Sightless sensations
Being visually impaired does not stop these comic book characters from achieving greatness.
WATCHING the Netflix movie Bird Box the other day made me wonder about a world that is ripe for superheroes to save the day. But the catch would be that these superheroes would have to do everything blind, or there’s a high chance they would decide to off themselves too.
So, who are the heroes (or even villains) that could stand up to those deadly creatures in Bird Box? Why, those who can’t see in the first place, of course.
After some research, I found quite a few comic book characters who are actually visually impaired, or have problems with their sense of sight in one way or the other. However, for this list, I decided to go with characters who were already permanently blind when they made their debut, as opposed to characters who had their sight taken away midway through their existence.
Daredevil
Arguably THE most famous of all visually impaired heroes, Matt Murdock made his first appearance in 1964’s Daredevil #1, created by Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett. When he was a child, he saved a man from an oncoming truck, but in doing so, a radioactive substance fell from the truck into his eyes, blinding him permanently. While it took away his sight, the radioactive substance also heightened his remaining senses, giving him a superhuman sense of hearing and the ability to use a “radar sense” to gauge his surroundings.
Before he donned a costume and became the superhero called Daredevil, however, he trained to fight and to use his powers under Stick, a blind martial arts sensei and leader of a martial arts enclave called The Chaste.
Blindfold
One of a new generation of X-Men, Ruth Aldine first appeared in Astonishing X-Men, (Vol.3) #7 and was created by none other than Joss Whedon and artist John Cassaday.
Ruth wears a blindfold at all times to hide her facial features (she was born without eyes, a condition called anophthalmia), hence her code name “Blindfold”. She is a mutant with psychic abilities, but the true extent of her powers is still unknown. She has been known to have precognitive abilities as well as telekinesis, telepathy, and astral projection.
In the 2014 mini-series X-Men: Legacy, Legion and Blindfold are involved romantically, but the story ends with Legion erasing himself from existence, while leaving an aspect of himself within Blindfold’s mind.
Mre
Created by Bob Rozakis and Jack C. Harris for a short story in 1980’s Secrets Of Haunted House #31, Mister E is a powerful sorcerer cursed with an ability to “see” evil.
As a child, Mr E (whose real name is Erik, last name unknown) was blinded by his abusive father with a sharpened spoon after the boy uncovered his perverted secrets.
In Neil Gaiman’s The Books Of Magic ,MrE joins Doctor Occult, John Constantine and the Phantom Stranger in the “Trenchcoat Brigade” to teach young Timothy Hunter about magic.
In the 2011 New 52 reboot of the DC universe, Mr E is a former superhero who turned villain after being tempted by dark magic. Losing his eyes after a spell goes wrong, he goes on to become one of the most powerful magicians in the world, co-founding the Cult of the Cold Flame of dark magicians, which pits him against Constantine.
Alicia Masters
Blinded at age 15 after a lab explosion, Alicia first crosses paths with the Fantastic Four when her stepfather, the Puppet Master, forces her to help him infiltrate the team by impersonating Sue Storm. Fortunately, she turns against him and becomes a friend of the FF, forming a particularly close relationship with the Thing. The couple eventually get married in last month’s Fantastic Four #5, which was also the 650th issue of the title!
Kaname Tosen (Bleach)
Once the coolest-looking captain of the Gotei 13 with his braids and stylish shades, Tosen has been blind since birth, but honed his fighting skills to a remarkable level by relying on his other senses. He betrayed the Soul Society together with fellow Bleach antagonists Sosuke Aizen and Gin Ichimaru, and actually regained his sight thanks to his “resurrection”. However, he is killed because he relies too much on his new-found sight, thus neglecting his other senses and falling victim to an attack that he would have avoided easily when still blind.