RAVING BEAUTY
Real Name: Cheryl Gates
Identity/Class: Normal human
Occupation:
Vigilante;
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Mike Lourdes, Punisher (Castle)
Enemies: Redmond and his associates (Andros, Lucas, Gil Tremaine)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Mobile in the USA
First Appearance: Punisher II#96 (November, 1994)
Powers/Abilities: Cheryl Gates was a former actress turned drug addict who reformed herself, developing excellent and brutal hand-to-hand fighting skills, and knew how to accurately fire various guns.
History:
(Punisher II#96 (fb) - BTS) - A runner up in a Ms. U.S.A. pageant, Cheryl Gates sought Hollywood fame, finding a producer called Mr. Redmond who made her the lead in the movie "Horror of Hermit Beach", but he then had her pose for adult magazines, before shifting her into prostitution and drugs. She was eventually discarded by Redmond and his crew, but was able to reform herself and sought revenge, mercilessly killing his associates. She even developed a lethal toxin that she put into lipstick.
(Punisher II#96) - Using poison lipstick, Gates killed Gil Tremaine, a former friend of Redmond's. The newspaper reports dubbed her the Raving Beauty, including the Hollywood Examiner by Mike Lourdes. This alerted Redmond and he sent two hit-men to kill her at her hotel. However, the Punisher intercepted the hit and the two vigilantes quickly killed the would-be assassins. After coy introductions, Gates revealed her motivations and her final target. The Punisher offered his help and the two made plans to hit Redmond's fortified homestead that night. As they approached the compound, they saw a helicopter be shot down by Redmond's men, and the two vigilantes helped the reporter Lourdes out of the wreckage. Meanwhile several of Redmond's hired killers approached the destroyed helicopter; Raving Beauty and the Punisher shot them apart. They then scaled the compound wall, brutally overpowering any resistance until only Redmond remained. The Punisher let Raving Beauty kill him. The next day, the two enjoyed drinks while reading Lourdes' account of the attack wherein he claimed that Raving Beauty had died in an explosion and that the massacres had ended.
(Civil War: Battle Damage Report) - Tony Stark was aware of Raving Beauty's true identity and status, and considered her a potential recruit for the Fifty State Initiative.
Comments: Created by Richard Rainey (writer) and Isaac M. del Rivero (artist).
It's implied that Lourdes was the one who dubbed her "Raving Beauty".
I'm kinda thinking that a "Where Are They Now?" feature could be done by the Hollywood Examiner.
Thanks to Ronald Byrd for noting the Civil War entry.
Profile by Grendel Prime.
CLARIFICATIONS
:
Raving Beauty has no known connections to:
Mike Lourdes was a roving reporter and editor for the tabloid Hollywood Examiner, and had followed Gates' career. He bribed to find out more information on Raving Beauty's killings and then flew by helicopter to Redmond's homestead, where the chopper was shot down. Surviving the crash, Lourdes agreed to help Raving Beauty and the Punisher by eliminating some of Redmond's men. He kept his word to the two vigilantes, later reporting that Raving Beauty had died in the explosion and made no mention of the Punisher's involvement.
--Punisher II#96
Mr. Redmond was the unscrupulous film producer of tacky horror films, exploiting Cheryl Gates' beauty and naiveté, leaving her eventually as a drugged-out prostitute. Now a racketeer, he hired a lot of hired muscle to protect him against the various enemies he had made across the years. Gates sought revenge on him and his associates, and he was eventually killed by Gates and the Punisher.
--Punisher II#96
images:
(without ads)
Punisher II#96, p10, pan3 (main image)
Appearances:
Punisher II#96 (November, 1994) - Richard Rainey (writer), Isaac M. del
Rivero (artist), Don Daley (editor)
Civil War: Battle Damage Report (2007) - Anthony Flamini (head
writer/coordinator), Ronald Byrd (writer), Jeff Youngquist (editor)
Last updated: 01/08/11
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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