Abraham Tower grew up on Space Colony ARK, where he was best friends with Maria Robotnik, Gerald Robotnik's granddaughter. While living on the colony, he witnessed the creation of Shadow the Hedgehog by Gerald and the alien Black Doom, leader of the Black Arms. After Project Shadow was shut down and Maria was killed, Tower blamed Shadow for taking away everyone who had mattered most to him. When the Black Arms returned, Tower was determined to see both them and Shadow punished, despite reports that Shadow had been engaging the aliens in Westopolis. However, during a confrontation with the black Hedgehog, Shadow surprised Tower by revealing that he was afflicted with amnesia but was determined to protect the world anyway. Thanks to Shadow's efforts, the Black Arms were defeated and their home, the Black Comet, was annihilated. (ShtH)
During the Shattered World Crisis, Tower assembled Team Dark-which included Shadow-and Spider Troupe for a mission unrelated to the planet breaking apart. In the midst of the crisis, a New Black Comet had entered Mobius' orbit. As such, Tower assigned the two units the task of boarding the comet and planting a nuclear explosive to destroy it. During the briefing, he questioned whether Shadow had possessed any previous knowledge of this second comet, since Shadow had briefly worked with the Black Arms during their invasion. However, Shadow reported that Black Doom hadn't shared any such information with him, earning suspicion from Tower and other G.U.N. personnel. This made Shadow all the more determined to prove himself and to make up for the mistakes he had made during the invasion. The operation proved successful despite some setbacks, but Commander Tower was forced to put up with the complaints of Dr. Julian Snively, whom Tower knew and disliked despite his value as a scientist. After refusing to let Snively be directly involved in the New Black Comet mission, he reluctantly allowed him to supervise Team Dark's follow-up mission to Angel Island. (SU: #59, #60, #62, #67)
Snively's behavior during the Angel Island "debacle" resulted in Commander Tower ordering him to undergo an interrogation session. Tower observed while Snively was questioned by C.L.I.P. Division agent Madonna Garnet. When the interrogation failed to determine whether Snively was lying, Tower simply invoked the old adage "Keep you friends close and your enemies closer" and noted that he had a place in mind for Snively that would keep him "very close." Commander Tower later joined Captain Amanda Tower and Team Dark aboard the Letter of Gabriel, only for it to be caught up in the fusion of Mobius and Earth 20XX. The vessel began to merge with a government building in Mega City, causing an explosion that seemingly killed everyone aboard the ship and inside the structure. Fortunately, these events were later undone, leaving Abraham and the others unharmed. (SSD: #12; MM: #50, #52)
Personality[]
Commander Tower is shown to be a gruff, stoic and almost an inconsiderate military man, as he without hesitation or worry deemed Shadow a disposable liability on the mission to destroy the New Black Comet (because of his connection to the Black Arms) despite Shadow having saved the world from the same threat. In spite of his cold demeanor and military upbringing, Commander Tower does have a soft side which he rarely ever shows, and a great sense of duty towards his people as he does not like sending soldiers to their deaths and refuses to risk millions of lives for the sake of one.
Appearance[]
Tower is an aging human male with a lined face, grey hair and mismatching eyes of green and brown. He has stern features and wears a green uniform adorned with a sash and ribbons of yellow, red and blue.
Background information[]
Commander Tower appears to have complete heterochromia as he has one green eye and one brown eye.
Ian Flynn came up with the name "Abraham Tower" due to Tower's game counterpart, the Commander, not having a real name stated yet. He gave him the name because he "didn't want to be trapped by calling him 'Commander' or 'sir' every stinkin' time". The name came from an old fan-character made up by Flynn for a fan-comic that he never finished. The name is supposed to evoke an idea of authoritative power. "Abraham," whether biblical or U.S. historical, lends itself to the notion of an influential leader. "Tower" is simply enough - tall, rigid, standing over all others. (1)
Abraham Tower points a gun toward Shadow.
As the events of Shadow the Hedgehog are known to have happened in the Post-SGW Timeline, it's likely that Towers hatred of Shadow did at one point exist. A flashback in SU#60 further supports this, in which Tower can be seen pointing a gun at Shadow (the scene in question being based on a scene that appeared in the game).
In playing Shadow the Hedgehog in Expert Mode during the Cosmic Fall level, it is revealed that Tower's game counterpart was a father and grandfather. The introduction of Amanda Tower indicates the comics version of Tower is also at least a father.
