Early Years[]

Years ago, Vazhin did a kindness to the Thieves Guild of New Orleans.^{[citation needed]}

Involvement in Mutant Affairs[]

After the return of Magneto and the reveal of his Avalon space station, Alexei was invited to join Henry Gyrich and Vazhin's American counterpart Val Cooper at a meeting of the Commission on Superhuman Affairs, where they made plans for German agent Adrian Eiskalt to take the mutant into custody.^[1]

He was later made head of the research division of the KGB's 13th bureau, which specialized in the paranormal. In the course of his duties, he assigned a group of operatives to a situation in Science City 53, where they worked alongside X-Force. However, at the same time, his researchers began showing strange occurrences at a nightclub called "The Slash!" in Moscow. Looking for help, he asked a favor of the X-Men.^[3]

At a meeting of world leaders at the "Texas White House", Vazhin and Val Cooper met Storm, who got their help to set up an international mutant-policing task force.^[4]

SVR and Hydra[]

Little is known of his actions after this point, save that by the time of the foundation of H.A.M.M.E.R., Vazhin had been placed in the SVR (the 1st bureau of the former KGB), and was listed as a trusted member of Hydra's shadow structure among S.H.I.E.L.D..^[2]

• Vazhin first appeared as an android duplicate in X-Men #123. He appeared in person for the first time in Marvel Team-Up Annual #2.
• He is possible named after Major Alexander Vazin, a character that appeared in an episode of British Television Series "The Avengers" as this would fit a motif of Chris Claremont using that show as an inspiration (i.e. for the Hellfire Club, the White Queen's first name Emma etc.).
• In King in Black: Namor #2, Director Vazhin was pictured commanding a Soviet base in Murmansk. The relation, if any, with Alexei Vazhin remains unknown.