How did The 99 connect superhero stories with Islamic culture?

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Christopher Reeve as Superman flies over a city at night, wearing a blue suit with a red cape and yellow belt, from the 1978 film Superman. — Superhero Christopher Reeve in *Superman* (1978).

The 99 was a popular comic book series launched in 2006 by the Kuwaiti Teshkeel Media Group, created by writers with experience at Marvel and DC to bridge superhero storytelling with Islamic culture.1

The series title refers to the 99 names, or attributes, of Allah. While the characters—many of whom are teenagers from various parts of the world—operate within a clearly Islamic cultural framework, the series intentionally avoids making their specific religious faith explicit. By doing so, the creators aimed to emphasize universal values that could resonate with a broad, international audience. The success of the series, which was published in both English and Arabic, eventually led to the opening of a theme park based on the characters in Kuwait in 2009.1