History
Origin
Ruth Aldine was born a mutant with no eyes or open eye sockets. Born in North Carolina, her father left her mother and older brother, Luca, only a week after her birth. Her mother was forced to work long hours to support her family, and Ruth was left with her brother who hated her for being a mutant and causing all his problems. Luca both physically and emotionally abused her, before falling into theft and drug abuse. Luca was eventually sent to rehab where he fell under the tutelage of a religiously bigoted minister. Luca's abuse of Ruth and her mother escalated until one day he came to kill Ruth with a chainsaw. Ruth's mother died protecting her from Luca.[8][9] Luca was quickly apprehended and sentenced to death. After this tragedy, Ruth was raised by her aunt in Prospect Plains, New Jersey.[10][8] The time with her aunt was the happiest six years in her life, and she learned to control and master her power. Due to some sense of family solidarity, Ruth attended the execution of her brother, where he manifested astral projection and stole half of Ruth's power leaving her mind incomplete and broken. Shortly after the incident, Ruth's aunt was contacted by the Xavier Institute and she enrolled Ruth in the school.[8]
Xavier's Institute
After the Xavier Institute went public, Ruth was enrolled,[11][8] and when the training squad system began, Ruth was placed with Shadowcat's Paladins Squad with Armor and Wing, and codenamed Blindfold.[12][13]
Blindfold remained fairly isolated from other students due to her strange mannerisms, odd speech pattern, and her tendency to read other's minds without permission.[12] One exception was another isolated mutant, Cipher. With the power of turning herself completely inaudible and invisible, even to telepaths, Cipher was assigned to reconnaissance within the X-Mansion, but secretly befriended Blindfold.[14]
When she foresaw her friend Wing die and the robotic entity Danger being created because of it, the Stepford Cuckoos brought Blindfold to Emma Frost and the rest of the X-Men to warn them.[13]
When Emma Frost's subconscious was attacking the Institute, Blindfold, Cipher, and Armor were cornered in the girl's lavatory by a mentally pre-adolescent Wolverine and a feral Beast. Armor was able to physically subdue Beast, but he later escaped into the grounds.[15] Armor passed out from exhaustion, and Blindfold took her to the infirmary.[16] Blindfold next retrieved Beast's ball of yarn and tracked him down on the grounds to restore his normal brain function.[17]
Concurrently, the Institute was under attack from Ord, Danger, and Cassandra Nova. The battle was preempted by the arrival of S.W.O.R.D., who compulsorily took the X-Men to Breakworld. After their departure, Blindfold predicted one of them would not return.[17]
M-Day and Quest For Magik
In the wake of M-Day, only 27 students including Ruth retained their mutant powers.[18][19] Although Ruth remained at the school, she was excluded from trying out for the New X-Men.[20]
Blindfold and the other students in Limbo
During an evening of storytelling, Blindfold relayed the history of Illyana Rasputin to her fellow classmates. She explained how the demon lord Belasco reclaimed the realm of Limbo by defeating Amanda Sefton, stole the Soulsword, cast her out of Limbo, and began searching for a way to bring back Illyana Rasputin from the dead. After completing her tale, Blindfold and the other students were themselves attacked by demons and sucked into Limbo by Belasco.[21] She continued to assist the students with advice throughout their time in Limbo. She survived the final battle and was returned to the mansion with the rest of the students.[22]
Blinded by the Light
When the the Marauders and Acolytes under Mr. Sinister's orders began attacking psychics, precogs, and those with direct knowledge of the future, Blindfold set her own plan in action. Blindfold sought out Elixir and, grabbing both his dark hand and golden hand, she sent herself into a stasis so deep she appeared dead. Immediately afterwards, the Institute was attacked by Exodus and his Acolytes who upon finding Blindfold, believed her to be dead. With the the help of the New X-Men, Shadowcat operated on and revived Blindfold, who upon awaking pronounced further cryptic predictions about the X-Men's situation.[23]
During her recovery, Blindfold claimed that "Julian," "Megan," and "Mr. Wagner" would be hurt in some way in the coming conflict. Additionally, she mentioned another would be injured, but implied this individual would not be in the infirmary.[24]
As part of the Young X-Men
Young X-Men
After the destruction of the Xavier Institute,[25] and the near-death of Professor Xavier,[26] Blindfold returned to her aunt's home in Prospect Plains, New Jersey.[10]
Shortly after, Blindfold began having prophetic visions of herself and a group of "Young X-Men". Blindfold next contacted Rockslide and was subsequently recruited[10] by Donald Pierce impersonating Cyclops.[27]
During their first mission to attack the New Mutants and Hellfire Club, Dust nearly died, Blindfold was captured, Ink was revealed to be a traitor, "Cyclops" was unmasked as Pierce, and Wolf Cub was killed.[28]
Following their first mission, the Young X-Men were relocated from the Danger Cave in Westchester to Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, and Blindfold was removed from the active roaster.[29]
Utopia
Blindfold was among the mutants to relocate to Utopia after Norman Osborn's attacks.[30]
Blindfold was among a group of young female X-Men pulled into an interdimensional fugue by Demons in an effort to obtain Pixie's Souldagger. Rockslide and Anole were able to pull Blindfold out of the haze and inform Emma Frost, who was able to assemble a small group of X-Men to rescue the rest of the girls.[31]
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Blindfold possessed by Proteus
Necrosha
When Selene and Eli Bard began resurrecting dead mutants with the Techno-Organic Virus, Destiny was one of the first to rise. She was able to escape captivity on Genosha and telepathically reached out to Rogue, but instead mistakenly contacted Blindfold.[32]
Blindfold alerted Cyclops of Destiny's message and distress called on Muir Island. Cyclops dispatched a small group of X-Men to Muir Island to investigate. There Blindfold became possessed by Proteus. After a harrowing battle, Proteus was excised, and both Rogue and Blindfold were able to share personal conversations with Destiny. It was here that Blindfold learned Destiny was probably her great-grandmother and that her mother died protecting her from her brother.[9]
Once Selene was defeated, Blindfold accompanied Emma Frost, Doctor Strange, and a small group of X-Men to locate Blink.[33]
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Blindfold imprisoned in X-Brig deep within Fortress X
Age of X
Not long after Emplate's attack on Utopia,[34][35] Blindfold alerted of rogue visions of a mysterious entity or force that wanted to change everything. With help from Madison Jeffries, Rogue found an interdimensional squid-spider-monster invisibly attacking several mutants. However, this was not the threat Blindfold had foreseen.[36] Shortly after, Legion transformed Utopia into Fortress X.[37]
Along with other telepathic mutants, Blindfold was imprisoned in the X-Brig within the bowels of Fortress X. However, Blindfold alone remained unaffected by Moira X's reality warp and retained her true memories and personality.[38]
Regenesis
After Rogue, Magneto, and Gambit returned from space with the Starjammers, Rogue became aware of a presence that had attached itself to all of the travellers. To detect the entity, Dr. Nemesis suggested employing Blindfold's aid. Blindfold was able to see a door in the Blade of the Phoenix, a female and fiery death. Later Rogue was able to activate the portal and find Ariel.[39]
Blindfold decided to return to Westchester with Wolverine during the Schism.[40] Rockslide used Blindfold's decision as proof that relocating back to New York was the right decision.[41]
Jean Grey School
Blindfold warned the X-Men about the coming of Exodus.[42] After the X-Men stopped Exodus from killing Cyclops, Blindfold stated that it was only the beginning.[43]
When Angel reclaimed his company he made several students his board directors and Ruth was one of them.[5]
After the death of Professor X during the war between the Avengers and the X-Men, Blindfold was painfully affected by Legion losing control of his power.[44] Blindfold accompanied the X-Men while they were searching for Legion in Asia.[45] When Legion was located in China, Blindfold psychically entered Legion's mind, calming his sub-personalities and temporarily binding his powers. Unfortunately, she was attacked by his mind and left comatose.[3] She soon woke up and helped Legion defeat her brother Luca who returned as a little boy from Japan. Afterwards, she and David started dating.
Death
After the worldwide chaos caused by X-Man and the subsequent disappearance of both him and the majority of the X-Men,[46] the aggression against mutants reached new heights. During that period Ruth went into hiding with the Morlocks and had visions of multiple possible futures, in all of them she met a painful and brutal death. Ruth decided to commit suicide to end her life on her own terms. In her last acts before that, she reached out to Cyclops to warn him about the futility of his actions, and directed Logan to save him.[47]Attributes
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Powers
Blindfold is a mutant with psychically-based powers. Her telepathic abilities are more accurate and efficient in psychometry. The full extent of her abilities, once stolen by the disembodied consciousness of her brother now restored upon his true demise, her powers include:
- Astral Energy Manipulation: Ruth has a varying capacity for the manipulation of psionic energy.[48]
- Astral Energy Solidification: Unlike most psychics Blindfold is able to give substance to astral energy to solidify psychic forms.
- Astral Projection Materialization: Blindfold is able to physically cast her psionic projection into the physical world while remaining impermissible or pull the astral projections of other telepaths into the astral world.[49]
- Astral Armor: She has been shown to erect protective psi-armor to battle the World Worm.
- Astral Weaponry: Materializing a blade of raw psychic power to use in her battle against Legion.
- Psionic Force-Field Generation: She is able to create a highly durable barrier of energy that she could shape and conform as needed.[31]
- Psionic-Force Blasts: She can project energy blasts, waves, and bolts of her own psionic and telekinetic energy.[38]
- Astral Energy Solidification: Unlike most psychics Blindfold is able to give substance to astral energy to solidify psychic forms.
- Astral Plane Tapping: She can tap into the enormous psychic resources of the astral plane in order to manipulate matter and energy. After her brother died for the final time, Ruth showcased an all new power set to match her new found confidence; it may be possible she already possessed this ability in weakened form due to mental disability.
- Telepathy: Able to read minds and dreams. She can perceive information through reading minds. She can utilize her telepathy in various ways. She is currently learning the art of astral projection; she seems to be at the "adept level".[12]
- Astral Projection: She can project her astral form from her body onto the Astral Plane or the physical plane. In the physical plane she can travel in astral form over vast distances. In the astral plane, she can mentally create psionic objects and manipulate the aspects of her environment. She can communicate with others astrally through her own will, or through contact with the thoughts and memories of others.
- Astral Travel: Capable of forging psi-links with herself and her body to travel in astral form. A unique trait of her astral form is the ability to interact with the physical world as though she were tangible.[49]
- Psychometry: Ruth has the ability to perceive information or history of a person or object through touch that makes her knowledgeable and immune to certain objects that may change the course of events.
- Precognition: She is able to see events destined to occur and experience precognitive visions. These vision seem to often appear as dreams.[10][1]
- Retrocognition: She is able to see events of the past.[21]
- Clairvoyance: Able to see far off places or events as well as present events and her surroundings. Possesses the ability to use her sight abilities to its higher potential, the ability to look over somewhere/someone with transportation only by the use of telepathic abilities.[50]
- Telepathic Immunity: Emma Frost said that Blindfold's mind is in too much flux for her to read. This does not necessarily mean that Blindfold would be immune to telepathic assaults or other telepathic abilities that only require the telepath to broadcast their power at the target's mind, only that her mind cannot be read telepathically.[24][39] However, this ability does not universally shield her from telepathic possession.[9]
- Psychic Possession: Blindfold can possess others through her telepathic abilities.
- Mental Influence: Blindfold can manipulate others to believe whatever she desires.
- Reality Warp Immunity: Blindfold was immune to Legion's reality warp, retaining her true memories and personality during the Age of X.[38] Blindfold also exhibited some immunity to Saturnine's interdimensional fugue.[31]
- Telekinesis: Blindfold has the ability to psionically manipulate and control the physical aspects of reality. She can levitate, propel, and manipulate objects and matter with her mind.[8]
- Chaos Manipulation: Blindfold is able to successfully manipulate events to achieve a certain desired outcome. With her psychometry powers she is able to navigate, control, or warn herself or others about the dangers that may impede the path.[8]
Weaknesses
Notes
- Blindfold had unique and unusual speech patterns and mannerisms. She often overused certain words such as "please", "thank you", "you're welcome", "pardon", "yes", and "no" in her sentences.
- In X-Men: Legacy (Vol. 2) #5, it was revealed that Ruth functioned and spoke normally until her brother manifested astral projection and stole half of her powers, leaving her mind incomplete and broken.
- This has since been corrected since X-Men: Legacy (Vol. 2) #22 & X-Men: Legacy (Vol. 2) #24, as after Luca's end, the repossession of her stolen powers, and the remake to reality that soon followed Legion's adventure restored her consciousness and her self-confidence.
- Blindfold was missing her eyes, and all that remained of Luca are his eyes.
Trivia
- While a member of the Young X-Men, Blindfold roomed with Dust in the Danger Cave.
- During Pixie Strikes Back, Ruth was a part of the popular crowd; one of her secret desires.[31]
- A few students, like Rockslide and Cipher, seem to be close to Blindfold.[10] However, most students, including Trance, seem standoffish due to Blindfold's mysterious nature and her tendency to read others' minds without permission.[1][12]
See Also
- 110 appearance(s) of Ruth Aldine (Earth-616)
- 5 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Ruth Aldine (Earth-616)
- 4 minor appearance(s) of Ruth Aldine (Earth-616)
- 11 mention(s) of Ruth Aldine (Earth-616)
- 3 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Ruth Aldine (Earth-616)
- 84 image(s) of Ruth Aldine (Earth-616)
- 7 quotation(s) by or about Ruth Aldine (Earth-616)
Links and References
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 X-Men: Legacy #231
- ↑ X-Men: Legacy (Vol. 2) #2
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 X-Men: Legacy (Vol. 2) #4
- ↑ X-Men: Legacy (Vol. 2) #22
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Wolverine and the X-Men #19
- ↑ X-Men: Legacy #233
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Update #3
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 X-Men: Legacy (Vol. 2) #5
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 X-Men: Legacy #231–233
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 Young X-Men #1
- ↑ New X-Men #117
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Astonishing X-Men (Vol. 3) #4
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Astonishing X-Men (Vol. 3) #7–8
- ↑ Young X-Men #10
- ↑ Astonishing X-Men (Vol. 3) #15
- ↑ Astonishing X-Men (Vol. 3) #16
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Astonishing X-Men (Vol. 3) #18
- ↑ House of M The Day After #1
- ↑ New X-Men (Vol. 2) #20
- ↑ New X-Men (Vol. 2) #23
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 New X-Men (Vol. 2) #37
- ↑ New X-Men (Vol. 2) #38–41
- ↑ X-Men (Vol. 2) #201–203
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 X-Men (Vol. 2) #204
- ↑ Uncanny X-Men #493
- ↑ X-Men (Vol. 2) #207
- ↑ Young X-Men #4
- ↑ Young X-Men #1–5
- ↑ Young X-Men #6
- ↑ Dark Avengers / Uncanny X-Men: Exodus #1
- ↑ 31.0 31.1 31.2 31.3 X-Men: Pixie Strikes Back #1–2
- ↑ X-Necrosha #1
- ↑ X-Men: To Serve and Protect #3
- ↑ X-Men: Legacy Annual #1
- ↑ X-Men: Legacy #228–230
- ↑ X-Men: Legacy #244
- ↑ Age of X: Alpha #1
- ↑ 38.0 38.1 38.2 New Mutants (Vol. 3) #22
- ↑ 39.0 39.1 X-Men: Legacy #259
- ↑ X-Men: Schism #5
- ↑ X-Men: Regenesis #1
- ↑ X-Men: Legacy #261
- ↑ X-Men: Legacy #263
- ↑ 44.0 44.1 X-Men: Legacy (Vol. 2) #1
- ↑ X-Men: Legacy (Vol. 2) #2–3
- ↑ Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 5) #10
- ↑ Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 5) #11
- ↑ X-Men: Legacy (Vol. 2) #23
- ↑ 49.0 49.1 X-Men: Legacy (Vol. 2) #7
- ↑ X-Men (Vol. 2) #203
- ↑ X-Men: Legacy (Vol. 2) #8
- ↑ X-Men: Legacy (Vol. 2) #16
- ↑ X-Men: Legacy (Vol. 2) #24
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Update #3
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Update Vol 1 3