ABSTRACT
Avengers are perpetrators who commit horrendous crimes out of revenge in order to avenge pain and humiliation suffered by themselves, their loved ones or people they feel associated with. They want to get back at those who did wrong and to set the record straight. The urge to take revenge can be very strong and have many sources, and revenge can be taken in many different ways. It can manifest itself in a period of war, under foreign occupation, structural oppression or when people are discriminated against, and can lead to violence and terrorism. An example is the structural violence used against the Palestinians in the occupied territories. The urge to take revenge for crimes committed in the past and the desire to set the record straight can even trigger entire armed conflicts. During conflicts it can escalate into a vicious circle of continuous retaliation. This chapter discusses the nature of revenge and revenge in a period of war or armed conflict as well as a cause of terrorism. It describes how both personal and political grievances can lead to the urge to take revenge. Case studies include Eamon Collins from the IRA and the Black Widows in Chechnya.
