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Sharjah Student Becomes Superhero

DUBAI - Dana Ibrahim was 18 years old when she was kidnapped and buried in the desert just outside Sharjah.

But when the police arrived, they found that she had escaped and her captors were lying on the floor blinded.

During her ordeal, the student of the American University of Sharjah became a superhero called Noora, with power to control light.

She is just one character from the Islamic superhero comic strip The 99, a creation of Kuwait-based Teshkeel Comics.

Last week it was announced that Noora and the other heroes will soon be teaming up with Superman and the Justice League, after Teshkeel announced a tie-up with DC Comics.

Each of the characters of The 99 represent different attributes of Allah, and it is hoped that the move will build bridges with a US readership. “My idea is to have the story start from Obama’s speech in Cairo,” said creator of The 99, psychologist Naif Al-Mutawa.

“We would then have characters from the Justice League and The 99 sharing their thoughts about it. This is an opportunity for readers in the Western world to hear a clear, positive voice coming from the Middle East.”

In the UAE, the comic is distributed by Emirates Printing Press, but no circulation figures are available. Globally, it sells over a million.

At the American University of Sharjah, senior staff were bemused to hear that the college was mentioned in the comic. “We don’t have any superheroes here, I’m afraid,” said student council officebearer Esam Hasan. “However, we have a few very bright students who could be considered superhuman.”

martin@khaleejtimes.com