Blur (New Universe)
Encyclopedia
Blur is a fictional paranormal in the Marvel Comics
imprint
New Universe
. He first appears in D.P.7
#1.
, on October 30, 1962. His father died when he was 7, and so he was raised by his mother Thelma. He also had a younger brother, Dennis, and sister, Michele. He graduated high school in 1980, and took a job at a Burger King
. By 1986 he was a manager.
One day in late September 1986, Jeff was working when he suddenly began to feel jittery. He felt an irresistible urge to get moving, and left his restaurant to go for a run. The run lasted about an hour and exceeded 40 mi/h. He began shaking more severely over the next few days. Doctors prescribed tranquilizers, but they didn't work very well, and he found running was the only thing that wore him out enough to sleep. Before his powers manifested, he was overweight
, but the constant running and a heightened metabolism slimmed him down quickly.
Jeff finally checked himself into the Clinic for Paranormal Research in order to deal with his problem, and began attending a regular therapy group with six other paranormals
. The place seemed great at first, but one of the members of his group alerted the rest of them to the fact that the Clinic was manipulating them, and the team left together.
Jeff stayed in touch with his mother while he was on the run, and on one occasion she suggested he undergo an exorcism as a way to end their paranormal abilities. It was unsuccessful.
After his friends split up into smaller groups and several members of their team had gone missing, Jeff attempted to give Randy O'Brien time to escape by fighting off a team of bounty hunters, but the effort wore him out enough that they were able to tranquilize him. He was soon captured and brainwashed into believing the Clinic wasn't as bad as it was.
The nefarious elements of the Clinic were purged almost immediately afterwards, so it once again became a good place to stay, full of friends and help for his condition. He was given a job in the cafeteria, and specialists were working on providing him with a high-protein shake so he wouldn't have to eat so much. His friend Lenore
would use her powers on him on a regular basis to help him sleep, until she felt it was harming her.
Jeff's pleasant demeanor made him many friends at the Clinic, particularly George Mullaney
, nicknamed Mutator because his power changed his appearance regularly. Jeff was one of the few people to be nice to him.
was destroyed in an event called The Pitt
. At the time, Jeff's mother and siblings were visiting relatives in the city. As soon as he learned of the situation, he ran out of the Clinic to try and find them. Some of his friends, including much of his Therapy Group and Mutator, later went after him.
Pittsburgh was completely destroyed, and after he arrived, Jeff ran right over the edge of the Pitt. From there, he spent a significant amount of time simply running in circles around the volcanic bottom.
He was found by his friend Dave Landers
, who fell into the Pitt and then the two of them were rescued by some of Randy O'Brien's antibodies and the MAX Armor
.
of paranormals. Unlike most, Jeff was eager to enlist, especially when the prospect of striking back at whoever destroyed Pittsburgh was dangled in front of him.
He trained vigorously, and was almost a model soldier, but was troubled by recurring dreams of being unable to save his family. Finally, in part because he used his speed to save the life of the paranormal known as Pitt Bull, Jeff was able to overcome his feelings of inadequacy and realize that even if he couldn't help his family, he could still make a difference in the world by using his abilities.
Because of his dedication and abilities, Jeff was chosen as part of an elite paranormal platoon of the U.S. army
using the code-name Blur. They were sent into South Africa
to hunt down a paranormal, supposedly hiding in nearby Mozambique
, who claimed to be responsible for The Pitt. As it turned out, the claim was false, a ruse by members of the South African government to strike against their enemies. Their actions very nearly led to World War III
. Jeff was seriously wounded by a gunshot at close range, after saving the Major leading his team.
Jeff is capable of running for extended period at 150 mi/h, and can reach up to 300 mi/h for short bursts.
Because of his accelerated metabolism, Blur must eat a lot on a regular basis. It has been theorized that he requires between 5 and 10 times the food a normal person requires; consuming a significantly fewer caloric intake would have a major impact on his health leading to malnutrition and eventually putting him in a coma. Certain groups have developed special nutritional milkshakes that meet his needs more efficiently.
Blur can be reduced to normal speed with the use of sedatives, both natural and paranormal based, although natural ones tend to wear off quickly.
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
imprint
Imprint
In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...
New Universe
New Universe
The New Universe is a comic book imprint from Marvel Comics that was published in its original incarnation from 1986 to 1989. It was created by Jim Shooter, Archie Goodwin, Eliot R. Brown, John Morelli, Mark Gruenwald, Tom DeFalco and edited by Michael Higgins.In 1986, in honor of Marvel Comics'...
. He first appears in D.P.7
DP7 (comics)
D.P. 7 was a 32-issue comic book series published by Marvel Comics as a part their New Universe imprint. It ran from 1986 to 1989. Along with Justice and Psi-Force, it was one of the few New Universe titles to last for 32 issues....
#1.
Early life and the Clinic
Jeffrey John Walters was born in Milwaukee, WisconsinWisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, on October 30, 1962. His father died when he was 7, and so he was raised by his mother Thelma. He also had a younger brother, Dennis, and sister, Michele. He graduated high school in 1980, and took a job at a Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
. By 1986 he was a manager.
One day in late September 1986, Jeff was working when he suddenly began to feel jittery. He felt an irresistible urge to get moving, and left his restaurant to go for a run. The run lasted about an hour and exceeded 40 mi/h. He began shaking more severely over the next few days. Doctors prescribed tranquilizers, but they didn't work very well, and he found running was the only thing that wore him out enough to sleep. Before his powers manifested, he was overweight
Overweight
Overweight is generally defined as having more body fat than is optimally healthy. Being overweight is a common condition, especially where food supplies are plentiful and lifestyles are sedentary...
, but the constant running and a heightened metabolism slimmed him down quickly.
Jeff finally checked himself into the Clinic for Paranormal Research in order to deal with his problem, and began attending a regular therapy group with six other paranormals
DP7 (comics)
D.P. 7 was a 32-issue comic book series published by Marvel Comics as a part their New Universe imprint. It ran from 1986 to 1989. Along with Justice and Psi-Force, it was one of the few New Universe titles to last for 32 issues....
. The place seemed great at first, but one of the members of his group alerted the rest of them to the fact that the Clinic was manipulating them, and the team left together.
On the Run
After leaving the Clinic, Jeff stayed with his friends, often using his superspeed to provide scouting duties to watch out for the many bounty hunters the Clinic sent after them. His increased need for food was a constant problem, though, and Jeff was forced on several occasions to steal just to have enough food to stay active.Jeff stayed in touch with his mother while he was on the run, and on one occasion she suggested he undergo an exorcism as a way to end their paranormal abilities. It was unsuccessful.
After his friends split up into smaller groups and several members of their team had gone missing, Jeff attempted to give Randy O'Brien time to escape by fighting off a team of bounty hunters, but the effort wore him out enough that they were able to tranquilize him. He was soon captured and brainwashed into believing the Clinic wasn't as bad as it was.
The nefarious elements of the Clinic were purged almost immediately afterwards, so it once again became a good place to stay, full of friends and help for his condition. He was given a job in the cafeteria, and specialists were working on providing him with a high-protein shake so he wouldn't have to eat so much. His friend Lenore
Twilight (New Universe)
Twilight is a fictional paranormal in the Marvel Comics imprint New Universe. She first appears in D.P.7 #1.-Early life and the Clinic:...
would use her powers on him on a regular basis to help him sleep, until she felt it was harming her.
Jeff's pleasant demeanor made him many friends at the Clinic, particularly George Mullaney
Mutator (comics)
Mutator is a fictional paranormal in the Marvel Comics imprint New Universe. He first appears in D.P.7 #1, although he was only identified retroactively. He is first called by name in DP7 #17.-The Clinic and The Pitt:...
, nicknamed Mutator because his power changed his appearance regularly. Jeff was one of the few people to be nice to him.
Tragedy
On December 22, 1987 the city of Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
was destroyed in an event called The Pitt
The Pitt (Marvel Comics)
The Pitt is a 1987 one-shot comic book written by John Byrne and Mark Gruenwald, and illustrated by Sal Buscema and Stan Drake. It was published by Marvel Comics under its New Universe imprint...
. At the time, Jeff's mother and siblings were visiting relatives in the city. As soon as he learned of the situation, he ran out of the Clinic to try and find them. Some of his friends, including much of his Therapy Group and Mutator, later went after him.
Pittsburgh was completely destroyed, and after he arrived, Jeff ran right over the edge of the Pitt. From there, he spent a significant amount of time simply running in circles around the volcanic bottom.
He was found by his friend Dave Landers
Mastodon (New Universe)
Mastodon is a fictional paranormal in the Marvel Comics imprint New Universe. He first appears in D.P.7 #1.-Early life and the Clinic:Dave Landers was born on September 21, 1952 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin...
, who fell into the Pitt and then the two of them were rescued by some of Randy O'Brien's antibodies and the MAX Armor
Spitfire (New Universe)
Spitfire and the Troubleshooters was a short-lived comic book series from Marvel Comics' New Universe line. It followed "Spitfire" and a group of brilliant but eccentric college students as they used various high-tech exoskeletons to combat crime Spitfire and the Troubleshooters (renamed to...
.
Soldier
After being rescued from the Pitt, Jeff was soon detained by soldiers and told about the upcoming draftThe Draft (comics)
The Draft was a comic book in Marvel's New Universe imprint, detailing the aftermath of the reintroduction of the draft following the destruction of Pittsburgh. The Draft was put into effect on January 28, 1988, and its unstated purpose was to establish a fighting force of soldiers with paranormal...
of paranormals. Unlike most, Jeff was eager to enlist, especially when the prospect of striking back at whoever destroyed Pittsburgh was dangled in front of him.
He trained vigorously, and was almost a model soldier, but was troubled by recurring dreams of being unable to save his family. Finally, in part because he used his speed to save the life of the paranormal known as Pitt Bull, Jeff was able to overcome his feelings of inadequacy and realize that even if he couldn't help his family, he could still make a difference in the world by using his abilities.
Because of his dedication and abilities, Jeff was chosen as part of an elite paranormal platoon of the U.S. army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
using the code-name Blur. They were sent into South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
to hunt down a paranormal, supposedly hiding in nearby Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
, who claimed to be responsible for The Pitt. As it turned out, the claim was false, a ruse by members of the South African government to strike against their enemies. Their actions very nearly led to World War III
The War (comics)
The War was a four-issue comic book mini-series, published by Marvel Comics. The final publication in Marvel's New Universe line, it resolved a number of unfinished plotlines and radically changed the New Universe setting.-The Platoon:...
. Jeff was seriously wounded by a gunshot at close range, after saving the Major leading his team.
Powers and abilities
Blur exists in a constant state of superhuman speed. His normal, unconscious movements are so fast that his features are typically blurred. His metabolism is between 3 and 10 times faster, and has a reaction time at least 5 times faster, than normal human levels. His muscle tissue is stronger than the average human male.Jeff is capable of running for extended period at 150 mi/h, and can reach up to 300 mi/h for short bursts.
Because of his accelerated metabolism, Blur must eat a lot on a regular basis. It has been theorized that he requires between 5 and 10 times the food a normal person requires; consuming a significantly fewer caloric intake would have a major impact on his health leading to malnutrition and eventually putting him in a coma. Certain groups have developed special nutritional milkshakes that meet his needs more efficiently.
Blur can be reduced to normal speed with the use of sedatives, both natural and paranormal based, although natural ones tend to wear off quickly.
Exiles World Tour
- During the Exiles World Tour, an alternate version of Blur came into existence after the Exiles battled the Proteus possessed Justice shortly after DP7 escaped. His history, demeanor and powers remained that same but how the Exiles now affected his future is yet to be revealed.