[[{“value”:”
Blind Al (Leslie Uggams) is certainly one of the funniest and most mysterious characters in any Marvel movie. She simply appears out of nowhere in Deadpool, telling him how to get blood out of his clothing (which is apparently seltzer water and lemon juice) and is able to take credit for inspiring Wade to change his costume color to red, setting up the running joke of Wade commenting on other peoples’ brown or yellow clothes.
Blind Al has been by Wade Wilson/Deadpool’s (Ryan Reynolds) side ever since, having one of the funniest gags in Deadpool & Wolverine surrounding the different slang names for cocaine and how Kevin Feige supposedlybanned them from even showing the drug in the film. Believe it or not, Blind Al wasn’t just thrown into the movie franchise for laughs. She actually does have an origin story in the comics, which is in some ways similar to her live action counterpart in Deadpool, but in many ways, it is so much darker and more complicated.
Blind Al Was a WWII Spy Alongside Captain America
Blind Al is presented as someone who obviously has some background in violence, though her incredible backstory from the comics might blow your mind. Blind Al wasn’t just a blind old lady throughout the comics, she actually fought with Captain America in WWII and worked as a global spy, which is what led to her first ever meeting with Deadpool in Zaire, detailed in Deadpool Corps: Rank and Foul #1. While this backstory has never been explicitly confirmed in the films, it would explain her knowledge of weapons and how to get blood out of clothing.
Marvel Made Better Use of Henry Cavill in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Than DC Did in 10 Years
Wolverine makes his Superman run seem… not so super.
With Deadpool now existing within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and almost definitely going to be a part of Avengers: Secret Wars, there is even the potential for her to acknowledge this past now that Deadpool exists within the MCU. Ryan Reynolds was able to get Chris Evans back to the MCU as Johnny Storm in Deadpool & Wolverine, so who is to say he couldn’t get him back again to share a quip or two with Blind Al, shattering Wade’s entire world as a super-fan of Captain America.
Deadpool Holds Blind Al Hostage in the Comics
In the films, specifically Deadpool, it is implied Blind Al and Wade live together due to mutual benefit, with Blind Al being a friend and mentor to Wade. However, in the comics, while Blind Al does provide this kind of support, she does not live with Wade out of free will from the beginning. Explored in the comic Deadpool Corps: Rank and Foul #1, Deadpool attacks a British black-op site after being tasked with assassinating Blind Al. However, in a classic bit of deadly Deadpool mischief, he kills everyone there apart from Blind Al, later kidnapping her after learning of his own cancer. Deadpool even plays sick mindgames with Blind Al, explored in Deadpool (Vol 3) #1, offering her the chance of freedom before taking it away.
Ryan Reynolds Is Great as Deadpool, But This Is the Franchise’s Unsung Hero
And he always smells like Daffodil Daydream.
Blind Al eventually gives in to being Deadpool’s friend, as most characters end up doing. He’s impossible to kill, so why argue? This gives Deadpool and Blind Al a relationship where their constant bickering feels darker; rather than two friends who don’t care to offend each other, Blind Al’s wit is in spite of the potential threat of violence from her kidnapper Deadpool. It gives far more depth to when Blind Al stops trying to escape after accepting her imprisonment, even helping Deadpool in a number of wacky adventures throughout the issues of Deadpool (Vol. 3).
Overall, Blind Al is not just Wade’s buddy and therapist, and there is so much more to this character than meets the eye in the films. She has far more agency over her own backstory in the comics, serving alongside other incredible heroes. While she ultimately does fulfill the same role as her live action equivalent, Blind Al’s co-habitating with Deadpool is far from consensual, as the Merc with a Mouth kidnapped her. With more Deadpool multiversal stories surely in store, it’d be fascinating if we got some of this comic history confirmed in the films, because just seeing Deadpool’s reaction to it all would be worth it.
Deadpool & Wolverine is available to watch in theaters now in the U.S.
“}]] And she’s a badass! Read More