The misshapen gnomish mutant Blaquesmith was born in the post-apocalyptic future of Earth-4935 circa 4000 A.D. As an adolescent, his mother traded him to nomadic scavengers who made him an apprentice mechanic due to his innate technological affinity. Soon after, Blaquesmith witnessed an act of sabotage by the Askani, a sisterhood of warriors led by Rachel Summers, the daughter of the X-Men’s Cyclops and Jean Grey from Earth-811, who were determined to overthrow the tyrannical rule of the eternal mutant Apocalypse. Blaquesmith helped them defeat Apocalypse’s Prelate Diamanda Nero, then assumed responsibility for training new recruits, such as Nathan Dayspring, a.k.a. Nathan Summers, the son of Cyclops and Jean Grey from Earth-616.
After Dayspring became the soldier Cable and traveled to the modern era of Earth-616, Mother Askani bade Blaquesmith follow him. Soon after arriving, Blaquesmith was approached by Finality, leader of the Dark Sisterhood, whose aims he believed coincided with his own. He supplied the Sisterhood with psimitars, the Askani’s weapon of choice, and trained them in their use. Ultimately reunited with his former student, Blaquesmith began aiding Cable in his quest to prevent Apocalypse’s ascension. Blaquesmith soon asked Cable to destroy the perceived threat posed by Nate Grey, an alternate reality version of Cable from Earth-295; however, after a brief clash, Cable joined forces with Nate - much to Blaquesmith’s chagrin - to tackle the larger threat of Exodus. Blaquesmith later faced the psionic entity Onslaught, who destroyed his base. Believed killed, Blaquesmith was rescued by Cable from the time-traveling pharaoh Rama-Tut. He set up a new base in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen district and resumed his guidance of Cable. Blaquesmith soon encountered Apocalypse’s former servant Ozymandias and learned of the Twelve, a group of mutants who were destined to usher in a golden age for mutantkind, and of Cable’s role as their gatherer. Cyclops foiled Apocalypse’s attempt to usurp the Twelve’s power, merging with Apocalypse himself. In a misguided attempt to eliminate Apocalypse, Blaquesmith hired the mercenary Gauntlet to assassinate Cyclops, but Cable and Jean freed him and Cable supposedly fulfilled his destiny by slaying Apocalypse. Subsequently, when Cable was attacked by the Dark Sisterhood, Blaquesmith was again believed killed.
He seemingly returned to help Cable spread the Askani religion around the world; however, this was revealed to be an imposter named Nigel Novotny who had become involved in a plot by the enigmatic Jackie Singapore to manipulate Cable. The true Blaquesmith eventually returned to join Cable’s Underground resistance movement in opposing the clandestine Weapon X project.
