We have come a long way from being the crazy terrorist, the dark-skinned, hook-nosed, bad guy to now the flashy superhero with super powers. Yes, in the comic book world we are no longer villains... Err, well not all the time. Below is our list of the top ten Muslim superheroes.
10 - Monica Chang
Well, we're off to kind of a bad start, this superhero doesn't exactly have superpowers but she is a Chinese Muslim woman , so yay for diversity. She is the chief of S.H.I.E.L.D's artificial intelligence division and one of her most notable achievement occurred in Avengers A.I. Vol 1 where she helped Hank Pym(ant-Man) create a new Avengers team.
9 - Arabian Knight
Let's get all of the guys that look dated and stereotypical out of the way first and thankfully this will be the only Arab superhero wearing a turban. He's Muslim nonetheless, real name, Abdul Qamar, he is a Bedouin prince from Saudi Arabia. His origin story involves him finding a magical golden scimitar and a flying carpet, Facepalm, these items belonged to an ancestor from the 13th century, I wonder who that could be? Arabian Knight doesn't have any special powers just a magical sword that discharges beams of light and of course his aforementioned flying carpet.
8 - Excalibur
Finally, a superhero with super powers. Excalibur's real name is Dr. Faiza Hussein, she's a British Muslim medical Doctor who lives in London and likes cricket. Her special powers function well with her occupation which is nice, they involve the ability to take things apart and reassemble them, this could be anything from machinery to a human body. Her powers work by hovering her hands over something or someone she wants to fix or break, her hands then emit a blue aura around them as he powers work. She can also immobilise multiple people through the use of paralysis.
7 - Colonel
I'm cheating with this one as The Colonel isn't actually a hero but a villain but he's fighting for half-decent reasons. He also goes by the name Abdul Al-Rahman, an Azerbaijani, who becomes furious at the Iraqi invasion by US superheroes he took a superhero serum that gave him super strength, speed and an immunity to alcohol which is pretty unimpressive since he's Muslim. He was defeated by Captain America and is currently dead
6 - M
Real name, Monet St. Croix, of Algerian Descent , born in Sarajevo, Bosnia. She is a mutant from the X-men world, she has a very wide selection of super powers, to name a few the ability to fly, telekinesis, telepathy, super strength and speed.
5 - Nightrunner
Our first character from the DC Universe is Night runner whose real identity is Bilal Asselah. An Algerian who was born in a rough neighbourhood in Paris, France, where racial tension was rife. His best friend was killed in a fire, so he decided to adorn the cape and mask and began to train in Parkour helping him sharpen his acrobatic skills. He met Batman and Robin, where batman encouraged the boy to become the batman of Paris, Bilal began wearing the bat emblem on his chest. He doesn't have any special powers but his acrobatic skills are similar to that of batman and he is somewhat decent in hand to hand combat through the training Batman gave him.
4 - Justice
Real name, Josiah al hajj Saddiq, he is a former soldier of the Vietnam war who took the super soldier serum similar to Captain America and now has super strength, speed, agility. He wears chainmail armor and carries a triangular shield. He was originally a member of the black panther movement after the Vietnam war, he was also a mercenary who killed for money but this all changed when he became a Muslim and completed his Hajj pilgrimage. He has now opened a mosque in Brooklyn and defends the streets of criminal activity.
3 - Dust
An X-men wearing a niqab? yep, she gained quite a lot of attention when she was revealed in 2002 but now with almost 15 years of the superhero experience, she is a solidified X-men. Her real name is Sooraya Qadir, she was born in Afghanistan and was kidnapped ads a child and sold into slavery. After a few years, she was eventually saved by Wolverine. She has the ability to turn into and control sand
2 - Green Lantern
Meet Simon Baz the Green Lantern, well, one of the many Green Lanterns. He isn't the most popular or the most well known but hey how many superheroes on this list cover any of two bases. Simon was born in Dearborn, Michigan, in a Muslim family. Simon along with his family became alienated and became seen as suspicious by his community after 9/11. He was introduced to the green lantern ring after it miraculously flew into his room sent from it's previous owner Hal Jordan. He has the same powers as every other Green Lantern, being able to control the ring using his will. I'm giving him the number two spot because he has the most popular superhero name on this list, by far and a very relatable origin story.
1 - Ms. Marvel
Real name, Kamala Khan, a jersey city girl whose parents originated from Karachi, Pakistan. She became a superhero by being suffocated by Terrigen Mists, a mutagenic substance, transforming her into MS. Marvel. Her powers include the ability to stretch her body and the ability to change her appearance at will. She is number one on this list because she stars in her own comic book and isn't a one off character or just features in a couple of episodes.
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