Horus, the god of the sky in Egyptian mythology, has risen to fight corruption. He is accompanied by Mariam, who is a female doctor with the superpower to heal, and Microbusgy, a minibus driver who can control fire and dust.

These are just a few of the characters in El3osba, derived from the Arabic word to mean “the gang,” a comic book series for Egyptian adults. These superheroes tackle the ills of Egypt such as corruption, poverty, injustice, violation of human rights, loss of Egyptian identity and even bad grammar.

Egyptian writers John Maher and Maged Raafat, working with artist Ahmed Raafat (the Raafats are not related), have created six Egyptian heroes of different backgrounds. The team is recruited by Alpha, who has arrived from a more advanced universe to recruit five superheroes on Earth, including Horus, Microbusgy, Mariam, Walhan — who is in love with Mariam — and Kaf, who has the power to control Arabic letters.

Maher, a 28-year-old engineer, told Al-Monitor, “The characters all came from our culture and represent different groups and backgrounds. Microbusgy represents poor people who struggle for daily survival. Mariam is an educated, independent woman who brushes aside social stereotypes. Walhan represents Egyptian young people who are talented but have little opportunity to achieve their dreams, and Kaf symbolizes knowledge.”