Abraham Tower, commonly known as the Commander, is a character that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. He is a human military leader and currently the Guardian Units of Nations' highest-ranking commander.
During his childhood aboard the Space Colony ARK, he befriended Maria Robotnik, and witnessed the creation of Shadow the Hedgehog. After the ARK was invaded by G.U.N., Abraham blamed Shadow for the deaths of Maria and his family. He carried a grudge against the hedgehog for fifty years, until he finally discovered the truth.
Abraham was born on the Space Colony ARK, thanks to an unexpected pregnancy of two of the staff working there. As he grew up, he befriended Maria Robotnik, and because he had no siblings of his own, came to see her as an older sister. One day, while playing with her, Abraham secretly stumbled upon Shadow the Hedgehog being created by Black Doom and Professor Gerald Robotnik, and was terrified at the sight. Burdened by this knowledge, he came to distrust Professor Gerald and remained fearful of Shadow, whom he viewed as a "freak"; he also became envious of the black hedgehog due the amount of time Maria began to spend with him.
Abraham's location during G.U.N.'s raid on the ARK is unclear, though he evidently was not harmed. However, both his parents and Maria perished. Partly because of G.U.N. doing an extensive coverup of the raid to such an extent that future commanders weren't privy to the full story, Abraham blamed Shadow for the incident and developed a deep grudge towards him. Many years later, he became G.U.N.'s commander.
In Shadow the Hedgehog, when the Black Arms made a full-scale invasion of Earth, the Commander deployed G.U.N. troops all around the world to repel the aliens and protect civilians. Throughout the invasion, he received numerous reports on the state of the conflict. When he learned that Shadow was involved in the invasion in some way, he authorized his troops to kill Shadow on sight.
The Commander can appear in a number of possible outcomes. Before Air Fleet, a cutscene shows him escorting The President to his escape craft. Before G.U.N. Fortress, he is again shown escorting the President into safety. He pilots the mech Diablon as the Dark boss of G.U.N. Fortress, Black Comet, or Final Haunt, fighting Shadow alongside Sonic the Hedgehog. Alternatively, Commander Tower can confront Shadow aboard the ARK before Cosmic Fall, telling him his backstory with Maria before attempting to shoot him; however, Shadow avoids his attack and departs, swearing that he will find the truth of what happened to the ARK.
Following a series of unspecified events, Shadow would collect the seven Chaos Emeralds and was about to hand them over to Black Doom, the infamous leader of the Black Arms, at the Black Comet. Meanwhile, the Commander would stay at the G.U.N. Fortress, where he would watch with the President a video feed being broadcast all around the world and the Black Comet by Team Chaotix, in which Gerald Robotnik revealed the truth about the black hedgehog's creation. When Shadow defeated Doom for good, the President stated of how ironic it was that people treated Gerald like that he was evil, and he ended up saving them all in the end. Abraham realized that he was wrong about Shadow's intentions and that he was truly a hero. The President declared that they would pay homage to Gerald by working for a brighter future, and the Commander agreed.
Following these events, the Commander revealed that he had become a grandfather one week earlier and invited Shadow over as part of his apology to the hedgehog.
The Commander appears in Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood with an altered design. After G.U.N. had spent much time tracking the Marauders and their exploits, Rouge the Bat provided the means for Tails to meet the Commander in Central City under her escort, and Tails brought along Sonic and Amy. Although, the Commander was glade to see Sonic, he did not pay much attention to Amy, telling her to have a glass of milk and sit down while she was in the middle of speaking.
The Commander informed them that they did not know why the Marauders wanted the Chaos Emeralds in the first place, and that now they had all seven they were likely after the Master Emerald next. With G.U.N. Troops guarding Angel Island, Tails' mission was to take his friends to find the person with the greatest intel in the Marauders: Knuckles the Echidna. With the information that he knew, they could very well stop the Marauders. The Commander then got them started on where to search by providing them with the locations of four of Dr. Eggman's old hideouts in Green Hill and Central City, found by Team Chaotix and G.U.N.'s own satellites. These bases were currently being occupied by the Marauders and were likely where Knuckles was being held at, so the Commander ordered the trio and Rouge, as their G.U.N. contract said to investigate the four hideouts and find Knuckles. The Commander wished them good luck and ordered them to go. From this point on, he's not physically seen for the rest of the game, as a G.U.N. soldier will claim that he's busy.
In Sonic x Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings, Commander Abraham Tower appears several times, now with the full name of Abraham Tower. He is first seen as a child in "Finding the Way" during a flashback to 50 years ago on the Space Colony ARK. Maria bumps into him as he flees from Shadow and a room containing a Death Leech, expressing disgust on his way. Abe then watches through the door's window as Maria speaks tenderly with Shadow, with a troubled expression on his face.
Commander Tower returns in "To the ARK" during the present day. When Shadow steals a shuttle to reach the ARK, Abraham authorizes the launch at the last second, preventing G.U.N. security from shooting Shadow down. He expresses frustration that Shadow didn't request his help, and he and Rouge the Bat both agree that only someone like Maria could ever talk him down. Notably, this series was the first place of official media to use the name "Abraham Tower" for the Commander's game counterpart.
While the Commander does not appear in Shadow Generations, his younger self is mentioned in dialogue by Maria, who wonders about Abraham's whereabouts after she was transported to White Space.
In the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by Archie Comics, the Commander is named Abraham Tower, which would later be carried into the game continuity. Originally, he was an Overlander who was born in Mega Central and lived with his scientist parents on the Space Colony ARK. There, he befriended Maria Robotnik, and witnessed the nightmarish creation of Shadow the Hedgehog. Shortly after Shadow's birth, Tower was whisked back to Mobiusas the ARK went under military lockdown. Maria was one of the casualties cited, and the young Abraham blamed both G.U.N., for its seeming incompetence, and Shadow. He later joined the Overland Military and took part in the Heritage Project, designed to restore ties between the Overland and their ancestral kin in the United Federation. He later served as a general during the Great War. After the war he helped lead immigrating Overlanders, and his military experiences saw him quickly rise through the ranks of G.U.N., eventually to become supreme commander of the organization. As commander, Abraham made sweeping changes to G.U.N., diminishing its ruthlessness and self-importance and making it the military force he wanted it to be. Despite their past, Abraham later allowed Shadow to join G.U.N., where he acted as his superior and arranged the formation of Team Dark.
Born in the Overlander city of Mega Central, Tower later relocated with his parents, who were scientists, to Space Colony ARK, where he met and befriended Maria Robotnik. He also witnessed the creation of Shadow the Hedgehog, a horrifying experience for the young child. Tower and his family were returned to Mobius shortly thereafter as the ARK was placed under military lock-down, and Maria perished as a result. Tower grieved for his friend, and blamed both the Guardian Units of the Nation, as well as Shadow for the tragic events. As he matured, Tower joined the Overland Military, and became involved in the Heritage Project, an effort to reunite the Overland with their distant human ancestors in the United Federation.
He advanced to the rank of general during the Great War and was a leading presence in leading defeated Overlanders to Eurish where they became part of the United Federation. As a result of his impressive career, Tower advanced rapidly, becoming head of the G.U.N. forces in Soleannabefore becoming G.U.N.'s overall commander. Using his position, Tower effected great reforms in G.U.N., reshaping it into the organization he had long dreamed of-a force largely free of corrupt officers, operations, and other unseemly aspects that had long plagued it.
Abraham was responsible for hiring Hope Kintoboras a mechanic and Shadow the Hedgehog as a special agent, being impressed by Hope's mechanical prowess and because she was an enemy traitor and surprised by Shadow's application to join G.U.N. One of his first orders for his newest agent was to send Shadow on a mission to retrieve a Chaos Emerald and ordering Hope to build a Zone transporter to help accomplish that mission.
Commander Tower later sent Shadow and Rouge the Bat on a mission to New Megaopolis to destroy Dr. Eggman's new weapon, the Doom Laser. They, with the help of Sonic, proved successful in their mission.
Commander Tower later sent out Shadow on a mission to find and possibly recruit E-102 Gamma, an old rogue E-100 Series robot who was beginning to wear down and needed help. Commander Tower wasn't the only one interested in finding Gamma, though. Dr. Eggman had deemed Gamma as too much of a threat and sent out E-123 Omega to find and destroy the robot just as Shadow left to find E-102 by helicopter. Shadow failed to mostly save Gamma as he was destroyed by Omega, but Gamma uploaded his free will into Omega, making him rebel against Eggman and decided to join G.U.N, much to the satisfaction of Tower.
Commander Tower was later present at the second use of Hope's Zone-Breaching Platform when Shadow and Rouge were about to head out to the Special Zone to retrieve a Chaos Emerald. Soon after their departure, they were sent back to G.U.N. HQ by the Zone's master, Feist, as the duo had failed his challenge. Rouge explained this to Commander Tower, but he was unimpressed that they could not defeat a god-like being such as Feist as he had hoped. Shadow blamed himself for their failure as he had not successfully completed three missions in as many days. Not too long afterward, Hope managed to raise Shadow's spirits up by telling him that the next time he headed out to the Special Zone, they'll have an advantage as they now know how Feist works. After giving E-123 Omega clearance for active duty, Tower had him accompany Shadow and Rouge to the Special Zone as a group under his chosen name of Team Dark, which he said would become evident in time. Despite failing Feist's challenge again, Team Dark successfully managed to retrieve the emerald by using Plan B, much to Tower's satisfaction as he thought G.U.N. an even greater force to reckon with two Chaos Emeralds in hand.
When Dr. Eggman and his forces attacked Central City in an attempt to find the traitor, Snively Robotnik, Commander Tower was in charge of commanding G.U.N. to battle the Eggman Empireand protect the city. Employing the Egg 'Stache Flyer, Egg SWATs and Egg Camels, the doctor and his forces attacked the United Federation's capital in search of his treacherous lackey. G.U.N. retaliated with E-123 Omega leading a squad to fight against the Eggman Empire, while Shadow and Rouge protected the President during his evacuation. Omega winded up fighting against Mecha Sally, Metal Sonic, and the Egg Paladins(the legionized soldiers of G.U.N.'s Paladin Team Sigma-Alpha 2). Eventually, Snively escaped, which caused Eggman to go after him. The empire made a retreat and left the city. When one of the G.U.N. soldiers informed Commander Tower that the Eggman Empire was retreating, he responded with shame that the empire was only sparing them.
After the Super Genesis Wave re-wrote history, Tower and his history became virtually identical to that of his game counterpart. During the Shattered World Crisis, he also lead G.U.N. when the Black Arms returned to Sonic's World.
Tower grew up on the 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.
During the Shattered World Crisis, Tower assembled Team Dark and Spider Troupe for a mission unrelated to the planet breaking apart. In the midst of the crisis, a New Black Comet had entered their planet's 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 had not 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.
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 your 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 Amanda Tower and Team Dark aboard the Letter of Gabriel, only for it to be caught up in the fusion of Sonic's World and Mega Man's World. 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.
Sometime later, Commander Tower listened in on a live broadcast being held by Sonic the Hedgehogand Sally Acorn. Tower agreed to join the diversionary world-wide attacks on Eggman's forces. He later watched the world get restored by Chip.
In the Legacy of Chris Thorndyke,
And he is reprised by Roger Craig Smith in the English dub and Banjo Ginga in the Japanese dub.