KARIMA

Real Name: Karima

Identity/Class: Human mutant (Egyptian)

Occupation: Thief

Group Membership: The Street Urchins (Achmed el-Gibar, Jamil, others)

Affiliations: The Street Urchins, the X-Men (Cyclops/Scott Summers, Gambit/Remy LeBeau, Phoenix/Jean Grey, Storm/Ororo Munroe, Wolverine/James Howlett)

Enemies: Bond, Candra;
    formerly Gambit (Remy LeBeau), Jean Grey, Storm (Ororo Munroe)

Known Relatives: Unidentified brother (see comments)

Aliases: "Child," "Girl," "Urchin"

Base of Operations: Cairo, Egypt

First Appearance: X-Men Unlimited I#7 (December, 1994)

Powers/Abilities: Karima is a mutant with the ability to psionically access the minds of others and give physical form and functions to the desires she pulls from those minds. Her physical psionic creations are fully capable of acting independently of Karima's direct thoughts though they are somewhat shaped by Karima's subconscious desires when directly in her vicinity.

    Karima is skilled at thievery, pickpocketing and the use of throwing blades.

Height: Unrevealed (approximately 5'0")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 100 lbs.)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black

History:
(X-Men Unlimited I#7 (fb) - BTS) - The mutant Karima joined master thief Achmed el-Gibar's Street Urchins gang, in which she learned the art of thievery and pickpocketing.

(X-Men II#61 (fb) - BTS) - Lonely and desiring companionship, Karima used her powers to create in physical form a companion that became known as Jamil. Jamil soon joined the Street Urchins alongside Karima. Knowing of Karima's mutant powers and that the External Candra sought not only an incredibly powerful mutant but also the ancient Heart of Eternal Darkness artifact, Achmed el-Gibar attempted to deceive Candra by leading her to believe that Jamil was the powerful mutant Candra sought and el-Giber encouraged Karima to continue his deception.

(X-Men Unlimited I#7) - When the X-Men Storm, Gambit and Jean Grey arrived in Cairo, Egypt so Storm could visit the dying Achmed el-Gibar, Karima eyed Jean Grey's purse and during a brief moment of distraction, Karima swiped Jean's purse and ran. Storm quickly caught up to Karima and halted her mid-step with a bolt of lightning, frightening Karima, who ducked for cover. Feigning innocence, Karima claimed she had witnessed Jean dropping her purse and that she had been trying to catch back up to return the purse. Turning the purse back over to Jean, Karima claimed that, while a reward was not necessary, it had been a long while she had tasted bread. Karima then bowed out, complimenting Jean as she prepared to leave, but Storm, knowing the tricks of the thieves' trade, demanded Karima return the money she had stolen from the purse. A nervous Karima at first questioned what Storm meant but quickly turned over the money, claiming that hunger had taken control of her senses. Still feigning innocence, Karima claimed she had to leave to pick up milk for her younger brother and again attempted to bow out but Storm generated a small wind to hold Karima aloft and prevent her escape. Confronting the captured Karima face-to-face, Storm demanded she deliver a message to Achmed el-Gibar that Ororo had returned on his command. Realizing who Storm was, Karima promised to deliver the message at once and before Storm released Karima, she asked if Karima had forgotten something, at which point Karima returned Gambit's wallet to Storm. Karima was then released and she ran off into the Cairo alleyways, unknowingly reminding Storm of her own childhood as a thief in Cairo under Achmed el-Gibar. As Storm related how much Karima reminded her of herself, Gambit looked through his stolen wallet and expressed suspicions that Karima had swiped a $20.

    Later, when Gambit, Storm and Jean approached Achmed el-Gibar's headquarters, Jamil barred their entry and threatened them, only for Karima to beg Jamil to relent and inform him of who Storm was. Despite Karima's urgings, Jamil attacked Storm, who easily dodged Jamil and after Jean Grey telekinetically knocked Jamil against the wall, Karima came to aid, warning him about his dark temper. She then suggested Jamil join the three X-Men inside with Achmed el-Gibar but an angry Jamil fled into the night claiming he would find some place else to stay. A saddened Karima then joined the X-Men alone in el-Gibar's bedroom, tending to her thief master. She then watched as Storm reunited with her dying teacher before the reunion was interrupted by the arrival of a returning Jamil and his new allies Candra and Bond. Storm eventually talked Candra into temporarily departing and afterwards, el-Gibar asked to speak to Storm alone, prompting Gambit, Jean and Karima to leave his room.

    After el-Gibar tasked Storm with freeing Jamil from Candra's influence, Storm, Jean and Gambit encountered Jamil and a gang of his own in the Cairo streets and when Jamil refused the X-Men's help in favor of Candra, Karima attempted to calmly get Jamil to return to el-Gibar with her. Angry and emotional, Jamil backhanded Karima and ordered her to stay out of his business. Candra soon appeared and, following a brief fight with the X-Men, she brought a building down on the heroes, prompting Karima to attack Candra herself. Bond stopped Karima before she could reach Candra and Candra ordered Bond to leave Karima alive, as she yet had use of Karima. Candra, Bond, Jamil and the captured Karima then returned to Candra's palatial estate, where Candra ordered Jamil to kill Karima as proof of his loyalty to her. Jamil pulled a dagger on Karima, who begged Jamil not to go through with his orders, but Jamil was ultimately halted when the surviving X-Men burst into Candra's estate. Karima then watched as Storm dueled Candra and Gambit and Jean dealt with Bond and Jamil. While Storm won the duel, Candra built up psionic energy and prepared to attack, only for her hand to hit by a dagger thrown by Karima. Karima warned that the next dagger would hit Candra's heart but Jean calmed Karima and Jamil willingly chose not to return to Achmed el-Gibar. After Jamil departed with Candra, the X-Men and Karima returned to Achmed el-Gibar, who chose Karima as the Street Urchins' next leader and asked Storm to train Karima. Storm promised to honor el-Gibar's wishes and the tearful Storm and Karima left el-Gibar's room to begin Karima's training. Storm then remarked that there was much for Karima to learn if she was to lead the Street Urchins and the two walked off together with Storm eager to share the secrets of Achmed el-Gibar.

(X-Men II#60 (fb) - BTS / X-Men II#61 (fb) - BTS) - In an effort to acquire the ancient Heart of Eternal Darkness jewel once stolen by Ororo Munroe as a child, Candra kidnapped Karima to use as a hostage to force Ororo to turn over the Heart.

(X-Men II#61 (fb) - BTS) - While a prisoner of Candra, Karima unknowingly pulled forth Candra's intense desire to acquire the Heart of Eternal Darkness and inadvertently projected that desire onto Jamil, who was still allied with Candra.

(X-Men II#60) - When Storm met Candra at the reconstructed Temple of Dendur within New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art and Storm asked Candra what was to stop her from simply destroying the Heart of Eternal Darkness, Candra revealed the bound Karima, threatening her in an attempt to force Storm's actions. Candra sent flames in the panicked Karima's direction as she revealed her ally Jamil and a battle ensued, during which the seemingly Shadow King-possessed Jamil betrayed Candra and acquired the Heart for himself.

(X-Men II#61) - Karima remained bound to one of the Temple's pillars as Storm and Candra confronted Jamil. Storm eventually covered Jamil in snow before rushing to Karima and attempting to free her. Unfortunately, before Storm could begin freeing Karima, Candra knocked Storm aside. Juggernaut soon seemingly burst from the snow where Jamil had once been trapped and during the distraction, Storm successfully freed Karima and attempted to fly away with the girl, who insisted they still had to stop Candra. Storm admitted that was her intention but announced that she first had to determine what exactly had transpired there. Candra refused to explain anything despite Storm questioning the supposed increase in Jamil's power and as Candra battled Storm, Karima cheered Storm on, begging Storm not to give up. After Storm kicked Candra into one of the Temple walls, Karima confirmed Candra was buried in the rubble and suggested they could perhaps still free Jamil from Candra's evil. When Storm's mutant ally Cable seemingly appeared on the scene where Juggernaut had been and claimed wishes to aid her, Storm became suspicious of the situation, as Jamil had never seemed capable of pulling images from anyone's mind and Candra herself also seemed to be under attack. Deducing that Karima was somehow involved in the forms Jamil seemed to be taking, Storm flew low and snatched up Karima. Once outside the Museum, Storm confronted Karima and asked that, if she truly cared about Jamil, she end the madness that was currently occurring.

    When Candra caught up to them, Storm revealed that Jamil had never truly existed and that Achmed el-Gibar had deceived Candra into seeking him out as a powerful mutant ally rather than Karima herself. Angry, Candra announced that el-Gibar's deception was for naught, as she would have both Karima and the Heart of Eternal Darkness. Storm then casually tossed the Heart towards Candra and it was destroyed in midair by the arriving X-Men, prompting a tearful Karima to rush into Storm's arms. Storm then prepared to leave and when Cyclops asked where Storm was off to, Storm announced her plans to grant Karima her heart's desire by returning her home.

Comments: Created by Howard Mackie, John Romita, Jr. and Joe Rubinstein.

    While caught trying to pickpocket Jean Grey, Karima claimed she had to leave to get milk for his younger brother. Whether she truly had a younger brother or if she was simply lying to get out of Jean Grey's clutches was not clear.

    This profile was completed 09/15/2025 but its publication was delayed, as it was intended for the Appendix's 25th anniversary celebratory event.

Profile by Proto-Man.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Karima should be distinguished from:

•  other "Karima" characters, groups, items, races or events
  

Appearances:
X-Men Unlimited I#7 (December, 1994) - Howard Mackie (writer), John Romita, Jr. (pencils), Joe Rubinstein (inks), Kelly Corvese (editor)
X-Men II#60 (January, 1997) - Scott Lobdell (story), Ralph Macchio (script), Cedric Nocon (pencils), Chad Hunt (inks), Bob Harras (editor, editor-in-chief)
X-Men II#61 (February, 1997) - Scott Lobdell (writer), Cedric Nocon (pencils), Chad Hunt (inks), Bob Harras (editor, editor-in-chief)

First posted: 09/24/2026
Last updated: 09/15/2025

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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