Batman and Superman are going to be getting some international pals, according to the creator of the first Islam-inspired comic superheroes.

THE 99, for those who aren’t up on the latest in fictional superheroes, is a wildly popular comic in the Arab world conceived of by Dr. Naif al-Mutawa, who spent a decade as a clinical psychologist treating victims of war before founding the Kuwait-based Teshkeel Media Group.

Mutawa grew up in Kuwait but attended college in the United States. He conceived of the comic, which publishes THE 99, after he decided to “to take back Islam from its hostage takers.”

In a July 2, 2009 open letter to his sons written for the BBC News Web site Mutawa explains the origins of THE 99:

“Khalid, you were born in New York City, shortly after 9/11. I had already made a decision that I needed to find a way to take back Islam from its hostage takers, but I did not known how. The answer was staring me in the face. It was a simple, and as difficult, as the multiplication of 9 by 11: 99.

“I told the writers of the animation that only when Jewish kids think that THE 99 characters are Jewish, and Christian kids think they’re Christian, and Muslim kids think they’re Muslim, and Hindu kids think they’re Hindu, that I will consider my vision as having been fully executed.”

“So, at the age of 32, I uncapped my pen to create a concept that could be popular in the East and the West. I would go back to the very sources from which others took violent and hateful messages and offer messages of tolerance and peace in their place. I would give my heroes a Trojan horse in the form of THE 99. Islam was my Helen. I wanted her back.

“THE 99 references the 99 attributes of Allah – generosity, mercy, wisdom and dozens of others not used to describe Islam in the media when you were growing up. But if I am successful, by the time you read this, you will not believe that such an era could have ever existed….

Mutawa’s superheroes may have their origins in Islam but there is no reference to Allah. As noted in a 2008 Time Magazine article:

“While the 99 represent Allah’s myriad attributes — everything from wisdom to faithfulness — there is no overt mention of religion in the stories. ‘When you read through the books, there is no mention of Islam, Allah or the Koran,’ says Mutawa. ‘I used an Islamic archetype, but the actual stories don’t show any Islam, because they are based on values that we all share.’ Even Superman, Batman and Spider-Man, he says, ‘are based on religious archetypes. Like the prophets from the Bible, they are all orphans. Superman left his parents on the planet Krypton, and Batman sees his father and mother gunned down in front of him.’”

Mutawa’s creative team includes comic book industry veterans who have worked at Marvel and DC Comics. In a talk on Monday at the Dubai School of Government Mutawa spoke of his expansion plans.

“Elaborating on the development of broadcast animation, the launch of THE 99-themed lifestyle magazine in the Gulf region, and additional international publishing and merchandising partnerships, [Mutawa] also revealed that Batman and Superman will be teaming up with THE 99 in a new global series to be published by DC Comics.”

“Dr Al-Mutawa’s involvement in the field of human rights and tolerance dates back to his college years, where he interned at the United Nations Convention of Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland. While at college in the US, Dr Al-Mutawa wrote widely read columns for both the Arab and American press focusing on social and political commentary.”

THE 99 is best known in the Middle East but its fan base is growing. Forbes Magazine named THE 99 one of the 20 trends sweeping the globe last year:

“Swash-Buckle With The 99

It’s 1258. The Mongols have just invaded Baghdad. They destroyed the library, but the Guardians of Wisdom manage to preserve 99 ‘stones of enlightenment,’ which are scattered to the winds. So begins The 99, a comic book in which each superhero possesses one of Islam’s godly attributes, like wisdom, farsightedness or healing power. The series has become a phenomenon in the Arab world; when Teshkeel Comics — exclusive Arabic-language distributor of Marvel Entertainment comics like Spider-Man and The Hulk — launched The 99 in Kuwait in 2006, regional sales of the Muslim comic book were second only to Superman. The 99 debuted in the U.S. in 2007.”

Mutawa’s superheroes aren’t just on paper and television. Earlier this year THE 99 Village theme park opened in Jahra, Kuwait, with plans for a theme park to be opened every year for the next six years.

You can view a short video about THE 99 here.