ANNA ABRAMOV
ANNA ABRAMOV
Real Name: Anna Abramov
Identity/Class: Human;
Israeli citizen
Occupation: Unrevealed
Group Membership: None known
Affiliations: Marlene
Alraune, Jean-Paul "Frenchie" DuChamp, Marc Spector (Moon Knight);
she likely considered Strelgov, the Mossad, and all of Benjamin's
allies as allies, but I'm only included those with which she directly
worked
Enemies: Third World Army (see comments; Nimrod Strange, Master Sniper, Slayers Elite (Jou-Jouka, Kareesh-Bek, Sumaro), others)
Known Relatives: Benjamin Abramov (husband, deceased)
Aliases: None known
Base of Operations: Her home in Jerusalem, Israel
First Appearance: Moon Knight I#17 (March, 1982)
Powers/Abilities: A passionate and
strong-willed woman, despite her age, Anna physically fought back
against an assassin perhaps 18" taller than her. Dedicated to her
husband, she was determined to obtain vengeane after his death; only
afterward could she allow herself to grieve.
Anna is a devout Jew, taking pride and confront in the rituals in which she regularly participated.
At least in her senior years, Anna wore reading glasses.
Height: Approximately 5'3" (compared to the 5'8" Marlene)
Weight: Approximately 100 lbs.
Eyes: Apparently brown (see only from a relative distance)
Hair: White (likely a different color in youth, but otherwise unrevealed)
History:
(Moon Knight I#17 (fb) - BTS) - Both Anna and her husband, Benjamin, came to consider the mercenary Marc Spector an old friend, with whom Benjamin had established a working relationship (presumably in his role within the Mossad, or perhaps some time before that).
(Moon Knight I#17 (fb) - BTS) - Aging but still vital, Benjamin still considered Anna to be strong and beautiful, and that she was the only reason he went on; without her, he would doubtless follow Le Carre's advice and come in from the cold (see comments).
(Moon Knight I#17 - BTS) - Seeking aid from Marc Spector against the Third World Army, Benjamin was slain by their Master Sniper agent.
(Moon Knight I#17 (fb) - BTS) - Marc Spector -- along with allies Jean-Paul DuChamp and Marlene Alraune -- traveled to Jerusalem to attend Benjamin's funeral.
(Moon Knight I#17) - Anna
acknowledged both her and Marc's sorrow over Benjamin's loss, but also
shared that she grieved Benjamin's legacy of unfinished, dirty work.
She elaborated, "When Benjamin was shot, my soul was also slain.
You see, my love is now vengeance...a vengeance that will not set me
free...not until that dirty work has been done...do it for him, Marc,
for his memory. Do it for me..."
Marc promised her he would do it.
(Moon Knight I#18) - At Anna's place, Marc thanked Anna for letting himself, Jean-Paul, and Marlene stay there until Benjamin's associate Strelgov contacted them from Switzerland. Anna felt it was the least she could do for an old friend, especially since he had promised to avenge Benjamin's murder; she further questioned whether he would be able to act upon hearing from Strelgov. Explaining to her how Strelgov's men were decoding the microdot Benjamin had carried and then further detailing the nature of the Third World Army, Marc reiterated his promise to stop the organization and their leader, Nimrod Strange.
(Moon Knight I#18 (fb) - BTS) - Plotting to draw out Spector to prevent his interference in their plans, Strange sent his Slayer Elite to Jeruslame, where other Third World Army soldiers were to assault a synogue in Jerusalem near to the Abramov home.
(Moon Knight I#18) - Hearing the attacks, Spector and DuChamp left to aid the Israeli soldiers in opposing the Third World Army terrorists. Anna obeyed Marc's instruction to stay there, with Marlene locking the doors.
(Moon Knight I#18) - Marlene encouraged Anna to go ahead with her Havdala of "distinction" ceremony of the Sabbath. As Anna recited the benediction over a cup of wine with a spice box and candle, her grief melted away under a soft glow of peace. However, this brief respite was interrupted by the Slayers Elite, as Sumaro grabbed Marlene through a window and Jou-Jouka confronted Anna with handguns.
(Moon
Knight I#18 (fb) - BTS) - The Slayers left a message behind for
Spector; in red paint, they wrote upon the wall, "Come to the Citadel
at Midnite"; afterwards, they took Marlene and Anna with them and then
traveled to the Citadel to prepare for Spector's arrival.
(Moon Knight I#18 - BTS) - Spector was distraught to find Marlene and Anna missing upon his return, and he initially feared the message was written in blood, until a taste confirmed it to be red paint.
Entering the Citadel, Spector (as Moon Knight) slew Jou-Jouka and Kareesh-Bek before battling Sumaro.
(Moon Knight I#18) - After a blow to the head from Moon Knight's truncheon (weakened by Kareesh-Bek's acid), the enraged Sumaro rushed up to the tower's roof where both Marlene and Anna were bound and gagged. Having followed Sumaro, Moon Knight hoped Sumaro would pick Marlene to grab as a hostage, as she would fight back fiercely; however, Sumaro picked up Anna, threatening to "snap her neck like a rotten twig." Moon Knight urged Anna to be calm and not move or otherwise give Sumaro any cause to hurt her, but, eye blazing unwilling to be a helpless victim (and perhaps thinking, "Don't do anything? When this is one of the men who killed by husband Benjamin? What do you take me for? A helpless old woman?"), Anna smashed her head back into Sumaro's chin, enabling her to slip free of Sumaro's grip so Moon Knight could rush forward and punch Sumaro again. Sumaro struck back with another blow to Moon Knight's head, but the force of the blow and Sumaro's momentum carried both men over the edge of the tower. Moon Knight grabbed the edge of the ledge, but Sumaro fell to his death on the stone road below.
After Jean-Paul arrived, Anna, puzzled over why everyone seemed so relived, wondered whether Marc was alright, but Moon Knight assured her he was fine.
The next day, from Anna's balcony, they observed the arrival of Strelgov and his men. After Streglov announced that his forces had decoded the microdot, learning Strange's base's location and begun preparing an assault, Spector happily agreed to join them.
(Moon Knight I#19 - BTS) - The information Abramov provided allowed Spector, Frenchie, and Marlene to infiltrate Strange's base while Strelgov met with Mossad agent Eban.
Nonetheless, Strange escaped with his bodyguards and a few others to
meet up with his other allies as they planned to hold hostage and/or
destroy Manhattan.
(Moon Knight I#20 - BTS) - Moon Knight and his allies defeated Strange (who perished by his own hand soon after) and his organization and thwarted their plans, after which Spector sent a note to Anna that Ben's work was done.
(Moon Knight I#20) - Upon receiving the cable from Spector, Anna stared at the message "Anna -- Ben's work finished. --Spector." for 15 minutes, after which she crumpled it and wept silently. Then she sipped some tea and wrapped herself against the chill, and, for a time she was quiet, and still, and alone. After an hour, she started to cry, and she cried until dawn.
Comments: Created by Doug Moench, Bill Sienkiewicz, and Steve Mitchell.
I don't think we know for sure whether Benjamin knew Spector was Moon Knight when he came to see Spector at Grant's mansion...but Anna didn't realize it even after Spector aided her against the Slayers Elite.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Anna Abramov should be distinguished from:
images: (without ads)
Moon Knight I#18, pg. 5, panel 1 (blue dress, partially in shadow, leaning against table);
pg. 8, panel 1 (full, shadowed, standing next to Marlene);
pg. 21, panel 3 (fierce face, gagged);
panel 4 (smashing head against Sumaro's chin);
#20, last page, panel 2 (home);
panel 3 (reading cable);
panel 4 (straight-on full face, close-up);
panel 5 (crying in chair)
Appearances:
Moon Knight I#17-20 (March-June, 1982) - Doug Moench (writer), Bill Sienkiewicz
(penciler), Steve Mitchell (inker), Denny O'Neil (editor)
Last updated: 02/26/15
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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Anna and Benjamin Abramov's