Loved Ms. Marvel? 10 More Muslim and South Asian Superheroes

Created by Phil Klemmer and Marc Guggenheim and played by Iranian-American and Muslim actress Tala Ashe, Zari Tarazi (or Tomaz, her apparent alias) was loosely based on the DC Comics character Adrianna Tomaz/Isis. But she always distinctly stood out, with the Legends writers and Ashe creating a tremendous and fantastic lead that could be considered nearly wholly original. Zari is an Iranian-American and Muslim hacktivist from a dystopic future where ARGUS has banned religion and murdered her brother Behrad and presumably her parents, and she will stop at nothing to change her future. When she finds her family amulet that gives her wind powers and meets up with the time-traveling Legends, she winds up on an adventure and goes on a journey of self-discovery while saving countless innocents through time. We see her fasting for Ramadan and refusing to drink alcohol, in casual but meaningful scenes that show her sincere devoutness.

Eventually she does succeed in changing the future and preserving her brother’s life, but at a cost to her own existence in the timeline: she’s replaced with a Zari who never had to face hardship, and in fact gained widespread media success. Initially appearing shallow, “Zari 2.0” soon starts to discover she has more in common with the previous Zari than viewers might have expected as she becomes a Legends team member. Witty, smart, brave, and caring, Zari in both her versions is an absolute standout character, providing wonderful and meaningful representation for Muslims and West Asian/Middle Eastern people everywhere. Post-Legends of Tomorrow, Zari will continue to stand out and live on, and hopefully will enter the comics and other media and continue as she deserves to. (Netflix)

Created by Phil Klemmer and Marc Guggenheim and played by Iranian-American and Muslim actress Tala Ashe, Zari Tarazi (or Tomaz, her apparent alias) was loosely based on the DC Comics character Adrianna Tomaz/Isis. But she always distinctly stood out, with the Legends writers and Ashe creating a tremendous and fantastic lead that could be considered nearly wholly original. Zari is an Iranian-American and Muslim hacktivist from a dystopic future where ARGUS has banned religion and murdered her brother Behrad and presumably her parents, and she will stop at nothing to change her future. When she finds her family amulet that gives her wind powers and meets up with the time-traveling Legends, she winds up on an adventure and goes on a journey of self-discovery while saving countless innocents through time. We see her fasting for Ramadan and refusing to drink alcohol, in casual but meaningful scenes that show her sincere devoutness.

Eventually she does succeed in changing the future and preserving her brother’s life, but at a cost to her own existence in the timeline: she’s replaced with a Zari who never had to face hardship, and in fact gained widespread media success. Initially appearing shallow, “Zari 2.0” soon starts to discover she has more in common with the previous Zari than viewers might have expected as she becomes a Legends team member. Witty, smart, brave, and caring, Zari in both her versions is an absolute standout character, providing wonderful and meaningful representation for Muslims and West Asian/Middle Eastern people everywhere. Post-Legends of Tomorrow, Zari will continue to stand out and live on, and hopefully will enter the comics and other media and continue as she deserves to. (Netflix)