Amira bint Balqis

Amira bint Balqis, also known as the Queen, is a purple-band Alpha with the power of memory manipulation.  After discovering her posterpowers, she entered into the British intelligence service, before becoming one of the founding members of the Set. She later married her teammate, the Rook, and bore him two sons, Matt and Malek. She is no longer an active public hero, choosing instead to focus her skills on training the next generation of heroes at Maillardet's Academy.
==Biography==
===Early life===
Amira was born in Beirut, the daughter of a Lebanese businessman, Rashid, and his beloved wife Desta, a strikingly beautiful Ethiopian woman. Her father considered her a blessing, and if not for his attentiveness Amira's gifts may have gone unnoticed for years.quipquipquip: Things To Know About Amira bint Balqis
From a young age, Amira displayed a sharp memory and a knack for picking up new things quickly. When Rashid saw her one day inspecting his chess set, he asked her if she would like to learn how to play. He spent most of the morning teaching her the rules of the game. And then Amira beat him, repeatedly. Realzing that his daughter had a gift, Rashid began giving her increasingly difficult logic puzzles and literature. Amira loved the challenges, and picked up languages and abstract concepts with ease. She sought out new opponents in chess, enjoying the stimulation of the game; before and after each match, she would thank her opponents for taking the time to teach her. She never lost.
At the age of nine, she entered and won a chess championship. As a result, she became an overnight sensation, but Rashid sought to keep her grounded, reminding her that her talents were a gift from Allah. Soon after, a British intelligence agency contacted Rashid, offering to give Amira the training and education she deserved. He accepted, and they moved to London.
Amira had a mind for strategy that put the most seasoned operatives to shame. She quickly saw what the agency was grooming her for, and she did not like it. The tactics they condoned revolved around the swift elimination of enemies, something that went against everything Amira believed in.
Using the agency's resources, Amira was able to gather information on other posthumans — people like her. In this way, she became aware of two American posters, the Rook and the Knight. Their methods were erratic, sometimes bloody, and at first Amira believed them to be no better than the intelligence agency that wanted to use her. When at last she met them, she realized her assessment had been wrong. Corbin and John were good men, keen to make a difference but in need of direction. Amira knew she could give it to them, so she left the agency and became their Queen.
===The Set===
Amira knew that, as an Arab Muslim who wore a hijab, she would not be well-received by the American public, so she chose to lead the Set from behind the scenes, while John became their public figurehead.quipquipquip: "So does heterosexism exist in this world, or is that not an issue at all?" Under her guidance, the Set became one of the most celebrated public teams in America.
They were young, however, still in their late teens and early twenties, and eventually the friction between them grew so great that they temporarily disbanded. While John became lauded as America's sweetheart and Corbin "went off to brood", Amira stepped back from the limelight, contenting herself with teaching at Maillardet's Academy and controlling a worldwide network of operatives.quipquipquip: Things To Know About Corbin Underwood
The trinity later reformed, but it took time. After Corbin went public with his identity and joined the team Amira ran, the two married, and and soon after Amira gave birth to a son, Matin. It was a difficult pregancy, due to Matt's enhanced metabolism, and she gave birth prematurely at 27 weeks. Despite this, both she and the baby emerged healthy.Bad Things Happen
When Matt was only four, he was kidnapped by Tygr, a former rival of his father. Tygr tortured and then killed Matt, with devastating consequences for Amira's new family. Her stepson Marshal chose a path of vengeance and was forced to go on the run, taking his adoptive sister Ellie with him. Corbin was utterly broken, and retreated into the persona of the Rook.
When Amira realized she was pregnant again, she did not tell her estranged husband, believing he was still too emotionally raw to provide a safe environment for their child. She retreated to Foundation, where she gave birth to and raised Malek.quipquipquip: Things To Know About Mal Underwood
Amira no longer serves on an active team; she devotes most of her energies to teaching at Maillardet's and raising her son Mal, who is now the only family she has left.
==Personality==
Amira is known for her poise and composure.Origins, Issue #1, p. 10 She is strict but reasonable. Many find her intimidating because while she herself is hard to read, keeping her personal feelings well-hidden, she easily sees through others. There is no hiding anything from her.Origins, Issue #2, p. 45
Amira values her privacy.Origins, Issue #2, p. 47 Over the years, she has been subjected to much unfair criticism in the media; reporters have claimed that she is "opressed" because she wears a hijab, speculated that her marriage to Corbin was a "sham", even criticized her for being dry-eyed at Corbin's funeral. Time and again, she has been chastised for trying to "prove" things with her intellect. As a result, she has mastered the art of "getting shit done in ways that no one can misinterpret, devalue, or avoid". As most of what she does happens behind the scenes, she receives less credit than she deserves, but Amira does not do what she does for praise. She does it because it is right, because it is her calling.quipquipquip: "Amira is a force to be reckoned with."
Amira is a loving mother, and though she is not liberal with her displays of affection, they are never half-hearted.Origins, Issue #2, p. 43 She insists on timeliness, believing tardiness is disrepectful.Origins, Issue #2, p. 46
As a side-effect of her power, Amira has an extraordinary memory: she does not forget anything. This has its drawbacks, as painful memories remain fresh and vivid even after decades.
==Appearance==
Amira is a beautiful woman, taking after her mother in her looks and poise. She has brown skin and long-lashed eyes.Origins, Issue #2, pp. 45-47 She is 5'11".quipquipquip: "How tall is Amira?"
She is a fashionable dresser, and has a large collection of beautiful purple headscarves.Origins, Issue #7, p. 313 She sometimes wears an abaya, although this is not so practical in combat situations, where she might instead wear something knee-length like a kurta over tight pants.quipquipquip: "I love Amira's design..."
English is Amira's third language; she grew up speaking Arabic and French at home, although she has lived much of her life in English-speaking countries. When she was a young girl, she tried to hide her accent, but by the age of twelve she gave up trying to mask it, having realized that she would be viewed as Other regardless. The French influence is most readily apparent in her accent, which grows stronger when she is tired or emotional.
==Powers and abilities==
Amira has the power of mnemokinesis, the ability to manipulate existent memories and create entirely new ones. She tends to do the former more than the latter, since created memories don't always ring true and can create distress.
A side-effect of Amira's powers is hyperthymnesia: she has perfect recall, regardless of how old a memory is.Origins, Issue #2, p. 48 Amira cannot forget anything, even the memories she erases from the minds of others. This makes it difficult for her to erase traumatic memories, as easing another person's pain means taking it on herself. Outside of mission needs, erasing memories is not something she will do lightly; she only resorts to it when a person is so overwhelmed by a trauma that they cannot function while carrying it.
Amira speaks numerous languages, including English, Arabic and French.quipquipquip: "In your head, what is Amira's accent?" She has a PhD in Psychology from the University of Cambridge.Origins, Issue #4, p. 165
Thanks to Corbin's training, Amira is more than capable of holding her own in a physical fight. She like knives, and is proficient in their use.maillardets: "Does/did the Queen ever get involved in combat personally?"
==Relationships==
===Corbin Underwood===
===John Wright===
===Mal Underwood===
===Marshal Underwood===
===Vinessa Cruz===
==Trivia==
*When she immigrated to Britain, she took the opportunity to change her name. As her mother used to called her the daughter of Balqis, the Queen of Sheba, she chose to adopt the name Amira bint Balqis. This was also the inspiration for her moniker.Origins, Issue #7, p. 315
*The name Amira is Arabic in origin, and means, appropriately, "princess".
*Amira is left-handed.quipquipquip: "Are any of the Posterchildren characters left-handed or ambidextrous?"
*If Amira were at Hogwarts, she'd be a Ravenclaw.quipquipquip: "Hogwarts houses"
==References==
Category:Characters
Category:Purple-bands
Category:Alphas
Category:Public heroes
Category:Origins characters
Category:Bad Things Happen characters