Kamala Khan’s Ms. Marvel is getting a superhero ally this year.
Marvel will introduce the brand new character of Fadi Fadlalah, aka Amulet, in the upcoming Magnificent Ms. Marvel #13.
Co-created by the Magnificent Ms. Marvel writer Saladin Ahmed and Jordanian-American illustrator Sara Alfageeh, Amulet is a Lebanese American high schooler from Dearborn, Michigan.
“Amulet is a fun, mysterious new character,” said Ahmed in a statement to Marvel. “We’re keeping most of the details of him close to our chests, but I can tell you that his powers are magical in nature.”
Over on Instagram, Alfageeh described the new superhero as “a gentle giant with defensive and healing powers that come from a family heirloom.”
As seen in the cover for Magnificent Ms. Marvel #13 and the character design made by Alfageeh, Amulet is a hulking hero with fiery blue hair and glowing hands. He also has a sky blue bulky top armor that matches his hair color.
“The blue and white color palette and the circular design [of Amunet’s look] were pulled from the Nazar, a symbol that pops up all over the Middle East that protects the wearer from the evil eye — the harmful intentions of others,” explained Alfageeh. “[It’s] a bit of a historical, supernatural touch.”
Alfageeh added: “We tend to associate sharp corners and edges with evil, and rounded designs and circles with good. This character is a gentle giant, so I wanted to make sure that even with his size he was shaped like a friend!”
Both Ahmed and Alfageeh have Arab roots, so creating Amunet for Marvel is something that is very close to their hearts.
“This one means a lot to me. Superhero comics helped teach me to read, but as an Arab American kid I never quite saw myself in them. To be able to add a character with a name like mine, that shares my heritage and my hometwon to this pantheon…whew!,” Ahmed wrote in a tweet.
Alfageeh, meanwhile, tweeted: “4 years ago reading Ms. Marvel vol 1 convinced me to become an illustrator. AMULET means so much to me as a nerdy lil Arab kid.”
Written by Ahmed with art by Minkyu Jung, Magnificent Ms. Marvel #13 will go on sale in March 2020.