Blind Al
Encyclopedia
Blind Al is a supporting character of Deadpool
, a Marvel Comics
antihero.
Al (also known as Althea or Blind Alfred) first appeared in Deadpool #1, living with him in "The Deadhut", his house in San Francisco. At first her relationship with him was unclear, but over time it would reveal itself as highly complex and bizarre.
. Her origin is never explicitly elaborated. It is eventually revealed that she was somehow involved with British intelligence, although in what capacity is unknown. She was already blind by this point and has been most of her life. Wade Wilson, the mercenary who would eventually become Deadpool, was hired to kill her in Zaire
where she was stationed. What actually occurred is unknown, but apparently Wilson killed everyone around except her, allowing her to flee. Years later, after he had gotten cancer
, received a healing factor
from Weapon X
, gone insane, and became Deadpool, Wilson met up with Al again and captured her.
Thus began the bizarre relationship between the two, with Al acting as a cross between a prisoner, friend, housekeeper, Greek Chorus
and mother-figure to Deadpool. At times Wade could be unbelievably cruel to Al. He would frequently insult her and play cruel pranks, taking advantage of her blindness. He forbade her visitors and would kill anyone who tried to help her escape. When she angered him he would put her in the Box, a small room filled with sharp objects (although he never actually locked the door, counting on her fear of him to keep her imprisoned). He also forced her to cook and clean for him, and dangled the prospect of freedom in front of her only to snatch it away.
On the other hand, Al seemed to wield a subtle authority over him, and seemed to be the only person who was not afraid to stand up to him. The pranks never bothered her, as she was more than clever enough to get back at 'Pool (putting laxative
s in his food was a favorite), and she was even sharper than he was when it came to insults. When the series opened, Al had already been with Wade for years, and a sort of peace had developed between them. Al seemed grateful for having food, a roof over her head, all the Matlock
she could "watch," and safety from those who wanted her dead, all in return for doing a few chores and putting up with Wade's twisted sense of humor. She was his closest confidant (even more so than Weasel
) and trips to the Box had become so infrequent as to be unheard of. She held an immense debt of gratitude for Deadpool for saving her life, and it gradually became clear that she was sticking it out with him because she believed that he had the potential to become a truly good person, and she hoped her influence over him would encourage him in that direction. She also hinted that she had a rather dark past, and felt that redeeming Wade would help her make up for past deeds. They shared an adventure together through time, where Al ended up impersonating May Parker
. She seemed as much a parent as a prisoner to him, and he even gave her Deuce the Devil Dog
as a present.
However, Deadpool soon hit a low personal ebb, and the peace between them became strained. This culminated in a trip to the Box after it became clear that Blind Al had been keeping visits from Weasel a secret from him. She got her revenge however, by coldly shunning him, and referring to him as "master" to highlight his cruelty. The guilt he felt was enormous, and he eventually declared her a free woman. She refused to leave so he teleported her away from him, preferring not to keep her imprisoned, even of her own free will
.
It was in issue #14, while Al and Weasel were in "the Box," that Al recounted a tale of particular disturbance. About two years into her imprisonment, Deadpool left on a long assignment, and Al decided to leave for a friend's in Maine. She escaped, trekked across the country, and when she arrived at her friend's house, Deadpool was waiting for her, her friend tortured nearly to death in front of his dogs. She ends the story by saying "That is how you build a prison."
Since then her appearances have become much more sporadic, although it is clear that she and Deadpool are still in contact. She appeared in Cable & Deadpool
#36, where Wade approached her to validate his plan to restore his reputation by battling Taskmaster
.
Despite their antagonistic relationship, Blind Al occasionally showed that she genuinely cared for Wade, as when she refused to leave him after being granted her freedom, and baked him a cake when he attempted to become a hero.
Deadpool gave Al Deuce (which Weasel had won from Foggy Nelson
in a poker
game) as a joke. Although the dog adored her, she seemed to think of him as nothing but a moronic flea-factory, and promptly had him fixed.
Her hobbies include "Needlepoint
, thimble collecting, planning escape routes... typical old lady twaddle." She loves the show Matlock, and also expressed a fondness for the Daily Show.
. This has since been retcon
ned as a red herring
.
Joe Kelly originally intended her to be the first Black Widow: "We were going to do the origin story of Blind Al, and show her as the original Black Widow and show how she was responsible for Wade getting cancer". This, likewise, is no longer considered canon.
One interesting fact about her has never been altered, however. It is implied that she dated Captain America
before he was frozen in the 1940s
. She described her last meeting with him while giving Wade a pep talk and, although never named, the description matches. She also had possession of a golden medal from him, which she gave to Deadpool
. When he later lost it on a battlefield, Captain America found it and recognized its origin, even mentioning the name "Al".
It is unclear exactly how old Al is, however during his series' run in the late 1990s, Al was noted as a sexagenarian, but she later claims to remember Flapper
-dresses, which she disliked because they made her butt look big. In a later issue of the same series she is referred by Montgomery (Burns), a precog at Landau, Luckman & Lake, as a septuagenarian.
Some readers thought that Blind Al was secretly Madam Web, but this is only because of her glasses style and hair design.
Deadpool (comics)
Deadpool is a fictional character, a mercenary and anti-hero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by artist Rob Liefeld and writer Fabian Nicieza, Deadpool first appeared in The New Mutants #98 Deadpool (Wade Winston Wilson) is a fictional character, a mercenary and...
, a Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
antihero.
Al (also known as Althea or Blind Alfred) first appeared in Deadpool #1, living with him in "The Deadhut", his house in San Francisco. At first her relationship with him was unclear, but over time it would reveal itself as highly complex and bizarre.
Fictional character biography
Al is a skinny old woman who, as her name suggests, is blindBlindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
. Her origin is never explicitly elaborated. It is eventually revealed that she was somehow involved with British intelligence, although in what capacity is unknown. She was already blind by this point and has been most of her life. Wade Wilson, the mercenary who would eventually become Deadpool, was hired to kill her in Zaire
Zaire
The Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...
where she was stationed. What actually occurred is unknown, but apparently Wilson killed everyone around except her, allowing her to flee. Years later, after he had gotten cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, received a healing factor
Healing factor
A healing factor is a term used to describe the ability of some characters in fiction to recover from bodily injuries or disease at a superhuman rate...
from Weapon X
Weapon X
Weapon X is a fictional clandestine government genetic research facility project in the Marvel Universe conducted by the Canadian Government's Department K, which turns willing and unwilling beings into living weapons. The project often captures mutants and experiments on them to enhance their...
, gone insane, and became Deadpool, Wilson met up with Al again and captured her.
Thus began the bizarre relationship between the two, with Al acting as a cross between a prisoner, friend, housekeeper, Greek Chorus
Greek chorus
A Greek chorus is a homogenous, non-individualised group of performers in the plays of classical Greece, who comment with a collective voice on the dramatic action....
and mother-figure to Deadpool. At times Wade could be unbelievably cruel to Al. He would frequently insult her and play cruel pranks, taking advantage of her blindness. He forbade her visitors and would kill anyone who tried to help her escape. When she angered him he would put her in the Box, a small room filled with sharp objects (although he never actually locked the door, counting on her fear of him to keep her imprisoned). He also forced her to cook and clean for him, and dangled the prospect of freedom in front of her only to snatch it away.
On the other hand, Al seemed to wield a subtle authority over him, and seemed to be the only person who was not afraid to stand up to him. The pranks never bothered her, as she was more than clever enough to get back at 'Pool (putting laxative
Laxative
Laxatives are foods, compounds, or drugs taken to induce bowel movements or to loosen the stool, most often taken to treat constipation. Certain stimulant, lubricant, and saline laxatives are used to evacuate the colon for rectal and/or bowel examinations, and may be supplemented by enemas under...
s in his food was a favorite), and she was even sharper than he was when it came to insults. When the series opened, Al had already been with Wade for years, and a sort of peace had developed between them. Al seemed grateful for having food, a roof over her head, all the Matlock
Matlock (TV series)
Matlock is an American television legal drama, starring Andy Griffith in the title role of attorney Ben Matlock. The show originally aired from September 23, 1986 to May 8, 1992 on NBC, where it replaced The A-Team, then from November 5, 1992 until May 7, 1995 on ABC.The show's format was similar...
she could "watch," and safety from those who wanted her dead, all in return for doing a few chores and putting up with Wade's twisted sense of humor. She was his closest confidant (even more so than Weasel
Weasel (comics)
Weasel is a fictional character who appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Fabian Nicieza and Joe Madureira, he first appeared in Deadpool: The Circle Chase #1 . Weasel is a friend, sidekick, information broker and arms dealer for Deadpool...
) and trips to the Box had become so infrequent as to be unheard of. She held an immense debt of gratitude for Deadpool for saving her life, and it gradually became clear that she was sticking it out with him because she believed that he had the potential to become a truly good person, and she hoped her influence over him would encourage him in that direction. She also hinted that she had a rather dark past, and felt that redeeming Wade would help her make up for past deeds. They shared an adventure together through time, where Al ended up impersonating May Parker
Aunt May
May Reilly Parker-Jameson, commonly known as Aunt May, is a supporting character in Marvel Comics' Spider-Man series. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, she first appeared as May Parker in Amazing Fantasy #15...
. She seemed as much a parent as a prisoner to him, and he even gave her Deuce the Devil Dog
Deuce the Devil Dog
Deuce the Devil Dog is a fictional Marvel Comics' character who is in fact just a guide dog. He was formerly owned by lawyer Foggy Nelson, friend and compatriot of Daredevil and later became Deadpool's "hostage" Blind Al's guide dog....
as a present.
However, Deadpool soon hit a low personal ebb, and the peace between them became strained. This culminated in a trip to the Box after it became clear that Blind Al had been keeping visits from Weasel a secret from him. She got her revenge however, by coldly shunning him, and referring to him as "master" to highlight his cruelty. The guilt he felt was enormous, and he eventually declared her a free woman. She refused to leave so he teleported her away from him, preferring not to keep her imprisoned, even of her own free will
Free will
"To make my own decisions whether I am successful or not due to uncontrollable forces" -Troy MorrisonA pragmatic definition of free willFree will is the ability of agents to make choices free from certain kinds of constraints. The existence of free will and its exact nature and definition have long...
.
It was in issue #14, while Al and Weasel were in "the Box," that Al recounted a tale of particular disturbance. About two years into her imprisonment, Deadpool left on a long assignment, and Al decided to leave for a friend's in Maine. She escaped, trekked across the country, and when she arrived at her friend's house, Deadpool was waiting for her, her friend tortured nearly to death in front of his dogs. She ends the story by saying "That is how you build a prison."
Since then her appearances have become much more sporadic, although it is clear that she and Deadpool are still in contact. She appeared in Cable & Deadpool
Cable & Deadpool
Cable & Deadpool was a comic book series published by Marvel Comics beginning in 2004. The title characters, Cable and Deadpool, shared the focus of the book. The series was launched following the cancellation of the characters' previous ongoing solo series. The book's mix of humor, action, and...
#36, where Wade approached her to validate his plan to restore his reputation by battling Taskmaster
Taskmaster
Taskmaster is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. The character is primarily a supervillain but is often portrayed as an antihero. The Taskmaster first appeared in Avengers vol.1 #195 and was created by David Michelinie and George Pérez...
.
Personality
In keeping with the humorous tone of Deadpool's stories, Al's personality was not what one would expect from an imprisoned old blind woman. She exhibits toughness, is cynical in the extreme, and is able to beat even the wisecracking title character in a battle of insults. When they matched wits, Al usually got the better of Deadpool, making his pranks backfire and treating him like a spoiled child. Al even once sabotaged all of Deadpool's weapons, her rationale being that his death would be the worst case scenario, and then she wouldn't have to worry about retaliation.Despite their antagonistic relationship, Blind Al occasionally showed that she genuinely cared for Wade, as when she refused to leave him after being granted her freedom, and baked him a cake when he attempted to become a hero.
Deadpool gave Al Deuce (which Weasel had won from Foggy Nelson
Foggy Nelson
Franklin P. "Foggy" Nelson is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe, part of the supporting cast of Daredevil ; Foggy is Matt's best friend. The character was created by Stan Lee and Bill Everett....
in a poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
game) as a joke. Although the dog adored her, she seemed to think of him as nothing but a moronic flea-factory, and promptly had him fixed.
Her hobbies include "Needlepoint
Needlepoint
Needlepoint is a form of counted thread embroidery in which yarn is stitched through a stiff open weave canvas. Most needlepoint designs completely cover the canvas...
, thimble collecting, planning escape routes... typical old lady twaddle." She loves the show Matlock, and also expressed a fondness for the Daily Show.
Questions of identity
It was once implied that Blind Al might actually be Betsy Ross, a.k.a. Golden GirlGolden Girl
Golden Girl is the name of two fictional superheroine characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics, the first of them during the 1930-1940s period known to historians and collectors as the Golden Age of Comic Books.-Golden Girl :...
. This has since been retcon
Retcon
Retroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...
ned as a red herring
Red herring (plot device)
Red herring is an idiomatic expression referring to the rhetorical or literary tactic of diverting attention away from an item of significance...
.
Joe Kelly originally intended her to be the first Black Widow: "We were going to do the origin story of Blind Al, and show her as the original Black Widow and show how she was responsible for Wade getting cancer". This, likewise, is no longer considered canon.
One interesting fact about her has never been altered, however. It is implied that she dated Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
before he was frozen in the 1940s
. She described her last meeting with him while giving Wade a pep talk and, although never named, the description matches. She also had possession of a golden medal from him, which she gave to Deadpool
. When he later lost it on a battlefield, Captain America found it and recognized its origin, even mentioning the name "Al".
It is unclear exactly how old Al is, however during his series' run in the late 1990s, Al was noted as a sexagenarian, but she later claims to remember Flapper
Flapper
Flapper in the 1920s was a term applied to a "new breed" of young Western women who wore short skirts, bobbed their hair, listened to jazz, and flaunted their disdain for what was then considered acceptable behavior...
-dresses, which she disliked because they made her butt look big. In a later issue of the same series she is referred by Montgomery (Burns), a precog at Landau, Luckman & Lake, as a septuagenarian.
Some readers thought that Blind Al was secretly Madam Web, but this is only because of her glasses style and hair design.