Bialya
Bialya is the name of a country that features in DC Comics.
Contents |
History
Origin
Bialya was an Arab nation located in the Middle East on Earth. (Justice League v1 #2)
Dan Garrett was noted to had smuggled the Blue Beetle Scarab out of Bialya after he discovered it within a secret tomb. (Blue Beetle v8 #8)
Prior to volunteering for the Captain Atom Project, Captain Nathaniel Adam's spent some time stationed at Bialya. The arid nation had fallen into being a third-world country that was stricken with poverty with political and internal strife afflicting it. (Captain Atom Annual v2 #2)
At some point, Colonel Rumaan Harjavti came to rise to a position of power where he became a dictator in charge of the country. He came to build numerous missile silos claiming that these were needed to protect his small beleagured nation from its more aggressive neighbours. (Justice League v1 #2)
The Champions of Angor attacked a Bialyan missile silo as they attempted to disarm the world of nuclear weapons. Colonel Harjavti met with them where he claimed to share in their interest in stopping war on the planet. Thus, the two sides became allies with Bialya serving as a base of operations for the Champions where they struck other countries such as missile sites in Israel. The Justice League moved into investigating their actions leading to a warning from the Bialyan forces. (Justice League v2 #2)
During this time, the Queen Bee used her influence and that of her organisation to capture members of the Global Guardians who were then brainwashed. She was also responsible for taking in the dimensionally displaced Wandjina and performed experiments on him. In this time, the Queen Bee was seemingly having a close relationship with the Bialyan dictator Rumaan Harjavti where she served as his close advisor. Her efforts were responsible in creating new super-weapons for the Bialyan nation in the formed of brainwashed heroes under her command and ready for Harjavti's orders. Thus, Rumaan had a public unveiling of this new power which he believed would make his country a force to contend with on the global scale. However, during the demonstration, Queen Bee ordered Wandjina to murder Rumaan Harjavti in front of the crowd. This was part of her plans in strengthening her own powerbase and with the Colonel slain she declared herself the new ruler of Bialya. (Justice League International v1 #16)
In the span of a year, the country was transformed from a third world nation into a much more stable country due to the leadership of Queen Bee. It was shown to had been transformed into a beautiful land with a targeting multimedia campaign in attracting tourists following a year long media blackout with a public unveiling made to the world. Captain Atom in his guise as Cameron Scott joined others on a covert mission into investigating Bialya's government for the United States. (Captain Atom Annual v2 #2)
Looking to uncover Queen Bee's actions, Captain Atom authorised a covert mission for his Justice League Europe to infiltrate Bialya and learnt more of the villain's plans. During their mission, they came to uncover Queen Bee's build-up of Metahumans loyal to her with the aid of a Dominator scientist. Threatening to expose her to the world, she agreed to stop her campaign against the Justice League but she had to end her weapon development program. To keep the perception of Bialya being a peaceful nation, she began to eliminate her followers including Jack O'Lantern and the Dominator scientist. (Justice League Europe v1 #4)
Later on, Maxwell Lord was nearly killed by an assassin with the weapon recovered being traced to an arms dealer in Bialya. Captain Atom wanted to confront Queen Bee over this matter as he believed her to be responsible but this risked triggering an international accident. However, Captain Atom came to be fired from Justice League Europe by newly appointed U.N. supervisor Kurt Heimlich. As a result, Nathaniel Adams decided to operate alone and investigate the Bialya connection himself without risking his compatriots. Upon learning of this, Heimlich notified Bialayan officials and stated that they were free to deal with Captain Atom as they wished as he was no longer affiliated with their organization. Captain Atom then attempted to secretly fly into the country only to be intercepted and ambushed by the Global Guardians. Taking him captive, they then contacted Catherine Cobert and stated that the hero could only be recovered through diplomatic channels. (Justice League Europe v1 #29)
Colonel Harjavti who continued as President for Life embarked on a new scheme at bringing revenue to his nation. This was making Bialya open as a holiday destination for criminals and supervillains as the country had no extradition treaties. The opportunity also allowed him to launder money through these business exchanges. (JLA Incarnations v1 #6)
As part of his scheme, General Zod secretly approached the dictator of Bialya who despised America and its Metahumans with him offering a means of creating a Metahuman plague so that they could be killed after showing the threat they posed to the world. (Action Comics v1 #803) Thus, General Radak was involved in the scheme in spreading a Meta-Virus into the United States that caused the emergence of over 30,000 Metahumans that caused chaos to the country that struggled to contain the danger. Radak then called forth his army as they prepared to launch an attack against the United States. However, General Zod and his forces in Pokolistan struck where they slaughtered the Bialyan military with their leader being left to President Luthor to be tried as a war criminal. (Action Comics v1 #802)
One faction that was present in the country was the Al-Bialyii faction. (Checkmate v2 #22)
Post-Flashpoint
Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different series of events. Bialya
Goliath made his way to Bialya to prey on the cows but was captured by a Bialyan Sheikh. Damian Wayne made his way to the country in order to free Goliath. (Robin: Son of Batman v1 #1)
At some point, the country fell into turmoil with the rise of the Bialyan Rebel Front. This armed and armored force came to attack the city of Alegab with Colonel Steve Trevor of the United States Air Force alongside Wonder Woman being deployed to help end the crisis. Unknown to anyone, the conflict was only created by the Greek god Ares who was inhabiting various forms remotely from his prison in Tartarus. However, Princess Diana of Themyscira managed to help thwart the scheme of the god of war. (Justice League Giant v1 #1)
The resurrected Talia al Ghul in an effort to stop the Den Darga decided she needed a powerbase to stop the Lu'un Darga and save her wounded son. Thus, she took the Scepter of Kings that the al Ghul family had stolen years ago and used it to assert her authority over Bialya and displacing Prince Abush from his throne. (Robin: Son of Batman v1 #6)
After Black Adam conduced genocide in Bialya, members of the nation sought to create their own supersoldiers with their version of the Damage Program. (Damage Annual v2 #1)
Overview
It was said that Bialya appeared as a third nation that was attempting to progress itself. (Justice League Europe v1 #4)
Locations in Bialya included:
- Alegab : a city located in Bialya. (Justice League Giant v1 #1)
- As-Sinan Al-Hadi-Diya : mountains situated in the South-Western region of the country. (Checkmate v2 #22)
- The Dome :
- Bialyan Royal Palace :
The country's neighbouring nations included Iran and Saudi Arabia that were situated to the south of Bialya. (Captain Atom Annual v2 #2)
There was Bialyan proverb that, when translated to English said, ”If a comet falls from the sky and hits the milk man, should you blame it on diaper rash?” (Doom Patrol v5 #4)
Bialyans were said to had hated the U.S. but were fond of the American Dollar. (Justice League International v1 #16) It was said that Bialya was a rich country that could easily afford replacing lost equipment. (Justice League Europe v1 #3)
According to Bialyan law, common thieves were caned on their backsides over national television with international rights sold to the highest bidder. (JLA Incarnations v1 #6) During Queen Bee's reign, she did not permit litter to be thrown on the streets. (Captain Atom Annual v2 #2)
A political faction within the Bialyan government was the Al-Bialyii. (Checkmate v2 #22) The Bialya Tourist Council was established to help promote the country as a tourist destination. (JLA Incarnations v1 #6) Bialya was said to hold no extradition treaties with anyone thus making it a haven for criminals. (JLA Incarnations v1 #6)
Scientists in Bialya created a microchip that electronically stimulated a subject's brain to produce an over-abundance of endomorphins that were natural pain-suppressing drugs in the body in order to create withdrawal symptoms once a hypnotic trigger was activated. This caused a person to feel intense feelings of pain and were determined to reach Bialya in order to experience relief from those symptoms. These endomorphic mind-control techniques were designed to brainwash people to the point that they would reveal the deepest secrets to interrogators. (Captain Atom Annual v2 #2)
Inhabitants
- Rumaan Harjavti : a male with a moustache and beard who held the rank of Colonel where he became a dictator that ruled the small beleaguered nation. (Justice League v1 #2)
- Queen Bee : a dark haired woman who was influential and formed a secret criminal organisation where she managed to make in-roads into taking over the Bialyan government. (Justice League International v1 #16)
- Hozzin : a male attendant who looked after Queen Bee. (Justice League Europe Annual v1 #1)
- Abdul Abdulla Abdul : a bald bearded male who was an official in the country's state department. (Justice League International v1 #16)
- Radak : a male general who operated as a dictator that ruled the country until he was deposed by General Zod of Pokolistan. (Action Comics v1 #802)
- Ehad Rajak : (Adventures of Superman v1 #590)
- Geoffrey Ffoukes : a security official who worked for Harjavti. (JLA Incarnations v1 #6)
- Miklos Rumpus : a bald headed male who was praised as his country’s greatest mind with Rumaan Harjavti calling him the Einstein of Eastern Europe. He fled his nation thirty years ago and settled in the United States where he took a job teaching at Helfer University. Professor Rumpus sought to create a new generation of robotics and outdo the works of Will Magnus who Miklos saw as an overrated charlatan. (Doom Patrol v5 #4)
- Marvin Noronsa : He replaced the original Jack O'Lantern who had been killed by Bialyan agents and took on his identity as part of Queen Bee's attempts at taking control of the Global Guardians. (Justice League Europe Annual v1 #1)
- Traya Sutton :
- Shuja :
- Doctor : the name given to a male Dominator scientist who Queen Bee brought under her control and was used to head experiments in brainwashing and enhancing Metahumans for use by Bialya. After the Justice League Europe threatened to expose her, Queen Bee had the scientist eliminated in order to prevent him from potentially allying with another world leader. (Justice League Europe v1 #4)
Notes
- Bialya was created by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis where it made its first appearance in Justice League v1 #2 (June, 1987).
- The Atlas of the DC Universe v1 (1980) had an entry on Bialya that provided some background on the country. According to the guide, it was situated in the Mediterranean and dated back to the early 5th century where it was wrested from the Palestinians by its nomadic inhabitants. In the years afterwards, the Bialyans were involved in centuries of conflict with the Palestinians, Muslim Arabs, and the Crusaders of the 11th century before finally being defeated by the Ottoman Turks who conquered it in the early 16th century. The tiny nation was part of the Ottoman Empire until its fall in World War I whereupon it became part of British rule in the 1920's who made it part of Transjordan. It remained in this state until an anti-colonial civil war erupted that lasted three years before Bialya was granted independence in 1956 with it falling under the leadership of the rebel Rumaan Harjavti who was declared the first President of the Republic of Bialya. With support, he declared himself President for Life and with Bialya lacking the rich oil reserves of its neighbours began to base their economy on the training and export of terrorism.
Alternate Versions
In other media
Television
- In Young Justice, Bialya appeared in the setting of the animated television series where it was ruled by Queen Bee. It was a nation whose capital was Al-Qawiya with Qurac being a country that bordered it. Under Queen Bee's leadership, they had allied with the Light who in turn made a secret deal with Apokolips who provided them with New God technology such as the New Genesisphere. The Team were deployed by Batman into Bialya into finding suspected weapon shipments emerging in the country. Upon arrival, they were attacked by Psimon who had their minds wiped leaving them unaware of their life until Miss Martian restored their memories. Bialya also contained an ancient temple where magical forces were used in shutting down and corrupting the Reach Scarab sent to Earth.
- In Arrow, the country was shown in background material and mentioned in the setting. The episode "The Huntress Returns", John Diggle was shown seeing through news reports with one article stating that the President of Bialya had been assassinated.
Films
- In Superman vs. The Elite, Bialya appeared in the setting of the animated film. It was shown to had a peace treaty with Pokolistan with this breaking down leading to hostilities erupting between the two countries. This saw Superman moving to stop the two countries armed forces from destroying each other. He arrived in Bialya where Pokolistani forces unleashed a bio-weapon against the Bialyan military that destroyed most of their ground forces which was stopped by Superman with the newly arrived Elite. Kal-El later travelled to Bialya again when he was searching for the Elite where he was knocked out by a powerful EMP attack triggered by Coldcast who was attempting to stop hostilities in the country. At this point, Pokolistani forces arrived where they attempted to kill Superman until the Elite eliminated them. In retaliation, the Bialyan air force launched fighter jets to attack Pokolistan but these were all disabled by Superman who attempted to show killing was not the way but the Elite had already killed the leaders of Bialya and Pokolistan.
- In Wonder Woman 1984, Bialya appeared in the setting of the live-action film set in the DC Extended Universe. The land once belonged to the Bialyian Dynasty until it was lost to other Arab nations in the land. By 1984, Emir Said Bin Abydos was a descendant of the dynasty who longed for the return of his ancestral realm and wanted its glory to be renewed. Despite that, he maintained considerable oil reserves which he traded to the Saudis. In 1984, oil tycoon Maxwell Lord journeyed to Egypt in an attempt to purchase oil land from Emir Said Bin Abydos in an effort to increase his oil supply. As a result of their exchange, a divine wall sprung forth, restoring the Bialyan borders and isolating the new Bialya from the rest of Egypt, preventing many Egyptians access to fresh water. The presence of the Bialyan Wall triggered confusion and new hostilities between the United States and Soviet Union. Abydos later renounced his wish, causing the wall to crumble and provoking the end of Bialya once again.
Video games
- In Young Justice: Legacy, Bialya made an appearance in the video-game tie-in to the animated series. It was the final level where the Team arrived to find Aquagirl and the last statue fragment that was in the hands of Klarion the Witch Boy and Blockbuster.
Books
Appearances
- Justice League v1: (1987)
- Justice League International v1:
- Justice League Europe Annual v1: (1990)
- Blue Beetle:
- Checkmate v2:
- 52 v1:
- 52 Aftermath: The Four Horsemen v1:
- Black Adam: The Dark Age v1:
- Action Comics v1:
- Robin: Son of Batman v1:
- Justice League Giant v1: (2018)
- Damage Annual v2:
External Link
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