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We've got a mission here.
―Forrest[src]

Forrest Gates was an agent of the Initiative and a student at the University of California, Sunnydale in the Lowell House fraternity.[1] A friend of Riley Finn, Forrest resented Buffy Summers and demonstrated open dislike for the Slayer due to her inquisitive influence on the fellow agent.[2] With Forrest's death, Adam rebuilt him as a bio-mechanical demonoid, who joined him in his plan to defeat Buffy and transform the Initiative in an apocalyptic army.[3]

Biography[]

Life[]

Much like Riley, Forrest led a double life balancing his military service with his cover of university student. Initially, he liked Buffy, finding her "hot," and encouraged Riley to pursue a relationship with her.[1] However, after Riley and Buffy began dating, the Slayer joined the Initiative, Forrest resented not being Riley's second in command anymore.[4]

Forrest also openly expressed dislike for Buffy for her non-military attitude[2] and the effect she was having on Riley. Forrest placed the blame at Buffy when Riley left the Initiative. One day, as Forrest and Buffy coincidentally patrolled a cave together, and, while they traded barbs, the two ran into Adam. Despite Buffy telling Forrest to leave, he attempted to shoot Adam with his taser blaster, only to find the bio-mechanical demonoid could absorb the weapon's power. Adam then killed Forrest by impaling him with his Polgara skewer.[5]

Reanimation[]

[Adam]'s gonna fix [Riley] up too, soon as we got some choice parts. Then [Riley] and me will be back on the same side, moving toward a new future.
―Forrest Gates[src]
Forrest reanimated

Forrest reanimated.

With Forrest's death, his body was taken by Adam, who transformed Forrest into a bio-mechanical demonoid like himself. The procedure replaced most of Forrest's body — save for most of his face and his left arm — with that of a spotted, clawed reptilian demon and minor cybernetic enhancements. Unlike Adam, however, Forrest was not powered by a uranium 235 core.[3]

In his new condition, Forrest looked forward to fight and kill Buffy. He also looked forward for Riley to be transformed into a fellow mechanical demonoid. Under Adam's orders, Forrest tried to decapitate Spike, who had demanded for his chip to be removed even though the vampire had failed to lure Buffy to the Initiative facilities alone. However, Spike managed to escape after jabbing Forrest in the eye with a lit cigarette.[3]

Forrest attacked Buffy once the Slayer appeared at Adam's secret lab to rescue Riley. Riley managed to remove the behavior modifier from his shoulder and aided Buffy, and she left him to confront Adam. Riley remained to fight his former friend. Though Forrest easily outmatched Riley, Forrest eventually met his end when he hoisted a gas canister over his head, which caught a live wire and blew him to pieces.[3]

Powers and abilities[]

I'm surging with life. And strength? Adam made me to be nearly as bad as he is...
―Forrest[src]

When he was alive, Forrest was secretly fed with the same drugs by Maggie Walsh. These drugs granted Forrest enhanced strength and stamina, allowing him to hold his own in fight against demons.[2]

After his transformation into a bio-mechanical demonoid, Forrest had his strength enhanced with the demon constitution his body had been replaced with, thus making him stronger than Slayers and vampires. He also had a number of cybernetic implants. Additionally, Forrest seemed to possess a high pain threshold, as he only showed signs of minor discomfort after Spike jabbed a lit cigarette in his eye.[3]

Personality[]

This is the best thing that ever happened to me. I'm free of all my weaknesses - my doubts...
―Forrest[src]

By Riley's side, Forrest often joked and teased his friends, demonstrating a less serious side than fellow agent Graham Miller.[1][6]

Professionally, Forrest represented the epitome of what the Initiative looked for in its agents: loyalty and unquestioning obedience. He followed orders from his superiors without second guessing or doubt and had a black-and-white perspective of life, immediately certain that Walsh must have tried to kill Buffy for a valid reason. He also showed prejudice against non-humans, openly declaring that he killed any and all demons on sight.[2] Forrest also displayed a more ruthless outlook early on, willing to use Buffy, who he assumed was an innocent civilian, as bait to re-capture Spike, an idea which Riley rejected.[1]

Forrest's disgust for Buffy was not just because she had drawn Riley away from his friends, but mostly because he considered her a dangerous influence, as she made Riley question orders and think for himself.[5]

After his transformation into a bio-mechanical demonoid, Forrest kept the same perspective, though any capacity for human doubt and sensitivity had been replaced with the single-mindedness and ruthlessness Walsh sought in her creations.[3] His old "family," the Initiative,[7][5] was replaced by the army Adam planned on creating and of which Forrest hoped Riley would become part.[3]

Behind the scenes[]

Appearances[]

Canonical[]

Other[]

Haunted

References[]

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