Sylvia Payne

"Blind Faith"

First Appearance: Forte #29 (original), Forte 2000 #146 (latter)

A blind woman unlucky enough to be near a mob hit, Sylvia Payne was rescued by a stranger named Alexander Pace (Shade). He witnessed the murder, but, unknown to her at the time, he'd been there monitoring the mobsters as part of his crimefighting life as a Blade Runner. Sensing her savior's problem explaining to the police what he'd been doing there, Sylvia lied and said she was his girlfriend, and had been there to pick her up. Alexander was pulled in as a witness, but had no plans to testify (the Blade Runners had other plans for the criminals) until word got back to him from his contacts that the mob was looking to take out Sylvia for fear she could identify the killers' voices. He agreed to testify and go into witness protection if he could take his "girlfriend" with him. Sylvia's life suddenly became linked to this man...a man she soon learned was a costumed hero named Shade. They were moved to Seattle after the trial, and quickly met Forte, and Sylvia ended up moving in with Forte's Phantashia and her roomate Olga, who began schooling Sylvia in the mystic arts. Sylvia also became involved romantically with Forte's Dr. Jackal for a time. Soon Shade moved on, knowing that Sylvia was now safe and could take care of herself, and she said goodbye to the friend that had saved and changed her life. She continued learning magic, not knowing that Olga was follower of Tellezar, Phantashia's greatest enemy, and that she was being set up by Olga to turn against Forte. After becoming a tool against the heroes, she eventually became an ally of the team, and helped them during many of their darkest hours.

She remained in Seattle after Forte ended as a team, and recently enlisted the aid of the new Forte when she mystically felt Shade's death in Rome, and helped the team against one of the greatest threats the world has ever known.