Blindside is a villain who turns a few heads.
Personality & Skills[]
Blindside respected the unwritten rules, and was unwilling to hurt Victoria Dallon when they thought she was a civilian.[3] They were somewhat sarcastic; Nursery said about Blindside that they "have a mouth, but I do like them. They do a decent job", though working around their limitations is not easy.[4] Blindside noted that they had become familiar with some common workarounds people used to try and get around their power.[5]
Blindside possesses some skill in martial arts.[6][7]
Relationships[]
On one occasion, Blindside worked alongside Lord of Loss, Snag, Nursery, and Kingdom Come, presumably as a mercenary crew.[8] They were acquanted with Prancer.
Appearance[]
Because of Blindside's power, it was difficult for others to tell their appearance. They had medium length hair.[9] It was difficult to pinpoint whether they were male or female from their voice.[1]
Equipment[]
On one occasion they wielded a metal bat.[6]
Powers[]
Blindside's power prevents people from turning their eyes and head in such a way that they would be looking at them.[10] If Blindside moves into their field of vision, they're forced to compulsively look away.[11][12] Blindside claimed that they could force a person to snap their neck in this way.[13] People can still turn to look in Blindside's direction if there are intervening objects preventing them from seeing them.[12] They could also turn their head in Blindside's direction as long as their eyes are closed.[14][13]
People are prevented from touching Blindside with any body part, muscles cramping and locking up before they can make contact, as if they hit an imaginary wall around them.[6][15][9][16][17] People even find themselves freezing when they're about to make contact with weapons. This does not stop objects already in motion from continuing and making contact, however.[18][19][20]
Their power also locks people from pointing at Blindside with fingers,[21][9] weapons,[22][23] master minions[20], cameras,[24] etc.
This power is apparently constantly on and can not be turned off.[25] It would have applied to insects controlled by a Master, preventing them from looking directly at Blindside or aiming their stingers at them.[23][20][26]
History[]
Background[]
They claimed to have had their powers for several years.[5]
At some point they had a run-in with teenage hero team Tweens Between, which accustomed them to hurting kids.[27]
Ward-Start[]
Blindside was involved with the Norfair Community Center Attack, where they were assigned to act as the villains' lookout.[28] They got in a short one-on-one fight with Victoria, discovering her cape status, and feigned defeat.[29] They later joined up with their teammates, retreating when their target, Fume Hood, was shot.[30]
They were later present at a lodge for villains, where they were present when Prancer made his proposal to organize.[31]
Goddess' Takeover[]
Alongside Lung and Kingdom Come they became a part of the emergency squad hired by Teacher and dedicated to deny Goddess ownership over parahuman convicts. Blindside was successful in forcing Antares and her team to turn back and seek another way past them.[27]
In the aftermath Blindside together with Kingdom Come were recovered by Breakthrough.[32] It is unclear if they were arrested.
Chapter Appearances[]
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Trivia[]
- Blindside's power is somewhat similar to an Other in Collateral 4.12 of one of Wildbow's other works, Pact.
- Blindeside's power also strongly resembles that of The Strange Titan, leading to speculation that the two may be connected; however, the Strange Titan's power makes this difficult to confirm.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 “What the hell?” someone asked. They were younger- probably teenager. I couldn’t pinpoint if they were male or female.
[...]
“I can see that too,” the teenager said.
“I can’t tell what you’re looking at, Blindside. Let me know if you need help. Snag?” - excerpt from Daybreak 1.4 - ↑ Priorities. Blindside was as classic a stranger as I’d ever dealt with. Out of action or out of consideration for now. - Excerpt from Daybreak 1.5
- ↑ “Listen,” Blindside said. “I don’t want trouble. I don’t want to hurt a civilian. I’m keeping to the rules. Lie down, put your hands on your head, let me take the gun. I’ll give it back when I’m done.” - Excerpt from Daybreak 1.4
- ↑ “They do. Um, I should hurry. Blindside has a mouth but I do like them. They do a decent job, if you can work around the limitations. They’re outside now, sitting on the patio by the side door. Can’t come inside without turning a few heads.” - Excerpt from Interlude 1 II
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 I can see where you’re going with this. I’ve been at this a few years. Some of the workarounds and tricks are getting old by now. - excerpt from Daybreak 1.4
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 I couldn’t hit them with my hand, I couldn’t point at them, but if I swung my hand at them, elbow jutting out-
I felt muscles seize, locking up. Blindside caught my arm, pushing me in the direction I’d already been going, and shoved me to the ground. Martial art.
The blunt instrument-I saw the tip of a metal bat- struck down toward my shin.
[...]
Elbows didn’t work either.
The muscles in my arm and shoulder twitched with the lingering strain or sprain that had gone with the interruption. - excerpt from Daybreak 1.4 - ↑ I felt hands against my back, gripping the back of my top. Another move, Judo or Aikido, stepping into arm’s reach, too close for the vest to hit me, trusting their power to keep my arm from hitting them, and throwing me to the ground. - excerpt from Daybreak 1.4
- ↑ Daybreak 1.4
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 I bent over them, fumbling, tracing their outline with the back of my hand, and finding walls even there, somehow. I found their head, medium length hair, and tried to press the back of my hand against their ear. My arm muscles seized.
I tried to use my knuckles to get into the ear, since I couldn’t use my fingertips without pointing or driving them toward Blindside, and I still hit the wall. - excerpt from Daybreak 1.4 - ↑ “My fucking neck,” Blindside said. The person in question.
Try as I might, I couldn’t look at them. My eyes and head refused to cooperate and do what was necessary to put them in my field of vision. - excerpt from Daybreak 1.4 - ↑ I nodded, my eyes still fixed on the ground, as close to Blindside as I could get. If they moved into my field of vision, a forced movement of my eye and head would let me know. - excerpt from Daybreak 1.4
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 The Brute chuckled, and climbed down from the roof of the truck, and in the doing, he put himself between me and Blindside. It blocked my view of Blindside, and it gave me a chance to get a glimpse of him. The ground smoked around where his boots touched pavement, and the smoke solidified into formations that looked like branches and twists of metal, all in an ashen white-grey.
[...]
My chin jerked toward my chest as Blindside stepped out to the side, back in my field of view. - excerpt from Daybreak 1.4 - ↑ 13.0 13.1 “Your head is turned as far to the right as it can go. If I move to your right, the reflex is going to be to move your head further right. You could snap your neck. You’d probably close your eyes first, but I’d rather not risk it.” - excerpt from Daybreak 1.4
- ↑ My eyes had closed, because it kept my head from being jerked around as Blindside kept compelling me to move to avoid seeing them - excerpt from Daybreak 1.4
- ↑ My arm lashed out, one swing, mindful that they were probably just a fragile human being.
I didn’t make contact. Muscles in my arm wrenched, seized, and cramped as the entire arm locked up, just in time to keep me from touching them. - excerpt from Daybreak 1.4 - ↑ I felt them grip my gun hard. My initial fumble to grab the gun ran into the same problem. My hand hit an imaginary wall. - excerpt from Daybreak 1.4
- ↑ I heard the sound of Blindside moving too late. I reached out to block or catch the incoming attack, and hit the wall where I couldn’t move my arm too far toward them. - excerpt from Daybreak 1.4
- ↑ I swung, using the vest as a bludgeon. My arm stopped, but the vest continued. - excerpt from Daybreak 1.4
- ↑ I spun around in the other direction, and bludgeoned them with the weight of my vest, using it like a flail. They bounced off of the logging truck and collapsed. - excerpt from Daybreak 1.4
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 gsfgf: I realize who I'm replying to, but wouldn't the bugs be more akin to Victoria's vest? I imagine that Taylor would have to use a largish swarm to find Blindside, but shouldn't raw numbers work?
Wildbow: The vest only worked because it was used like a flail - swung, and then allowed to carry on its own motion. - Reddit - ↑ I moved my hand experimentally. I hit the wall.
I couldn’t point at them, then. - excerpt from Daybreak 1.4 - ↑ With Blindside directly behind me, I drew my gun, and I turned to the right this time, swinging out with gun in hand.
“Nope,” Blindside said. “That won’t-” - excerpt from Daybreak 1.4 - ↑ 23.0 23.1 Oxirane: Seeing as wasps stingers aren't on their faces, I think Taylor would manage.
Wildbow: You can't direct/point a weapon at them any more than you can look at 'em. - Reddit - ↑ The cape geek in me wanted to say probably not. But there were stranger effects that were able to be passed on with recordings and written words. Rare, but they existed. Blindside from the community center attack, I was pretty sure, could turn cameras away or black them out. There were hypnotic singers who transmitted their effect through digital devices. - Excerpt from Beacon 8.9
- ↑ LazarusRises:
I wonder if Blindside can turn off their power. I hope so for their sake.
Wildbow:
That would be too easy. - Wildbow or Reddit - ↑ gsfgf: Gotcha. So spider silk strands and all that would work, but the actual bugs themselves would be affected like a person?
Wildbow: Yes. - Reddit - ↑ 27.0 27.1 Gleaming 9.13
- ↑ “Blindside,” Lord of Loss said. “Watch her.”
“What?”
“You were always going to be the lookout, with Kingdom Come helping. We stick to the plan. We’re going in, we’ll get our target, you’ll be the lookout, and you’ll look out for this junior soldier while you’re at it.”
“Pain in the ass.” - Excerpt from Daybreak 1.4 - ↑ “Blindside faked being out. Should arrive soon. We’ve got some details on our mystery guest. Dressed like one of the troopers I stashed in the room back there. Untouchable but still wary of being hit. Emotion control.” - Excerpt from Daybreak 1.5
- ↑ Daybreak 1.6
- ↑ “Hey,” Blindside said.
“Hey. Gathering some people. Thought we’d come to you, invite you to hear me out.”
“Thanks, Prancer. What’s this about?”
“Give me a second to think. I’m a salesman, and I’ve got to figure out exactly what I’m pitching.”
“Sure.”
Prancer stuck his fist out, stopped where Blindside’s power made it stop. He felt Blindside tap a fist against the side of his hand. - Excerpt from Interlude 1 II - ↑ The last they’d seen, as they’d collected Kingdom Come and Blindside, Monokeros had been trying to stack things high enough to reach the lip. - Excerpt from Interlude 9.z II