History
Origin
Sabra was born near Jerusalem, Israel,[3] and was raised on a special kibbutz run by the Israeli government along with her family, after her mutant power manifested, Ruth was the first superhuman agent created to serve the Mossad (the Israeli Secret Service). She was also a police-woman in the Israeli Police forces of Tel Aviv, as a cover. It was presumably at this time she saved a near-to-death junkie found in an alley, granting to her powers at the same time she saved her by transferring her life-energy.[4]
Early adventures
Her first public act as Sabra was to battle the Incredible Hulk, whom she mistakenly believed was working with Arab terrorists operating in Israel. As Hulk left with the body of a young Arab killed by the terrorists, Sabra chased him. At the end of their encounter, she was devastated by Hulk's speech about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the death of Sahad.[5]
She was part of the Contest of Champions between Death and the Grandmaster, on Iron Man and the Arabian Knight's team, although rivalry between their respective countries made this alliance difficult.[6]
Sabra was brought on the site of a hostage taking where the Israelis for Anarchy and Windstorm were besieged in a kibbutz with the deaf son of an American ambassador. She ended-up depowering and leaving an agonised Windstorm, and saved the boy.[4]
She battled Hulk another time, a few month later, when he and Ulysses targeted Max Meer, a boy susceptible of becoming the next Adolf Hitler.[7]
Some years later, Sabra's young son was killed in a terrorist attack. She disobeyed orders in order to bring her son's killers to justice.
Supporter of the mutant cause
Years later, Sabra found herself caught up in the events of the anti-mutant campaign known as Operation: Zero Tolerance, gathering Mossad intel to pass on to the X-Men. She was seemingly part of Xavier's Mutant Underground.[8] Sabra mentioned the fact that Xavier suggested on many occasions for her to join the British team Excalibur.[9]
It was at this time Sabra fought alongside the X-Men and began to subscribe to the philosophies of Charles Xavier and teaming-up regularly with other mutants. Inquiring about Magneto's true identity with Gabrielle Haller, she attacked Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters in order to capture Joseph, who she thought was Magnus, but retreated after Maggot revealed Joseph's true origins.[10] Later, she asked for Excalibur's help in order to stop Legion who was threatening Israel.[11]
Sabra was formerly a member of the X-Corporation's Paris branch. After Genosha was demolished by Sentinels, she accompanied Charles Xavier and other X-Men members to visit the place, where they eventually found an "insane" Polaris.
Sabra was one of a handful of mutants that retained their powers after M-Day.
Civil War
Sabra joined an O*N*E policing force against unruly mutants constituted of Micromax, Sentinels, and Bishop as leader, associated with Iron Man's pro-registration side in the Civil War.
In return for Sabra's participation, Mossad got information and technology from the United States for the creation of their own registration act.[12]
Anti-Terrorism
Sabra was later part of a makeshift superhuman team put together by MI5 to combat a large-scale terrorist attack on the city of London by R.A.I.D.. Sabra handled herself commendably during the attacks, though she at times butted heads with her Muslim teammate, the Arabian Knight. Together with her allies Sabra fought such villains as Zaran and Machete,[13] the Death-Throws,[14] and a giant Dreadnought before heading back home to Israel. During their adventures together, she and the Arabian Knight seemed to develop a grudging respect for one another.[15]
Secret Invasion
During the Skrull Invasion, Sabra was attacked in Israel by at least two super-skrulls.[16]
Ends of the Earth
When Doctor Octopus suspiciously offered to world's leaders to revert the Greenhouse Effect by using a giant web of satellites, Spider-Man distrusted him and started a crusade to destroy Octopus' satellite factories and missile launcher facilities along with Black Widow and Silver Sable. He asked for help from other heroes around the world such as Sabra to destroy the plants nearest to them. When Sabra was about to ride one missile to stop it, Crossbones shot her, but it was only a glancing hit.Attributes
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Powers
Sabra is a mutant who possesses various superhuman attributes:
- Superhuman Strength: Sabra possesses superhuman strength sufficient to lift about 50 tons with supreme effort.
- Superhuman Speed: Sabra can run and move and speeds surpassing those of the finest human athlete. At her peak, Sabra can reach a top speed of about 60 miles per hour.
- Superhuman Stamina: Sabra's advanced musculature produces considerably less fatigue toxins during physical activity than the musculature of a normal human. She can physically exert herself at peak capacity for about 24 hours before the build up of fatigue toxins in her blood begins to affect her.
- Superhuman Agility: Sabra's agility, balance, and bodily coordination are enhanced to levels beyond the natural physical limits of even the finest human athlete.
- Superhuman Reflexes: Sabra's reflexes are similarly enhanced and are about twice as fast as those of the finest human athlete.
- Superhuman Durability: The tissues of Sabra's body are much harder and more resistant to physical injury than the bodily tissues of a normal human. She can withstand great impact forces, high caliber bullets, falls from great heights, exposure to temperature and pressure extremes, and powerful energy blasts without being injured.
- Regenerative Healing Factor: Despite her high resistance, it is possible to cause Sabra physical injury. If she is injured, she can rapidly heal damaged tissue about 3 times faster and more extensively than an ordinary human. However, she can't regenerate missing limbs or organs.
- Life-energy Transfer & Power Bestowal: She is also able to charge other individuals by transferring to them her own life energy, in the process enhancing their physical state of health (she has twice used this ability to save dying individuals) and granting them low-level super-powers, which are apparently at random and otherwise unrelated to Sabra's own mutant powers (such as the wind-generating powers given to a woman who took the costumed identity Windstorm).[4] The recipient retains their new powers until Sabra herself decides to withdraw them by retrieving her life energy. Her standard power levels drop when she gives away her life energy (she has been shown losing up to half her natural physical power), but they return to normal once she takes back her life energy.
Abilities
Paraphernalia
Equipment
Weapons
Transportation
Trivia
- "Sabra" means both a native of Israel and a kind of prickly pear.
- Ruth's last name was originally "Ben-Sera"[5] during her first active appearance, but was later moved to Bat-Seraph, seemingly a corrected transcription of Hebrew.
- Her surname, in Hebrew, declares her the "daughter of Seraph".
See Also
- 51 appearance(s) of Ruth Bat-Seraph (Earth-616)
- 11 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Ruth Bat-Seraph (Earth-616)
- 2 minor appearance(s) of Ruth Bat-Seraph (Earth-616)
- 8 mention(s) of Ruth Bat-Seraph (Earth-616)
- 3 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Ruth Bat-Seraph (Earth-616)
- 26 image(s) of Ruth Bat-Seraph (Earth-616)
- 3 quotation(s) by or about Ruth Bat-Seraph (Earth-616)
Links and References
References
- ↑ Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions #2
- ↑ Astonishing Tales (Vol. 2) #6
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Gamer's Handbook of the Marvel Universe #8 ; Sabra's entry
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Marvel Super-Heroes (Vol. 2) #6
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Incredible Hulk #256
- ↑ Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions #1–3
- ↑ Incredible Hulk #386–387
- ↑ X-Men (Vol. 2) #67 #69
- ↑ Excalibur #121
- ↑ X-Men (Vol. 2) #72–73
- ↑ Excalibur #120–121
- ↑ Civil War: X-Men #1–4
- ↑ Union Jack (Vol. 2) #1
- ↑ Union Jack (Vol. 2) #2
- ↑ Union Jack (Vol. 2) #4
- ↑ Secret Invasion #6
- ↑ All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #9
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Vol 1 9