Raquel Cortez

Raquel Cortez, also known as Raquel the Merciless, is one of the main characters of Once Upon a Time. Formerly the servant of Killian Jones, better known as Captain Hook, she sunk his first ship and escaped to Neverland, becoming a pirate and learning a special kind of magic there. Since she was not snatched by the Dark Curse, she does not have a Storybrooke counterpart.

Appearance
Raquel is tall and slim with dark blue eyes as intense as a raging sea. She keeps her wavy dark brown hair in a high ponytail with two locks hanging loose and framing either side of her face. She has high cheekbones and a pointed chin, as well as a suntanned complexion. Despite her gory epithet, she manages to never get a scar, due to her healing power, or dirty her clothes with blood, but rather looks fresh and clean.

Raquel had horrible fashion sense. She continuously wears a sleeveless, white, double breasted shirt with stitched black armbands around her forearms. She wears a pair of dark blue pants and black boots. She wears a cape-like piece of cloth attached to her leather belt, to which she ties her sword to. She wears a leather strap diagonally across her body, to which she attached her pistol to. She also dons a royal blue overcoat over this, as well as a blue hat with a small white swan feather. Casually, she does not wear the coat and hat. When she arrives in Sotrybrooke, she doesn't consitently wearibg the same clothing, but she still wears pirate-style clothing.

Personality
At first, Raquel is a very violent and strong girl. Her former captain, Killian Jones, often gave mutineers and unruly prisoners to her so she could finish them off, but forced her to clean up afterwards. She had a free spirit and does not like to be under the control of others, which is the very reasons why she revolted against him.

When Raquel gains her own pirate ship and crew, she is still bloodthirsty, giving her the epithet "Raquel the Merciless". She later learns Water Magic, a magic that lets her use spells dealing with water. She became notably less violent, but still a good fighter. After gaining the magic, she began leaning toward the light side.

When she lives in Storybrooke, she becomes a good guy, helping Emma Swan with threats of other villains. She still retains her sharp reflexes and wold fighting style.

Before the First Curse
"I always clean up after everyone!" -Raquel Cortez

Raquel is the daughter of a judge of Paris, and Constance Devereaux, a former upper-class lady and current pirate. Constance took Raquel away from the judge and pursued a life at sea. When Raquel was ten years old, Constance died. The judge tracked Raquel, but she refused to go with him and became a pirate, taking her mother's surname as her own. (Like Mother, Like Daughter)

Raquel was a maid on Killian Jones's pirate crew. During this time, Raquel took care of mutinous prisoners and crew members, but always had to clean up after it. One day she lashed out at Killian for this. He attacked her tried to kill her, but she managed to ward him off, but Killian became more cruel toward her. They ported in many villages, but she began to notice that they docked often in the same village where a woman known as Milah would visit them in the tavern. (The Servant of the Captain)

One day, while hanging in the tavern, Rumpelstiltskin came to ask his wife to come home from the tavern. She resists but goes when she hears Baelfire calling for her. Raquel asks who he is, and Milah replies that he is her son. That night, she comes back and begs for them to take her away. Killian allows her, but Raquel and Atalanta, a female pirate loyal to Raquel, are against it. Atalanta starts a rumor that Milah was kidnapped by Killian, which draws Rumple. He is too cowardly to fight for Milah, and leaves in disgrace. Later, Raquel and Atalanta discuss the problem of Milah, and decide to mistreat her. (The Servant of the Captain)

In the following two years, Raquel and Atalanta were nasty and terrible to Milah, often cornering her and hurting her, threatening to kill her if she ever blabbed to Killian. Eventually Milah couldn't stand it and informed Killian. Atalanta heard this and warned Raquel, who tells her that they will make their move when Killian confronts them. In a few minutes, Kilian cornered Raquel. She spat in his face and ferociously attacked him before stealing a sword and pistol with a sparkthrower. She shot the ship's floor, causing it to sink. She and Atalanta stole a magic bean and opened a portal to Neverland. The two jumped in before Killian could recover. (The Servant of the Captain)

In Neverland, Raquel obtained a new pirate ship with the ability to fly as well as sail. She then set out to form a crew. The first two after Atalanta were Apollo, a man with a magic flute; and Cheetah Lily, a werecat, who were both residents of Neverland. Together, they created the Jungle Lords crew. (The Servant of the Captain)

Sometime later, Ivan Tsarevich and Gray Wolf had been chasing a Phoenix and were captured by Apollo and Lily, who brought them to their captain. Raquel offers them a chance to join her crew, telling them the reward would be worth it. They agree, and while the other three kept them busy drinking, Raquel went and captured the phoenix. She presented it to them the next morning and ordered Ivan to kill it to show that he and Gray was worthy of being Jungle Lords. Ivan took the ax and beheaded it, and Victoire promptly stuffed it and mounted it on her wall. (The Phoenix)

Sometime later, Raquel learns how to magically generate and manipulate water. She used it for powerful attacks, as well as healing herself and others. She also learned to summon and control sea creatures. She summoned an octopus and granted him the ability to live above the sea and named him Octavian. During this time, she encounters Killian, who had now taken on the alias Captain Hook after Rumpelstiltskin, Milah's husband and now the Dark One, cut off his hand and ripped Milah's heart out. She laughs upon hearing about Milah's murder. Killian attacks Victiore for sinking his ship, forcefully questioning her if she knew how much a ship cost. She savagely replies that she doesn't care, then summons the Leviathon. However, she wasn't strong enough to control it, so it attacked her crew. She was forced to banish it back to the ocean and walked away in defeat, vowing she would win the next battle (The Leviathon)

A few months later, Killian attacks the ship, but Raquel's forces manage to repel them. She insulted his lack of a right hand, causing him to go in a blind rage. Even with this, Raquel tosses him overboard. As he drifts towards his ship, Raquel tauntingly calls to him to tell Milah "hi". (The Servant of the Captain)

When the Dark Curse is cast by Evil Queen Regina, Raquel and her crew remain in Neverland, but she becomes suspicious and makes plans to travel to the Land Without Magic. She makes Apollo the temporary captain and prepares to leave, but the Curse enacts and all portals from Neverland are closed.

After the First Curse
"I do what I want!" -Raquel Cortez Raquel stands on a cliff and summons a pillar of water to heal a wound on her forearm. Cheetah Lily stands behind her and asks if she is ready to depart, addressing her as "Captain Cortez". She responds that she has been ready for a long time, twenty eight years to be exact. She wonders if the savior has returned. She throws a magic bean into the air and a portal opens, and the two leap in. However, they do not end up in Storybrooke. (The Crocodile).

Raquel and Lily stand in a yellow field in the Enchanted Forest. They are approached by Emma Swan, Snow White, Mulan, and Aurora. Raquel and Lily point their weapons at the four women, before moving forward. Raquel then notices something surprising: Killian Jones tied to a tree. She points her gun at him, but Emma stops her. After cutting Killian loose, they leave before the ogre Emma had attracted arrived. (The Doctor)

On the way to a beanstalk, Emma informs Raquel of the current situation and asked her to explain hers. Raquel dramatically states that she is Merciless Raquel Cortez, also known as "Your Worst Nightmare". She is secretive about her past with Killian, so he reveals it instead. At the end, Raquel blandly introduces Cheetah Lily, a.k.a. Lily. (Tallahassee)

While Killian and Emma climb the beanstalk, Raquel and Lily stay with Snow, Mulan, and Aurora. Raquel and Lily bet on how long before Killian and Emma become a couple, while Mulan berates them for not being serious. Raquel responds by saying she's a pirate and not officially aligned with them, finishing the statement with "I do what I want". (Tallahassee)

Magic

 * Hydrokinesis: Raquel is hydrokinetic, allowing her to generate and manipulate water. She says that she can flood cities if there is an ocean nearby. She can also cause a ship to sink, or make it go faster or stop by controlling the waves. She has also displayed the ability to heal herself and others by use of water.
 * True Love's Kiss: A magical kiss that can break any curse as long as it is fueled by the truest love, which can extend to family love as well.
 * Summoning, Controlling, and Banishing Sea Creatures: Raquel can summon and control sea creatures, even monsters, such as the Leviathon. She was famous and feared for enslaving the Dolphin King. She can also banish said sea creatures back to the ocean.
 * Teleporting: Raquel can teleport.

Abilities

 * Master Swordswoman: Being a pirate, Raquel is a highly skilled swordswoman and duelist. She was able to defeat Killian Jones, as well as hold her own against other enemies.
 * Expert Markswoman: Raquel has demonstrates excellent use of the sparkthrower pistol.

Weaknesses

 * Laws of Magic: Like anyone who practices magic, Raquel is subjected to the three laws of magic: she cannot create love, bring back the dead, or time travel.
 * Squid Ink: Like all magical beings, Raquel can be immobilized by squid ink, though at a much lesser effect, since her magic is power over the ocean and its creatures.

Jungle Lords
Atalanta: Atalanta was a part of Killian's crew and was loyal to Raquel, as well as her best friend. She often helped her with her schemes and escaped to Neverland with her. Raquel appointed her as first mate and put her in charge of the ship while going to Storybrooke, alongside Apollo.

Cheetah Lily: Cheetah Lily, also known as Lily, is a werecat. She trusts him the most after Atalanta. She chose him to accompany her to the field trip to Storybrooke. Raquel and Lily often bet on relationships.

Apollo: Apollo, also known as the Pied Piper of Hamlin, is one of the first two Jungle Lords. Raquel trusted him enough to leave him in charge of her crew along with Atalanta when she and Lily went to the Enchanted Forest while attempting to enter Storybrooke.

Ivan Tsarevich: Ivan Tsarevich was the prince of the 3-Davati Kingdom in the Enchanted Forest who went to Neverland while hunting a phoenix. Raquel recognized a warrior's spirit lying dormant inside him, and offers him a chance to join her crew. While he was drinking with the others, Victoire hunted and captured the phoenix for him, demanding only that he kill it. She earned his respect when he did this.

Gray Wolf: Gray Wolf was the advisor of the King of 3-Davati and Ivan's best friend. Raquel let him join the alongside Ivan. She recognized the signs that he was a werewolf, one who could control his transformations, and acknowledged his power, and asked no questions.

Octavian: Octavian is a highly intelligent octopus that Raquel granted the ability to live above the water. He became the navigator of the crew and was often at the steering wheel and studies maps for fun.

Captain Hook's Crew
Killian Jones: Killian Jones is Raquel's former captain. While she was a part of his crew, she was rude to him, continuously referring to him by his first name, rather than "Captain". She even attacked him on one occasion. Her feelings of hate were mutual. She even mistreated Milah because of her loathing for Killian. After she left the crew and found out that Killian was in Neverland as well, she was ecstatic and eager for a chance to fight him.

When spending time in Storybrooke, they begin to develop a mutual respect for each other. Raquel enjoys teasing him about his obvious crush in Emma Swan, as well as calling him several names including: Fancypants, Captain Guyliner, Flirtatious Fred, Killian the Flirtatious. She is also a big shipper of "The Hook and the Swan".

Milah: Raquel hated Milah and always referred to her as very colorful names. She always snarled at her in the tavern and thought of her as clingy. She was absolutely enraged when she found out Milah was running away with them. During the next few years, she tortured and mistreated Milah, threatening to murder her and paint the walls in her blood if she blabbed to Killian. Later, during a confrontation between Victoire and Killian, he reveals that Milah was murdered, Raquel laughed and proclaimed her joy at this.

Trivia

 * Raquel is based of characters from a game called Pirate101. She is so far the only character in Once Upon a Time to originate from a game-only character.