Man, I didn't know those things came in C-cup.
DUST (Sooraya Qadir)
Created By: Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely & Ethan Van Sciver
First Appearance: The New X-Men #133 (Dec. 2002)
Group Affiliations: X-Students, The Hellions, The Young X-Men
Status: Alive
Role: Captain Ethnic, Shy Girl
PL 8 (153)
STRENGTH 1
STAMINA 2
AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 6
DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 1
AWARENESS 2
PRESENCE 0
Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+4)
Athletics 3 (+4)
Expertise (History) 4 (+5)
Expertise (Theology & Philosophy) 6 (+7)
Expertise (Survival) 2 (+4)
Perception 4 (+6)
Insight 3 (+5)
Investigation 1 (+3)
Persuasion 5 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Sand) 2 (+8)
Stealth 4 (+6)
Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Daze (Persuasion), Equipment (X-Student Uniform- Communications, Protection +1), Ranged Attack 4, Set-Up, Teamwork
Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Dust Form"
Alternate Form (Feats: Selective) [1]
Immunity 2 (Suffocation 2) [2]
Immunity 70 (Bludgeoning, Piercing & Slashing Damage, Magic & Mental Effects) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [35]
Flight 4 (30 mph) [8]
"Cloud of Particles" Insubtantial 1 [5]
"Focused Attack" Blast 5 Linked to Weaken Toughness 5 (Extras: Ranged, Affects Objects) (25) -- [30]
-
AE: "Particulate Attack" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Shapeable, Penetrating) (24)
- AE: Suffocate 8 (16)
- AE: "Sand in the Eyes" Visual Dazzle 8 (16)
- AE: "Sand Everywhere" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (4)
- AE: "Sandstorm" Environment 2 (60 feet) (Impede Movement, Visibility 2) (Extras: Selective) (8)
Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Focused Attack +8 (+5 Ranged Damage & +5 Ranged Weaken, DC 20 & 15)
Suffocate/Dazzle +8 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Particulate Attack +8 Area (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +2
Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +2 (+3 D.Roll), Fortitude +4, Will +5
Complications:
Responsibility (Super-Muslim)- Sooraya is intensely religious, and belives strongly in the virtue of modesty, covering her entire body in a burqa.
Relationship (Mother)- Sooraya lost her mother in Afghanistan years ago, and has never found her.
Vulnerable (Wind Attacks)- Wind will easily scatter Sooraya's "Sand Form"
Involuntary Transformation (Immobile Glass or Mud)- Fire will burn Sooraya into glass, and water will turn her into mud. If the glass is shattered, Sooraya will have to be manually put back together by another.
Total: Abilities: 32 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 81 / Defenses: 13 (153)
-Dust is an odd mix of stuff- she has some stereotypical qualities (she's a covering-wearing Muslim from the Middle East and has sand-powers), but is actually treated like a well-rounded character with believes that are conservative, but not portrayed as insane. And, in a nice choice, they HAVEN'T gone back on it and slutted her up with cleavage & tights (though her outfit is a liiiiiittttle tight for someone interested in "modesty") with the next new artist on the book- giving us the most visually uninteresting superhero ever, but possibly the most unique one as well.
-Alas, they pretty much avoid any mention of controversies over burqas, hijabs, abayas (
the abaya is the whole dress, while the hijab is the face thing) and stuff like that- the one time I saw them mention it, it was Surge acting like a bitch and freaking out on a non-argumentative Sooraya for "disrespecting all women". I mean, there's a lot of stuff there- like how the whole veil thing isn't actually mentioned in the Quran AT ALL, and is more of a cultural thing (believed to be from back in the Persian or Byzantine Empires- many older societies had veils as a symbol of the aristocracy) that many countries force on their female populace in the name of "modesty", but is really about controlling women (it did not become popular until years after Mohammed's death). Hell, more Muslim countries BAN the stuff than any European country, despite all the whining and harranguing whenever someone in Europe makes mention of the practise! Plus the movement gained popularity with youth movements in the 1970s as a rejection of Westernization and all that. Personally I think it's all a bunch of cultural, nationalistic and religious hooey (thank God I can be a little more honest here- I was always worried about a Mod reading this and freaking out on Ronin Army), but it's still an interesting argument that could be portrayed in the funny books.
-This is all a bit skirted over by the fact that Sooraya is depicted as WANTING to wear the thing, and doesn't moralize at her teammates (heck, she had EMMA FREAKING FROST as an Advisor, and didn't bring it up!). It pretty much avoids the controversy aspect because she's not shown as being forced to be an "Honor Kill" threatening father-figure to do it. Also she speaks Arabic, despite being from an era with two other languages being more important (not a writer mistake IN THEORY, because she COULD know the others, or merely be from a spot where Arabic was common, but it still reminds me of the times people wrote Brazilian Roberto da Costa as speaking Spanish). Alas, she pretty well stopped showing up in a major way after
Young X-Men was cancelled- she went off with Wolverine's school during
Schism, but the writers changed their mind and made her a part of the
X-Men Legacy book of side-characters, but only as a Backgrounder. She was also killed, but resurrected by Ink's Phoenix Tattoo, thus curing her of one of those "My Mutant Powers Are Killing Me" things (she was turning to glass).
-Sooraya's powers are a bit unusual, in that it's an Alternate Form Sand-type dealie with an Area Blast/Corrosion thing. She kinda borrows a bit from The Sandman and other particulate types, but also has some unique tricks. She can authentically Fly, go Insubstantial (only at Rank 1- Dust/Sand is explicitly given as that), blast away at people with a Shapeable, Penetrating Area attack, use Corrosion (Blast/Weaken) on single targets, or just Suffocate them, obscure large areas, and is Immune to a TON of things (Telepaths have a hard time picking her up, for example, and Magic does less damage). It also brings with it a swack of Complications that only affect this form, many of which are VERY frequent in her battles, since "can barely be hurt by anything" can be quite the Game-Breaker. Altogether, Dust is very unique and tricky to fight, and is one of the costlier Young X-Men (costing more than a PL 10 Player Character!), but has enough weaknesses to avoid making her too cheesy.