BLIND FAITH
Real Name: Alexi Garnoff
Identity/Class: Human, mutant (Russian)
Occupation: Priest, freedom fighter
Group Membership: Exiles
Affiliations: Synthesizer, Underground Mutant Safe-System, X-Factor (Angel, Beast, Cyclops, Iceman, Marvel Girl), X-Men (Colossus, Jubilee, Psylocke, Wolverine)
Enemies: Doppelganger, Firefox, KGB, Russian military, Soul-Skinner
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: "Holy Ghost" (his radio ID)
Base of Operations: Mobile throughout Russia, including safehouses in Siberia and the Ukraine
First Appearance: X-Factor Annual#1 (1986)
Powers/Abilities: Blind Faith possesses telepathic powers, including the ability to control minds, mask people from the perception of others, and place hypnotic commands in the mind of others.
History: (X-Factor Annual#1) - Father Alexi Garnoff became the team and spiritual leader of an underground mutant cell, and led the cell in attempts to capture members of X-Factor. When an agent nicknamed "Holy Grail" saw Robert Drake of X-Factor being led away by agents of Doppelganger, he advised Garnoff, who used his powers to stop the captors in their tracks, then had Iron Curtain bring Drake back to their base for interrogation.
When Drake came to, they learned that he was a fellow mutant, Iceman, and he explained that X-Factor only masqueraded as mutant hunters. Iceman joined Garnoff, Iron Curtain, Mentac, Siberian Tiger and Concussion in raiding the facility where Doppelganger operated, and with X-Factor, helped bring the mutant prisoners there to safety. In order to maintain X-Factor's cover identity as mutant hunters, and explain their disappearance, Garnoff and Iron Curtain posed as kidnappers, and turned themselves over to the KGB. Garnoff subsequently used his powers so that he and Iron Curtain could escape the KGB's custody.
(Soviet Super-Soldiers#1) - When the former Soviet Super-Soldiers Vanguard, Darkstar and Ursa Major were being held by the Russian government, Blind Faith led a rescue mission at the facility in Siberia where they were kept, using his hypnotism to get them out of the building, with the aid of his friends Zoya Vasilievna and Arkady Tegai. The three heroes were introduced to Mentac, Iron Curtain, Sibercat and Concussion, and admitted into their ranks.
After Mentac, Iron Curtain and Concussion had been killed by the cybernetic soldier Firefox, Ursa Major, Vanguard, Darkstar, Blind Faith, Stencil and Sibercat hid out in an apartment in Novosibirsk, Siberia, but were found again by the military. After a skirmish with them, they teleported away using Darkstar's powers.
With Firefox and the military decimating the safehouse system, they sought out the Underground Mutant Safe-System on the Black Sea, and Blind Faith tried to convince them to abandon the safehouse system and join them in fighting back. However, the safehouse was again found by Firefox, and all of their mutant allies were slain. They fought back against Firefox and his men, and Vanguard tore Firefox's cybernetic weapons out of his body. Instead of killing him, Blind Faith used mind control to make him confess the military's plans for mutant genocide to the press.
The six heroes hid out in another Siberian safehouse as they prepared to fight back. Blind Faith christianed them the "Exiles," and stated their goal to be the overthrowing of the Russian government.
(X-Men II#17-19) - Darkstar and Blind Faith investigated the effects of the Soul-Skinner upon the town of Neftelensk, where the entire adult population had been rendered comatose. They were psychically assaulted by the Soul-Skinner, and had their greatest shames brought before them, Garnoff's involving something his father had done to him. Blind Faith and Darkstar were rendered comatose with the rest of the town. Later, the X-Men arrived and were able to overcome the Soul-Skinner's control over the town, and Darkstar and Blind Faith aided the X-Men in defeating him.
(Starblast#1) - With the team, now called "Siberforce," Blind Faith witnessed the effects of the Starblasters' assault on Earth's moon with a Moon Thruster from their safehouse in Siberia. Darkstar and Vanguard decided to investigate.
(New Avengers I#16-19 - BTS) - He lost his powers on M-Day and the energies removed from him were combined with a number of other mutant energies to empower the powerful being Michael.
Comments: Created by Bob Layton and Brett Breeding.
by Prime Eternal
CLARIFICATIONS:
Blind Faith should not be confused with:
Images taken from:
Soviet Super-Soldiers#1, page 40, panel 1
Soviet Super-Soldiers#1, cover
Appearances:
X-Factor Annual I#1 (1986) - Bob Layton (writer/pencils), Brett Breeding (inks), Bob Harras (editor)
Soviet Super-Soldiers#1 (November, 1992) - Fabian Nicieza (writer),
Angel Medina & Javier Saltares (pencils), Jeff Albrecht (inks),
Terry Kavanagh (editor)
X-Men II#17 (February, 1993) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Andy Kubert (pencils), Mark Pennington (inks), Bob Harras (editor)
X-Men II#18 (March, 1993) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Andy Kubert (pencils), Dan Panosian (inks), Bob Harras (editor)
X-Men II#19 (April, 1993) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Andy Kubert
(pencils), Bob Wiacek & Al Williamson (inks), Bob Harras (editor)
Starblast#1 (January, 1994) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Ralph Cabrera (inks), Mike Rockwitz (editor)
New Avengers I#16 (April, 2006) - Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Steve
McNiven (pencils), Dexter Vines (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
New Avengers I#17-18 (May-June, 2006) - Brian Michael Bendis (writer),
Mike Deodato Jr. (pencils), Joe Pimentel (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
New Avengers I#19 (July, 2006) - Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Mike Deodato Jr. (artist), Tom Brevoort (editor)
First Posted: 05/07/2005
Last updated: 01/08/2022
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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