99 ways to SAVE THE WORLD

The first comic book series inspired by Islamic legend, The 99, is making waves across the world
In 1258, a bloodthirsty warrior called Hulagu Khan got ready to wreak destruction on Baghdad, home to the biggest library of the time, the Dar al-Hikma. Desperate to save their wealth of learning, Dar al-Hikma librarians instilled all their knowledge into 99 gemstones, called the Noor stones, crafted to absorb the light of reason. In time, the stones were lost. Only the legend remained.

Then, in 2006, a new comic book series, The 99, announced that the stones had been found — they were with 99 children scattered across the globe who had strange powers. This band of 99 would fight evil and save the world with their extraordinary qualities, qualities that only Allah could possess.

This makes The 99 possibly the first comic book series inspired by Islamic history and culture. "According to the Koran, Allah has 99 traits like generosity, mercy and wisdom. Each superhero embodies one trait. Baqi the Everlasting never gets tired or hungry, Mussawwira the Organiser can make order out of chaos, Rafie the Lifter can control gravity and Hadya the Guide is never lost as she can map a route to anywhere," says Naïf al-Mutawa, the 38-year-old Kuwait-based psychologist who publishes the books under his label Teshkeel Media Group.

The 99 comics bust the stereotype of a Muslim, especially the linking of Islam with terror. As it entered bestselling lists in one country after another, from West Asia to the US, Forbes called it "one of the top 20 trends sweeping the world". "Shortly after 9/11, I decided that I would take Islam back from the people who had taken it hostage, but I did not know how. The answer was staring me in the face. It was as simple and as difficult as the multiplication of 9 by 11," says al-Mutawa.

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