- “But then, if you have lived like I have, lost what I have, you learn to find beauty in the pieces.”
- ―Sana Ali to Kamala Khan[src]
Sana Ali is a Marvel Comics character who appears in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She was first mentioned in the first episode, before making her debut in the second episode of the Disney+ series, Ms. Marvel. She is primarily portrayed by starring cast member, Samina Ahmad, while Zion Usman plays her during the flashback sequences.
Sana is the daughter of man named Hasan, and Aisha who was a Djinn. Through her mixed lineage, she held some form of powers. During the Partition of India, she was separated from her parents, but a trail of stars reunited her with her father. She went on to become mother to Muneeba, and grandmother to Aamir and Kamala Khan. When she sends her family in New Jersey, a box of her old belongings, Kamala puts on her bangle, which unlocks her powers. Sana later receives a vision of the train she boarded during the Partition, and calls her granddaughter to visit her in Pakistan, after she received the same vision too.
Sana Ali was originally created by writer G. Willow Wilson and artists Takeshi Miyazawa & Adrian Alphona.
Background[]
Sana is born in British Occupied India, to Hasan and Aisha. She lived in a village, where her father sold roses that he grew, outside their home, while her mother sold milk. Uncertainty begins to rise, following the British Empire's rule over India, and tensions towards the Muslim inhabitants begin affecting her parent's livelihood. The family are forced to make the decision leave their home. Before they make their journey, Aisha hands Sana her bangle, which she promises will keep her safe.[1]
Sana travels with her family, in what would become the Partition of India, and they make their way to the train station, where they will leave for Karachi, in the land which will eventually become Pakistan. As they move forward, Aisha unexpectedly departs, leaving Sana in Hasan's care. Sana, who wants her mother, leaves her father's side to search for her. She calls out for Aisha, but is unable to locate her, and loses sight of her father in the process too. With both parents out of view, young Sana begins crying, when a young teenage girl walks over to her, and holds her in her arms. The girl carries Sana, and attempts to help her locate Hasan, but they're unable to find him. The girl puts Sana down and creates platforms made up on energy for Sana to stand on. Sana walks on them, as they lead her on a pathway to her father. When the platforms suddenly dissipate, Sana holds out her hand, and the fragments of the construct rise before her, resembling stars. Sana follows them as they move forward, and they eventually lead her back to her father. Hasan reunites with his daughter and takes her on board the train to Karachi.[1]
Following the Partition, Sana began to practice artwork, as a means of holding onto what she lost. At some point, Hasan tells Sana that Aisha was a Djinn.[2]
Sana eventually gets married and has a daughter whom she names Muneeba. Sana is convinced of her family's magical lineage, and reiterates this to Muneeba over the years. She gains a reputation as crazy, for her wild theories, and becomes shunned by neighbors, eventually leading to her husband's departure.[2] Tensions between Sana and Muneeba arise, and Muneeba becomes rebellious as a result.[1] After meeting Yusuf, Muneeba eventually decides to get married and resettle in America. Sana doesn't come to her wedding.[3]
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
- Noor Manipulation: As a Djinn-Human hybrid, Sana has the ability to control the Noor present within her. While all Djinns possess this ability, their powers are subdued, outside of the Noor Dimension. Sana's mixed ancestry allows her to use Noor on Earth. After she was separated from her parents at the trains station, Sana controlled fragments of Kamala's constructs, which lead her back to her father,
- Retrocognition: The ability to see into the past. Sana receives a vision of the train to Karachi she boarded on, during the Partition of India.
Abilities[]
- Bilingualism: Sana primarily speaks Urdu, but is also able to communicate in English too.
- Artistry: Sana began to express herself in art following the Partition, as a means of holding onto her identity. Within her home, she has a room, filled with various pieces of artwork she illustrated.
Appearances[]
Marvel Cinematic Universe[]
Ms. Marvel[]
- Kamala: "Why'd she also send all this junk?"
- Muneeba: "I'd like to tell you that it's because she's growing old, but she's always been this way. She doesn't want to die before passing on all her junk to us."
- ―Kamala Khan and Muneeba Khan[src]
While Sana doesn't appear in the first episode, she is referred to, by her daughter, Muneeba. She compares Kamala's fantastical and unrealistic nature, to that of her mothers, labelling her a daydreamer. Sana exports a box of her old belongings to Jersey City, for her daughter, and includes her mother's old bangle, amongst the many items. When Kamala questions why Sana sent it over, Muneeba speculates she likely wanted to pass on her belongings, before she died.[4]
- “Oh. But no, I've spoken too much already. No, no, no, I'm not going to talk about this at all, beta.”
- ―Sana Ali to Kamala Khan[src]
Kamala later video calls her grandmother, who isn't too familiar with how phones operate, and holds the camera, right by her eyes. She asks why Kamala doesn't write to her, as she waits for the post every day, and Kamala assures her that she'll get onto it. Sana asks if they received her gifts, which Kamala confirms, and proceeds to question her, about the bangle. She informs Kamala that it originally belonged to her mother, Aisha. Sana quickly becomes distracted and asks if she can talk to Aamir and Tyesha, but Kamala is determined to continue the matter. Sana regrets having shared what she did, and refuses to further elaborate, in fear of upsetting Muneeba. Before Sana can provide any answers, the mango man arrives, prompting her to leave for a purchase.[3]
On the night of Aamir's wedding, Sana receives a vision of a train to Karachi. Upon seeing this, she calls Kamala and tells her she and her mother need to come to Pakistan, and asks if Kamala also saw the same vision. When Kamala questions how she could know, what she saw, Sana reveals they shared the same vision.[5]
Kamala and Muneeba fly to Karachi, and she surprises the pair at the airport. They are driven home, and Kamala walks in a room filled with Sana's illustrations. Sana reveals that her artwork was a way to hold onto what they lost, during the Partition. She takes out a photograph of herself, alongside her father Hasan, and a painting of her mother, Aisha, to show her granddaughter. Kamala shows Sana the bangle, and wonders why she sent it to her. She hesitantly begins to ask if she's a Djinn, but Sana finishes her sentence for her, revealing that she was already aware of their shared lineage. She shares that the last time the bangle was used; it saved her life, referring to when the bangle reunited her, with her father onto the train during the Partition. Sana also confirms that it's the same train, the pair saw in their visions. She urges Kamala to discover what the bangle is trying to tell her.[2]
Muneeba begins excessively cleaning the house, and Sana wants to get away, so goes to her balcony, where Kamala joins her. Kamala hasn't founds the answers she seeks and finds that she's still learning. Sana shares how she's still exploring her identity, and talks of the pain that the Partition has brought to her, as a Pakistani.[2]
While in doors, Sana is sewing, while Muneeba cleans around her. Muneeba questions why Sana kept hold of various newspapers and old toffee boxes. Sana reveals they were originally for her, and she kept them, in case Muneeba would return, but ended up eating them along the way. Sana proceeds to sit up and help her, but Muneeba sits her mother back down, and begins massaging her leg. She suggests her mother consider living with them in America, to Sana's surprise, as she believed that Muneeba left to get away from her. Muneeba talks about being shunned by the neighbors because of Sana's reputation. Sana denies this, but Muneeba disagrees with her, and admits she just wanted her mother.[2]
Later on, Kamala goes out, but Muneeba is unable to get hold of her. Muneeba panics, and Sana shares that she had Magnum microchipped after he got lost. Muneeba snaps that Kamala is a girl not a dog, though would consider it, if it were legal. Sana reassures her that Kamala will be okay.[2]
With the help of Owais, they manage to locate Kamala's whereabouts. Sana accompanies Muneeba to a closed courtyard, where they witness a fantastical surge of light disappearing, while Kamala holds a shield made up of an energy construct. A young masked boy Kamala was with, greets Sana and Muneeba, before awkwardly heading off. Muneeba is shocked to learn of her daughter's abilities, and Sana states that their family is magical, just as she told her daughter over the years. Kamala hands Sana a photograph, and she becomes emotional after seeing a picture of herself with both her parents. Muneeba questions where the light came from and how Kamala obtained the photo, and while Kamala in unsure in how to answer, Sana would like to believe that her parents love created something much larger than either of them could have imagined. As they head back, Muneeba picks up an old piece of jewelry. Sana questions what it is, and Muneeba tells her it's Kamala's.[1]
At home, Sana and Muneeba browse through old family photographs. She calls over Kamala to look a photo of Muneeba as a teenager, and shares that she was rebellious in her youth. She adds that Muneeba ran away at seventeen to follow Bruce Springsteen, but Muneeba clarifies that it was Bon Jovi. Muneeba apologizes to Kamala for holding onto her too tight, as she wasn't ready to let go, and in turn, Sana apologizes for not holding onto her tight enough. Muneeba assures her mother that it isn't true, and she couldn't see, what her mother needed to her to see. Sana suggests that maybe the journey she was intended to take, was the one that brought her back to her daughter, and the three generations of women all embrace each other.[1]
The Marvels[]
Whilst Sana doesn't appear, but she is mentioned multiple times throughout the film. Kamala discloses to Carol, she got her bangle from Sana. When Muneeba calls Kamala, Kamala reveals that a "weirdly beautiful but kind of terrifying woman", is in possession of the other half of her gandmother's bangle. When Kamala faces Dar-Benn during a battle on Aladna, the Kree warrior demands to know where Kamala got her bangle from, and Kamala proceeds to tell her that her grandmother send it to her in the mail.
Marvel Animation[]
Marvel Rising[]
Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors[]
Whilst Muneeba's mother doesn't make an appearance in the animated film, she is alluded to by her daughter. Muneeba recalls to Kamala, how her mother disapproved of her budding relationship with Yusuf, in her youth, and she chose to break it off as a result, to spare her mother from heartbreak. Before Yusuf departed, he wrote Muneeba a poem, which she showed to her mother, prompting a change of heart on her part, and resulting in the young couple getting married a week later.
Trivia[]
- Sana was named after Ms. Marvel comic editor and co-creator, Sana Amanat, who also acts as an executive producer for the series.
- Sana wasn't originally named in the comics, and simply referred to as "Nani".
Gallery[]
Photography[]
Screenshots[]
Miscellaneous[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Time and Again", Ms. Marvel, Season 1, Episode 5. (July 6, 2022). Disney+
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "Seeing Red", Ms. Marvel, Season 1, Episode 4. (June 29, 2022). Disney+
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Crushed", Ms. Marvel, Season 1, Episode 2. (June 15, 2022). Disney+
- ↑ "Generation Why", Ms. Marvel, Season 1, Episode 1. (June 8, 2022). Disney+
- ↑ "Destined", Ms. Marvel, Season 1, Episode 3. (June 22, 2022). Disney+
External Links[]
