Marvel's Latest Superhero is a Syrian Mother Living in the Besieged Town of Madaya

Marvel Studios' latest superhero is based on a real-life Syrian mother living under siege in the city of Madaya (near the Syria-Lebanon border), reports Al Bawaba.

Madaya Mom is a free digital Marvel comic that depicts the reality of the conflict in Syria as chronicled in a series of blog posts by a Syrian mother and her family living in the city of Madaya - which has been under siege since 2015 by the regime’s forces, where over 60 people have reportedly died of starvation and malnutrition.

The project saw Marvel collaborate with ABC News reporters Xana O'Neil and Rym Momtaz, comic book artist and Deadpool illustrator Dalibor Talajic, and colourist Miroslav Mrva.The comic follows the stories of the characters’ encounters with the perils of life in Syria. The comic has been described as more heart-wrenching than graphic. One panel shows Madaya Mom, her husband, and children all gathered together for warmth and comfort at night.

Talajic said he would rather work on characters “anchored in reality.” The idea behind the comic is to depict the little harrowing details and the human cost of the Syrian civil war as experienced by normal everyday people.

Upon seeing some of the comic artist’s images delivered to her by ABC, Madaya Mom “found that he really nailed the features of the people, the ambiance, the town," ABC News Producer Rym Momtaz said. Talajic, in turn, vowed that the pictures would go to her, if she ever gets out of Madaya.

(Images courtesy of Marvel Comics)