Irene Adler is a character who appears in "A Scandal in Bohemia", one of the many Sherlock Holmes stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The character is known for being the only criminal who has truly bested Sherlock Holmes, having managed to escape capture by him. In the Sherlock Holmes films directed by Guy Ritchie, Irene has returned to England and assists Holmes in his pursuit of Lord Blackwood. She is, however, working for criminal mastermind Professor Moriarty. She is portrayed by Rachel McAdams in both Sherlock Holmes (2009) and Game of Shadows.
Death[]
In Game of Shadows, Irene is hired by Professor Moriarty to deliver payment to Dr. Hoffmanstahl for his plastic surgery work. The package she offers the doctor is actually a bomb, but Sherlock Holmes arrives in time to prevent multiple innocent deaths. Irene later meets with Moriarty in a restaurant where the professor informs her that he no longer needs her services. What he does not inform her of is the handkerchief she uses after finishing her meal is saturated with an advanced strain of tuberculosis which kills Irene in a matter of seconds.