Red Lotus

"neutral"

- Do you have any idea the power these criminals possess? Individually, they can take down any bender. Put them all together, they could take down the entire world.

Zaheer's gang consists primarily of four criminals who were incarcerated for thirteen years following a failed attempt to kidnap Avatar Korra. The gang's leader, Zaheer, managed to escape imprisonment in 171 AG using airbending abilities he acquired following Harmonic Convergence and subsequently freed the rest of the group. They are also affiliated with agents such as Aiwei, who assist Zaheer and his gang in their goal to usher in a new world order. According to Lord Zuko, Zaheer and his associates are dangerous as individuals and, when gathered, they are capable of defeating the entire world.

Incarceration


Zaheer and his gang attempted to kidnap Korra a year after her identification as the new Avatar, but were unsuccessful due to the intervention of Tonraq, Tenzin, Sokka, and Zuko. The four criminals were apprehended and detained in four maximum security prisons scattered around the globe, one of which was commissioned by Chief Unalaq and Zuko in the western tundras of the North Pole to contain P'Li. As was the case with P'Li, the Order of the White Lotus imprisoned Ghazan and Ming-Hua in environments that would prevent them from using any bending, while Zaheer was imprisoned in a remote mountaintop cell constructed entirely out of metal.

Members of the White Lotus and Chief Lin Beifong of Republic City spent the next thirteen years interrogating each member of Zaheer's gang in order to determine the gang's motives, but were ultimately unsuccessful.

Escape


Shortly after the Harmonic Convergence of 171 AG, Zaheer acquired airbending abilities, which he used to ambush the sentries outside of his cell during a routine shift change. He escaped with relative ease using his new-found bending and managed to ambush another set of sentries headed toward Ghazan's prison, which enabled him to infiltrate the facility and subsequently free the earthbender by providing him with three pieces of earth with which to bend. Zaheer revealed to his friend that his abilities were a result of Harmonic Convergence as well as a sign that the group's path was righteous. The two promptly headed to free their third associate, Ming-Hua, who was detained in a volcanic facility devoid of moisture. After providing her with water to escape, the three resolved to free P'Li from the tundras of the Northern Water Tribe.

Using a snowstorm conjured by Zaheer to act as cover, the three ambushed P'Li's prison and swiftly subdued Zuko, Tonraq, and Chiefs Desna and Eska, who had been guarding the prison aware of the three's recent escapes. Ming-Hua managed to defeat the twin chiefs and drill her way down to P'Li's underground cell, where she incapacitated the two guards on duty and promptly freed the firebender. The two were immediately attacked by Lord Zuko's dragon, Druk, after reaching the surface, but P'Li managed to redirect the flames and retaliate with a combustion beam. After downing the dragon, she focused her attention on Tonraq and defeated him with a second blast. With the group complete, Ghazan and P'Li swiftly defeated Zuko and Tonraq before fleeing the scene.

Tracking the Avatar
As part of their plan to find the Avatar, the four criminals traveled to Republic City shortly after P'Li's escape and sought refuge in an apartment complex overran by spirit vines. Zaheer shaved his head and infiltrated Air Temple Island under the guise of "Yorru" in an attempt to determine Korra's whereabouts, though his apparent knowledge of Air Nomad culture and desire to meet the Avatar aroused suspicion from Kya, who eventually discovered his true identity. Zaheer managed to defeat Kya, despite the waterbender's several attempts to subdue him, and fled the island on Tenzin's glider.

After returning to base, P'Li chastised Zaheer for exposing himself on Air Temple Island and compromising the group's whereabouts, stating that the incident prompted the police to begin looking for them. In light of the recent event, Ghazan inquired whether the group would continue with their plan to attack President Raiko, an operation which Zaheer decided to delay in order to focus on determining a way out of the city. To that end, the group ambushed a truck driver, whom Ming-Hua threatened to smuggle her and her associates out of the city undetected.

The truck driver prepared to smuggle Zaheer and his gang out of the city via Kyoshi Bridge, which was barricaded and patrolled by the police. Anxious over the situation, the driver wavered while questioned by the officers, who forced him out of the vehicle as a result. The truck driver fled the scene and left the police to open the back of the truck, from where Zaheer launched a surprise airbending blast, knocking the officers back and giving Ming-Hua enough time to gain control of the wheel and begin driving out of the city. The four were pursued by five police cars, three of which were immediately taken out by P'Li using her combustion. In order to trap the remaining officers, Ghazan turned a section of the road into lava, which allowed the four to successfully escape.



The cabal temporarily camped in a forest outside of the city, where Ghazan, Ming-Hua, and P'Li discussed how to find the Avatar while Zaheer meditated. The waterbender expressed her regret over not having taken a police officer as a hostage in order to interrogate for Korra's whereabouts, but P'Li simply reassured the two that they will find the Avatar in due time. Shortly after, Zaheer opened his eyes and revealed that he knew where the Avatar was being safeguarded, announcing that she was in Zaofu with the Metal Clan.

Attempt to capture the Avatar
With the aid of Aiwei, Zaheer's gang infiltrated Zaofu under the cover of darkness and managed to capture the Avatar by sedating her and Naga with shirshu-spit darts. Pabu alerted Mako and Bolin of the group's presence, and the two brothers proceeded to attempt to subdue the criminals along with the members of the Metal Clan, who were able to surround the four with a makeshift metal prison. Despite Ghazan's attempts to protect the group by creating a lava moat, Bolin blocked P'Li's chi by striking her third eye with a pebble, while Lin and Suyin Beifong plunged from above to rescue Korra. Zaheer attempted to recapture the Avatar, but he was inevitably thwarted by Suyin, who metalbent shards to pierce his glider. Outnumbered, Zaheer created a tornado to allow him and his group to escape.

Members

 * Aiwei
 * Ghazan
 * Ming-Hua
 * P'Li
 * Zaheer (leader)