QIBLAH
QIBLAH
Real Name: Jared Nelson
Identity/Class: Human science-based mutate;
possible criminal record (or at least record of an
imprisonment for an infraction of a law that has since been repealed)
Occupation: See comments
Group Membership: Anti-Registration Underground (All-Out/Unarmed Training Automaton Attacker/Richard Taine, Awe-Striker/Cecily Johnson, Basic Black/Norman Gentry, Battlestar/Lemar Hoskins, Brain Spasm/Dennis Hoxie, Canasta/Henry Cavanaugh, Captain Kinship/Edward Randlebuck, Dahntu/Charles Luc Phan, Freeware/Kurt Duryea, Gladiatrix/Robin Braxton, Green Guardswoman/Natalie Bell, Harbormaster/Sean Beckett, Haunter/Mark Runnemyer, Human Haze/Steve Cochrane, Iguanid/Tom Boldstep, Johnny Justice/Jonadab Megyscol, Kruzado/Dorothy Cardoza, the Lawman/Leon Frankfurt, Leather Angel/Andrew Mussawyr, Masked Rose/Josie Tyler, Natural/Beru Addison, Network/Valerie Martin, Orange Crusher/Andy Gardner, Panthrax/Alex Mitchell, Peace-Lover/Barry Kanczeski, Saint Hildegard/Sonya van Jagt, Scorecard/Bill Merrick, Skybolt/Zack Zimmerman, Solo/James Bourne, Spaceheat/Charles Yaméogo, Staten Island Star/Russell Feldman, Stone-Tough/Ted Pendleton, Tosser/Ferris Hartke, Typeface/Gordon Thomas, U.S. Annie/Harriet Best, Warbug/Bernard Van Buren, Winter Woman/Angela Stover, Xantippe/Mandy Atkinson, Zapster/Langley Saint-Margaret, others); see comments
Affiliations: See comments
Enemies:
(At least formerly)
S.H.I.E.L.D.
and its "Cape-Killers"
see comments
Known Relatives: See comments
Aliases: See comments
Base of Operations:
Unrevealed;
previously Prison 42, Negative Zone;
previously an unidentified Anti-Registration
Underground safehouse in Manhattan, New York
see comments
First Appearance:
(Unidentified) Civil War: Front Line#4 (2006);
(identified) Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A
to Z hardcover#14 (2010)
Powers/Abilities: Qiblah had unspecified abilities to emit light (see comments).
Height:
Unrevealed (approximately 5' 9")
Weight: Unrevealed
(approximately 180 lbs.)
Eyes: Unrevealed (dark; possibly brown)
Hair: Brown (early male pattern baldness; see comments)
History: See comments.
(Civil War: Front Line#4 (fb) - BTS / Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z hardcover#14: Anti-Registration Underground (fb) - BTS) - Following the Stamford disaster, where hundreds had perished during a battle between New Warriors and four Raft escapees, Iron Man (Tony Stark), Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards) and others worked with US officials to develop the Superhuman Registration Act (SHRA), outlawing any crimefighting activities by unregistered super heroes.
Vigilante Typeface, although his identity was already known, resolved to fight a perceived assault on freedom, and he organized an Anti-Registration Underground, beginning with ex-government operative Battlestar and anti-terrorist Solo, to support super heroes who continued fighting crime without SHRA approval. Their ranks were soon supplemented by mystic-armored Freeware; bodysuit-enhanced the Green Guardswoman; the Masked Rose, leader of super-team T,J,A.W. (Truth, Justice, and the American Way), empowered by accidental mutant blood exposure; exoskeleton-empowered Network; and cyborg Skybolt. Via a covert interview with Alternative reporter Sally Floyd, ARU members publicized their perspective, and several other anti-registration heroes joined, including Qiblah.
(Civil War: Front Line#4) - Qiblah was present with the ARU when S.H.I.E.L.D. raided the ARU's safehouse and arrested most of its members.
As the ARU members debated whether to seek and join Captain America (Steve Rogers)'s Secret Avengers, a better organized and equipped anti-SHRA unit, or to remain independent, armored S.H.I.E.L.D. Cape-Killers, accompanied by Iron Man, Ms. Marvel (Carol Danvers), Wonder Man (Simon Williams) and at least ten unidentified flying heroes, raided the base. Caught by surprise, few ARU members managed to effectively fight back against their more powerful and organized opponents. Although S.H.I.E.L.D. captured over 40 members, the Awe-Striker evaded capture, as did the Harbormaster, Canasta, Dahntu, the Green Guardswoman, and the Tosser, as did the Masked Rose, who had been absent seeking new recruits.
(Civil War: Front Line#5/2) - ARU prisoners, such as Typeface, were seen being sent to the Prison 42.
(Civil War#6 - BTS) - The Secret Avengers and the Superhuman Registration Act resistance arrived at Prison 42 to free the prisoners.
(Civil War#7 - BTS /
Amazing Spider-Man I#538 / Civil War: Front Line#10-11 - BTS) - The
Secret Avengers penetrated Prison 42, freeing many prisoners. When the
combined anti-registration forces were confronted by Iron Man's
pro-registration forces, Secret Avenger Cloak (Tyrone Johnson)
teleported both groups to Manhattan. Freed ARU prisoners took part in
the battle between the pro and anti-registration heroes, spanning from
the Negative Zone prison to the streets of New York. In the ensuing
battle, which caused severe damage, the Thunderbolts' Venom (Mac
Gargan) apparently killed Typeface. Other fatalities may also have
occurred.
Following Captain America's surrender to forestall further civilian risk, Battlestar and possibly others avoided recapture.
The government offered amnesty in return for registration. Although Gladiatrix rejected the offer, Network registered under the 50 States Initiative, while Solo also registered but pursued independent interests. Presumably additional ARU members followed Gladiatrix's example, others followed Network's or Solo's, and still more remained at large.
Comments: Created by Created by Paul Jenkins and Ramon Bachs.
Codename, real name, and nature provided by Ronald
Byrd
During
the
production of the Civil War: Battle Damage Report (2007) writer Paul
Jenkins provided Ronald with authorization to provide identities, real
names for the various background Anti-Registration Underground
characters, and to flesh them out as much as he wanted. Ronald
provided identities and real names for the Anti-Registration
Underground entry in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A
to Z hardcover#14 (2010). There wasn't room to provide much more than
that in that entry. However, Ronald had backgrounds and histories in
mind for these characters when he provided their names. Ronald
only had his initial notes on the Qiblah and had not yet
completed a full profile at the time of his untimely demise.
While the
information is unofficial until it sees print, here is
the preliminary background story behind Qiblah.
REAL
NAME: Jared Nelson
ALIASES: None known
IDENTITY: Known to US authorities
OCCUPATION: Unrevealed
CITIZENSHIP:
Presumably USA
PLACE OF BIRTH: Unrevealed
KNOWN
RELATIVES: None known
GROUP AFFILIATION: Anti-Registration Underground
EDUCATION: Unrevealed
SHRA CLASSIFICATION: Science-based mutate
FIRST
APPEARANCE: Civil War: Front Line#4 (2006)
HISTORY: Empowered by [To Be Determine], Jared received the codename "Qiblah" (roughly translates as "direction to turn for help") by members of New York City's Muslim population. JAred subsequently realized that name could be considered blasphemous (the term is often used to refer to Mecca, to which Muslims turn for prayers), and he tried to encourage use of different codenames with little success.
Jared refused to register with the Superhuman Registration Act out of concern over perceived government mistreatment of Muslim-Americans.
After being captured and imprisoned in the Negative Zone's Prison 42, he was ultimately released, and he retired his "Qiblah" identity, with plans to begin anew with a different codename: the A-mān (translates as: "safety," "protectoin," "safe conduct").
HEIGHT: Unrevealed WEIGHT: Unrevealed
EYES: Unrevealed
HAIR: Brown (early male pattern baldness)
ABILITIES/ACCESSORIES: Jared possesses undefined light-emitting powers.
NOTE: Incidentally, he's a blond white guy, in contrast to most comic book Muslims.
Perhaps he has some degree of the powers utilized by Lightmaster (Edward Lansky).
I also estimated his height/weight and eye color in the main profile
--Snood
Profile by Ronald Byrd, Snood, and Multi-Tasking Mike Fichera.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Qiblah should not
be confused with:
images: (without ads)
Civil
War: Front Line#4/1, pg. 9, panel 1 (main; man in red with blue cape);
#5/2, pg. 5, panel 2 (unmasked face)
Appearances:
Civil War: Front Line#3/1 (September, 2006) - Paul Jenkins (writer),
Ramon Bachs (penciler), John Lucas (inker), Cory Sedlmeier (editor)
Civil War: Front Line#4/1 (September, 2006) - Paul Jenkins (writer),
Ramon Bachs (penciler), John Lucas (inker), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Civil War: Front Line#4/3 (September, 2006) - Paul Jenkins (writer),
Sean Chen (penciler), Rick Magyar (inker), Molly Lazer, Aubrey
Sitterson (assistant editors), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Civil War: Front Line#5/2 (October, 2006) - Paul Jenkins (writer),
Steve Lieber (artist), Molly Lazer, Aubrey Sitterson (assistant
editors), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Civil War#6 (December, 2006) - Mark Millar (writer), Steve McNiven
(pencils), Dexter Vines (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Civil War#7 (January, 2007) - Mark Millar (writer), Steve McNiven
(pencils), Dexter Vines, John Dell & Tim Townsend (inks), Tom
Brevoort (editor)
Official
Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z hardcover#14 (June, 2010) -
Jeff Christiansen & Mike Fichera (head writers/coordinators),
Markus Raymond & Mike O'Sullivan (coordination assistants),
Stuart Vandal, Sean McQuaid, Michael Hoskin, Ronald Byrd, Markus
Raymond, Mike O'Sullivan, Madison Carter, Kevin Garcia, Gabriel
Shechter, Jacob Rougemont, Rob London, Rich Green, Chris Biggs,
David Wiltfong, Jeph York, Mark O'English, & Mike Gagnon
(writers), John Denning (associate editor), Alex Starbuck (assistant
editor), Theodore Kutt (copy editor), Mark D. Beazley (editor,
special projects), Jeff Youngquist & Jennifer
Grunwald (editor)
First posted:
11/05/2026
Last updated:
11/05/2026
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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