Marvel is getting a new superhero in March, and he’s an excellent edition to the Marvel Universe. Created by writer Saladin Ahmed and illustrator Sara Alfageeh, Amulet a.k.a. Fadi Fadlalah will make his debut in Magnificent Ms. Marvel #13. The Arab-American hero is Lebanese and from Dearborn, Michigan.
“Amulet is a fun, mysterious new character who will be playing a role in Magnificent Ms. Marvel for months to come,” Ahmed said in a statement. “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, and that he is an Arab-American Super Hero from Michigan.”
He added, “As an Arab-American who basically learned to read from Marvel Comics, being able to team up with the phenomenally talented Sara Alfageeh to bring Amulet into the Marvel Universe is literally a dream come true. We can’t wait for fans to meet him!”
Ahmed shared Alfageeh’s designs for Amulet on Twitter, which include a size comparison to Kamala — Fadi is larger-bodied, which is awesome — a family heirloom necklace, his casual wear, and his armor. Ahmed also shared that in addition to being a recurring character in Magnificent Ms. Marvel, Amulet will also be participating in next year’s Outlawed event.
He also revealed what it means to him to introduce this character to the Marvel Universe.
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! pic.twitter.com/6DGoFJDCFC
— Saladin Ahmed (@saladinahmed) December 18, 2019
“Saladin let me have a lot of fun with this concept,” Alfageeh said in a statement. “We talked about his defensive-style powers and how they tied into his background as a Lebanese kid. The blue and white color palette and the circular design 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. 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!”
Alfageeh also shared the news on Twitter, where she noted that Ms. Marvel Vol. 1 by writer G. Willow Wilson, artist Adrian Alphona, colorist Ian Herring, and letterer Joe Caramagna inspired her to become an illustrator.
UHM. SOME NEWS. I designed the newest superhero for Ms. Marvel!
Meet Amulet.
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.
Thank you @saladinahmed for trusting me with him!https://t.co/XEhnS4JGyu pic.twitter.com/0Flozk99lK— Sara Alfageeh Says Wear A Mask (@SaraAlfageeh) December 18, 2019
This introduction is so exciting for so many reasons, and it’s amazing to see the character’s creators so amped about him; fans are already creating fan art and celebrating Amulet merely for existing, and that excitement is sure to grow once he makes his debut.
You can see Amulet on the cover of Magnificent Ms. Marvel #13, illustrated by Eduard Petrovich, below. Stay tuned for more details!
