Naif al-Sheikh
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| Naif al-Sheikh | |
 Naif uncovers a clue, art by Doug Mahnke |
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| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Justice League Elite #1, September (2004) |
| Created by | Joe Kelly Doug Mahnke |
| In story information | |
| Alter ego | Naif al-Sheikh |
| Team affiliations | Justice League Elite, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Interior |
| Abilities | Espionage expert. |
Naif al-Sheikh is a fictional character, a Saudi superhero in the DC Comics universe and a former member of Justice League Elite. Created by Joe Kelly and Doug Mahnke, the character first appeared in Justice League Elite #1 (September 2004).
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[edit] Fictional character biography
Although lacking superpowers he is a former expert in international espionage and was brought in by Vera Black because she hopes his hatred of metahumans will keep the team in check. It took time for Vera convince al-Sheikh to oversee and coordinate the new team. Naif was eventually swayed by his previous ties to Vera and by his dedication to the cause of global justice. He also was highly motivated by the deaths of his wife, Shiya, and two children who were killed by a metahuman operative named Wolfwood. [1]
[edit] Trust
Al-Sheikh held so much clout on the world stage that he was able to assemble and address a secret assembly of world leaders, who agreed to support the fiction that "the Elite do not exist". Naif always remained in the Factory's command center, so he had no choice but to trust Vera's mission reports. Whenever she returned, she reported her experience only to al-Sheikh. Al-Sheikh was enraged over the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of a dictator named Hi-Shan Bhat during the team's first mission. Naif launched an in-depth forensic investigation. Both knew that this bode poorly for the Elite's future.[2]
[edit] Betrayal
Al-Sheikh continued his autopsy of Bhat while the team took on their next mission. Vera had also asked Manitou Raven to conduct a mystical autopsy. Raven and al-Sheikh made their conclusions around the same time, but before Raven could reveal the team's killer, he followed the team in pursuit of the villain Aftermath and died taking the brunt of a bomb. Around the same time, Manchester Black's disembodied Psiself finally succeeded in taking over Vera's body. Meanwhile, Naif's second autopsy of Bhat yielded DNA evidence linking Coldcast to the murder. When Coldcast returned to the Factory, he was taken into custody by the JLA and charged with Bhat's death. Al-Sheikh then disbanded the Elite and offered comfort to Manitou Raven's widow, Dawn. Dawn presented him with a gift of her husband's mystical hatchet.[3]
[edit] Justice
Al-Sheikh was hard-pressed to believe in Vera's innocence due to her actions while possessed. Manitou Raven appeared to various members of the Elite and implored them to regroup against and free Vera's mind and body from Manchester's influence. He visited al-Sheikh just as he was about to trigger a device designed to explosively terminate Vera, at the moment of Raven's intervention, he had been ready to destroy her. Naif ultimately refused to destroy Vera, and was interred in Pennington Army Prison in Montana. After Manchester Black was defeated by the Elite, Vera was restored and she immediately had Naif al-Sheikh released from prison. Riding off into the sunset in a limo driven by Vera, they hinted at starting a new endeavor with "a few friends".[4]
[edit] Abilities
- Expert on international espionage and "Black Ops".
- Naif is also a formidable computer engineer. He has a cybernetic helper with artificial intelligence.
- He was given Manitou Raven's mystical hatchet by Manitou Dawn. The hatchet cannot pierce the skin of a good man.
