Blink (616) Blink

ALIAS: Blink
REAL NAME: Clarice Ferguson
NATIONALITY: USA
TEAM AFFILIATION: Generation X
AGE: Possibly around 14
POWER: Skin color has changed to a light purple color with pink markings near the eyes. Ability of spacial shears (telportation), accompanied by a "blink" sound effect
FIRST APPEARANCE: The Uncanny X-Men #317 (Phalanx Covenant Part 3)
FINAL APPEARANCE: X-Men #37 (Phalanx Covenant Part 4)

Clarice Ferguson, better known as "Blink" is one character that people cannot seem to forget. Not much can be said on Blink's background seeing as she was around for only 2 issues. That's right, 2 issues. The reason that Blink is considered a main character of Generation X is because she is the reason that the Acadamy was reopened and Generation X was formed.

Blink was first shown in Uncanny X-Men #317 where she was held captive by the Phalanx, along with other mutants, kept in a small form of a cell aboard a ship. The Phalanx attempted to capture the next generation of mutants in their plot to take over Earth. Amongst the rest of the mutants (who would later form GenX) Clarice was shown here as a frightened young girl. Paige and "Gregor" (a disguised Phalanx) tried to reassure and comfort her after their capture. Blink became fast friends with Paige after she was calmed down. What stood out for Blink fans was that she spoke in a quiet, hushed voice and often she would speak in rhyme. Unlike the others, expect for Skin, Blink had a physical mutation that made her stand out as well. Her skin took on a light purple shade as well as having pink markings (in forms of diamonds and shears) covering her face. Aside from the physical mutations, Clarice had the ability to teleport which were looked at as spacial shears. This enabled her to teleport whole objects or people elsewhere, she could even teleport parts of objects, one at a time through these shears. When she attempts to use her teleport powers, a loud "blink" sound accompanies it, hence her nickname of "Blink".

Now you would think that Blink would have been able to teleport everyone off of the ship to safety, that is not the case with Blink. What little we know of her background, we know that the first time she used her powers, she woke up in a pool of blood. Whose blood, we might never know, but from then on she vowed never to use her powers again. She had become so frightened by these experiences that she would not or could not seem to use her powers under the fear of hurting anyone again. She had successfully used her teleportation shears on the ship against a Phalanx who had tried to recapture her after escaping their cells, but she only used her power through severe coaxing by Paige.

While on the ship, now under attack by a large Phalanx, Blink realized just how hopeless the situation could be. The Phalanx known as Harvester kept attacking the young mutants again and again. He learned about the mutants powers as they were used on him and would adapt to their powers making them inaffective against him. Blink realized this and seeing how everytime he would attack, he would grow stronger and larger with each attack. Blink saw how Harvester was relentless in his attacks, he would stop at nothing to see these mutants dead and when the mutants were dead, he'd go after the humans. If he wasn't stopped now, he would keep on attacking again and again, it had to stop now and it was up to Blink to do it. Under a tearful goodbye, Blink launched herself at Harvester, who now had Banshee in his grasp. Blink began her teleportation, first teleporting part of the ship away which caused the GenXers to fall to safety into the water. She then focused on Harvester and freeing Banshee. Using her powers on Harvester and the ship, Blink began teleporting Harvester away, giving Banshee a chance to escape. Unfortunately for Clarice, she was using her power far beyond it's limits in order to save her friends. With her blink wave now taking over the whole ship, she became caught in her own teleportation shears. Banshee tried in vain to save her, nearly drowning in the water as Clarice's hand slipped away from his during the last phase of her teleportation.

That was it. Emma couldn't telepathically feel Clarice or Harvester anymore, they were gone. Everyone made it to shore and couldn't believe what had happened, that Clarice sacrificed herself so the others could continue on. It was at this time that Emma decided to re-open the Acadamy. They would teach young mutants about how to better their powers and learn how to live in a world that fears and hates them. They lived for the dream that they would one day put an end to the human/mutant clashes and stop these needless deaths and struggles. If it weren't for Blink, Generation X would never had been formed.


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