#webslinging

Art Fight: Huntsman

(cue Nasira's Spidey-sense going off)

Samira, concerned: Habibti (darling) are you okay? You're shivering really bad, are you feeling sick?

Nasira: Oh, ah I'm just feeling a bit cold. I'm going to head back upstairs to grab a jacket real quick. You head on out, I'll meet up with you later.

Samira, with Mom BS sense going off: Just don't take too long. You've been so absent-minded lately I'm worried. You've been running late and forgetting appointments without so much as a call or text. You were so responsible when you were still in school...

Nasira: No, no! Wallah (I swear by God), I'm just going to grab my jacket, and head straight out.

Cut to Nasira pulling on Spider-woman costume while climbing out a window: This better be something quick like a robbery. If I got to fight another super villain in city traffic, and show up late. Mama's going to be so pissed!!

After watching Across the Spider-verse with my family, I've been inspired to create my own Spider-verse oc/spider-sona. Introducing Nasira bint Asim Najjar aka the Amazing Spider-woman, aspiring Palestinian-American Archetect by day webslinging superhero of New York by night. She's intelligent and driven, but like most superheroes, she has trouble balancing her Spider-woman identity with her family obligations and internship at an architectural firm. Her dating life is nonexistent, other than attempts at matching making by well-intentioned but nosey relatives. Who's got time for that?! Nasira wants to start her own Archetect firm and make safe, affordable housing for NYCs rapidly increasing homeless population before she's 45! She doesn't have time to worry about dating or acknowledging the complicated feelings she's developing around her two dearest friends, MJ and Harry, or why certain villains she encounters leave her flustered like Black Cat, and this new Green Goblin acting like he's got an obsessive crush on her!

I've included traditional Tatreez embroidery onto her costume, and the pattern on her hijab is inspired by mosaics found at Hisham's Palace in Jericho.

I've also created concept doodles of iconic webslinging poses and a little chibi version of her in a hard hat and vest mimicking those little construction site figures you see on safety signs. I've also included little concept portraits of her parents and friends.

Asim Najjar, Nasira' Baba (dad) he was a construction worker who often took his daughter on tours of his construction site when she was little. Helped inspire her desire to become an architect. Tragically died when he and another construction worker, Flint Marco, were building an expansion to a laboratory and accidently learned about some shady experiments the scientists were performing. So, an accident was staged to keep them both quiet, but Flint survived and became The Sandman.

Prof. Samira Najjar, Nasira's Mama, and a teacher who works at a prestigious private school in New York. Samira got her current job when Nasira turned 13 and transferred her daughter to the private school. It would offer her a better education, and Samira's position as faculty means they can get a much needed reduction on tuition. Nasira had a hard time fitting in at first. Unlike the rest of her classmates, she was raised in a working class family, and her mommy is a teacher. Until she befriended Harry Osborn, he was also picked on a lot, and they shared similar interests. Samira has been worried about Nasira's changed behavior recently. At first, she thought it was Nasira grieving after Asim's death. Samira herself was also a mess for months after the funeral. It wasn't unreasonable for her normally responsible daughter to start showing up late or even forgetting appointments... but still something is off. Nasira's keeping secrets and even lying to her, and whatever is going on, even MJ has been keeping things from her as well.

Mojdeh "MJ" Mahri, Nasira's BFF, MJ is a redhead Iranian American girl whose family attend the same mosque as Nasira's, and they've been friends ever since they were 7 years old. MJ eventually starts working as an investigation blogger for The Daily Bugel and helps Nasira investigate the truth about her father's "accidental death" when the facts don't add up. During this investigation at the accident site, Nasira accidentally knocked over a terrarium containing an experimental spider, and the rest is history. MJ is one of the few people who knows Nasira's secret identity and helps her endeavor as Spider-woman, with her journalist connections. As well as trying to counter act her boss, J. Jonah Jameson's bias against Spider-woman when she can.

Harry Osborn, Nasira's school friend and Oscorp heir. Harry never had many close friends until Nasira transferred to the private school they both graduated from. They both shared similar interests and her mother, Prof. Najjar taught his favorite class. They grew close over the years, especially since Nasira's family treated Harry better than his own distant and domineering father. A few of their classmates and even MJ would ask if Harry and Nasira were dating, but they both denied it repeatedly. They're just friends! Although after high school, Harry started dating women that greatly resembled Nasira: tall, with dark hair, very career driven and intelligent. Nasira is the only one who hasn't noticed this pattern to Harry's love life. She just assumed he has a thing for Amal Clooney! Harry hasn't said anything out loud about his feelings, but the fact that his friendship with Nasira is the only functional relationship in his life is telling.

❤