The 99 Char Guide 1

8/2/2019 The 99 Char Guide 1

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All contents and 2007 Teshkeel Media Group KSC,

unless otherwise noted herein. All rights reserved


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1 INTRODUCTION

2 FORMAT

3 SERIESOVERVIEW

4 THENOORSTONES

5 THEMAINCHARACTERS

99 Core Team Members

JABBARTHEPOWERFUL NOORATHELIGHT JAMITHEASSEMBLER MUMITATHEDESTROYER FATTAHTHEOPENER DARRTHEAFFLICTER

Founder and Leader of The 99

DR.RAMZIRAZEM

Villains

RUGHAL BLACKWOLF

6 THEMINORCHARACTERS

99 Auxiliary Members

HADYATHEGUIDE

RAFIETHELIFTER BAETHTHESENDER BAQITHEEVERLASTING WIDADTHELOVING BARITHEHEALER SAMITHELISTENER SOORATHEORGANIZER

ALEEMTHEALL-KNOWING WASSITHEVAST SAMDATHEINVULNERABLE BATINATHEHIDDEN MUJIBATHERESPONDER JALEELTHEMAJESTIC RAQIBTHEWATCHER BURANSHIRAZI,ExecutiveDirector(Ramzis#2) ZORANKRYZNESKI,TacticalTrainingOfcer

Villains THESPHINX HAMMERFIST REDSHROUD DR.NANNO THEPATHOLOGIST DRONEWARRIORS THESAVAGE RAZORSEDGE

7 MISCELLANEOUS

Locations/Environments

RAMZISHEADQUARTERS THETRAININGGROUND RUGHALSHEADQUARTERS

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The 99 are a powerful team of young people, each of whom possesses a Noor Stone -- an ancient gem of

great power and wisdom.

The 99 are not typical super heroes. They are normal young people suddenly granted extraordinary

abilities, and offered a chance to participate in changing the world for the better. They operate out of

an informal headquarters in Seville, Spain run by Dr. Ramzi Razem. Some Stone Bearers live and train

there, while others reside elsewhere -- for personal or family reasons, or out of simple preference

-- and maintain contact with Ramzi on an irregular basis. Because new Noor Stones are being located

all the time, the 99s core membership -- the heroes based in Seville will change periodically. At any

given time, between six and twelve students comprise the core team, with others called in as necessary.

The 99 perform best, and most frequently, in groups of three, joining their power together in what they

call a triad link. Triads are chosen very carefully, usually by Ramzi at the start of each mission. The

link enhances all three members abilities, and allows them to learn the cooperation and teamwork thatmight well serve as an inspiration to the different nations they come from.

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With the exception of a handful of multi-part stories, each 22-minute episode of The 99 should seem

complete in itself. Due to our use of multi-episode story arcs, certain narrative threads will

undoubtedly be left hanging at the end of most episodes, but this doesnt mean that each episodes

major (or A) story shouldnt come to an emotionally satisfying conclusion at the end of 22 minutes.

The format of most episodes should be as follows: a short, cold-opening teaser, followed by main titles;

a break for commercials; Act One, which will open with episode credits and end with a cliffhanger;

another break for commercials; then, Act Two, and nally, closing credits.

Literal cliffhangers are okay (as in the old serials, where the hero would fall off a cliff, thered be a

break, and then the hero would catch a fortuitously placed vine on his way down), but, because our

episodes will be televised in a wide variety of venues and formats, we need to keep in mind that

episodes might be shown without commercial breaks in which case, those old fashioned serial-style

cliffhangers will look a bit awkward when shown without a break. Its better to end an act on a moment

of jeopardy, go to a commercial, then come back to a different scene. Itll be easier to edit, and not

necessarily less effective or suspenseful than the more traditional cliffhanger.

Two other notes. First, action and violence arent always the same thing. Ramzi wants the kids to use

their powers to help people, not hurt them, so, in no uncertain terms, he lays down the law to them in

regard to solving conicts with violence. This will rule out most of the physical aggression that has

been so much a part of animated adventure shows, but it leaves the door open for all sorts of chases

and for the heroes to be involved in a variety of disasters, both natural and man-made. Theres also

room for indirect violence that will allow the heroes to physically thwart villains without actually

striking them.

We also have to keep in mind another cultural sensitivity: romance. These kids should view each other

as comrades-in-arms or brothers and sisters, rather than potential boyfriends and girlfriends. Andour adult outsiders should be just as chaste. Try to think of it this way: everyones got too much on

their minds to think about romance right now.

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Episodes 1-4 our feature will be similar to whats in comics, but with a signicant twist: the father

gure who initially unies the kids is Rughal, not Ramzi. Rughal will present himself to the kids as

Ramzi, so readers of the comics might think were adhering to the original story. But then things start

happening. Things that will make the kids and our audience start to question the intentions of the

new mentor. By the end of episode 4, the kids have gured out who Rughal is, escaped from him andhave allied with the real Ramzi who must then unteach them much of what Rughal has taught them.

Episode 1 opens in mid-story, starting cold with the knock on the John Wheelers door. The scene will

play pretty much as written in the comic, except Ramzi and Rughal will be switched around, so its

Ramzis men who try to prevent Wheeler from going with Rughal, Jabbar and Noora. In the ensuing

chase, these characters explain what little they need to, to a very confused Wheeler. By doing it this

way, we probably run the risk of confusing our audience, but its a better and more involving choice

than having them sit through 10 to 15 minutes of exposition about the Noor Stones. That material will

come later in the pilot, in small, easily digested bites. (And theres nothing new about starting a story

in the middle; even Homer did it.)

Episodes 5-8 might be considered Rughals revenge. Infuriated by his loss of the Stone Bearers

and the destruction of his business empire, Rughal forms an alliance of convenience with a massive

multi-national corporation and brings in scary bad guys like Blackwolf, the Sphinx and the Murk to help

him get the Stone Bearers back. This puts our heroes on the defensive; theyll be forced to learn how

to properly use their powers in a hurry. And theyll soon realize that their powers arent enough; they

must bring other young stone-bearers into the group.

Episodes 9-18 should be about this building process. But there needs to be more than just the drama of

forming a team. The heroes need to become proactive here; due to Ramzis inuence, they want to use

their powers for good; helping victims of disasters like res, oods and earthquakes many of which

are caused by Rughal in his quest for the stones... and, by his desire to spread so much chaos, theworld will yearn for a new god him!

Around episode 13, things come to a head between Rughal and his underlings. As in the comics, the

underlings betray him in hopes of taking over the corporation for their own selsh purposes. So,

half-way through the 26 episodes, it seems as if Rughal has been killed. But soon after his apparent

death, he re-emerges, stronger and more determined than ever, just as he did (or will do) in the comics.

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In episodes 19-22, well use another element from the comics and have the original group of heroes

kidnapped or cut off from Ramzi (in a way that doesnt involve Rughal drugging them and experimenting

on them as he did in the comic its too adult). With our main kids out of the picture for a while, it allowsus to introduce some new kids who will be forced to step into leadership positions in order to rescue our

missing heroes.

Episodes 23-26 will be the climax. Despite their best efforts, the new kids ultimately fail, and it looks

like Rughal is nally going to be able to accumulate all the stones. Hes even going to get the legendary

100th stone that will supposedly stabilize all the others and allow Rughal to have the power of (a) god.

But of course, the hundredth stone isnt quite what Rughal was expecting, and instead of ruling heaven

and earth, Rughal gets a quick trip to oblivion instead.

Naturally, these arcs will be modied as we move through the series, and we wont stick strictly to

the comics arcs either. For example, Rughal will begin the series with a large operation of his own,

which is destroyed by our heroes at the end of episode 4. Soon after, Rughal will link up with a huge

multi-national corporation. By contrast, Ramzis operation will be much smaller, far more intimate and

much less high tech than it was in the comics. One thread that will carry over, however, is that each

kid has an untapped aspect of his or her character that needs to be developed in order for them to

become complete human beings. This would give us a nice metaphor for the transition from childhood

to adulthood.

(Continued)

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To understand the origins of the Noor Stones, we must look back to a dark point in history...

Thirteenth-century Baghdad was the capital of the Muslim empire, a global center of culture and

discourse. Its great library, the Dar al-Hikma, contained within its hundreds of thousands of volumes

all the accumulated knowledge of humankind.

In 1258 AD, the armies of Hulagu Khan -- grandson of Genghis Khan -- looted, burned, and

conquered Baghdad.

The Khans armies ung the librarys accumulated books of history and scientic knowledge into the

Tigris River, then burned the building to the ground. But unknown to them, they were actually carrying

out a desperate plan hatched by the Dar al-Hikmas librarian-scholars. In the river, the running ink from

the ruined books mixed with a specially-prepared alchemical solution called Kings Water. Then, many

kilometers downriver, the librarians unveiled their secret weapon: ninety-nine gemstones. Very, very

special gemstones.

The scholars dipped the gems in the river, where the stones made contact with the Kings Water

solution...and absorbed the accumulated knowledge of the Dar al-Hikma, preserving it for future ages.

When removed from the water, the gems glowed with a ery light. The Noor Stones were born.

The librarians carried the newly minted Noor Stones to Andalusia, Spain, where the gems were

incorporated into the structure of a great dome designed by the nest artisans of the time. The dome

-- known as the Husn al-Marifa, or Fortress of Knowledge -- was constructed over a period of decades,

each piece interlocking and tting together perfectly, like a melding of different cultures and beliefs.

When it was nally complete, the Husn al-Marifa became a haven for all who sought knowledge or

answers, from any walk of life.

And the Noor Stones glowed atop the inside of the dome, shining their light and wisdom down on all who

ventured within. When bathed in the light of particular gems, a few people seemed to manifest strange

powers. But one man became obsessed with the gems power, and eventually brought about the downfall

of the entire Husn al-Marifa. His name was Rughal.

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In time, fearing the approach of King Ferdinands armies, the Huras al-Hikma decided to dismantle the

Fortress before its inevitable fall. But in 1490, before the Guardians could carry out their plan, Rughal

bathed himself in a special solution of Kings Water and, with the aid of a lunar eclipse, concentrated all

the light of the Noor Stones into himself. The resulting explosion destroyed the dome, apparently killing

Rughal -- and scattering the Noor Stones far and wide. And so they remained, lost and forgotten

until the dawn of the twenty-rst century. Doctor Ramzi Razem was raised to believe that humankind

will only nd a proper path to the future by understanding the wisdom of the past. He vowed to locate

every one of the missing Noor Stones and to help their young users -- his 99 -- to wield the gems

together, in the cause of peace and international harmony.

Each of the Noor Stones represents one of the ninety-nine attributes of God. Each stone is drawn

toward a young person who embodies its individual characteristic, who carries that particular

strength within him or her. Stone Bearers choose the gems, but the Noor Stones also choose their

Stone Bearers.

Some of the gems have been passed on through the generations. There may well have been past

versions of Jabbar, Noora, and the others; because of the gems scattered history and almost

mythical nature, very little information on past Stone Bearers has been recorded. We do know that

Baeths grandfather wielded the gem, and was himself known as Baeth, in his youth.

The Noor Stones glow when in use, in the presence of their own Stone Bearer, or when other gems are

nearby. They work best in groups of three -- triad links -- at which point they glow brighter than before,

and their power is greatly enhanced. They are the heart of The 99s power, and the living symbol of

their bearers hopes and dreams for a better world.

Finding all ninety-nine Noor Stones is a long, arduous task. Worse, another man is also searching for

the gems. That man has survived for hundreds of years...and his ambition has only grown over the

centuries. His name -- still, and always -- is Rughal.

(See the Ramzi and Rughal entries for more information.)

(Continued)

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MAJORCHARACTERS

99 Core Team Members

JABBARTHEPOWERFUL NOORATHELIGHT JAMITHEASSEMBLER MUMITATHEDESTROYER

FATTAHTHEOPENER DARRTHEAFFLICTER

Founder and Leader of The 99

DR.RAMZIRAZEM

Villains

RUGHAL BLACKWOLF

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Nawaf Al-Bilali was a typical teenager until, one day, tragedy struck. While eeing blackmailers

with his little sister Noaf, Nawaf stepped on a land mine. The explosion shattered a hidden gem,

embedding shards of the stone in his skin. Nawaf saved his sister, but the slivers of gemstone

that lodged in his body triggered a startling transformation.

Suddenly, the gawky teenager was transformed into a man-mountain, a giant standing over two

meters tall and weighing almost 200 kilograms. Nawaf has a direct, almost childlike outlook on

the world, but his moral sense is very strong, and he sometimes serves as the conscience of

the team. He is very good friends with Noora, who joined the team right after him; and

with Mumita, who serves as his sparring partner and whom he helped recruit.

Jabbar is also the only team member whose Noor Stone is actually embedded in his

body, which means he cannot lose it or give it away. One fragment, lodged in his

cheek below his eye, resembles a teardrop.

Real Name Nawaf Al-Bilali Home Country Saudi Arabia Category99 Core Team Member

Super strength, near-invulnerability,and durability.

If he loses control, Jabbars powerscould easily make him a danger to

himself and everyone around him.

Gender Male

Age 19Height 224cm

Weight 193kg

Eye Color Brown

Hair Color DarkBrown

Gem Color/Glow Blue

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Dana Ibrahims father gave her everything she ever wanted, but he never had time to spend

with her. Surprisingly, Dana didnt grow up spoiled -- just very lonely. One day, while attending

university in Sharjah, Dana was kidnapped and held for ransom. Imprisoned by her captors in a

deep hole in the earth, she tried to tunnel her way out using only her hands.

As Dana burrowed through the dirt, she found an old box with a glowing gemstone in it.

Using the gem as a light, Dana managed to escape, but not before her kidnappers saw her

and chased after her. A struggle ensued, followed by a ash of blinding light. When the

authorities arrived, they found the kidnappers lying in shocked states around a terried and

quietly sobbing Dana.

Danas new power over light also allowed her to see the darkness and the good within people.

She soon became Noora -- a light to shine through the darkness

-- and joined the 99 as their second member. She has a close

friendship with Jabbar and a rivalry with Mumita, whoconsiders Noora a spoiled rich girl. Noora is still a teenager,

but in many ways, shes the most adult member of the team.

She will have Dr. Ramzis ear, more than any of the others,

and he trusts her to lead teams into difcult situations.

Real Name Dana Ibrahim Home Country UAE Category99 Core Team Member

Noora can see the light of truth inothers and allow them -- or force them-- to see it in themselves. Thismanifests as areas of dark and lightwithin a persons silhouette.

Able to create realistic light projectionimages, which can mask the team fromview.

Can produce light-based illusions, suchas masks.

See below -- Noora has the potential todevelop further powers.

In the comic, our plan is for Nooraspowers to develop further, especiallyonce she forms a semi-regular triadwith Mujiba and Soora (neither of whomshes met yet). Eventually she may beable to emit light blasts, and manipulatecoherent light forms, and even levitate.

As written and drawn, Nooraskidnapping/origin (back in issue #1)may be too violent for the currentvision of the series. It could be toneddown a bit without losing thecore story.

Gender Female

Age 18

Height 167.5cm

Weight 66kg

Eye Color Brown

Hair Color BrownGem Color/Glow Yellow-Orange

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Miklos Szekelyhidi was born to overachieving parents who gave him little attention and love,

but who granted Miklos two incredible gifts: a superior, genius-level intelligence and a family

heirloom locket that, unbeknownst to them, would allow that intelligence to grow exponentially.

In his early years of schooling, Miklos was a socially underdeveloped child, possibly autistic, or

perhaps an idiot savant. He was often tormented by his classmates. Eventually recognized as

a child prodigy, he was transferred to the Nahomtech Robotics Research facility in Hungary,

where he lived and studied from ages 7-13. Mikloss studies blossomed, but he remained poor at

interacting with people, and to this day he remains much more comfortable among machines and

robotic gadgets. He has an odd speech pattern and an even odder listening pattern.

Through the use of his Noor Stone, Miklos is able to intuitively see the

derivations, blueprints and foundations of any existing or potential machine.

He creates mental schematics that appear as complex holographic blueprints

around him. He is also able to use his self-createdTekjacket to assemble them.

Miklos will always remain a loner; the other members of the 99 tolerate his

frequent lack of tact, but he isnt close to anyone. He often complains about

the other members of the team not allowing him to concentrate. He

talks frequently to himself and to various imaginary friends,

including a giant bespectacled teddy bear called Doo-Hickey

who acts as Jamis sounding board and assistant on difcult

projects.

Jami also engages in a constant battle of wills withZoran Kryzneski, the 99s trainer. Zoran appreciates

Jamis intelligence and the equipment hes created in the

training bunker; but Jamis short attention span often

leads him to leave his work half-nished, which infuriates Zoran.

Yet, paradoxically, Zoran is probably closer to Jami than

anyone else.

Real Name Miklos Szekelyhidi Home Country Hungary Category99 Core Team Member

Intuitive engineering and electronicsgenius.

Is able to make hundreds ofdifferent types of devices that attach tohis Tekjacket.

Jami is a really fun character, but heworks best as a foil to the others or insolo subplots. His lack of attention span(he probably has ADHD) can causeinteresting tension with the othermembers.

Gender Male

Age 13

Height 175cm

Weight 71kg

Eye Color Green-Blue


Gem Color/Glow Violet

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Catarina Barbossa was a runaway teen who lived on the streets and fought for everything she

ever had. She traveled from country to country, often as a stowaway. And along the way, she

became an expert ghter.

When Catarina reached the UAE, she entered the Abu Dhabi Grappling Championship pretending

to be a boy. She won several matches before her ruse was discovered. Booted out, Catarina was

approached by operators of an illegal ghting ring based in Cairo. Catarina became a champion

ghter for the organization, still disguising her true gender.

Nawaf, known to The 99 as Jabbar, hoped to convince Catarina to join Dr. Ramzis cause. After a

grueling battle, Catarina chose to join Jabbar and teamed up with him to ght their

way out of the arena.

Mumita wears her gem in a custom-designed brass knuckles-style combat

gauntlet. She retains many of her rough edges; shes often sarcastic,

particularly to Noora, whom she regards as a spoiled rich girl. But

since joining the 99, Mumita has tackled her studies with a

vengeance and discovered a hidden talent for chess. Dr.

Ramzi has told her more than once that she must learn

when not to be the Destroyer, as well as when to

embrace her power.

It has been hinted that Dr. Ramzi sees Mumita

as a possible successor to him someday, if she

can master her violent nature. This causes further friction with

Noora, who, as one of the most senior members, sees herself as anatural leader.

Real Name Catarina Barbossa Home Country Portugal Category99 Core Team Member

Enhanced speed, strength, agility, andreexes.

Nearly invulnerable.

FAs told in the comics, Mumitas origin-- like Nooras -- may need to be toneddown to work with the current vision ofthe series.

Mumita is a difcult character becauseher inherent nature is violent. Our mostsuccessful stories with her haveinvolved her ghting to rise above thatnature, while still using her skills tohelp the team.

In early issues, Catarinas surnameis Barbarosa -- it has been revised to

Barbossa.

Gender FealeAge 17

Height 168cm

Weight 65kg

Eye Color Black

Hair Color Black

Gem Color/Glow Red

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In his native Indonesia, Toro Ridwan had worked in fast-food restaurants for most of his life.

His existence was pretty dull, until one day a customer left a set of keys on the counter. As Toro

rushed to the door of the restaurant to try to return them to the woman, the Noor Stone

fragment that adorned the keychain ared to life.

Toro stepped through the door and suddenly found himself in the middle of an Antarctic

snowstorm! He panicked, wishing he could be somewhere warm, and unwittingly activated the

Noor Stone a second time. Another spatial portal opened, transporting him to the mouth of an

active volcano. After a bit of practice, and a few more adventures, Toro learned to control the

portals and teleport himself back home.

Over the following weeks, Toro realized that he was able to use these

new powers to go anywhere.

Toros powers have proven invaluable to the 99, allowing them to

travel instantly to anywhere on Earth. But he can only teleport

alone or while linked in a triad, and he can only teleport himself

and other Stone Bearers. His powers also have limited

effectiveness on inanimate objects (see the entry for Baeth).

At Ramzis place, Toro with the help of Miklos will

eventually create a permanent portal to distant places that

looks like a waterfall.

Fattah is the cockiest, most self-condent member of the

team. Initially, Fattah doesnt tell his parents about his ability

to instantaneously travel vast distances, or about hismembership in The 99. All they know is that hes occasionally

late for dinner. But this minor deceit will backre on

him eventually.

Fattah is also prone to neglect his studies, leading him to

small conicts with Dr. Ramzifrom which Fattah invariably

backs down. But inside, hes a good kid. He just needs to grow up

a little.

FATTAHFATTAH

THE OPENER

FATTAH

Real Name Toro Ridwan Home Country Indonesia Category99 Core Team Member

Creates and manipulates portals inspace, which allow him to journeyinstantly to any location.

Can only travel through the portalsalone, or with other Noor Stonewielders while actively linked. In a triad,his powers are more versatile; but

carrying other members also tires himgreatly.

With experience, perhaps Fattah canlearn to use his powers to traversetime as well as space.

Fattah is a character whose powerchanges the whole way the teamoperates. This is tricky because theentire series revolves around Ramzichoosing teams carefully for eachmission; but Fattah is valuable onalmost any mission because he can get

the team on-site so quickly. Ingeneral, this is something to dealwith but not to draw alot of attention to,because it unbalances the value of thevarious members too much.

Weve had some fun with situationswhere two or more emergencies cropup simultaneously, and Ramzi mustdecide which one Fattah is bestsuited to.

Also: Because only Stone Bearerscan travel through Fattahs portals,Dr. Ramzi must sometimes lag behind,arriving after the conict is resolved.

As a character, Fattah is fun becauseof his cocky personality. Its entirelypossible that, somewhere along theline, Fattah could screw up andinadvertently help The 99s enemies.

Once Baeth the Sender joins the team,there may be tension between Fattahand Baeth, as Baeth can transportinanimate objects. Fattahs power isgreater, but each of them can do thingsthe other cant.

Gender Male

Age 19

Height 224cm

Weight 193kg

Eye Color BrownHair Color DarkBrown

Gem Color/Glow Blue

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John Weller was a promising young man with a bright future ahead of him -- until a drunk driver

collided with his car, killing his family and paralyzing John from the waist down. Conned to a

wheelchair, John became disillusioned and bitter.

Then Johns friend Nancy gave him a special stone that she had bought for him from a Native

American. She suggested that the pretty gem might have certain spiritual qualities that would

help John heal his scarred psyche. John was skeptical, but after the visit, he found himself able

to cause physical pain just by focusing his hatred on any living target, human or animal.

John reveled in his new power. He began using it to punish people who had caused vehicular

homicides. He took a particularly harsh revenge on the driver who had killed his family, causing

a seizure that left the man catatonic. Eventually, he will learn to take away pain.

Darr remains conned to his wheelchair. He is a troubled character, but before his

accident, he was a sensitive young man and a gifted storyteller. Those traits

still live inside him. In the pilot, Miklos/Jami will modify Whellers chair so

that it can transform into a very fast Segway-like vehicle.

Real Name John Weller Home Country USA Category99 Core Member

Darr can stimulate any organismsnociceptors, the nerves associated withfeeling pain.

With greater effort, he can also takeaway a person or animals pain.

Gender Male

Age 22

Height 190cm

Weight 91kg

Eye Color Brown

Hair Color Blonde

Gem Color/Glow Green

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Dr. Ramzi Razem is a psychologist, historian and lecturer on a wide variety of topics,

ranging from ancient civilizations to alternative medicine. But his true passion is the ancient

Noor Stones, which led him to form The 99.

As a direct descendant of one of the Huras Al-Hikma (Guardians of Wisdom), Ramzi grew up

hearing the legends and stories of the gems. He was captivated by the pain and potential that

forged the Fortress of Knowledge, fascinated by the hope that he believed Stone Bearers could

bring to todays fractured society. But they were just stories, werent they?

One day, when Ramzi was a graduate student, he was consulted on the meaning of an ancient

Arabic scroll that had recently been discovered in the archives of El Escorial, Madrid. He

eagerly translated the scroll, which showed a blueprint for an ancient building tting the

description of the Fortress! Finally, Ramzi had some measure of conrmation that the stories

had been based on truth. And if the Fortress really had existed, then perhaps the Noor Stones

were real as well.

Over time, Ramzi learned even more about the legends of the Fortress and of the Noor

Stones, and assembled an audacious plan to locate the gems.

Scraps of historical information, urban legends, and stories hidden in religious

strongholds across the world all spoke to unexplained paranormal phenomena -- and of

people, usually young people, who seemed to possess extraordinary powers. Ramzi analyzed

these accounts, then tried to link them to specic regions of the world and individual family

lines. Slowly, he zeroed in on the long-lost Noor Stones. And he soon realized that these young

people hadnt just found the stones, the gems had found them, as well. Every member of The 99

contains within himself or herself the characteristics that make him or her the perfectguardian and partner for one, individual gem.

Ramzi now realizes that nding the Noor Stones is only the rst step. He must then convince

each gem-wielder to help change the course of human civilization -- convince them that others

could benet from their powers, and that Ramzi could protect the wielders from those who

might seek to exploit them. After a lifetime of waiting, wondering and working, Ramzis work

has just begun.

Real Name Dr. Ramzi Razem Home Country not established CategoryFounder & Leader of The 99

None

Ramzi is very much a perfect mentorcharacter. The only aw thats reallyestablished for him is a tendency to getdistracted by a big problem, but ingeneral, hes sharp, almost always onpoint, and unswervingly dedicated to

his mission.

Gender Male

Age 35

Height 188cmWeight 77kg

Eye Color Brown

Hair Color Black

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Centuries ago, Rughal was a member of the Huras al-Hikma. A brilliant scientist, Rughal was

unable to convince the Huras to be more proactive and aggressive in their use of the gems.

So, on the day of a lunar eclipse, Rughal secretly entered the fortress. He lay at the exact spot

where the rays from every gem would focus on his body, and waited for the precise moment. Hethought he was prepared -- but the eclipse caused the gems to act in a way he had not imagined.

The resulting power surge ripped Rughals body apart, incinerating him and transforming him

into pure etheric energy. Everyone believed he was dead, but in truth, he had been changed --

elevated -- into something different.

Rughal became one with the gems, a part of everything the universe had to offer. His

disembodied mind -- barely able to recall the esh and blood he had once been -- sailed through

the Void, past moons and suns, through galaxies and across time, past and future, becoming

a part of the very fabric of time and space. He saw things no human mind should ever see or

comprehend. Then, slowly, his mind began to piece itself together.

In 1859, at the dawn of an age that would rip mankind from its agrarian past into an

industrial future of steaming steel and greed, Rughal was reborn. He reappeared in

human form in Titusville, Pennsylvania, site of the rst discovery of oil -- drawn, as

always, to the presence of energy in all its forms.

Rughals voyage through time and space affected him deeply. He had seen

snippets of tomorrow in fractured forms, knew secrets but still needed to

understand what he saw as it unfolded. He aged slowly,avoiding connections that

would reveal his true age, and all the while constructing an enormous multinational business

consortium. But he wasnt mindlessly searching for wealth and power. Rughals originalvision his personal mandate was to harness the knowledge of the Huras al-Hikma and

the power of the Noor Stones to remake the world according to his own vision.

Rughal believes that all he needs to realize his vision are the missing gems and 99 people

to wield them. He has spent decades searching, and has spared no expense in his clandestine

hunt. He has even sought help from people whose beliefs run contrary to his own.

Unknown to Rughal, he has a daughter -- Simpei -- who has been working secretly

against him. But Simpei has a secret of her own that has not yet been revealed. (See

The Sphinx.)

Real Name Rughal (given name unknown) Home Country Spain CategoryMajor Villain

Rughal is very long-lived; his exactlifespan is unknown.

He has seen visions of the past andfuture, but cannot recall them clearly.

Rughal also has an uncanny knack formanipulation and for business. Morethan once, he has built an empire out of

nothing, and he will probably do soagain.

Gender Male

Age 589

Height 193cm

Weight 83kg

Eye Color Blue

Hair Color Black

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18/48

Blackwolf rst encountered Rughal while operating as an underground ght manager. Using

articial means to imperfectly replicate the Noor Stones effects, Rughal caused Blackwolf to

manifest strange powers, which allow his body to become uid and impervious to harm.

Blackwolf honed his abilities, learning to completely hide himself in the darkness and to make his

new shadow-form almost incorporeal at will.

Blackwolfs powers allow him to pass through solid objects, and he can make his body

rock-solid or gaseous at will. This makes him a formidable opponent, but he remains vulnerable

to energy-blasts.

Blackwolfs relationship with Rughal is complex. He owes Rughal a great deal, and is

ercely loyal to him -- as long as Rughal returns the favor. But for his part, Rughal

regards Blackwolf as a lackey, not an equal. That arrogance may turn Blackwolf

against him eventually.

Real Name Thiab al-Daham Home Country unknown CategoryMajor Villain

Can alter the shape and density ofhis body into a dangerously malleableshadow-form.

An experienced gunman and a verydangerous ghter.

Gender Male

Age 40s

Height 178cm

Weight 76kg

Eye Color Gray


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19/48

MINORCHARACTERS

99 Auxiliary Members

HADYATHEGUIDE RAFIETHELIFTER

BAETHTHESENDER BAQITHEEVERLASTING WIDADTHELOVING BARITHEHEALER SAMITHELISTENER SOORATHEORGANIZER ALEEMTHEALL-KNOWING WASSITHEVAST SAMDATHEINVULNERABLE BATINATHEHIDDEN MUJIBATHERESPONDER

JALEELTHEMAJESTIC RAQIBTHEWATCHER BURANSHIRAZI,ExecutiveDirector(Ramzis#2) ZORANKRYZNESKI,TacticalTrainingOfcer

Villains

THESPHINX HAMMERFIST REDSHROUD DR.NANNO THEPATHOLOGIST

DRONEWARRIORS THESAVAGE RAZORSEDGE

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20/48

Amira Khan was a sweet Pakistani-British girl who lived with her mother, uncle and siblings in

London. Growing up in a traditional Pakistani household, she was expected to be a dutiful daughter

and eventually marry a good Pakistani boy in a pre-arranged wedding. But Amira rarely paid any

attention to what was expected of her, and her mind was usually wanderingeverywhere it could.

A smart girl who rarely focused on her studies, Amira preferred to spend her time exploring

the city. Almost obsessively fascinated by maps and incredibly adept at reading them, Amira

would occasionally draw London street diagrams from her own imagination. As she grew older,

Amira began mapping out entire countries and solar systems. Her maps became more and more

detailed and intricate, sometimes appearing as three-dimensional images all around her. This

information came to her as if it was innate to her very being. And so it wasamplied by a Noor

Stone encrusted in small medallion, a family heirloom that she carried

with her everywhere.

Hadyas power enables The 99 to zero in quickly on trouble spots,track missing people (including their own members), and nd their

way out of difcult situations. She and Fattah are a formidable

combination; Hadya can locate a set of coordinates and Fattah

can then transport the team there instantly.

Hadya is very quiet and professional, generally staying out

of the minor conicts between Noora and Mumita, for

instance. In a way, she is the quiet rock at the core of

The 99.

Real Name Amira Khan Home Country United Kingdom Category99 Core Team Member

Hadyas brain works like a GPS systemand powerful telephoto satellite. She isable to map out any location and gureout how to get there. When linked in atriad, she can pinpoint locations withmuch more precision.

With her Noor Stone, she can project

her maps as three-dimensional imagesin the air for others to see.

She can act as a bloodhound, trackinga missing person from a piece of his/her clothing or an object the personhas recently touched.

Hadyas powers are useful and welldened; her personality, less so.Of the six core members, shesprobably the one who could use a bitmore character development. Atthe same time, she is useful as the onecharacter whos just steady, always

there when you need her. Our internal notes on Hadya show that

she may be slowly developinglife-guiding abilities, withphilosophical divinations that createinterpretation problems for her.This has not yet been explored in thecomic. Its an interesting idea thatgrows, philosophically, out of herpower; but it would require some roomto develop.

Gender Female

Age 17

Height 173cm

Weight 57kg

Eye Color BrownHair Color Black

Gem Color/Glow Violet

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21/48

While growing up in Istanbul, Murat

Uyaroglu happened upon a Noor Stone. Like

many members of the 99, Murat was ini

tially puzzled by the powers the gemgranted him. Soon he learned he could

lift huge objects and levitate

himself into the air.

Driven by a strong sense of

family obligation, Murat sought

out a distant branch of his family

in Petra, a remote section of

Jordan. There he met the troubled

Carateba tribe, whose desert lifestyle was

as different from Murats urban upbringing

as he could possibly imagine. Today, the

Carateba are victimized by criminals who

seem to be smuggling goods through their

territory, but, well nd out later, are actually

working for Rughal, trying to nd Noor Stones.

Murat uses the powers of Rae the Lifter to guard

the tribe from the smugglers.

Like many auxiliary members, Rae the Lifter is on call when Dr.

Ramzi needs him. He is not yet aware of Baeth the Sender, a distant cousin of his who is amember of the Carateba tribe but who lives away from home (see notes below).

Real Name Murat Uyaroglu Home Country Turkey Adopted Country Jordan Category99 Auxiliary Member

Can levitate any object into the air, nomatter how heavy.

Can also lift himself into the air, ef

fectively giving him the power of ight.

Can levitate and maneuver severalobjects at once, creating a barrage ofrocks or other debris to disorient and

defeat his opponents.

Rae is the 99s Superman -- themost powerful member of the team.Hes brought in, if hes available, whenthe situation is so dire that great poweris required.

The link between Rae and Baeth is asfollows: After the fall of the great domein Andalusia, two brothers carried NoorStones off in separate directions. Onesettled in Petra, Jordan, and the otherin Istanbul, Turkey. They became theancestors of Baeth and Rae,

respectively.

Baeth found his Noor Stone and lefthome for college before Raes arrivalat Petra. In the comics, the twocharacters have only met in passing,and are not yet aware of their relationship. Thats a plot thread we will pick upat some point.

Gender Male

Age 16

Height 173cm

Weight 72kg

Eye Color Brown

Hair Color Black

Gem Color/Glow Red

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22/48

At Computer College in Amman, Fadi Hassem always had the right tool to x the motherboards

and CPUs he slaved away on every day. But his parents and classmates worried that his

cluttered workshop and his compulsive hoarding might indicate some sort of psychological

problem. Then, one day, things changed abruptly. Fadis pockets were no longer lled with junk,his desk at college and bedroom transformed from curiosity shops to clean and orderly

workspaces.

The reason: Fadi had made a miraculous discovery a few days earlier. When Fadi

was a boy, his grandfather had given him a Noor Stone, explaining how he

himself had used its power to help their tribe when he was young.

Fadi kept the stone, cherishing his grandfathers memory. Years

later, while trying to complete a project for one of his classes, he

found he needed a tool which he had left in the lab. As Fadi visualized

exactly where he had left the tool, his Noor Stone began to glow. The tool

suddenly materialized in his hand!

Through trial and error, Fadi discovered that he had the power to send

and receive inorganic objects from to and from any location he

could visualize in his mind. Dr. Ramzi visited him soon after, offering him

the chance to join The 99. Fadi chose to remain in Amman and nish

college rst, though he stays in touch with Dr. Ramzi and

helps out The 99 on occasion.

Real Name Fadi Hassem Home Country Jordan Category99 Auxiliary Member

Ability to transport inorganic objects,as long as he can envision both theobjects origin and destination points.

Fadi has hidden storerooms, where hekeeps various objects and items that hemay need.

Baeth hasnt been used much yet,but he may eventually become The99s quartermaster, providing hiddentools as needed from one of his hiddenstorehouses far away.

Has an unrevealed family relationship

with Rae; see Rae entry.

Gender Male

Age 18

Height 173cm

Weight 72kg

Eye Color Brown

Hair Color Black


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23/48

Hatem Al Joharys father worked as a laborer on the construction of the Bibliotheca

Alexandrina, the new Library of Alexandria. While there, Hatems father found an odd, attractive

stone on the ruins of the original Library. He took it home and gave it to his son on the boys

fteenth birthday.

Soon after, Hatem discovered he no longer tired when playing sports, and that he could run for

twenty hours straight without resting or becoming tired. Realizing that his son was keeping

something from him, Hatems father took the stone from himand Hatem immediately collapsed.

Hatems father then sought out the Chairman of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, who explained that

Hatems gem was a Noor Stone. The chairman suggested that Hatems father contact Dr. Ramzi

Razem, a researcher in this eld who might be able to help Hatem develop his gifts. But Hatems

father refused, insisting that his sons gifts must be used to help his own family.

Dr. Ramzi has since made contact with Baqi, who has helped out the 99 once. But Baqi still lives

with his family in Alexandria, and uses his powers locally.

Real Name Hatem Al Johary Home Country Egypt Category99 Auxiliary Member

Superhuman stamina and endurance.

Can run for hours and never tire.

Hatem suspects that his body maynever break downthat he may neverage. But that remains to be seen.

Weve gotten some humorous storymileage out of Baqis father, who wantsBaqi to use the Noor Stone to makemoney for the family. Baqis prioritiesare more humanitarian.

Gender Male

Age 15

Height 152cm

Weight 79kg

Eye Color Brown


Gem Color/Glow Yellow

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24/48

Hope Mendoza works for Hope International, a relief organization headquartered in the

Philippines. When a ruthless bandit murdered her friend and mentor Alicia Ratner, Hope

became the possessor of a Noor Stone. That gem, which had been passed down from generation

to generation in Alicias family, has given Hope the power to inuence other peoples emotions.She has sometimes used her powers of persuasion to help get funding for her relief

organization, which delivers supplies to some of the most dangerous places in the world.

When Hope met Dr. Ramzi, she was torn: Would she be more effective as a member of

The 99 or as a relief worker for Hope International? She chose to stay with her

aid agency, but she helps Dr. Ramzi whenever he calls on her -- and vice-versa.

Real Name Hope Mendoza Home Country Philippines Category99 Auxiliary Member

Chemical control of the brain, whichenables Widad to induce love, compassion and happiness in others.

When she induces happiness in asubject, that person becomessusceptible to her persuasion.

Hope International, Widads relieforganization, provides a useful plotdevice to get The 99 into storiesinvolving humanitarian crises.

Gender Female

Age 21

Height 157cm

Weight 61kg

Eye Color Hazel

Hair Color Brown

Gem Color/Glow Pink

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25/48

Haroun Ahrens grew up on a farm in South Africa, trying to look after his family after rst his

father, and then his sister died. While digging his sisters grave, Haroun discovered a small

piece of colored rock. Touching it made him feel somehow better and he buried it in a small box

just below his sisters gravestone, hoping her soul would feel some of the same comfort andpeace that he felt in the stones presence.

Life continued to be hard for Harouns family. A few years later, his mother fell sick. Frantically

searching for anything that could help, Haroun remembered the stone. He took it to his mothers

bedside and, miraculously, cured her. Word of the miracle soon spread and people came from all

around to be healed by Haroun. Eventually, the demands of the people became too much for him

and he ed to live a life of seclusion, until a Swedish businessman named Einmann (see separate

entry) sought him out, offering to help Harouns village. Haroun worked with Einmann until

the 99 revealed the businessmans corrupt motives and stopped him. Haroun returned to

his family, but later joined The 99.

Baris powers are extremely limited by the nature and duration of the

illness or injury, but he is more powerful when linked in a triad.

Of all the 99, Baris power exacts the highest price from him,

requiring serious recuperation after he heals someone.

Real Name Haroun Ahrens Home Country South Africa Category99 Auxiliary Member

By touch, Bari can increase a personsenergy levels, curing them of specic,small ailments and injuries.

Can instinctively tell which part of apersons body is sick or damaged.

Baris power must be used verysparingly; as Naif says, Hes notJesus. Longstanding or severe injuriesor illnesses are beyond his power.

Currently in the comic, Bari lives at theFoundation; but because of his limitations, we only use him occasionally, sohes listed him as an auxiliary member.

Gender Male

Age 19

Height 183cm

Weight 79kg

Eye Color Green

Hair Color Brown

Gem Color/Glow Red

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26/48

Nizar Babikr lived in Sudan until he was 10. Then his mother died from malaria and his father

decided to move the family to Paris. Nizar had not spoken since birth and his father wanted to

nd a way to help his mute son. Nizar had always responded well to music and so his father

enrolled him in an arts school for the sensory-impaired.

While on a camping trip with the arts school, Nizars gem-abilities rst manifested themselves.

A boating accident occurred and he was able to hear the cries of his classmates even though

he was miles away. Nizar rushed to the scene of the accident but he was unable to call for help.

Instinctively, he was able to pick up on the voices of his schoolmates and, using a gemstone

given to him by his late mother, manipulate the ambient sonic energy so that others heard their

cries for help.

Sami sometimes works with the 99, who are also based

in Paris. But because of Samis heightened sense of

hearing, the chaos and noise of the Foundation cancause him pain and mental distress. He has shown

some ability to manipulate sound as a weapon, but his

Noor Stone training has only just begun.

Real Name Nizar Babikr Home Country France Category99 Auxiliary Member

Super-enhanced hearing. He can hearsounds at great distances and can evenhear sounds that are beyond normallevels of human hearing, into theultrasonic range.

Has potential to transfer and amplifysound.

Has potential to manipulate soundwaves as a weapon.

Adept at sign language, which he usesto communicate with his father andwith The 99.

In the comic, we have used Sami asa way into the Batina story, which willbecome an important part of ouroverall plotline. With his enhancedhearing, Sami is the only one whocan locate Batina when she is usingher Noor Stone to conceal herself. Shethen convinces him to spend some

time at the isolated Himalayan retreatwhere she lives, and where otheras-yet-unknown Stone Bearers dwell.This quieter setting proves a betterplace for Sami to develop his powersin peace.

See the Batina entry for more details.

Gender Male

Age 16

Height 165cm

Weight 70kg

Eye Color Brown

Hair Color BlackGem Color/Glow Green

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27/48

Abena Liza Dagate is a young woman with an obsessive personality that compels her to

organize her surroundings to maddening degrees of order. As a young girl in primary school in

Ghana, she constantly complained about any inefciencies in teachers programs or even in the

school cafeterias serving method. When her parents died, Liza moved to Harlem in New YorkCity to live with her aunt and uncle. There she adopted her traditional name of Abena and quit

calling herself Liza as she had in school. She was anxious to show her traditional identity in her

new world.

When Liza arrived, her aunt and uncle were in danger of losing their home to gentrication. Her

aunt was selling some items to the local pawnshop, including an old gemstone. Suddenly, Soora

the Organizer was born. She could see clearly what forms to le, in what order, and how to deal

with the banks in order to save the family home. She then resolved to use that ability to help

other longstanding Harlem natives to stay in their homes.

Eventually, Soora nds her new compulsions too challenging, and seeks peace inBatina the Hiddens Himalayan retreat. That is where The 99 will encounter her for

the rst time.

Real Name Abena Liza Dagate Home Country Ghana Category99 Auxiliary Member

Ability to intuitively organize anything,creatingforcingorder out of chaosin a wide variety of ways.

Soora is one of a group of StoneBearers were planning to introducethrough Batinas Himalayan retreat. See

Batina entry for details.

Soora will eventually form a semi-regular triad with Noora and Mujiba(see separate entries). Mujiba can readthe truths buried in the Noor Stones;Soora will help her sort and organizethe information; and Noora will allowthem to present it to others in the formof light-projections.

Gender FemaleAge 18

Height 183cm

Weight 79kg

Eye Color Brown

Hair Color Black

Gem Color/Glow Orange-Red

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28/48

Naser Ali, who inherited his Noor Stone from a family member, wears it in a locket around his

neck. The locket also contains a photo of his parents at home in Qatar.

For almost as long as he can remember, Naser has seen unusual images -- visions of possiblefutures. The visions dont always come true, so Naser has learned to use discretion about

sharing them with others.

Naser meets members of The 99 while waiting for his fathers ight to land at New Yorks

Kennedy Airport. He is agitated by a vision of his fathers plane landing in a ery

collision with another plane. Dr. Ramzi notices the boy, and calls on The 99 to

help avert the crash. The team befriends the boy, who visits The 99 in Seville

when they need his help. He now lives in Los Angeles, but is also a member of

the Junior 99, a secret team of the youngest Stone Bearers.

Real Name Naser Ali Home Country Qatar Category99 Auxiliary Member; Founding Member, Junior 99

At unpredictable times, Aleem can seevisions of possible futures.

The Junior 99 debuts in the upcomingissue #16. It consists of Aleem, Wassi,and Samda, and is led by Jabbars bossy(but non-powered) sister Noaf. All the

kids are in the 8- to 11-year-old range,and take pride in running away fromtheir older counterparts to have secretadventures. Dr. Ramzi and the regular99 dont yet know of the younger teamsexistence.

Gender Male

Age 8Height 106cm

Weight 29kg

Eye Color Brown

Hair Color Black


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29/48

Ashok Mohan lived with his older sister on the outskirts of Jaipur, the Pink City. With both

their parents dead, Ashoks sister managed to care for her younger brother by working in a

tourist hotel in the city. Ashok is smart and resourceful, and a bit of a smart aleck. He obtained

his Noor Stone as a gift from a teacher who noticed a special quality in the youngster.

After Ashok received the Noor Stone, he began to experience some startling physical changes.

Parts of his body would grow and then shrink uncontrollably. During the Gangaur Elephant

Festival, Ashok caused a disturbance by stretching his neck up ten feet to see the elephants.

The crowd panicked, causing the elephants to stampede. The 99, having travelled to India in

response to newspaper reports of a Giant Boy, took charge. Noora and Jabbar worked with

Ashok to control the frantic elephants, and Ashok learned for the rst

time about his Noor Stones power.

Some time later, Ashok made his way to The 99 in Seville, where

Dr. Ramzi asked Jami to help the younger boy adjust. Jami barelytolerates the younger boy, but at least Jami has someone smaller

to pick on now.

Real Name Ashok Mohan Home Country India Category99 Auxiliary Member; Founding Member, Junior 99

Wassi can temporarily enlarge orelongate isolated parts of his body --an arm, a leg, his neck.

When linked in a triad, he can enlargehis entire body at once. With training,he may eventually be able to do thisalone.

See the Aleem entry for details on theJunior 99.

Gender Male

Age 11

Height 122cm

Weight 40kg

Eye Color Brown

Hair Color Black


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30/48

Aisha TBD is an eight-year-old Libyan girl who lives with her extended family in the city of

Tripoli. Her uncle is an amateur archeologist who goes into the desert to search for

fossilized trilobites, sometimes bringing the children along. One night, Samda found a small,

crumbling wooden box hidden among the rocks -- with a Noor Stone inside, wrapped insilken rags.

A sudden windstorm whipped up out of the desert, overtaking Samda, who heard

her uncle yelling her name through the wind. Clutching the stone, she planted

her feet, leaned into the wind, and miraculously stayed in place. When the uncle

found her, he retreated to safety behind Samda, whose newfound force eld

protected him as well.

Later, the family observes that when Aisha uses the gem, nothing can touch her.

They learn of Ramzi and The 99 from the news and Aisha travels to Paris, where

she stays with Jabbars family and becomes best friends with his little sisterNoaf. As Samda, Aisha is a member of The Junior 99 (99 #16).

Aisha is a very calm, fearless little girl, because she knows she

cannot be harmed. She dresses in a stylish hijab of her own

choosing. In the Junior 99, Aisha defers to Noaf, who is one week

older than her; but she secretly nds Noafs bossiness amusing.

Real Name Aisha MOKHTAR Home Country Libya Category99 Auxiliary Member; Founding Member, Junior 99

Samda emits a force eld that protectsher, and anyone near her, from allharm.

Cannot be moved once she plantsher feet.

See the Aleem entry for details on theJunior 99.

Gender Female

Age 8

Height 91cm

Weight 31kg

Eye Color Brown

Hair Color Black


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31/48

Little is known about Batina the Hidden, whose mastery of her gemstone gives her the ability to

become invisible. She has visited The 99 a few times, always undercover, and her last visit led to

a misunderstanding -- The 99 thought she was an enemy.

In truth, Batina has lived for many years in a remote retreat, invisible to human instruments,

high in the Pakistani part of the Himalayas. This Retreat is a haven for Stone Bearers,

particularly those, like Soora or Sami, who have difculty coping with their gifts. Their paths

will cross with The 99 very soon.

While Batina is intensely curious about the outside world, she isnt yet equipped to deal directly

with it. She prefers to lurk in the shadows, observing but not participating in

the lives of The 99.

Real Name Rola Hadramy Home Country Yemen Category99 Auxiliary Member

Batina can blend into any backgroundand become nearly invisible.

She is very quiet, and can only bedetected by super-sensitive hearinglike Samis.

Batina is our pathway to introducinga new series of Stone Bearers,including Soora and Mujiba. In theupcoming issues #22-24, The 99 willdiscover Batinas hidden Retreat andrealize there are more Stone Bearersthan they know.

At the end of the story, at least one99 member will remain at the Retreat,and Soora and Mujiba will return to theFoundation with The 99. At this writing,we are still working out the details.

Gender Female

Age 17

Height 183cm

Weight 64kg

Eye Color DarkBrown

Hair Color Brown

Gem Color/Glow Blue

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32/48

Dayana Samsudin is a young geology student, originally from the interior of Malaysia but nowstudying at the University of Kuala Lumpur. Her only living relative -- her grandfather, Rahsia-- pays for her studies. A retired tin miner, his stories have inspired young Dayana to pursue a

career in geology.Dayana struggles with her studies due to dyslexia, but retains an amazing amount of practicalinformation from eld studies. One day, Dayana, an amateur rock hound, steps into a small shopin the bustling Chinese section of the city, where she nds a curious gem. She works hard atseveral part-time jobs to earn enough money to obtain the gem. When the proprietor of the shopnally hands her the stone, she is overcome with a rush of information and collapses on the oor.

Dayana recovers. Later, as she experiments with the gem, she again feels a rush of informationowing into herconnecting her to the timeless wisdom of the Dar Al-Hikma. She is Mujiba theResponder, and the answers her Noor Stone channels into her areall from the books that were in the Dar Al-Hikma.

The wealth of information is overwhelming to Dayana. At rst,she worries that the gem may be coated with some sort ofpoison or hallucinogen. She carefully limits her exposure tothe stone, and seeks to learn how to work with it. This leadsher to Batinas Himalayan retreat, which eventually leads herto Dr. Ramzi and The 99.

Ironically, the 99er with a book-learning disability, the onewho has always struggled with books, becomes a livingconduit to the ancient tomes.

Dr. Ramzi, aware that the stone overwhelms

Mujiba, puts Jami to work on a device that enablesher to lter out the unneeded information and focus on asingle reference section at a time.

When Mujiba is partnered with Soora and Noora together, shewill eventually operate without Jamis lter. Soora helps herto organize the tremendous amount of information insideher mind, while Noora projects it into a light creation. Intime, they could potentially recreate an illusory ancient cityor historical gure.

Real Name Dayana Samsudin Home Country Malaysia Category99 Auxiliary Member

Mujibas mind is a living library, ableto read the Noor Stones and accessall the knowledge of the books of theDar al-Hikma. She knows the squareroot of 363 and the engineeringprinciples behind the Pyramids of Giza.

As noted, Mujiba will be discoveredalong with Soora in Batinas Himalayanretreat. Mujiba, Soora, and Noorawill then form a semi-regular triad thatenhances all three of their powers.

Mujiba does not understand most of theinformation in her head. Complicatingher situation is the fact that theknowledge extends only as far as 1258A.D. She knows the world is not at, buttexts from that time period keep tryingto convince her that it is. When theteam asks her to solve a problem,she sometimes comes up withinformation derived from ancient

superstitions or alchemy texts. Oftenthese solutions dont work, butsometimes they do. Mujiba knows, forexample, the recipe for the KingsWater that helped create the NoorStones.

Gender Female

Age 19

Height 165.1cm

Weight 49.4kg

Eye Color Brown

Hair Color Black

Gem Color/Glow Blue-Violet

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33/48

Atash Azria is an 18-year-old university student, spending his summer holiday doing charity

work. He is helping with the reconstruction of the historic Iranian city of Bam, which was

devastated by an earthquake in 2003. During the school year, Atash studies sustainable

environments at university so he can become an aid and development worker like his aunt,Buran Shirazi, a colleague of Dr. Ramzis (see separate entry).

Amid the rubble of Bam, Atash nds a curious gemstone. When he rst picks it up, he feels

strong and inspired. But then his hand becomes hot, and ames shoot from his hands

onto the half-constructed houses nearby. He panics and ees.

The 99 are called to investigate a series of unexplained res at the Bam site, just

as Buran learns that her nephew has gone missing. They track down Atash, putting

out res along the way, and assure him that they can help him learn to control

his powerful new talent.

As he learns to control his power, Atash will also use his abilities to

enhance his studies of sustainable projects worldwide, as he tries

to understand sustenance living in rural environments across the

developing world. His intimate knowledge of re control may allow

him to help develop new sources of energy.

Jaleels gemstone was, in fact, not one of the Noor Stones that was

carried across the world by the librarians of Baghdad. His gem is a

legendary stone that was lost during the original siege, and was carried by

a lotus ower into the Gulf, across to ancient Persia. A poor man saw it,

gathered it up, and became the worlds rst known Stone Bearer.

Real Name Atash Azria Home Country Iran Category99 Auxiliary Member

Can shoot balls of re. Atash cannotburst completely into ames likeJohnny Storm of the Fantastic Four,but he can use his hands likeamethrowers.

Can control ames.

Is immune to harm from re.

Jaleel will be discovered by The 99in issue #21. The history of his gem willbe revealed separately, and the 99 willdiscover it later.

Gender Male

Age 18

Height 183cm

Weight 77kg

Eye Color Brown

Hair Color Black

Gem Color/Glow Orange

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34/48

Blair Davis is a native of Vancouver, Canada, although he works out of Ottawa for a government-

sponsored think-tank. Blair is a eld agent often assigned to work with investigatory branches

of international governments, and with Interpol.

Blair has become something of an urban legend in Canada he solves or prevents crimes that

most people never even hear about.

Blair has a generally cheery outlook on life, and fancies himself,

somewhat self-mockingly, as the Canadian version of a dashing secret

agent. At the same time, hes ruthlessly pragmatic and quick to sound

the alarm when trouble pops up.

Real Name Blair Davis Home Country Canada Category99 Auxiliary Member (retired)

As a Stone Bearer, he hassuper-heightened awareness of allevents and emotions around him. Hecan eavesdrop from long distances andperceive the inner workings ofbuildings and objects.

As a member of a paranormal thinktank and Canadian government agent,he has access to intelligence fromaround the world.

In the comics, Raqib was one of theearliest Stone Bearers found, and usedhis power to aid The 99 frequently. Herecruited several other members,including Fattah and Hadya. However, itwas decided that the Noor Stonesshould only be used by young people, sowe arranged for him to give up his gem.Within the story, Raqibs reasons weretwofold. He received a promotion in hisday job as an international eld agent,

which left him less time to be apart-time super hero. And, moreimportantly, the gem itself seemed tobe telling him: We are for the young.

Blair is a valuable supporting characterbecause of his intelligence connections,and because of his upbeat personality.One way he could be used in theanimated series would be to introducehim with his Noor Stone -- but have himrealize its not for him and give it upsoon after, then keep him on as anon-powered supporting character.That would drive home the nature of theNoor Stones, rather than violating it.

One possibility, down the line, is tointroduce a new, younger character asa replacement Raqib the Watcher. Wehave considered this in the comics, buthavent made any decisions about it.

In the early comics stories, Blair hasa dog companion named Harold. Thiswas phased out. For cultural reasons,its best not to use the dog.

Gender Male

Age 33

Height 188cm

Weight 82kg

Eye Color Blue

Hair Color Blond

Gem Color/Glow Blue

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Buran Shirazi was an international aid worker, travelling around the world doing humanitarian

work with her husband. Following her husbands tragic death (under circumstances not yet

revealed), Buran needed a changeand found it in an unusual job offer from Dr. Ramzi.

Buran now serves as Dr. Ramzis good right arm. Her pragmatism and sometimes caustic wit

serves as a counterbalance to Ramzis idealistic nature. She is sometimes called on to guide 99

teams on tricky missions, if Ramzi cannot perform the job himself or if her experience

is relevant.

Real Name Buran Shirazi Home Country Iran Category99 Support Staff

None

Burans nephew is the 99 AuxiliaryMember Jaleel the Magnicent (seeseparate entry).

Gender Female

Age Notestablished

Height NotestablishedWeight Notestablished

Eye Color Brown

Hair Color Brown

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Zoran Kryzneski lost an arm, and a lot of good friends, in a bloody war. Now, as The 99s Tactical

Training Ofcer, he trains an army dedicated solely to peace.

Equipped with a robot arm, Zoran serves as The 99s irascible, hard-bitten drill sergeant,training them in defensive techniques and general physical tness. He and Jami carry on a

bickering friendship, working together as Jami designs testing regimens for specic members

of The 99 under Zorans direction.

Real Name Zoran Kryzneski Home Country Serbia Category99 Support Staff

none (his robot arm is just anarticial limb)

Gender Male

Age NotestablishedHeight Notestablished

Weight Notestablished

Eye Color Blue

Hair Color Black

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The Sphinx is one of the most mysterious characters in The 99s world. Enlisted by Blackwolf

in Rughals service, she was trained at a remote, elite martial arts academy, where her

achievements earned her the ancient claw-weapons she wields. She is a formidable hand-to-

hand ghter and clearly intimidates some of Rughals other minions, even those with powersthat outstrip her own.

The Sphinx allows little of her personality to slip past the

mask she always wears, but its clear she possesses an

odd, twisted sense of humor. She has been known to ask

riddles of her prey before taking them down.

See notes below for the Sphinxs secret, which is

subject to change.

Real Name unknown (see below) Home Country unknown CategoryVillain

Sharp claw-weapons mounted on hergloves.

A erce, savage ghter.

The Sphinx has no supernatural orsuperhuman powers.

The secret of the Sphinx: In the comics,

the Sphinx is a long-running mysterycharacter. Her features are completelyhidden by her mask, though its hintedthat she has some connection to The99. Our eventual plan is to reveal heras Simpei, Rughals daughter. Simpeihates her father for killing her brother(Rughals son), and has inltrated hisorganization in order to destroy himfrom within. She will also cultivate analliance with Raqib and Dr. Ramziagainst Rughal, in order to learn The99s secrets. Shes playing both sidesagainst each other.

As of issue #15, Rughal is presumed

dead. The Sphinx and Blackwolf haveassumed control of his businessempire, which they plan to ruletogether. Blackwolf is the onlycharacter who knows the Sphinxs trueidentity. Initially, the two of them havelittle interest in The 99s Noor Stones;however, they will eventually begin tofollow in Rughals footsteps, hoping toharness the power of the ancient gemsfor their own purposes. And thenRughal will return, which will lead to therevelation of the Sphinxs true identity.

Gender Female

Age Unknown

Height Unknown

Weight Unknown

Eye Color Unknown

Hair Color Unknown

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Growing up in Germany, Guenther Gerhardt watched old, grainy lms of wrestling matches from

the United States and Mexico. He was captivated by the outlandish characters, bouncing around

the ring dramatically. He worked out and trained feverishly to become a professional wrestler

but somehow, he was never quite good enough.

Then Thiab al-Daham, also known as Blackwolf, offered Guenther the chance to make a fortune

in an underground ght circuit. All he had to do was agree to a regimen of experimental

steroids, which are constantly pumped into his body from the pack on his back. His muscles

grew to enormous bulk, and Guenther became a star under the nom du guerre Hammerst.

Hammerst is a erce, strong ghter, but the steroids cause him intense migraine

headaches and stomach pain, and he seems to have a bit of a glass jaw. He lost a

crucial match against Mumita, back when she was ghting in the arena. Since then,

he has fought against The 99 at Rughals and Blackwolfs command.

Real Name Guenther Gerhardt Home Country Germany CategoryVillain

Highly enhanced strength and musclepower, due to the steroids heconstantly uses.

As with some other characters,Hammersts origin, violent nature, andthe drug-connected nature of hispowers make him difcult to use under

the current guidelines. He might haveto be toned down somewhat.

Gender MaleAge Unknown

Height 203cm

Weight 127kg

Eye Color Blue

Hair Color Blond

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James Higgins was a normal, working-class British electrician -- until he met Rughal, the

mysterious businessman whose obsessive quest is to control the energies of the ancient Noor

Stones. Rughal gifted Higgins with powerful new abilities based on an imperfect, articial

application of the principles inherent in the Noor Stones.

As the Red Shroud, Higginss body generates a perpetual eld of static electricity, which can be

discharged at his enemies to stun or electrocute them.

Real Name James Higgins Home Country United Kingdom CategoryVillain

Creates and manipulates portals inspace, which allow him to journeyinstantly to any location.

Like The Murk, Red Shroud has onlyappeared once, in issues #5-6. At theclimax of that story, Jami theAssembler stabbed him with a powerful,

electrically charged tuning fork. Thisdisrupted Red Shrouds entire molecular structure, causing him to dissipateinto thin air. He is presumed to havesurvived the experience, but has notresurfaced.

Gender MaleAge 37

Height 161cm

Weight 70kg

Eye Color Red

Hair Color Unknown

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A quick-minded genius, Dr. Nanno -- like his sometime partner, The Pathologist -- was once a

leader in his eld, that of nanotechnology. That prestige ended abruptly when he

performed a dangerous, unauthorized experiment, resulting in a major soccer

stadium being lled to the brim with trillions of microscopic nanobots --during a playoff game.

The resulting chaos and panic led to a legal injunction forbidding Nanno

to come within ve hundred feet of a nanotech lab. To avoid several

thousand civil lawsuits, Nanno accepted witness protection, relocating

to Paris and changing his name to one reecting his own, warped sense

of humor.

Unlike The Pathologist, Nanno is very focused and directed. He has no

special powers, but his obsession with microscopic gadgets drives him to

put in long (illegal) hours in the laboratory. He is very clever and often quitepleased with himself, but cowardly in the face of physical danger.

Real Name I. M. Nanno (original name unknown) Home Country Belgium CategoryVillain

Genius-level intellect and knowledge ofnanotechnology.

Carries around cans of smart dust, aspray-mist that can form 1800 separate chemical compounds at hiscommand, including knockout gas.

Can create other weapons as needed

for a given situation.

Nanno is a fun character -- a meanlittle scientist.

Gender Male

Age 38

Height 155cm

Weight 54kg

Eye Color Blue-Black

Hair Color Gray

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Growing up in Paris, Audric Blondel was obsessed with learning how different organisms

worked, how peoples bodies functioned and what made them fail. In medical school, his

colleagues called him cruel, but they couldnt deny his genius. Over time, Blondel built himself

an array of custom medical instruments...many of them not approved by the reputable medicalcommunity. A dangerous experiment grafted these instruments onto his body, giving him precise

mental control over them.

But the experiments effects went beyond this physical change. It also altered

Blondels perceptions, allowing him to see into and through people...their

internal organs, their illnesses, their centers of pain. Inanimate

objects, like machines, became distorted to him, like childrens

toys seen through a funhouse mirror.

Under Blackwolfs command, Blondel -- now known as the

Pathologist -- used dangerous chemicals to increase thestrength of ghters at the Underground Battledome

Fighting Arena. Later, he was enlisted by Rughal to ght

The 99 and to attempt to replicate the powers of the

Noor Stones articially. He has been unsuccess-

ful at both.

The Pathologist is a problematic character;

see notes.

Real Name Audric Blondel Home Country France CategoryVillain

Wields deadly, mentally-controlledmedical instruments, which are fusedonto his body, with pinpoint accuracy.

Sees through and inside people,allowing him to instantly assess theirweak spots and pain centers.

The Pathologist is a difcult characterto use under the current seriesguidelines: Hes basically a sadist andhes on drugs all the time.

Gender Male

Age 49

Height 187cm

Weight 59kg

Eye Color Blue

Hair Color Grey

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One of Blackwolfs duties for Rughal involves the training of an army of loyal Drones. Despite

their robotic appearance, these warriors are quite human. They come from a variety of

countries and circumstances: Some are mercenaries for hire, others are drifters, and still

others are desperately poor men seeking only to feed their families.

The Drones power, like that of Red Shroud and Blackwolf himself,

derives from a process designed to articially simulate the energy

of the fabled Noor Stones. This process is awed; the results do not

even begin to approach the power or precision of The 99s

genuine Noor Stone bearers. At best, the Drones are slightly

more powerful than ordinary, armed mercenaries. However,

there are an awful lot of them.

Real Names Various Home Countries Various CategoryVillains

Enhanced strength, speed, and agility.

Some weapons training.

The Drone Warriors are basicallyRughals attempt to overwhelm The 99,whose power is greater, with hugenumbers.

Gender AllMaleAge variesfrom20to44

Height varies

Weight varies

Eye Color varies

Hair Color varies

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A erce ghter in the Underground Battledome Fighting Arena, The Savage was defeated in

combat by Hammerst. Later, the two of them worked together for Rughal against The 99.

The Savage was treated with many of the same steroids as Hammerst, at a lower dosage. Thismay explain the profuse hair all over his body. Little else is known of him except that he has a

very bad temper.

Real Name unknown Home Country unknown CategoryVillain

Enhanced strength and agility.

Basically only used in one earlynewspaper strip starring Mumita, andthen as part of an attack force in issues#11-12.

Gender Male

Age unknown

Height notestablishedWeight notestablished

Eye Color White(nopupils)

Hair Color Red

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Razors Edge is another ghter from the Arena, a very mean little man known as the mini-

mauler. He presumably was treated with the same steroid compounds as Hammerst and The

Savage, but this is not known for sure. Mumita defeated him soundly.

Real Name unknown Home Country Indonesia CategoryVillain

Enhanced strength.

Our most obscure character! Has onlyappeared in an early Mumita newspaperstrip, where all he did was getcoldcocked.

Gender Male

Age unknown

Height notestablishedWeight notestablished

Eye Color Brown

Hair Color Black

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45/48

MISCELLANEOUS

Locations/Environments

RAMZISHEADQUARTERS THETRAININGGROUND RUGHALSOFFICE

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Ramzi Razem will operate out of an old manor house on the outskirts of Seville, near an archaeological

dig. Seville, in southern Spain, has a very strong Islamic inuence in its architecture and its culture.In the story of the Noor Stones, the Husn Al-Marifa is built in Andalusia because Andalusia or Al

Andalus, as the Muslims called it represented a relatively safe haven for their religion and culture.

Seville is the capital of Andalusia. It also happens to be one of the most beautiful cities of southern

Spain and is replete with Islamic design and atmosphere.

Ramzis house has living quarters that accommodate Ramzi, Buran, Zoran and as many as a dozen

members of The 99. The house is also a showcase for Ramzis interest in botany. Part laboratory, part

library, the place is initially far less high tech than Rughals headquarters. Not that Ramzi particularly

likes it that way, but, as a perpetually under-funded academic, nance is always an issue for him.

Eventually, Ramzi, and especially Buran, will prove themselves to be almost as adept at gathering loans

and grant money as they will prove to be at gathering Stone Bearers.

Ramzi doesnt publicize the location of his headquarters, but hes not one to take unnecessary chances.

Jami is constantly setting up new alarms and defense capabilities, which will include lasers, motion

detectors, and Noor Stone energy detectors. These measures will enhance Ramzis more organic

defenses, which include quicksand, noxious plants and even a hive of ever-vigilant wasps.

Once Jami settles in, hell rig Ramzis computers so that theyll have direct feeds to several

intelligence data bases.

Location Seville, Spain Category Setting/Environment

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A stones throw from Ramzis manor house is The 99s underground training area, set in ancient,

relic-lled caverns. These caverns are directly beneath the ruins of the old dome, a location imbuedwith a mystical, timeless power.

Ramzi, a direct descendant of one of the Huras Al-Hikma, is not only trying to re-unite the Noor Stones

and their powers hes also trying to bring them together at the ancient location of the Husn Al-Marifa,

where their united presence will unleash even greater power.

Of course, Rughal also knows that the ground that the Husn Al-Marifa once occupied has great mystical

power. At the moment, hes trying to recreate a replica of the Husn Al-Marifa in his corporate

headquarters in Hong Kong, but his ultimate desire is to reconstruct the actual Fortress at its original

location, with the Fortress and the 99 gemstones under his direct control. Unknown to Rughal,

Ramzi is already one step ahead and has constructed the training facility for The 99 beneath the

ancient ruins.

The ruins of the ancient Fortress of Knowledge look just like neglected Moorish ruins, over-grown and

unkempt. But beneath Ramzis manor, theres a large boulder that only Nawaf can lift, and beneath this

boulder there is a tunnel to the large and elaborate underground training facility where The 99 hone

their powers.

Location Spain Category Setting/Environment

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Rughal will have the highest high tech ofce imaginable in the corporate headquarters of Mamluk

International, in Hong Kong. This ofce will hide an extraordinary inner chamber: a small-sized replica

of the inside of the great dome, the Husn al-Marifa. Rughal hopes to adorn it with the Noor Stones that

he intends to take from The 99.

Outside of Rughals ofce is an elegant waiting area, adorned with lush curtains and chandeliers and

ancient spears and columns.

Location Mamluk International, Hong Kong Category Setting/Environment

The 99 Char Guide 1

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