| Kahina | |
| Biographical Information | |
| Real Name | Misha |
| Aliases | Kahina |
| Gender | Female |
| Class | Ace |
| Wild Card Traits | Precognition |
| Social Information | |
| Place of Birth | Syria |
| Citizenship | Syrian national, deceased |
| Base of Operations | Mobile |
| Affiliations | The Nur |
| Relatives | Nur al-Allah (brother), Sayyid (husband) |
| Allies | Sara Morgenstern, George Steele, Peanut |
| Origin | |
| First Appearance | Aces Abroad |
| Final Appearance | Down and Dirty |
Kahina is a fictional character from the Wild Cards series of books.
History[]
Misha, like her brother Najib, drew an ace from the wild card deck and gained the ability to dream of events in the future. Her dreams were cryptic in nature, so when Najib formed his own religious sect he took to interpreting her dreams as he saw fit and otherwise used his sister in an advisory capacity to further his cause. Najib took to naming himself Nur al-Allah, the "Light of Allah", and Misha he called Kahina, the "Seer".
Kahina dreamt of a man with two faces, and strings dangling from his fingers manipulating a number of other people. This American was Gregg Hartmann, a delegate with the 1987 WHO Tour that was scheduled to visit Syria among its many stops around the world. When the tour finally arrived, she was permitted to approach them in Damascus and arrange a meeting with the Nur in the Syrian desert. Kahina was unaware that her brother's true intent was to allow her to draw the tour delegates to him not for a peaceful meeting, but into a bloody trap.
When the tour delegates arrived at the Nur's desert encampment, Nur al-Allah promptly took control of them and soon selected Senator Hartmann to become the first execution of the group. Having already been made a puppet of Hartmann's power, Kahina's dislike of her brother was twisted into a violent rage. She attacked Nur al-Allah with his own knife, slashing his throat and releasing his hold over them, then fled after realising what she had done.
Convinced that Gregg Hartmann was a monster in the guise of a man, Kahina escaped to the United States with the help of George Steele in a bid to end Hartmann's evil. The Russian placed her in a tenuous alliance with the Jokers for a Just Society, but before she could act against Hartmann she was captured and slain by Mackie Messer, Hartmann's chief assassin.
Wild Card Traits[]
Kahina has prophetic dreams of the future. These are always cryptic and must be interpreted. She has no control over what she dreams - they simply come to her during sleep.
Appearance[]
Kahina has intense dark eyes, the only part of her normally visible as she typically dresses in a burqua.
Personality[]
Kahina is an intense and driven woman. Despite being a woman in a fundamentalist Islamic environment, she is treated with far more reverence and respect than women in her position normally would. This is partly due to her familial ties with the Nur al-Allah, but also attributable to her own intelligence, presence, and prescience. Kahina is often distrustful of strangers, particularly those whom her visions have indicated might be dangerous. She also hates her abusive husband Sayyid, and holds bitterness towards her treatment by her brother, yet remains devoted to her brother believing that he speaks with the voice of Allah.
Selected Reading[]
- Wild Cards Volume IV: Aces Abroad - "The Tint of Hatred"
- Wild Cards Volume V: Down and Dirty - "The Hue of a Mind"