Achmed El Gibár (Storm's mentor)

ACHMED EL GIBÁR

Real Name: Achmed El Gibár

Identity/Class: Human, citizen of Egypt

Occupation: Master thief, mentor and leader of Cairo's street urchins

Group Membership: Street Urchins (Abdul, Hakiim, Jamil, Nari, Karima, various unidentified others)

Affiliations: Storm (Ororo Munroe);
formerly Desmond Barrett;
possibly Amahl Farouk (see comments)

Enemies: Desmond Barrett, Bond, Candra

Known Relatives: Ororo Munroe (Storm, surrogate daughter), Jamil (surrogate son)

Aliases: Thief King

Base of Operations: Cairo, Egypt

First Appearance: X-Men I#102 (September, 1976)

Powers/Abilities: Achmed El Gibár possessed no superhuman abilities but was an exceptionally accomplished thief, proficient in pickpocketing, lockpicking, stealth and infiltration. He was a skilled instructor who trained generations of homeless children to survive through thievery. Achmed also possessed considerable leadership skills and an intimate knowledge of Cairo and its criminal underworld. Achmed spoke Arabic, Berber, French and English.

Height: Unrevealed (approximately 5'9")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 155 lbs.)
Eyes: Brown (sometimes portrayed with blue eyes)
Hair: Gray

History:

(X-Men I#102 (fb) - BTS) - Achmed El Gibár was a master thief living in Cairo, Egypt, where he gathered a group of homeless and orphaned children under his protection. Recognizing that the children had few opportunities to survive on their own, Achmed taught them to beg, steal, pick pockets and open locks, providing them with the skills necessary to survive on the city's streets.

(X-Men I#102 (fb) / X-Men I#113 (fb)) - Among the children taken in by Achmed was six-year-old Ororo Munroe, whose parents, David and N'Daré Munroe, had been killed when an aircraft crashed into their home in Cairo. Having survived being buried beneath the rubble, the traumatized Ororo wandered the streets until she encountered several of Achmed's young thieves, who brought her to their mentor.

(Uncanny Origins I#9 (fb)) - Achmed attempted to communicate with the young Ororo, speaking to her in Arabic, Berber and French before finally eliciting a response when he addressed her in English. Calling her "White Hair", Achmed explained that she had fallen through the cracks of society and was now entirely on her own. He warned that she stood little chance of surviving on the streets of Cairo unless she allowed him to teach her how.

(X-Men I#102 (fb) - BTS / X-Men I#113 (fb) / X-Men Unlimited I#7 (fb)) - Taking Ororo into his group of young thieves, Achmed began teaching her the art of thievery. A harsh and demanding taskmaster, Achmed relentlessly drilled his pupils, determined that Ororo in particular would excel at their chosen profession. Although many regarded thievery as a petty occupation, Achmed considered it an art form that demanded discipline, dedication and exceptional skill.

(X-Men I#113 (fb)) - Within a year, Ororo had become Cairo's finest beggar, but Achmed expected even greater things from his promising pupil. Training her tirelessly, both day and night, he taught her to open virtually any lock under even the most challenging conditions and in record time. Her exercises included opening large safes using nothing but her feet and toes, as well as escaping from locked and bolted rooms while physically restrained.

(X-Men I#113 (fb) / X-Men Unlimited I#7 (fb)) - Ororo became his prize pupil, and Achmed gradually assumed the role of a surrogate father in her life.

(X-Men II#60 (fb)) - During her childhood in Cairo, Ororo acquired a mysterious ruby known as the Heart of Eternal Darkness. When Achmed learned of her theft, he reprimanded her and confiscated the jewel for safekeeping. Neither was aware that the ruby belonged to Candra, an immortal mutant whose life force and power were bound to the gem.

(Uncanny X-Men: First Class Giant-Size Special#1/2 (fb) - BTS) - Recognizing that his eight-year-old pupil Ororo, whom he called Snow-Top, continued to suppress the painful memories of her parents' deaths, Achmed devised an elaborate plan to help her confront her past. Having secretly placed a wooden box inside Cairo's Museum of Set, Achmed assigned Ororo her first solo mission, instructing her to retrieve the box.

(Uncanny X-Men: First Class Giant-Size Special#1/2 (fb)) - Successfully navigating the museum's security measures, including guard dogs, venomous snakes and armed guards, Ororo returned to Achmed with her prize. Achmed revealed that he had placed the box there himself and instructed her to open it. Inside was a photograph of Ororo with her parents. Explaining that a great thief could hide from others but never from herself, Achmed encouraged the girl to stop hiding behind the name Snow-Top and reclaim her true name, Ororo. Overwhelmed by painful memories, Ororo angrily rejected his words and fled in tears. Although she initially resented Achmed for forcing her to confront her grief, she eventually came to understand his intentions, allowing herself to mourn her parents and appreciate the gift her mentor had given her.

(Ororo: Before the Storm I#1) - While three of his young thieves, Ororo Munroe, Nari and Hakiim, attempted to steal food from a warehouse in Cairo, their activities attracted the attention of several guards. Although Nari escaped, Ororo remained behind to help Hakiim, who had failed to jump between two rooftops. When the guards cornered the children, Achmed intervened, revealing himself as their master and intimidating the men into returning the stolen food. Achmed subsequently returned to the thieves' hideout, where he reprimanded Nari for abandoning her companions. He also intended to punish Hakiim for his failure, but Ororo accepted responsibility for the incident, prompting Achmed to deny his prize pupil her evening meal. The following day, Achmed was approached by a mysterious stranger named Desmond Barrett, who wished to hire his thieves for a particularly dangerous assignment. Achmed initially refused, concerned about the risks involved, but reconsidered after Barrett offered him a substantial payment.

(Ororo: Before the Storm I#2) - Achmed continued training his young thieves, putting them through exercises designed to sharpen their skills. Ororo once again distinguished herself as his most accomplished pupil, further aggravating her rivalry with Nari. Achmed subsequently accompanied Ororo, Nari and Hakiim to an archaeological excavation, where he introduced the three children to Barrett as the finest thieves in Cairo. Barrett was initially displeased to discover that Achmed intended to employ children, but Achmed convinced him of their abilities. Barrett explained that he wanted them to retrieve the Opal of Ozymandias from an ancient temple filled with deadly traps. According to legend, the opal possessed extraordinary powers connected to the ancient warlord En Sabah Nur. Despite the dangers, Achmed permitted his pupils to enter the temple and retrieve the artifact.

(Ororo: Before the Storm I#3) - While Ororo, Nari and Hakiim attempted to retrieve the Opal of Ozymandias, their expedition brought them into conflict with the ancient being Ozymandias. The children eventually escaped the temple with the artifact, only to discover that Barrett had no intention of honoring his agreement. Believing that Ororo and Hakiim had been killed when part of the temple collapsed, Barrett subsequently had Achmed, Nari and the other street urchins taken prisoner.

(Ororo: Before the Storm I#4) - Held captive alongside Nari and several of his other pupils, Achmed discovered that Barrett intended to sacrifice the children in a ritual designed to resurrect the ancient mutant En Sabah Nur, better known as Apocalypse. However, Ororo and Hakiim had survived the temple's collapse and returned with another young thief, Abdul, to rescue their companions. While Abdul distracted Barrett's guards, Ororo and Hakiim freed Achmed and the other prisoners. Relieved to see his pupils alive, Achmed urged them to escape before Abdul was overwhelmed. The reunited group subsequently confronted Barrett, who attempted to claim the Opal of Ozymandias for himself. Ororo offered him the artifact in exchange for their freedom, but when Barrett activated its powers, he was transformed into stone. Achmed acknowledged the risk Ororo had taken and gathered his children together, leading them safely back to their home in Cairo.

(X-Men I#117 (fb) - BTS) - During her years as a thief, Ororo attempted to steal the wallet of the visiting American telepath Charles Xavier. The encounter was interrupted by a psychic attack against Xavier by the mutant Amahl Farouk, allowing Ororo to escape. Achmed's involvement in this incident, if any, remains unrevealed.

(X-Men I#113 (fb) - BTS / Uncanny Origins I#9 (fb)) - Eventually, Ororo felt compelled to leave Cairo and travel south toward the ancestral homeland of her mother's people. Whilst saying her goodbyes to Achmed he told her it was written in her destiny and that he'd taught her all he knew. Leaving Achmed and the other street urchins behind, she began the long journey that would ultimately lead her to discover her mutant abilities and become known as Storm.

(X-Men Unlimited I#7 (fb) - BTS) - Following Ororo's departure, Achmed continued taking in homeless children and teaching them to survive through thievery. Among his later pupils were Jamil and Karima. Achmed developed a particularly close attachment to Jamil, whom he regarded as a son. However, the young thief became increasingly dissatisfied with his life and began seeking instruction in more dangerous skills, including killing, despite Achmed's disapproval.

(X-Men Unlimited I#7) - As Achmed's health deteriorated with age, he contacted his former pupil Ororo, now a member of the X-Men, and requested that she return to Cairo. Storm traveled there alongside her teammates Jean Grey and Gambit to visit her dying mentor. Concerned about Jamil's future, Achmed asked Ororo to guide the young man away from the dangerous path he had chosen. However, Jamil rejected their efforts and became involved with the immortal mutant Candra. Achmed subsequently passed away from old age. Following his death, Storm helped prepare Karima to assume responsibility for the street urchins, ensuring that Achmed's legacy of caring for Cairo's abandoned children would continue.

Comments: Created by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum.

Although Achmed trained children to steal, he also provided shelter, protection and a sense of belonging to those who had been abandoned or orphaned. His relationship with Ororo was explored further in Uncanny X-Men: First Class Giant-Size Special#1 which showed that Achmed recognized her emotional trauma and attempted to help her confront the memories of her parents' deaths.

In Ororo: Before the Storm, Achmed's willingness to accept a dangerous assignment from Desmond Barrett placed several of his young pupils in considerable danger. The story offered a more complicated portrayal of Achmed, demonstrating both his concern for the children and his questionable judgment as their guardian.

Achmed's final appearance in X-Men Unlimited I#7 brought his relationship with Storm full circle. His concern for Jamil echoed the responsibility he had once assumed for Ororo, while his death ultimately left the next generation of Cairo's street urchins in the care of Karima.

Interestingly, Achmed El Gibár wasn't the only influential figure operating within Cairo's criminal underworld during Ororo Munroe's childhood. The powerful telepath Amahl Farouk also maintained a presence in the city's Thieves' Quarter, where he eventually encountered Charles Xavier. Given Achmed's position as a master thief who trained generations of young pickpockets, coupled with the fact that Ororo also worked for Farouk, it seems likely that the two men were aware of one another or that their activities occasionally overlapped. However, whether Achmed and Farouk ever met or had any direct dealings remains unrevealed.

Profile by MarvellousLuke

CLARIFICATIONS:
Achmed El Gibár has no known connections to

or any other "Achmed" or "Gibar" characters

Images: (without ads)
Ororo: Before the Storm I#1, p11, pan1 (main image)
X-Men I#102, p9, pan2 (first appearance)
Uncanny X-Men: First Class Giant-Size Special#1, p17, pan4&5 (Ororo's first mission)
Ororo: Before the Storm I#1, p22, pan3&4 (business with Desmond Barrett)
X-Men Unlimited I#7, p17, pan3/4 (old age)

Appearances:
X-Men I#102 (September, 1976) - Chris Claremont (writer), Dave Cockrum (pencils), Sam Grainger (inks), Archie Goodwin (editor)
X-Men I#113 (June, 1978) - Chris Claremont (writer), Dave Cockrum (pencils), Terry Austin (inks), Roger Stern (editor)
X-Men I#117 (October, 1978) - Chris Claremont, John Byrne (writers), Dave Cockrum (pencils), Terry Austin (inks), Roger Stern (editor)
X-Men Unlimited I#7 (October, 1994) - Howard Mackie (writer), John Romita Jr. (penciles), Joe Rubinstein (inks), Kelly Corvese, Bob Harras (editors)
X-Men II#60 (November, 1996) - Scott Lobdell, Ralph Macchio (writers), Cedric Nocon (pencils), Chad Hunt (inks), Bob Harras (editor)
Uncanny Origins I#9 (March, 1997) - Jim Alexander (writer), Mark Campos (pencils, inks), Joe Andreani (editor)
Ororo: Before the Storm I#1 (June, 2005) - Marc Sumerak (writer), Carlo Barberi (pencils), Juan Vlasco, Roberto Campanella (inks), Nicole Wiley (editor)
Ororo: Before the Storm I#2 (July, 2005) - Marc Sumerak (writer), Carlo Barberi (pencils), Juan Vlasco (inks), Nicole Wiley (editor)
Ororo: Before the Storm I#3 (August, 2005) - Marc Sumerak (writer), Carlo Barberi, Scott Hepburn (pencils), Juan Vlasco, Udon (inks), Nicole Wiley (editor)
Ororo: Before the Storm I#4 (September, 2005) - Marc Sumerak (writer), Carlo Barberi (pencils), Margeaux Pepoy, John Stanisci, M3TH (inks), Nicole Wiley (editor)
Uncanny X-Men: First Class Giant-Size Special#1 (June, 2009) - Jeff Parker, Scott Gray, Roger Langridge (writers), Craig Rousseau, David Williams, Dennis Calero, Sean Galloway, Joe Infurnari, Cameron Stewart, Jeff Parker (pencils), Craig Rousseau, John Beatty, Dennis Calero, Sean Galloway, Joe Infurnari, Cameron Stewart, Jeff Parker (inks), Nathan Coby (editor)

First Posted: 10/30/2026
Last Updated: 10/30/2026

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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