US-based illustrator Sara Alfageeh was not impressed by Marvel Comic's depiction of a fictional Niqabi woman - one of the few Muslim characters in the comic world.
"From a design perspective, she seemed terribly boring!
"It felt like a lot of recycled tropes used for depicting Muslim women, which was exhausting as a reader and a fan," the Jordanian-American told SBS News.
But Ms Alfageeh says it was X-Men character Dust's "overly-sexualised" costume that was the tipping point.
"[It's] an issue that is not new to comics at all and that was what did it for me - it was comical. Dust is a minor character, but that doesn't excuse lack of inspiration and effort, especially as one of the very few visibly Muslim women in the marvel universes," she said.
As a comic fan, she expected better.
She tossed around the idea of giving her a makeover, even joking on Twitter that she would redesign her.
And when she couldn't shake the frustration, she decided to follow through.
"Simply because I remembered that I could. If you want something done right, do it yourself," she said.
Sara Alfageeh says "Everyone has a right to feel seen." Source: Sara Alfageeh
"I couldn't get over thinking what I would wanna see different, so I had to just sketch it out. Sometimes you have certain ideas you just gotta visualise, they don't wait for you."
And so, Dust 2.0 was born and with it, came a wave of support.
"I knew it would get a well response, but I was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of support from every corner. I had Marvel pros sharing the work. I had both the most hardcore X Men fans and the most casual fans getting hyped over the art."
But most rewarding, says Ms Alfageeh, was how it resonated with other Muslim women.
"I had Muslim women who knew nothing about comics thanking me for my depiction of a fictional niqabi woman.
Many reached out to her, making comments like "I want to dress like her" or "I wanna be as cool as her."
"That was honestly some of the most validating feedback I got."
'The right to feel seen'
For Ms Alfageeh, it's crucial that those designing diverse characters like Dust have an understanding of what they're representing.
"This is a fundamentally reoccurring issue in entertainment, not just comics. You need diverse creators behind the scenes who know their stories and experiences best to breathe life into them. We need diverse teams of decision makers, directors, writers, artists and editors."
That was certainly the mantra she followed in her creation of Dust.
"Much of my inspiration came from searching modest fashion Instagram hashtags and Pinterest. I wanted to see how Muslim women were choosing to present themselves, and especially street fashion has such an incredible sense of agency. I wanted to channel that attitude."
Sara Alfageeh reinvented the Marvel character, Dust. Source: Sara Alfageeh
"Cape comics are power fantasies, and everyone has a right to feel seen."
Ms Alfageeh says the feedback only reaffirmed the idea that audiences respond well to sincerity and informed research in characters.
"[That] is honestly the only thing I did differently. People can tell when you care about the work you're doing."
