Origin
Ruth Bat-Seraph was born near the city of Jersualem, Isael. Ruth Bat-Seraph was recruited into Israel’s Super-Soldier Program when her mutant powers first manifested, and, upon graduation onto the state-sponsored Israeli Super Agents squad, received the experimental cape and bracelets that she wears on most missions until now. Taking the codename Sabra, she eventually requested a domestic assignment upon the birth of her son and became an officer in the Israeli Police, Tel-Aviv District. Her son died at age 6 as the result of a terrorist bombing on his school bus, but Bat-Seraph remained on the civilian police until the arrival of the Hulk in Israel forced her to resume her activity as Sabra. Since then, she has participated in various overseas missions: protecting the Israeli Prime Minister at a secret New York peace summit, working closely with the X-Men to expose the robotic Bastion‘s infiltration into the Israeli intelligence system, and working with Union Jack (Joseph Chapman) and MI-5 to oppose a R.A.I.D. terrorist attack on Great Britain.
Creation
Sabra was created by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema in 1981 and first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #256.
Character Evolution
Sabra was one of Isreal’s first super-soldiers. It was during that time, her mutant powers mantifested. Some time after her first encounter with The Hulk, she helped the X-men during Operation Zero Tolerance After M-Day, Sabra still retained her mutant powers.
Major Story Arcs
Contest of Champions
Sabra then was selected by the Grandmaster to play in the Contest Of Champions. She then once again fought the Hulk, but this time in his Professor persona. Sabra also, fought the New Warriors, while she was being mind-controlled.
Operation Zero Tolerance
Sabra fought along the X-Men during ” Operation Zero Tolerance”.
Civil War
Shortly after enactment of the SHRA, Mossad loaned Sabra’s services to the U.S. Office of National Emergency (O.N.E.) to assist with enforcing the law in exchange for the intelligence and surveillance technology that Israel would need for institute its own registration program. Along with Great Britain’s Micromax (Scott Wright), she was assigned to the O.N.E. coalition led by Bishop to find mutant refugees who had escaped the Xavier Institute. As someone who lost her child due tu unnecessary violence, Sabra is a firm supporter of the Act.
She was revealed to have retained her powers after M-Day in The X-Men: 198 Files.
London Falling
She the was requested by the British Government to aid Union Jack and the Arabian Knight against terrorists attacks in London. Sabra help form a policing force against unruly mutants. The former X-Men member Bishop and former ally Micromax serves along with her. She was seen flirting with Micromax. This was during the Civil War story arc.
Secret Invasion
She is seen later fighting the Skrulls in Israel, during the Secret Invasion story arc.
Ends of the Earth
Doctor Octopus was holding the Earth hostage with his satellites equipped with stealth technology so Spider-Man needed help because the Avengers have been captured by the Sinister Six. Spider-Man sent out an emergency call and several heroes from around the world responded including Sabra, Union Jack, Kangaroo, Titanium Man and the team of Big Hero 6. Spider-Man would provide the heroes with the locations of the missile bases that were launching the satellites into space but warned them that Doctor Octopus has hired a number of mercenaries and assassins to protect his operation. Spider-Man asked the heroes to stop the launch if possible and try to retrieve one of the stealth chips from any satellite. Sabra infiltrates the missile base in Jerusalem and bypasses a number of eight-legged robots with an electromagnetic pulse. Sabra did not pick up a life reading from inside the base and proceeded outside where one of the missiles was on a pre-launch countdown. Sabra attempts to open the control box when she gets shot from behind and apparently dies. The assassin turned out be Crossbones with a high-powered sniper rifle and replied “easy money” as he continued to eat his sandwich.
Secret Empire
It is later revealed that Sabra survived the shot, as she was one of the many heroes around the globe that opposed Hydra’s takeover.
Powers & Abilities
Sabra’s genetic mutation endows her with superhuman Class 50 strength, stamina, speed, and durability, as well as enhanced agility and reflexes. As e member of Mossad, she is an excellent hand-to-hand combatant (trained in both armed and unarmed combat) and trained in police investigation and intelligence gathering.
Sabra’s cape contains a gravity-polarization device which allows her to neutralize gravity’s effect on her mass, and a tight array of four micro-turbines which impel air for sufficient thrust for inertia-less mass to fly at 320 m.p.h.. The cape also contains a wafer-thin computer system which processes her mental commands received by the circuitry in her tiara as well as an optical navigation device. Neuronic-frequency stunners built into her twin wrist bracelets shoot ‘energy quills” (small bundles of low-density plasma that travel just below the speed of sound and paralyze the nervous system of any organic being almost instantaneously for up to 2 hours).
Alternative Earths
Ultimate Universe
In the Ultimate Universe, Sabra was killed by Doctor Faustus some time when she was sent to possibly spy on him. Her head was displayed as a trophy. It was unknown if she had any powers like her 616 counterpart.
Other Media
X2: X-Men United
Sabra’s name is listed in William Stryker’s files on Lady Deathstrike’s computer.