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BEVERLY TAYLOR

Real Name: Beverly "Bev" Taylor

Identity/Class: Normal human

Occupation: High school student

Group Membership: High school cohorts (school name unrevealed)

Affiliations: Frankie Amor, Howard Appleton, Donna Dawn, Flash Thompson (loose, see comments)

Enemies: None

Known Relatives: Ann Taylor (sister)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: A town somewhere in the USA (name unrevealed)

First Appearance: Teen-Age Romance#85/3 (January, 1962)

Powers/Abilities: Beverly Taylor has completed high school and is a romantic at heart, longing for connection rather than dating multiple guys for their looks.

Height: 5'3"
Weight: 110 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Strawberry blond

History:

(Teen-Age Romance#85/3 (fb) - BTS) - Beverly Taylor was considered one of the prettiest girls at her high school, but she rejected her fellow students' everyday behavior of dating many based on looks, particularly boys with football player physiques. She felt quietly bored with other students and was shunned as a snob.

(Teen-Age Romance#85/3) - She went alone to a sport event and was again scorned. She left tearfully and by chance bumped into young university student Howard Appleton. There was an instant attraction but an awkward pause until Howard introduced himself and invited her on a dinner date. She was charmed by his intellectual nature studying literature and personal writing hobby, and after several dates, he read her one of his short stories. She was captivated by him and they kissed, love blossoming. But at school, her fellow students cruelly taunted her for dating a bookworm with an average body. A past date of hers, a school footballer (possibly Flash Thompson) questioned how she could value Howard over him. Even Beverly's sister Ann encouraged her to use her beauty to snare an athletic boyfriend. But Beverly remained committed to Howard, who read her poetry on dates. She invited him as her date to her prom before her graduation. Unbeknown to her, he had successfully sold a movie script. At the prom, several students again derided Beverly and Howard, until big-time actors Frankie Amor and Donna Dawn appeared, having been invited by Howard to announce the upcoming movie project. Howard then proposed to Beverly, who accepted (Howard expected Beverly to join him in Hollywood, where he would be film consultant, but she was fine with this). Mockery from the other girls at the prom vanished as they wished they had dated a film writer. Beverly was ecstatic that she had remained faithful to her dream to wait for true romance.

 

Comments: Created by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby.

Many thanks to Ron Fredricks for the scans and noting the first appearance of a character called Flash Thompson! Is it somehow the same star quarterback who plagued young Peter Parker (Spider-Man), or rather just a coincidence and an idea developing in Stan's mind before the legendary Amazing Fantasy #15 (September, 1962)?

Howard Appleton could sort-of be a prototype for Peter Parker (who originally wore glasses).
--Ron Fredricks
The older academic male & younger high school girlfriend vibe reminds me of Reed Richards & Susan Storm, too. Indeed, it wouldn't surprise me if this was an inventory story completed before Fantastic Four #1 (November, 1961) with elements that Stan Lee & Jack Kirby would soon realize in star hero characters.

On page 3, she suddenly has blond hair, but is otherwise strawberry blond (ginger). Page 3 is an outdoor scene, so maybe it was the sun gleaming off her hairspray.

Profile by Grendel Prime.

CLARIFICATIONS :
Beverly Taylor has no known connections to:

Howard Appleton

Howard Appleton was a university student studying English literature. He intended to teach English after completing his Masters Degree and wrote fiction, poetry and movie screenplays in his spare time. One day, he bumped into final-year high school student Beverly Taylor (who deplored her fellow high schoolers' superficiality in dating many based on appearances). Both Howard and Beverly were instantly attracted to each other, but shy at being too forward. Pausing, Howard called out to her and a dinner date was set. After several more dates, he read her his latest short story. She was so charmed, they kissed in love. However, Beverly's fellow students cruelly derided Howard as a pathetic bookworm, yet Beverly remained committed to Howard, who read poetry to her at night and was invited to Beverly's prom as her date. Meanwhile, one of his movie screenplays was bought by a major Hollywood movie company where he would be consultant. Howard invited the two lead actors Fred Amor and Donna Dawn to the prom for the announcement to cap his planned wedding proposal to Beverly. At the prom, the other students again derided Beverly and Howard, but otherwise all went to Howard's plan with the actors appearing and the proposal. Beverly eagerly agreed and to move to Hollywood. The couple kissed while the other female students wished they had dated a movie writer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

--Teen-Age Romance#85/3

Donna Dawn & Frankie Amor

Donna Dawn and Frankie Amor were two rising movie stars in Hollywood. They were invited by Beverly Appleton's beau Howard Appleton to attend the high school prom, where they announced they would be starring in a movie based on Howard's script and that he would act as consultant on the movie after the prom. Immediately after that announcement, Howard proposed to Beverly before everyone; she accepted and they kissed while the other girls wished they could've dated a movie writer.

   I'm not sure if they're meant to represent particular actors of the era, but they remind me of Sophia Loren and Errol Flynn (although the latter was definitely not "new" as he had passed away in 1959, over two years before this story's publication).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

--Teen-Age Romance#85/3

Flash Thompson

Flash Thompson was the star quarterback football player at Beverly Taylor's high school. He was popular with the girls at the school for his good looks, physique and sporting prowess, but Beverly Taylor wasn't impressed with such things. As graduation neared, a would-be friend of Beverly's boasted that she was Flash's date for the prom, but Beverly retorted that it didn't matter what the date's interests or roles were.

   Flash Thompson isn't shown in picture and is only mentioned by name. However, there is a high school jock who complains to Beverly that she was disinterested in him after a date (he's shown in one panel only, at left). This MIGHT be Flash, but it's not clear, only that there seemed to be a rotating roster of dates at Beverly's school.

Comment: Since the big blond guy was never identified, the girl mentioning the name was the only actual "appearance" of Flash in this story. Maybe the blond guy was actually Glenn Stuart, who would be a student at State College (which would explain the "S" on this guy's sweater) about a year after this story was published.

 

 

 

 

 

 

--Teen-Age Romance#85/3

images: (without ads)
Teen-Age Romance#85/3, p1, pan1 (main image)
   p4, pan2 (headshot)
   p7, pan8 (couple kissing)
   p2, pan5 (Appleton, standing)
   p6, pan1 (Appleton, headshot)
   p7, pan1 (Dawn & Amor)
   p5, pan3 ("Thompson"?)
   p6 pan2 (unidentified girl tells Beverly Taylor about her date with Flash Thompson)

Appearances:
Teen-Age Romance#85/3 (January, 1962) - Stan Lee (writer), Jack Kirby (pencils), Vince Coletta (inks)

First posted: 02/14/2026
Last updated: 02/23/2026

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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