One of the strengths of Sluggy Freelance lies within its cast of characters. While Torg may be the main character of SF, without Riff, Zoë, Gwynn, and Aylee, the comic would quickly lose its appeal. Indeed, one of the largest flaws in the epic tale That Which Redeems lies in the fact that Torg went it alone (with but pale reflections of his friends in that world). And much like real friends, Torg’s friends don’t always get along; perhaps the greatest example of this lies with the Riff/Aylee relationship. Or more precisely, Riff wants to kill Aylee because she’s literally an alien from another world.

Looking back, we can see that Riff has a knee-jerk reaction to the paranormal. When their friend Sam was turned into a vampire, Riff immediately made plans to kill Sam. Even after Sam had saved Riff’s life, Riff still had preparations to take Sam down. “Just in case.” A similar sentiment exists between Riff and Aylee, and it parallels the Riff/Sam conflict. Even after Aylee evolved into a form that no longer ate people, Riff remained skeptical and kept weapons close at hand in case Aylee proved false. Or rather, for when Aylee proved false.

What’s more, it’s an intensely personal issue for Riff. He easily could have written this off for the government to handle. But he doesn’t trust them not to get the job done, or to try and use Aylee for their own ends. It’s clear that Riff doesn’t trust anyone, which may explain why he’s gone through so many girlfriends. Thus when Aylee shifts forms into something almost human (and thus easily hid)… he freaks. His conscience is telling him to kill Aylee for the sake of humanity, and for the Earth itself. But he’s actually grown to accept Aylee, almost as a friend. And by killing Aylee, it’s almost certain his friendship with Torg would end. It also brings an interesting dynamic into the comic; Torg may be the main character, but it’s his friends that truly bring the comic alive.