(The following article by Madison Mahida Lynn originally appeared at Muslim Girl in May of 2016. It is republished here, slightly edited,  with her permission.)

Welcome to the Golden Age of Muslim Women in Comics

This is a good time to be a nerd. Marvel’s superheroic epics have taken over the box office, and most importantly comics have become cool again. Or, maybe they have? It depends on who you ask. If you’re asking us, then yes, comics are DEFINITELY COOL.

Unlike the seemingly monochromatic nature of heroes in Marvel’s cinematic oeuvre (we love the MCU but let’s be real, the leads of their films tend to feature a strong diversity of white men named Chris), the comic universe is a multifaceted medium with diverse voices leading the way. At the center of this movement is a group of badass Muslim girls–scientists, doctors, high school students, superpowerful mutants, and more–leading the way.

We could go through a dozen articles talking about the different Muslim girl characters making waves in the medium, but for now I will detail the biggest movers & shakers in comicdom. This is the team that defines today’s era as The Golden Age of Muslim women in comics.

So, let’s meet the team!

THE NAVIGATOR:

Fatima
The Midas Flesh, Writer Ryan North, Artists Shelli Paroline & Branden Lamb

This current era of “Muslim girl Comic Heroism” didn’t begin with that geeky Pakistani teenager from Jersey City, as most would assume. A few months before Marvel released Ms. Marvel #1, indie publisher Boom! Studios released their first title on a new imprint. The Midas Flesh is a sci-fi adventure with a familiar story: A small rogue band of resistance fighters seek a powerful weapon to put an end to oppressive imperial powers. That is where the familiarity ends. The Midas Flesh stays true to the standards of its genre, but turn conventions on its head over and over. The eight-issue run features talking dinosaur scientists, Greek gods, and a deep mythology encapsulated in a richly creative universe.

The Midas Flesh is also home to one of the most dynamic and interesting women in modern comics. Fatima is the navigator aboard the Prospect, working with her captain Joey, and comrade/best friend/dinosaur Cooper. She’s a steadfast, principled lady with a strong sense of morality and a drive to combat injustice. We talk a lot lately about Badass Muslim Women changing the game. But Fatty is THE badass who set the stage for the amazing characters to follow.

What’s most amazing about Fatima is that as a black hijabi, her character isn’t boxed in by misogynistic or Islamophobic tropes. Her decisions and character development come naturally based on her personality and history. There are certainly things about her that ring Muslim, but it’s not her choice in clothing–it’s her ethics, her personality, and her power that define her as a badass Muslim girl in comics.

THE HIGH CHANCELLOR

Hadiyah
Help Us! Great Warrior, by Madeleine Flores

The second in our catalogue of Muslim girls in comics is another from indie press Boom! Box, featuring another badass, complex weirdo who isn’t defined by her hijab or her skin color. Madeleine Flores’s Help Us! Great Warrior is a cute, funny and bright all-ages comic about the incomparable Great Warrior (a blobby green demonslayer who loves pizza and cute boys) and her best friend Leo (a mace-wielding pink haired heroine making a name for herself) fighting demons at the behest of Hadiyah, the High Chancellor.

Hadiyah is a supremely powerful being with the ability to project images, teleport people and objects, and create shields to protect others. She has very soft hands, and HATES demons.

Help Us! Great Warrior is light on dialogue, but Flores’ manages to create unique and dynamic characters in the six-issue arc. The collected trade paperback featuring all six issues is available for purchase now.

THE CAPTAIN:

Faiza Hussain
Captain Britain and the Mighty Defenders, Writer Al Ewing, artist Alan Davis

While Boom! Studios’ additions to the small press and Ms. Marvel’s early successes marked the beginnings of this Golden Age, Marvel’s 2015 summer catalog locked it in that the representation of powerful, dynamic Muslim women in comics was not going away.  There is no better sign than when Captain Britain and the Mighty Defenders #1, the title of Captain Britain was taken over by Pakistani-British hijabi Faiza Hussain. Faiza is a doctor with the mutant power to disassemble and rework living beings, healing others without causing any pain. Working with Captain Britain and Mi:13 she was deigned worthy to wield the mythic sword Excalibur, and spent a good while killing vampires. Which honestly, after a brief poll with the editorial team, Muslim Girl has determined that “Medical Doctor / Vampire Slayer” is the #1 Dream Occupation for Muslim women everywhere.

Faiza is a big nerd with a bigger heart. She is an avid cricket fan and refers to British secret intelligence as a “fandom”. She dedicates her life to healing and helping others, a principled heroic veteran with a strong moral code. Maybe the perfect mentor for a young up-and-comer finding her path in the Marvel Universe…

ATTENTION MARVEL CREATIVE TEAM: Please make this team-up happen immediately. Faiza & Kamala 2k16, y’all!  GET ON THIS!

THE SUPERWOMAN

Monet St. Croix
various titles, created by Scott Lobdell

You probably didn’t know that one of the most powerful mutants in the Marvel universe was a French Algerian Muslimah. Or maybe you did; she’s been around the X-Men canon in many incarnations since 1991.

Monet St. Croix is a superhuman in every sense. Her strength, endurance, and speed are nearly unrivaled. She can fly faster than a jet. She’s telepathic and telekinetic. She’s a supergenius with advanced healing capabilities and knows more languages than you. Not only is she powerful, she’s empowered–Monet’s wit and personality are sharp and she is never one to back down.

Monet has most recently been seen helping guide an all-female X-Men team (editor’s note: yes, for some reason they’re still called “X-Men” when zero men are involved, I dunno, take it up with Marvel) which, since X-Men Vol. 4 began its run in May 2013, has been a strong title, proving that women can be at the center of the story without being boxed in or held back by their gender.

The title’s (and Monet’s) success certainly helped pave the way for Marvel’s strong push for dynamic female-led titles. Without characters like Monet breaking down barriers, we may never have ended up with everyone’s favorite teenage Inhuman.

THE FAN FAVORITE

Kamala Khan
Ms. Marvel, co-creators Sana Amanat and G. Willow Wilson

Kamala Khan is a goofy, awkward teenager trying to find her place in the world as a first-gen Pakistani American kid going through high school in Jersey City. She’s also an incredibly powerful Inhuman with polymorphic powers (translation: she can change shape and size at will). While braving the social order as a Muslim girl in America, she’s also figuring out her path as a heroine pulled in a dozen different directions as she tries to do the right thing.

Aside from the barriers Kamala is physically breaking constantly, the Ms. Marvel creative team has been tearing down walls in the comic industry left and right. Three issues in to the series’ initial run, our heroine was calling out institutionalized sexism in the masjid.

Over the years, this award winning title has continued to touch on issues that matter to Muslim women and girls–sexist double standards, wallah bros, dating (when your brother tags along to quote Qur’an at you), even coping with violent extremists enacting violence in your name. The most recent arc has Kamala facing down racism and anti-blackness within the Ummah as (spoiler alert!) her brother Aamir plans for marriage.

Kamala is a powerful vector for change, both in her work as an Avenger, and within her own community. She is constantly growing and learning to be a better person. She doesn’t always do the right thing, but she always tries. And even through all of this growth and very special episode moments, at no point in the series does the comic become preachy or saccharine.

Kamala does get to punch giant mutant alligators with Wolverine, though. That part is pretty awesome.

If characters like Faiza Hussain and Monet St. Croix helped set the stage for Ms. Marvel’s success, this comic’s explosion of popularity has certainly helped lay the groundwork for other creative female-led titles in the Marvel line-up. Say what you will about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but (in no small part thanks to characters like Kamala) the comic universe is dominated by dynamic, powerful, relatable women.

THE FANDOM

Welcome to the Squad

While we’ve touched on the major players in the game today, this article is barely scraping the surface of the comic world’s foray into the Badass Muslim Women Industry.  The topic of Muslim women in comics is rich with debate, ripe for critique, and full of nerdy fan girls making art and swapping fanfic. Welcome to the fandom.

Welcome to the golden age of Muslim women in comics.