Liquid Comics and the Open Hands Initiative have announced the creation of a new character tentatively to be called “The Silver Scorpion,” a young disabled Muslim superhero that can telekinetically control metal.  It’s to be the first in a series of international superhero comics to be published in both Arabic and English by Liquid.

The comic is the result of a meeting between American and Syrian disabled teenagers in Damascus last August orchestrated by philanthropist Jay T. Snyder’s Open Hands Initiative to help promote better understanding between the Muslim world and the West.

In early November 50,000 copies will be distributed in Syria while  free digital copies will be  available at the Open Hands and Liquid Comics websites. Sharad Devarajan, co-founder and CEO of Liquid Comics told ICv2, “We are definitely looking at a print release of the book in North America and are still working through our plans for that release schedule”.

The Open Hands Initiative is a non-profit organization that grew out of the portion of President Obama’s inaugural address where he advised the Muslim world “we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist”.