Comics had many Muslim Heroes in the 1940s—including two (or three?) Superheroes
The first Muslim superhero appeared in 1944, over three decades before the first unambiguously Jewish superhero . In the first half of the twentieth century, the US loved Muslim and Middle Eastern characters. Rudolph Valentino became one of the first Hollywood heartthrobs in 1921 after starring in The Sheik . One of Douglas Fairbanks’ biggest hits was The Thief of Bagdad in 1924. Aladdin, Sinbad, and original Arabian heroes appeared in books, movies, and newspaper strips. It was only natural for the comic book industry to exploit the popularity of Muslim characters. In 1942, the oddly named Raja the Arabian Knight was a contender for the title of the first Muslim comic book superhero. He appeared in five issues of Big Shot Comics and made the cover on one: Why he’s called Raja, an Indian word for king, we’re never told. Nor do we learn his real name or why he likes running around without a shirt. At the start of his first story, he seems to be accepting the job of ...