Membership: Sirocco, Aminedi the Invisible One, Veil, Arabian Knight, Black Raazer
First appearance: New Mutants Annual #7
Last appearance: X-Factor Annual #6
Before
- Razer was a demonic sorcerer whose spirit possessed the cursed Black Blade of Baghdad. His essence was contained for decades within the body of soldier-of-fortune, Eugene Judd. [Alpha Flight (1st series) #32] Razer made several attempts to escape from Judd's imprisonment after Judd became Puck of Alpha Flight. Razer emerged and permanently separating from Puck after an encounter with Loki's Fire Fountain. [Alpha Flight (1st series) #50]
- Abdul Qamar uncovered mystical artifacts in the desert that he used to became the Saudi Arabian super-hero known as Arabian Knight. [Incredible Hulk (2nd series) #257] He served alongside Earth's heroes in the first Contest of Champions. The Arabian Knight was an agent of the global Pantheon when Iraqi forces attempted to blackmail him into their service by taking his wives and children hostage. The Knight infiltrated Desert Sword as a double agent for the Pantheon, as his "family" were actually trained Pantheon agents given the assignment to deceive the Iraqis into believing they had control over Qamar. [Incredible Hulk Annual #20]
- Sirocco, Veil and Aminedi had no previous appearances. Sirocco and Aminedi were Iraqi nationalist mutants. Presumably, Veil was as well.
Chronology
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New Mutants Annual #7: |
During the Gulf War, Desert Sword sought a German physicist named Reinhold Kurtzmann to improve Iraq's nuclear capabilities. He was located at a safe house in Kuwait City, Kuwait and was extracted by the Iraqi mercenaries shortly before the arrival of Freedom Force. The government-sponsored mutant team was operating on behalf of America and their allies to liberate or terminate Kurtzmann before the Iraqis could make use of his knowledge. Desert Sword laid a trap for Freedom Force at Kurtzmann's safe house, where Aminedi used his cutting wind to decapitate the speedster called Super Sabre. Veil boxed the American strike team in with her masking fog before Aminedi struck again, severing the forearm of squad leader Crimson Commando. The confident mercenaries then revealed themselves and Kurtzmann to taunt their adversaries. |
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Uncanny X-Men Annual #15: |
The Blob led an effective counterattack on Desert Sword, causing them to scatter. A fissure caused by Avalanche's power left him and Crimson Commando cut off from Blob, Pyro and Kurtzmann, leading them to separate and make their way individually to the dust-off zone. Sirocco and Aminedi pursued Avalanche and Commando to the Kuwait International Airport, where concealed land mines severely wounded the Americans. The rest of Desert Sword went after Blob, Pyro and the physicist. Despite his reticence to harm anyone, Arabian Knight was forced by his mission and his "family's" plight to identify Blob and Pyro's hiding spot for Raazer. Freedom Force temporarily escaped Veil and Black Raazer, only for Kurtzmann to be captured again by Arabian Knight. With their backs to the wall and remembering their orders, Blob prompted Pyro to burn Kurtzmann alive, rather than let him fall back into enemy hands. |
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X-Factor Annual #6: |
Despite their injuries, Avalanche and Commando escaped from Sirocco and Aminedi. Blob and Pyro fought back in the alleyway they were trapped in as well. Veil was killed by Pyro's flames, while Blob stabbed Raazer and the Arabian Knight with their own blades. The Saudi was critically wounded, but Black Raazer was only momentarily deterred. He regrouped with Sirocco and Aminedi hunting their prey. Avalanche and Commando made it to their helicopter rendezvous, but the air space got too hot with Iraqi military forces called in by Sirocco. Desert Sword cornered Blob and Pyro, who were abandoned by their partners. The last two members of Freedom Force surrendered to Desert Sword and the Iraqi army.
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Afterwards
- Aminedi reportedly contracted and died of the Legacy Virus. [X-Men Annual (2nd series) #2]
- The Arabian Knight managed to extricate himself from Desert Sword and returned to service with the Pantheon. [Incredible Hulk Annual #20] He eventually died as one of the random victims of Humus Sapien's power. [Thunderbolts (1st series) #55]
- Raazer and Sirocco have not reappeared.
MEMBERS
Sirocco
First appearance: New Mutants Annual #7
All Desert Sword Appearances: New Mutants Annual #7, Uncanny X-Men Annual #15, X-Factor Annual #6
Powers: Wind manipulation allows him to produce high-velocity gales, concentrated cyclonic winds, and lift himself off the ground in order to fly
Veil
First appearance: New Mutants Annual #7
Last appearance: X-Factor Annual #6
All Desert Sword Appearances: New Mutants Annual #7, Uncanny X-Men Annual #15, X-Factor Annual #6
Powers: Generate a masking fog out of the surrounding air, blinding her opponents and obscuring her movements
Arabian Knight (Abdul Qamar)
First appearance: Incredible Hulk (2nd series) #250
Last appearance: Thunderbolts (1st series) #55
First Desert Sword appearance: New Mutants Annual #7
All Desert Sword Appearances: New Mutants Annual #7, Uncanny X-Men Annual #15, X-Factor Annual #6
Powers: Wields mystical artifacts including a golden scimitar that projects concussive force, an enchanted sash that extends in length and responds to his commands, and a flying carpet of similar enchanted material
Aminedi the Invisible One
First appearance: New Mutants Annual #7
Last appearance: X-Men Annual (2nd series) #2
All Desert Sword Appearances: New Mutants Annual #7, Uncanny X-Men Annual #15, X-Factor Annual #6
Powers: Converts into a living "cutting wind", allowing him to move through the air at high speeds, invisible and intangible to physical attacks, and capable of slicing with a fine edge through his targets
Black Razer (Raazer)
First appearance: Alpha Flight (1st series) #32
First Desert Sword appearance: New Mutants Annual #7
All Desert Sword Appearances: New Mutants Annual #7, Uncanny X-Men Annual #15, X-Factor Annual #6
Powers: Demonic sorcerer possessing supernatural levels of strength, endurance, and resilience, able to transform into a mist-like state or assume gigantic proportions, and wields the Black Blade of Baghdad that steals the lifeforce of his victims, proportionately reducing them in stature in the process