Jennifer Monahan (Crime Lords)

Jennifer Monahan is a criminal gang member - and ultimately the primary antagonist - of the 1991 direct-to-video action movie Crime Lords. She is portrayed by Susan Byun.

The villainess is a femme fatale who uses seduction to gain information, and has no problem executing those in her way - including her associates - to further her ruthless ambition.

Events[]

Los Angeles[]

The two lead characters - LAPD detectives Elmo Lagrange and Peter Russo - first encounter Monahan when the follow a suspect to a chop shop. After a violent shootout, Lagrange chases a fleeing female figure. Narrowly escaping death, he never sees the woman's face but does notice a distinctive tattoo on her thigh. After Monahan escapes, the chop shop is destroyed in an explosion and the two detectives are suspended. Deciding to pursue the mysterious woman and her boss Ling on their own, they fly to Hong Kong.

Hong Kong[]

Shortly after their arrival, Lagrange and Russo are ambushed by a gang of muggers (which includes a minor female villain) and subsequently arrested. Released by corrupt Chief Inspector David Thornberry, they follow him to a restaurant where they encounter Ling and Monahan. Although Russo is convinced Ling is the man they are pursuing, Lagrange is sceptical. This leads to a falling out between the two of them in a hotel room, after which they become separated. While Lagrange is pursued by a gang led by a ruthless henchman, Russo is captured by the criminals.

Seduction of Russo and Lagrange[]

Russo offers to help Ling and Monahan, pretending to be corrupt. He thinks he has convinced them, but in reality the criminals are playing him and Ling orders Monahan to find out what Russo knows about his car theft operation. Monahan seduces Russo, playing the femme fatale role. After she decides he has no useful information, Monahan sets up a massage with a female employee. During this steamy encounter, Russo has his ear cut off by the razor-wielding henchman.

Monahan then tracks down Lagrange - who has befriended a local girl - and invites him into her car. She then drives him to a secluded location where he takes a bath as the seductive villainess watches. Monahan lies to Lagrange, telling him Russo has returned to Los Angeles. However, Lagrange determines this is a lie due to a discrepancy on the report she shows him which doesn't take into account the time difference. After confronting Monahan, she pulls a knife from a cabinet. While this initially appears to be an attempt on Lagrange's life, she instead cuts the telephone cable. Lagrange was anticipating this treachery, gets rough with Monahan, and demands the truth from her. She lies again, telling him she's working undercover to bring down Ling.

This deception initially appears to work when Monahan lures Lagrange into bed with her. However, Lagrange takes the opportunity to pull off Monahan's stockings. This reveals the tattoo - and confirms her as the woman from Los Angeles. Lagrange knocks the villainess out by punching her in the face.

Final Showdown[]

After defeating the razor-wielding henchman, Lagrange and the girl track Russo to the gang's hideout. Watching through binoculars, Lagrange witnesses Monahan execute an underling in cold blood with a pistol headshot. Able to free Russo from the gang, the detectives discover the car theft operation is a front for smuggling gold out of Hong Kong before the Chinese takeover. After this discovery, the criminals arrive in force.

Monahan decides she does not want to share the profits, and uses an SMG to eliminate Ling, Thornberry and two henchmen. Lagrange and Russo take cover, while Monahan takes the girl as a hostage. After a shootout during which Russo is injured, the girl breaks free after biting Monahan on the hand. The villainess gets into a car and attempts to run Lagrange down, but he is able to evade the vehicle.

Lagrange shoots Monahan through the car windscreen. The vehicle crashes into a gas tank and explodes, though on inspection it appears Monahan died from the gunshot wound.

Trivia[]

Listed on IMDB as Jennifer Monahan, but her first name is never provided in the film itself. On the movie credits her character is simply named Monahan.
Monahan is ranked #93 in Eccentric Brit's Movie Villainess 101. This entry also includes an honourable mention for the villainess Shi (Tina Nguyen) in the direct-to-video action film No Code of Conduct (1998).
Susan Byun returned as the lead villainess 2 years later in the Italian TV series Detective Extralarge, Episode Il signore del sole, where she is arrested trying to get a way in a car with the money after killing her partner in crime.