Arabian Nights (comic)

For other uses, see Arabian Nights.

Arabian Nights was published in two parts in 1995 and 1996 by ARMADA, a division of Acclaim Comics. Written by Susan Wright and Jeofrey Vita, this comic told the story of Taysir and the way he became a planeswalker. The comic was penciled by Alexander Maleev, inked by Rodney Ramos and colored by Michael Tuccinard.

Volume 1: A Time to Gather

Volume 1, cover by Michael Dringenberg

The story begins with the death of a man, Shepherd Taysir, at the hands of another man who looks very similar to him, Apprentice Taysir. The apprentice is in service of Nailah, the sorceress queen, who reveals that the plane they're on, Rabiah, exists 1001 times, as the original plane and a thousand copies, but Taysir is the only person in Rabiah who only has 5 versions. If all 5 versions of Taysir are merged, as happens with the Shepherd and the Apprentice when the latter mixes their blood), they could become the most powerful planeswalker of all time.

The elements of the green Shepherd bring doubts in the mind of the black Apprentice though, and he rebels against Nailah, giving the red Nomad Taysir the Ring of Ma'Rûf and telling him to use it to track down the other Taysirs. The Apprentice then fights Nailah, but loses and is imprisoned in an oubliette.

The Nomad uses the ring and meets the white Dervish Taysir and his companion, the leper Raghib. Raghib reveals he used to be Nailah's lover until she no longer needed him and cursed him with leprosy. Nailah shows up and tries to convince the Nomad to become her new apprentice, but he refuses and a fight breaks out in which he is critically wounded. He gives his life willingly to merge with the Dervish, whom then manages to reflect Nailah's teleportation spell to herself, buying him and Raghib enough time to use the Ring of Ma'Rûf to track down the last Taysir. Here ends the first comic.

Volume 2: And Then There Was One

Volume 2, cover by Michael Dringenberg

The second comic starts just after they have arrived at the castle of El-Hajjâj, Nailah's father and formerly her and Raghib's tutor until Nailah killed him. Raghib and Taysir fight their way past illusions, artificial guardians and a Guardian Beast and discover a City in a Bottle in which the last Taysir is kept. They also find El-Hajjâj, whom says Nailah didn't kill him, but that he is forever banished from ‘this world'. What this exactly entails is not revealed.

Taysir travels into the City in a Bottle where he meets the blue Baby Taysir. He's furious about the fact that the child must sacrifice his life to merge with him, but only a unified Taysir can defeat Nailah. After a small row with Hajjaj and Raghib Taysir takes the three of them to Nailah's keep.

There he frees the Apprentice, but is ambushed by Nailah. She kills Raghib and Hajjaj mortally wounds the Apprentice, forcing to the Dervish to merge with him. She tries to use the spells she placed on the Apprentice to make the unified Taysir her minion, but he is too strong and severely damages her. Taysir leaves Rabiah, fearing Nailah's grasp over the black aspect of him. He vows to return to face Nailah one day, but she casts a spell that prevents Taysir from ever accessing the 1001 Rabiahs.

Aftermath

Nothing is known about what happened to Rabiah afterwards, for the only appearance of this plane is a one-line cameo during Nicol Bolas' trip around the planes in the book Champion's Trial.

Taysir's journey eventually takes him to Dominaria where he becomes a scholar, writes an account of the Brothers' War and falls in love with Kristina of the Woods. His next important appearance is in the Ice Age comic, during the Summit of the Null Moon.

External links

• Some scans from the Arabian Nights comic.