Sabra (comics)

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Sabra
Sabra. Art by Pascual Ferry.
Publisher Marvel Comics First appearance Incredible Hulk vol. 1 #250(cameo) (Aug 1980) Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #256(fully) Created by Bill Mantlo Sal Buscema
Characteristics Alter ego Ruth Bat-Seraph Species Human Mutant Affiliations Mossad, X-Corporation Abilities Superhuman strength, speed, agility, reflexes, durability and the ability to heal Anti-gravity devices with the ability to fly Wrist gauntlets that fire plasma bursts and paralyzing quills

Sabra (Ruth Bat-Seraph) is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. She is an Israeli mutant superhero. "Sabra" means both a native of Israel and a kind of prickly pear. She first appeared in Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #250.

[edit] Fictional character biography

Ruth Bat-Seraph was born near Jerusalem, Israel. Raised on a special kibbutz run by the Israeli government after her power manifested, Ruth was the first superhuman agent created to serve the Mossad (the Israeli Secret Service). Her first public act as Sabra was to battle the Incredible Hulk, whom she mistakenly believed was working with Arab terrorists operating in Israel. 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.

A dispute with the Hulk again would be intensified as Sabra's powers had temporarily stolen his voice, making it seem as if he was still a near-mindless monster. The two would work through their differences and attempt to search for a kid who was foretold to become a genocidal maniac.

Sabra would later find herself fighting the New Warriors while under the mental influence of a mysterious, unexplained force.

Years later, Sabra found herself caught up in the events of the anti-mutant campaign known as Operation: Zero Tolerance. It was at this time Sabra fought along side the X-Men and began to subscribe to the philosophies of Charles Xavier. Sabra was formerly a member of the X-Corporation's Paris branch. After Genosha got demolished by Sentinels, she accompanied Charles Xavier and other X-Men members to visit the place, where they eventually found an "insane" Polaris.

Sabra is one of a handful of mutants to have retained their powers after the effects of M-Day.^[1]

It is later revealed that Sabra has formed a policing force against unruly mutants. This team is fronted by Bishop with additional team mate Micromax (formerly of Excalibur). Sabra is therefore associated with Iron Man's pro-registration side in Marvel's Civil War, an uncommon role for a mutant.^[2]

She is set to return in the new Union Jack miniseries.

[edit] Powers and abilities

Sabra's mutant power has enhanced all of her body's physical abilities, such as strength, speed, agility, reflexes, endurance, and stamina, to superhuman levels. She can withstand impacts up to high caliber rifle fire. Her various costumes, usually based on the design or colors of the Israeli flag, contain anti-gravity devices that grant her controlled flight and wrist gauntlets that can fire plasma bursts and paralyzing quills.

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). 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 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.

In addition to her superhuman abilities, Sabra possesses the standard weapons and combat training given to members of the Israeli military.

It should be noted that some accounts indicated that none of Sabra's powers are mutant in origin, but instead granted through an Israeli project similar to the American Super-Soldier program that created Captain America, but as of the moment she is still considered a genetic mutant by the US Government.