New X-Men #133
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeNew X-Men #133 — titled 'Dust' — marks the first appearance of Sooraya Qadir (Dust), a Pashtun Sunni Muslim mutant from Afghanistan and one of the earliest overtly Islamic characters to debut in mainstream superhero comics in the direct aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Her arrival signaled Grant Morrison's intent to use the X-Men as a vehicle for engaging real-world geopolitical and cultural tensions, extending the franchise's long tradition of using mutant identity as a metaphor for marginalized peoples. The issue also records the first appearance of the Mumbai branch of X-Corporation, widening the global scope of Morrison's run considerably. Dust went on to become a sustained presence across two decades of X-Men publishing — including the Krakoa era — making this issue a genuine point of origin for one of Marvel's most discussed representations of Muslim womanhood in comics.
In "Dust," Grant Morrison and Ethan Van Sciver deliver a tense, character-driven chapter where Wolverine races to rescue Sooraya from Fantomex’s grasp, while Professor X faces a shocking betrayal when Lilandra, believing him to be the impostor Cassandra Nova, turns against him during a crisis aboard a hijacked airliner. The issue’s emotional stakes are heightened by Frank Quitely’s striking cover, capturing the moment’s raw intensity.
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The issue was written by Grant Morrison and penciled by Ethan Van Sciver, with inks by Norm Rapmund, colors by Chris Chuckry, and a cover by Frank Quitely — though notably Van Sciver, not the series' regular artist Quitely, drew the interior, as Morrison's 'New Worlds' arc (#127–133) cycled through several pencilers. It falls as the concluding chapter of that arc and was edited by Mike Marts under editor-in-chief Joe Quesada. Morrison later reflected, in their memoir Supergods, that the New X-Men run became 'a diary of my own growing distrust of post-9/11 conformity culture,' situating Dust's introduction within a deliberate creative and political framework rather than as an opportunistic gesture.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Dust (Sooraya Qadir), a Pashtun Sunni Muslim mutant from Kandahar, Afghanistan, with the ability to transform her body into a sentient cloud of sand-like particles.
- First appearance of the Mumbai branch of X-Corporation, the global mutant-outreach organization Morrison introduced earlier in the run.
- Written by Grant Morrison; interior art by Ethan Van Sciver (pencils) and Norm Rapmund (inks); cover by Frank Quitely.
- Story title is 'Dust'; on-sale date October 16, 2002; cover date December 2002; published monthly by Marvel Comics under editor Mike Marts.
- Dual plot structure: Wolverine and Fantomex rescue Sooraya from an Afghan mutant slave ring in one thread, while Professor X survives a Lilandra-led assassination attempt in Mumbai in the other — ending with the Shi'ar formally nullifying Xavier's marriage to Lilandra.
- Key Collector identifies Dust as 'the first X-Men character who wears an abaya and niqab,' a distinction that sparked two decades of critical academic and fan debate about post-9/11 Muslim representation in mainstream comics.
- Reprinted in the trade paperback New X-Men Vol. 3: New Worlds (2006), the digest-sized Grant Morrison Book 4 (2011), and the New X-Men Modern Era Epic Collection: New Worlds (2025), as well as in international editions including Egmont and Hjemmet/Egmont Scandinavian reprints.
- Dust retained her powers after the Scarlet Witch's 'Decimation' event — which depowered over 90% of mutantkind — cementing her as a lasting fixture rather than a one-off character.
Cast · 14 characters
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Wolverine confronts Fantomex and frees Sooraya from his clutches. Meanwhile, Professor X foils an airliner hijacking but is then attacked by Lilandra, who believes he is still Cassandra Nova. Lilandra is returned to her people, who declare her marriage to Charles to be void.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).
Key issues in New X-Men
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