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PLAYER PROFILE: Blink

January 29th, 2014 by Irwin Fletcher Comments

Real Name: Clarice Ferguson

Abilities: Teleportation

Dimensional Energy Projection (Age of Apocalypse Counterpart)

First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #317

With X-Men Days of Future Past just around the corner many fans are excited to see how their favorite mutants will be handled this time around. Now to those who are not as versed in the X-Universe and its characters, you may still know who Wolverine, Professor X and Magneto are. However if you have seen the trailer there may be one character you probably have no inkling of who she is. This would be the character played by Fan Bingbing known as Blink.

Blinks history is going to be interesting to relate to you here in this edition of Player Profile mostly due to the fact that there are two versions of this character in the Marvel Universe and it is interesting to note that it is an alternate version which is more prominent in the comics than her 616 counterpart; although it is the 616 where we will begin our tale.

Blink first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #317 during the Phalanx Covenant arc that spread across the X-Universe in 1994. She was one of the young mutants who were captured by the Phalanx who wanted to assimilate her powers. At this point in time she was not in full control of her teleportation powers to the point that anyone who was caught in her teleportation wave would end up mutilated and torn to shreds. While this left her nervous and unwilling to use her powers she did use them on one of the Phalanx guards allowing the other captives to escape. However she was caught in her own wave and thus perished. Due to her sacrifice it allowed those who escaped to become the young team known as Generation-X.

Blink would then show up in the alternate universe of Age of Apocalypse starting in X-Men Alpha #1 in 1995. This version of Blink would come to be the most known within the Marvel Universe. Born with purple skin her family new she was a mutant right away and accepted this fact. The family moved to Miami but when Blink was a child Apocalypse invaded and took over. She was discovered by Mister Sinister and Dark Beast who subjected her to experiments and torture which would refine her powers. She was also the victim of sexual abuse from the Sugar Man before she was rescued by Weapon X and Sabertooth, who of which she became a surrogate daughter.

She would grow and become a valued part of the X-Men though she was unwilling to follow orders at certain times. During this time she also was transported to the negative zone where she had a romance with that universe’s Annihilus. Her time in the Age of Apocalypse came to an end once Bishop rewrote history allowing the true timeline to be restored.

This version of Blink however would find herself in the 616 as a member of the Time Displaced team known as the Exiles. This team was made up of alternate versions of many 616 characters from various dimensions and timelines. Blink would be a prominent member in all three Exiles series till the series ended with volume 2 in 2009.

Alternatively the 616 Blink would re-debut during the Dark Reign arc when she is seen in the underworld by Hercules.  Shortly after during the Necrosha arc she is resurrected by Selene of the Inner Circle who found that Blink wasn’t actually dead but in a dead like state in another realm. Having been lied to by Selene she joins her cause and is even responsible for the obliteration of Archangels wings during an attack on Utopia. After Selene’s downfall and being slashed by Archangel who had re-grown his wings she disappears. Sometime later she is found by Emma Frost and a group of X-Men and Emma is able to break her of Selene’s influence where she feels remorse for all she has done. Instead of taking the offer to join the X-Men she teleports away and is not seen until Schism when Cyclops sends Dani Moonstar to bring her home, although she again declines.

So there is basically the entire history of Blink from both AoA and 616. While it is still unknown how much Blink will factor into Days of Future past, it will be interesting to see what parts of these two characters will be used. I will admit that I love her look in the trailer and I really hope they use her right and not like they used Quill and Psylocke in Last Stand. Since she was featured in the trailer along with Bishop it can be assumed she will have a good bit in the film, however only seeing the final product will tell.

So until next time kids this is Spin signing off but I will be back in the next Player Profile to discuss a certain Sorcerer Supreme.

 

I'm an LA journalist who really lives for his profession. I have also published work as Jane Doe in various mags and newspapers across the globe. I normally write articles that can cause trouble but now I write for FTN because Nerds are never angry, so I feel safe.