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Irina Vladimireovna Spaskaya, usually called Irina Spasky, or Spaz by her relatives because of her eye that sometimes twitched, was an ex-KGB spy. She formed one of the teams, Team Five, in the hunt for The 39 Clues. Although she was in an alliance with Isabel Kabra, she died to save Amy, Dan, and Alistair from a fire in In Too Deep. Amy and Dan always remembered her.

History[]

Irina Vladimirovna Spaskaya (1962–2008) was born in the Russian SFSR and was an expert KGB agent. She was part of the Lucian Branch, a heritage she was unaware of until she met Vikram Kabra. He also told her about The 39 Clues and the branches.

She lived in St. Petersburg most of her life. In high school, she was an expert pole vaulter and was said to have won a number of medals, one of which her son kept with him at all times. When she was 16, she was accepted into the KGB and stayed with them to the end of the Cold War. It is later revealed that she was accepted into the KGB because she was a Cahill. In the KGB, she met Vikram Kabra, and they became friends. She also met Isabel Kabra (then called Isabel Vesper-Hollingsworth). She used to admire them, especially Isabel until they became ruthless and cold, even willing to kill children for their goals. When she was 19 she was banned from Madagascar, the reason currently unknown.

On one mission, Irina smuggled weapons-grade plutonium across the Berlin Wall.

She had a son named Nikolai Spasky. The father was Nikilovana Spasky, who was killed by the Kabras because he was in the line to become the head of the Lucian Branch. Nikolai became very sick when he was nine. The doctor (and Irina) never left his side. Isabel Kabra, being as cruel as she could be, forced Irina to Helsinki, Finland on a mission. She could make no contact with Nikolai or Anna, the neighbor who watched over him. She didn't get Anna's frequent calls or the doctor's devastating final call. Nikolai died before Irina returned home.

Irina wrote in her final will and testament that she wished to donate all of her possessions, should she die unexpectedly, to the St. Petersburg Children's Theatre, for all the happiness it brought to her son.

Irina became even more ruthless after that. The death of Nikolai changed her. She got a twitch in her left eye every time she got emotional, which gave her the nickname "Spaz" and sometimes "Blinky" , something she isn't aware of, which relatives called her behind her back. On her #74 Card, it is said that she was known to kick puppies, even cute ones. When Grace Cahill died, she attended the funeral and was invited to her will reading (only a few were invited to this) to learn about the Clue hunt. Some people (the Kabras, Amy and Dan Cahill, Alistair Oh, and Irina herself, among others) accepted the challenge.

As ruthless as Irina was, she eventually began to care for Amy and Dan. She noticed that Grace was kind to her, something she hardly did to others. She saved their lives, giving up her own. In Too Deep, the home they were staying caught on fire. Irina saved their lives by vaulting herself onto the roof with a pole. Amy, Dan, and Alistair (who was there at the time) slid down it, and it broke. Amy and Dan tried to save her; they looked for something like another pole. They failed. The roof collapsed from under her. She looked up as it did so, wanting her last sight to be the stars.

Family[]

  • Nikolai Spasky - Son (deceased, Irina left all her objects to him in her will, but then changed it to the St Petersburg Children's Theatre for 'bringing so much joy to him.')
  • Nikolova Spasky - Husband (deceased)
  • Aleksander Spasky- Brother (deceased as of Mission Atomic)

Appearance and Personality[]

Irina spoke with a Russian accent, and sometimes slipped Russian words into her speech when she was upset. Her left eye twitched when she was nervous or under emotional stress ever since the death of her son Nikolai. Also, Irina loved poisons and even had poison fingernails. She was called "Spaz" behind her back by Dan.

Plot Overview[]

Beware of Spoilers!

The Maze of Bones[]

In book one, Irina appeared first at the will reading, then made an alliance with Ian and Natalie Kabra. She then has Amy and Dan follow her into a trap where they would have been buried alive, but the Holts interfere with their own plans for the kids. She then appears working with Alistair at the church at the end of the book.

One False Note[]

Irina walked into Dan and Amy's hotel room asking for what they stole from Jonah Wizard's room. Dan tells her it was the kung fu action figure, and double-crosses her. Irina fools them, and Nellie comes back 5 minutes later. Irina, Dan later found out, had tricked them into giving her the Clue - she had lied about releasing Nellie. Amy is irate, worrying that Irina will recognize the action figure as just a toy and not a clue, but Dan calmly responds that he doesn't think Irina "watched much Cartoon Network."

The Sword Thief[]

Irina's only appearance in this book is when she knocks out a flight attendant and took her uniform as a disguise to spy on Amy and Dan Cahill but she then sees the Kabras board the plane instead of them. she thought they (Amy & Dan) purposely tricked them (the Kabras).

She later follows Alistair Oh's plane because she thought he has Amy and Dan Cahill but she is tricked since Alistair sent his driver Serge and his two kids as decoys.

Beyond the Grave[]

In the fourth book, she is first seen to have knocked out a lady at the airport. She is seen trapped inside a tomb with Amy and Dan. At one point she watched Dan and Amy exit, enter and look in the temple. She also made a deal with Theo Cotter for the golden Sakhet. During the book, you find out that she had lost a child and that she had a fear of clowns.

Irina

The Black Circle[]

In the fifth book, she appeared to be chasing Amy and Dan, under orders of Isabel Kabra. In this book, she was trying to protect old secrets. She made an alliance with the Kabras while Dan and Amy work with the Holts. She watched the kids from outside a palace in Moscow. She tailed them all over Russia. Finally, she found them in a cafe and asks who they're working with. They respond "nobody." She then appears in the Lucian Black Circle asking what Dan and Amy stole. Then two Lucian's walk in and ask for Dan and Amy to be killed. Irina was just about to kill them when Madrigals show up. While she was fighting Dan and Amy flee the scene.

Card150

A letter sent by Isabel Kabra, telling of Irina's "treachery".

In Too Deep[]

In sixth book, Irina appeared to be quite scared about the sudden appearance of Isabel Kabra, joining the hunt for the clues. She also had many flashbacks of her son. She tried to warn Amy about Isabel's trap, and also gave Amy a Madrigal Clue, Rosemary. She then appears at the airport in Darwin, Australia. She tried to warn Amy that Isabel has set up a trap. When they sneak away, she didn't do anything to stop them but instead waved them good-bye. She then tried to silence Ian and Natalie but Natalie stops her. She then appears at the fire at the end of the book. She came with a bamboo stick for Dan, Amy, and Alistair to swing down. She jumped onto the roof and lets them slide down the bamboo. The bamboo stick catches on fire, leaving her stuck on the roof. She then has more flashbacks of her son. Then the roof collapses. She looked up at the sky, wishing for her last night to be the stars.

Talents[]

  • Irina was very adept at espionage, sneaking up on people, and incapacitating others.
  • Irina was also very good at disguise.
  • She had an extreme love of poisons.
  • Irina was good with codes, being a Lucian, and is naturally wary of people and a great spy.
  • Irina was the KGB's youngest agent at 16.
  • Irina was the one who created the Lucian Black Circle in Russia.
    SPASKY

    Irina Spasky.

    Needles

    Irina with her poison needles.

Online[]

She had multiple cards featuring her.

Cards[]

Irina's main cards are Card 74, Card 150 and Card 107.

Card74

Card 74: Irina Spasky

Card107

Card 107: Irina Spasky

Poison Needles[]

Irina has needles loaded with poison under her fingernails. When she bends back her finger at the first joint, they extend. When pricked, the prick is near invisible and causes only a light, pinprick sensation.

The poison might take up to eight hours to show symptoms. It may make the victim very sick, or even paralyzed, but only for a few days.

According to the 39 Clues website (on the Ekat Archives), the poison might even be lethal, as it has a picture of her with her needles outstretched with the caption "The photographer was never seen again."

Trivia[]

  • Though she was not a Lucian double agent, she sacrificed her life for Amy and Dan's in a final decision to die a better person than she lived.
  • She said giving away the clue rosemary was "for her branch", probably because she was hopeful if everyone played fair like Amy and Dan, the Lucians would not be so ruthless.
  • She has KGB training.
  • She had a son who died because of Isabel Kabra.
  • Dan reminds Irina of her own son, Nikolai.
  • After In Too Deep, you don't learn of any surviving Spaskaya relatives until Mission Titanic.
  • She was the first character to die in the books and Isabel's first kill with Amy and Dan near.
  • Her eye twitches when she has emotional moments.
  • She may be afraid of clowns (Beyond the Grave).
  • Her father was named Nikolai, as seen by her middle name.
  • The actress for Irina Spasky is Sandy Dell.
  • She made a private will to Alek Spasky. In it, she says to not give anything to their father.
    In Too Deep

Images[]


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