The Bedouin prince Abdul Qamar quickly rose to power over his nomadic family, but would often leave to trade goods in the cities. After one such trading run,[citation needed] while seeking shelter in an underground tomb, Qamar discovered a magic scimitar and flying carpet that had belonged to a thirteenth-century ancestor who had been a champion of his nomadic people, and who were gifts of the Desert Gods. Qamar decided to carry on his ancestor's tradition by battling evil as the Arabian Knight. He would have a first chance to do so battling two demons, Gog and Magog who had been sealed in their tomb by his ancestor. While doing so, the Arabian Knight tentatively collaborated and fought the Hulk, discovering his secret identity in the process.
One of the first known activities of the Arabian Knight occurred when Qamar was abducted along with most of Earth's heroes during the so-called first Contest of Champions, but he returned to his people soon after.
Later, a desert demon possessed Qamar's family, including the newest born, hoping that Qamar would kill his son, inadvertently setting the demon free. When Qamar did not, the demon was banished, leaving his son alive but killing his wives and family. Qamar fled into the desert with his son, swearing vengeance.
Qamar became a special operative for Pantheon, and one of his first assignments was infiltrating the superhuman agents working on behalf of Iraq during the Iraqi infiltration of Kuwait, calling themselves Desert Sword. They operated under the pretense of threatening Qamar's (presumed) family to impress him into service.
During this time, the Arabian Knight fought members of the American subversive super-team, Freedom Force. Qamar later stopped the altered soldier known as Sandstorm.
Qamar returned to Saudi Arabia after the Iraqi invasion and continued to serve as the Arabian Knight. The Arabian Knight was killed when the being known as Humus Sapien awoke and drained the life force of random people with every use of his powers.
