal to Master Kim Yokushimo and infected by Vicious' volatile blood. He soon met up with Trudy and Faye who were grateful to see him alive and well, though he wasn't himself. In a fatal scrimmage, he managed to incapacitate Trudy and Faye before he declared a war should break out within 72 hrs. And if they should interfere, they will be killed by his own hands!
Spike at Valles Marineris during the Red Dragon War
He saw them and Jet again inside the Bebop and wasted no time on shooting it down, blasting the Bebop into space dust! Luckily, they were saved by the Shuttle piloted by X and Zero! The Maverick Hunter proved to be a formidable opponent, but the Bebop had been obliterated by his Swordfish II! Though he did spare their lives for the moment and headed back to Mars to give Kim the news! He was so charged by his assassinations! Laughing Bull even warned Jet and Trudy that Swimming Bird's guardian star should develop into a supernova when it fuses with Striking Snake's, as the effects would be permanent and thus his endless destruction would turn the galaxy into ruins!
Later on, Jet sensed that Spike was near and gave chase from Anastasia's devastated store. He followed him to the graveyard, the same one he and Julia frequent, only it was to be Jet's own dying place! Luckily, Trudy stepped between them before things should go awry, and presented Spike the small music box playing the tune, Goodnight Julia, which tagged his heartstrings. It restored deeper, peaceful memories of him and Julia, before Trudy was shot by a sniper! Spike was forced to shoot Jet, but his Jericho wouldn't do it. Before the sniper had his chance, Spike shot him, while at the same time took in a tranquilizer that was supposed to show the symptoms of death. He implored Jet to win the war against the Red Dragons and promised the nightmare will be over as soon as he awakens.
At the destroyed outlet, Spike was still comatose, even when Kim Yokushimo invaded the place. He was stuck in limbo, weak as a kitten, and his deceased friends encouraged him to keep living as Julia's waiting for him. By the time he received a warm kiss from the revived Julia, it was just enough strength to make him come around and reunite with her! Their dream had finally come to an end!!
Spike (right) as part of the new Bebop team!
Several weeks later, the outlet had been restored, and Spike was now part of a new Bebop team, complete with the Red Dragon HQ demolished to one floor as their new base. Though he couldn't recollect his hostile actions before the war. He was also suffering from epilepsy, according to Doc, and needed to be watched over by Julia. He also offered Trudy to live with them making the store a small apartment complex!
After a while, Spike seemed to harbor some bitter feelings toward Zero, as he assumed he'd take Julia away from him. Even though it was for the sake of protecting her as he never wanted to lose her like he did with Iris.
A Trip in Paradise[]
Spike was lazily sleeping inside the new restored outlet as Trudy was bored, till Big Shots! went back on the air with a new bulletin. Trudy woke him up, only to receive news of 2 new bounty heads belonging to an occult named the Drifters. Although both Punch and Judy became delirious afterwards, making Spike curious. Julia came in with supplies in time for the upcoming dust storm and told him what she discovered from those zealots. They went to the rear of the supermarket she came from, and a couple Drifters were persuading Julia and Trudy to join them. Irritated, Spike knocked the daylights out of them, and was met up by Zero, much to his dismay. They went inside the barren market, only to find an obsolete overhead playing an old presentation of who the Drifters were and what Empyrea was. He and Zero found it to be bogus, and they went to search for the ladies. Trudy alerted him that even Jet and Faye were involved as well, and he grew irritable.
They escaped as they were following his Swordfish aimlessly. Then, he looked over a desolate barn with a large hole in its roof; turned out to be the Drifters' spaceship taking them away to Planet Empyrea. He then found a flip describing their destination, which he realized it was none other than Pluto's moon, Charon, the edge of the universe! Spike urged the group there, though Zero was slower considering the Shuttle was made from Earth.
Spike was one of the first, and he had a plan on falling for one of the leaders, Lyn. She infatuated him, only it was a trick to steal the flash drive of all the followers' Woolongs! Unfortunately, he, Julia, and Trudy were cornered by Jet, Faye, and Takeshi, along with a few loyal followers, forcing Spike to submit as Julia was being shoved into a chute depleting her oxygen! Zero ransacked the facility and saved her, though as it was blowing up, Spike went back to retrieve the flash drive! Only to get caught in the crossfire!! Thankfully, Spike escaped in the nick of time and requested Zero to help him from the edge of a cliff. He restored everyone's stolen property as Anonymous, though he was pissed Andy stole his bounty away!
He was then jamming to an old song, Born to be Alive, much to Julia and Trudy's delight. Then, he was agitated on why Jet and Faye betrayed their family and functioned as spies for Takeshi and Lyn. Trudy ranted on them and stormed away, and Spike and Julia were determined to find her before the dust storm should hit. He found her climbing out of a crater, only to be greeted by Laughing Bull who tried to convince Trudy to go back to her family. Spike offered her to do so, though it'd take her awhile to trust Jet and Faye again.
Trivia[]
- Spike was played by the legendary Steven Blum, the same guy who voiced TOM in Toonami and Kou in The Bouncer.
- Also, Spike worked close with Faye which was almost the same dynamic of Kou and Leann albeit more troublesome; Spike also functioned as a mole of the Syndicate while Kou was a mole for LUKIS, and in Ikran's stories, Spike was temporarily brainwashed by the enemy in the Red Dragon war, while Kou was by the neo-Yakuza! What a lousy coincidence!!
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