Colonel Moran

Colonel Moran is a male literary character who features in Sherlock Holmes.

Biography

Sebastian Moran was born in London in 1840 as the son of Sir Augustus Moran, CB, sometime Minister to Persia. After being educated at Eton College and the University of Oxford, he went on to a distinguished military career. Formerly of the 1st Bangalore Pioneers (Madras), he served in the Jowaki Expedition of 1877-1878 and in the Second Anglo-Afghan War, seeing action at the Battle of Char Asiab, 6 October 1879 (for which he was "mentioned in despatches"); the Battle of Sherpur, 23 December 1879; and at Kabul. Although there was no open scandal after his turning to crime, he was obliged to retire from the army and return to London.

Reading this portion of Moran's biography, John Watson commented that it was the history of an honorable soldier, with no hint of the arch-criminal he and Holmes later confronted. Holmes agreed that Moran had several noteworthy qualities, especially his iron nerve, which made him outwardly admirable. According to Holmes, many of Moran's feats were still legendary in India, such as when he "crawled down a drain after a wounded man-eating tiger." Holmes whimsically speculated that Moran's criminality was the result of some "hereditary disease," similar to a blight which affects offshoots of otherwise healthy trees. Whatever the reason was, Moran went to the bad, and, although there was no open scandal, he was obliged to retire from the army and return to London. Outwardly respectable, with an address in Conduit Street, Mayfair, and a member of the Anglo-Indian Club, the Tankerville Club and The Bagatelle Card Club, he still acquired an evil reputation in London's underworld, which led to his recruitment by Professor Moriarty, who employed him as the chief of staff of his criminal empire. In addition, Moran was employed to select assassinations that required his uncanny marksmanship.

Moran followed Professor Moriarty to Switzerland, and, after Moriarty perished at the bottom of the Reichenbach Falls, attempted to kill Holmes by rolling boulders down on him. Holmes escaped but was forced to remain officially dead for several years, knowing that Moran would be gunning for him as soon as he revealed himself. Instead, Holmes waited for Moran to slip up and incriminate himself.

Thereafter Moran earned a living in London by playing cards at several clubs. When one of the other players, Ronald Adair, noticed that Moran won by cheating and threatened to expose him, Moran murdered Adair with a silenced air rifle that fired revolver bullets. Dr. Watson and the returned Holmes having taken the case, Moran attempted to kill Holmes by firing the air rifle from a vacant house opposite the detective's residence. Holmes having anticipated this, Moran shot a wax effigy of the detective, while Holmes, Watson, and Inspector Lestrade all hid nearby to seize the would-be assassin.

Holmes mentions Moran as still alive in September 1902. Moran was also mentioned as an example of Holmes's many adversaries who have futilely sworn revenge against him.

Overview

Powers and abilities

It was reportedly that he had once crawled down a drain after a wounded man-eating tiger.

He was said to be a devoted sportsman and highly skilled shot.

He had been the author of a number of books including 'Heavy Game of the Western Himalayas' in 1881 and 'Three Months in the Jungle' in 1884.

Notes

• Colonel Moran was created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle where he featured in the setting of the Sherlock Holmes universe.

In other media

Television

• In Sherlock, Moran appeared in the setting of the live-action television series in the episode "The Empty Hearse" where he was portrayed by an uncredited actor. Lord Moran was a Member of Parliament, a Peer of the Realm, and Minister for Overseas Development. However, he had secretly been working for North Korea since 1996 and was a member of an underground terrorist network that Mycroft Holmes had Sherlock investigate who described him as a rat. Moran was the man who disappeared on the London Underground in the video Howard Shilcott showed Sherlock. Sherlock realised that the underground terrorist network was using the Underground tube tunnels. Lord Moran disappeared on the tube by one of the carriages being detached. Seven cars left the station and only six arrived. Sherlock said that the driver must have diverted the train and detached the car before continuing on his journey without it. Sherlock realised that that night, the fifth of November, whilst there was an all night sitting in Parliament to vote on a new anti-terrorism bill, the terrorist group that Lord Moran was a part of planed to blow up Parliament by means of a bomb in the hidden tube car – which was hidden in a disused tube tunnel underneath the Houses of Parliament. The disused tube station was built and planned to be on Sumatra Road but was never opened and had a tunnel underneath the houses of Parliament. Lord Moran attempted to set off the bomb but was stopped by Sherlock and shortly afterwards was arrested by armed police.
• In Elementary, Moran appeared in the setting of the live-action television series where he was portrayed by actor Vinnie Jones. This version's real name was Sebastian Moran who had been a former Royal Marine now employed as an assassin. In modern day New York City, he was believed to be a serial killer with the alias M., who Holmes believed responsible for the murder of his lover Irene Adler. After being captured, M's. identity was revealed where he provided Holmes with the first clue to the existence of 'Moriarty'. Moran admitted to his other crimes, but convinced Holmes that he was innocent of Adler's murder, and, realizing that Moriarty set him up to be captured, willingly goes to prison in the hope that Holmes will track down Moriarty. Holmes was later tricked into showing Moran a coded message in prison, informing him that his sister will be killed next unless he kills himself. Moran slams his head against the mirror in his cell, and is last reported to be in critical condition.
• In Moriarty the Patriot, Moran appeared in the setting of the anime television series where he was voiced by Japanese actor Satoshi Hino and by English actor Christopher Wehkamp in the dub.

Films

• In Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Moran appeared in the setting of the 2011 live-action film where he was portrayed by actor Paul Anderson. Sebastian Moran originally served in the British Army, eventually reaching the rank of colonel and serving in the Second Anglo-Afghan War. He was renowned as the best sniper in the British Army. After the war, he was discharged dishonorably and later became a hitman for hire. In time, Professor James Moriarty would later employ him to do his dirty work by undertaking several assassinations, which includes Alfred Meinhard, a German businessman and arms manufacturer; Dr Karl Hoffmanstahl, a German doctor on the forefront of a new medical method. In Heilbronn, he nearly killed Dr Watson twice, missing the first time in a cat-and-mouse battle where Watson used a howitzer and the second time in the forests, nearly hitting Watson as well; however, Watson would wound Moran with a rifle shot, but Moran survived and shot one of his associates. He also killed René Heron after the former failed to kill the Germ.

Appearances

• The Adventure of the Empty House: (1887)

External Links

• Baker Street Wiki Entry
• Wikipedia Entry

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