This biography covers the life of Marshall Applewhite, the leader of the Heaven’s Gate religious group. After meeting Bonnie Nettles in the early 1970s, Applewhite developed a complex theology merging Christian eschatology with beliefs in extraterrestrial salvation. The pair led a nomadic lifestyle, eventually establishing a highly disciplined community where members renounced worldly attachments to prepare for a physical or spiritual transition. Following the death of Nettles and the appearance of Comet Hale–Bopp, Applewhite convinced his followers that a spaceship was arriving to collect their souls. This conviction culminated in a mass suicide in 1997, which remains the largest event of its ki ...