Alicia Masters

Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Alicia first appeared in The Fantastic Four #8 (Nov. 1962). She was introduced as a blind sculptor whose tactile skill produces lifelike representations of people. Her surname 'Masters' was not present at initial appearance; a reader-suggested last name was announced in Fantastic Four #42 (Sept. 1965). A subsequently published story within the comics explains that her permanent blindness was caused by an explosion of radioactive clay during a conflict involving her stepfather, the supervillain Puppet Master.

Alicia is depicted as a blind woman and professional sculptor who commonly appears in domestic settings such as her apartment/loft and in locations associated with the Fantastic Four (notably the Baxter Building). Visual details in the cited sources emphasize her blindness and sculpting activity; she has been shown using a mobility cane and has been costumed or disguised in storylines (for example, by the Puppet Master).

Alicia Masters possesses no superhuman powers. She is noted for exceptional sculpting skill, able to create incredibly lifelike representations of people by touch and memory. She is characterized as naturally empathetic and compassionate, functioning narratively as a confidante, moral interpreter, and romantic interest (notably for Ben Grimm/the Thing) and as a catalyst in key stories (for example, persuading the Silver Surfer to defend Earth during the Galactus arc). Sources also state that her cane is designed to be usable as a double baton for self-defense.