Dazzler
This article is about the fictional character. For the less-lethal weapon, see dazzler (weapon).
Dazzler (Alison Blaire) is a
Marvel Comics superhero, associated with the
X-Men. She first appeared in
Uncanny X-Men #130 (
February 1980).
A
mutant with the ability to convert sound vibrations into light and energy beams, Dazzler was originally developed as a cross-promotional, multi-media creation between
Casablanca Records,
Filmworks, and
Marvel Comics until the tie-ins were dropped in 1980. The character was created by a committee of Marvel staff, principally writer/editor
Tom DeFalco and illustrator
John Romita Jr..
Despite the fact that Dazzler was originally commissioned as a
disco singer, the character shifted to other musical genres, including
rock and
adult contemporary. She starred in a self-titled solo series in the early
1980s, and later joined the cast of the
X-Men. She is currently a member of the
spin-off group
Excalibur.
Origins of Dazzler
Dazzler was originally a project commissioned by
Casablanca Records in the mid-late 1970s, to be a cross-promotion in the mold of
KISS who had two successful comic book tie-in super-specials by the end of
1977. Marvel Comics would develop a singing superheroine, while Casablanca would produce a singer. The two companies would then work with Filmworks and produce a tie-in motion picture; Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief
Jim Shooter wrote a treatment for the project. [
1]
The character was originally conceptualized as "The Disco Queen" with powers to make people tell the truth. Initially, no one wanted anything to do with the project. Marvel Comics appointed former
Archie Comics writer
Tom DeFalco to the character and he developed some changes to the character, namely suggesting light-based powers.
Roger Stern conceived of the character's name, Dazzler, while
John Romita Jr. provided pencils.
Artist John Romita, Jr. originally intended for the character to resemble model, actress, and singer
Grace Jones, as seen in early depictions. However, representatives from Filmworks insisted on design changes to reflect Derek's features.
To promote
Dazzler, Casablanca wanted it cross-promoted within several key Marvel Comics titles:
The X-Men,
The Fantastic Four, and
Spider-Man in particular, with Dazzler debuting in
The Uncanny X-Men first because she was a
mutant character. However, Casablanca continued to request conceptual changes to the character's appearance and personality, leading to several cancellations of the project. Eventually, Casablanca Records backed out of the
Dazzler altogether project due to financial concerns. Marvel Comics, left with a much-publicized new character, decided to launch the project as a monthly series.
According to writer Tom DeFalco, Dazzler was cancelled "five or six times" prior to its launch in March, 1981. At the time, Marvel Comics was looking for other filmmakers to invest in a
Dazzler cross-promotion. However, Jim Shooter and
Stan Lee decided to launch the series without such a partnership because of their "faith in the character."
By this time,
Dazzler #1 was edited to reflect changes in the Marvel Comics universe and to fit the new 22-page publication format. X-Men member Cyclops was edited out of the issue, and Kitty Pryde inserted, and an additional "origin of the Dazzler" sequence was added to fill new pages. Also,
Dazzler distanced its character from the
disco genre, as the creators recognized the disco fad was fading by 1980.
In a revolutionary move, Shooter decided to release
Dazzler #1 exclusively to
comic specialty shops, bypassing the wider circulation market. This was the first comic exclusively delivered to comic shops - a relatively new industry for 1981. Over 400,000 copies of issue 1 were pre-sold, more than double the average comic sales amount.
Dazzler: 1981-1985
Dazzler proved a success, largely due to guest-starring several key Marvel Comics characters in its first few issues:
Spider-Man,
The Human Torch,
Dr. Doom,
Galactus,
The Hulk,
The X-Men, and
Klaw were just a few of the several guest-stars who placed Dazzler squarely into the Marvel Universe.
Dazzler herself also guest-starred in Marvel titles, such as X-Men,
The Avengers, and the Marvel crossover,
Contest of Champions.
The series, however, was not free from critique. Several readers disapproved of the "real life" focus of
Dazzler, including the focus on "soft plots" rather than action-based and more traditional superhero plot devices. Dazzler's "superhero" outfit was her performance outfit, which also serves as a major disconnect from the superhero staples of the day. Years later, DeFalco reflected on these criticisms as an inherent hypocrisy with the readership: on one hand, readers clamored for something "new," which was how
Dazzler was conceived. Yet on the other, they wanted Dazzler to be a superheroine in the mold of
Phoenix and conform to other superheroic stereotypes.
John Romita, Jr. left
Dazzler in issue #3, and was replaced by Frank Springer, who penciled most of the
Dazzler series. DeFalco stayed on as chief writer through issue #6, and helped successive writer Danny Fingeroth with several of the following issues. Fingeroth and Springer remained the
Dazzler stable team through issue #27.
Eventually,
Dazzler failed to adequately create its own cast and began to lose commercial appeal. With issue #25,
Dazzler became a bi-monthly publication. This schedule, along with extreme character changes and a lackluster spin-off miniseries, further complicated the character and series' appeal to both existing and new readers. The plot focus changed so that, instead of being a singer in New York, Springer moved Dazzler to
Los Angeles as an aspiring actress. To promote this new direction, Marvel had artist
Bill Sienkiewicz do painted artwork pieces for several
Dazzler covers, from issues #27 through #35. Springer left
Dazzler with issue #32, and returned briefly for issue #35 and the
Dazzler: The Movie graphic novel.
Marvel attempted to jump-start the series with a tie-in
graphic novel and
mini-series that would highlight the character's career struggles in a prejudiced world. While the graphic novel received acclaim, the mini-series and regular
Dazzler series suffered.
In a final attempt,
Archie Goodwin and
Paul Chadwick were assigned to
Dazzler with issue #38, ditching the singer-subtext and making Dazzler more of a generic superheroine with an official costume. It did not save the series, and
Dazzler was eventually cancelled in 1985.
After this, the character would go on to a short spell as an X-Men member, before disappearing completely for much of the 1990s and early 2000s, barring occasional cameos. With the launch of
New Excalibur, where she is a cast member, she has just returned to monthly publication for the first time in over fifteen years.
Alison was born in Gardendale, New York to Carter and Katherine Blaire on an unspecified date. Her mutant powers first manifested when she was in high school. An aspiring singer, she volunteered to perform at her school dance when her
light-generating abilities first appeared. Everyone at the dance assumed it was a techno-based
special effect, and this assumption would continue until she was revealed as a mutant.
Using the
stage name "Dazzler," Alison set out to make a name for herself in the
music industry, while using her light powers and dancing ability to enhance her performances. It was at one of these shows that Alison met the
X-Men. Few but those closest to her knew she was actually a mutant. After acquainting herself with the various
Marvel Comics superheroes, Alison found herself continually using her abilities to fight ordinary criminals and rogue superhumans â€"- often at the expense of her career ambitions. In addition to being offered membership into the X-Men, Alison was also asked to join the
Avengers twice -- all of which she declined.
After moving to Los Angeles, Alison attempted careers in fitness training, modeling, and acting. Influenced both by her lover Roman Nekoboh, and her desire to abate the growing anti-mutant sentiment, Alison publicly declared her mutant identity. This revelation backfired, destroying her reputation and career, inflaming anti-mutant sentiment, and sent Alison into a depressive state. Forced again into hiding, Alison was possessed by the psychic mutant
Malice, and was later saved and taken-in by the
X-Men.
During her tenure with the X-Men, Alison received greater training and control over her powers, and developed a romance with the extra-dimensional
Longshot. She was also forced to work alongside
Rogue, with whom she had a longstanding grudge. Dazzler struggled with her career ambitions and personal insecurities, and eventually she entered the mystical Siege Perilous, leaving her in an amnesiac state. Discovered by Longshot, and devastated by the loss of her career, Alison ventured to his native "Mojoworld," and remained to help fight in the ongoing rebellion against the tyrant
Mojo. Dazzler eventually returned to Earth without Longshot after an unfortunate series of events, including miscarriage and war. The X-Men offered Alison support, but she declined.
The Dazzler later re-established her musical career, marketing her trademark disco image in the
Techno/Trance genre. Alison has since moved her career abroad to England and recently has joined with X-Men allies such as the
Juggernaut and
Captain Britain.
Dazzler is a
mutant who possesses the ability to convert sound into light. Her powers encompass the entire light spectrum. While Dazzler can absorb all forms of external sound, she prefers to use music with its rhythmic patterns. These light projections are very versatile, ranging from the typical lightshow, to catatonic
strobe flashes, to pin-point laser beams, to solid photon blasts, to protective force fields. She can also use light energy to propel herself through the air, allowing her to fly. Her potential to convert sound into light is infinite (for this reason she is noted as an
omega-level mutant), with the one restriction being that she cannot, for unknown reasons, use her own voice to create light.
Her body, especially her eyes, protects itself against any injury that would be caused by either external or self-generated light sources. Loud noises also have no effect due to her ability to absorb them. Since the events of
Dazzler: The Movie, Alison's body can store light energy for future discharge. Dazzler is also capable of redirecting absorbed or stored sound energy back as pure concussive force.
Creation misconception
Common misconceptions have resulted from the obfuscation of Dazzler's creation -- namely, several readers believe X-Men creative team Chris Claremont and John Byrne were the character's originators. Although they wrote and pencilled her first appearance, they had nothing to do with the character or series' creation. Those roles went largely to Tom DeFalco and John Romita, Jr.
Handbook errors
Several recent
Marvel Handbooks and on-line character biographies list Dazzler as having several nicknames and aliases. As Dazzler went into hiding several times between
Dazzler #27 until joining the X-Men, she would occasionally drop a false name to an unsuspecting human to avoid detection. None of these aliases were permanent; in fact, Alison was almost exclusively referred to as "Dazzler," "Alison," "Ali," or "Dazz." Even "The Disco Dazzler," was only a name marketed by Marvel Comics and used once or twice in-text or for solicitation purposes.
Also, more recent handbooks list the Dazzler as having only acquired a high school degree. In
Dazzler #1, the character was shown as having completed an undergraduate degree,
magna cum laude (with honors). This is central to the character's history, as her rejection of higher education put her at a personal crossroads, shown in several key stories.
 |
Dazzler from Ultimate X-Men #42. Art by David Finch. |
The
Ultimate incarnation of Dazzler (Alison Blaire) is introduced as a punk rock singer in
Ultimate X-Men #42. Alison briefly joins
Emma Frost's Academy of Tomorrow when promised a record deal, but joins the
X-Men after they rescue her from a
sentinel attack. There she is called "Dazzler," the name of her band. Alison often shows a lack of enthusiasm for the X-Men or their missions, but after learning of a proposed public execution of a mutant, she convinces a group of teammates to go on a rescue mission. When the mission goes astray and her boyfriend
Angel is captured, Dazzler takes initiative and leads the team on a rescue mission. Later while out on a date with Angel, Dazzler ends up in a fight to help prevent the escape of
Magneto from the
Triskelion. During the fight, she is injured by
Deathstrike. Currently, Dazzler is in the hospital in a coma, and is frequently visited by
Nightcrawler who has a crush on her. She recently woke up.
Dazzler's powers allow her to convert sonic vibrations into various forms of
photovoltaic energy, including photon pulses, laser beams,
hard light holographic illusions, destructive force fields, light fog, hypnotic bursts of light, and levitation. Her photon pulses have shown strong enough to send people soaring in the air.
It is believed that this version of Dazzler is partly based upon real life punk rocker
Brody Dalle of
the Distillers.
*Dazzler appeared in the
Pryde of the X-Men animated pilot.
Alexandra Stoddart provided Dazzler's voice.
*She also guest-starred in the
X-Men animated series: Dazzler appeared as a background character in "Mojovision," and was central to the plot of "Dark Phoenix Saga Part 1: Dazzled."
*Dazzler was a playable character in the
X-Men arcade game released by
Konami in 1992.
*Dazzler was also a playable in two early PC X-Men games by
Paragon Software:
X-Men: Madness in Murderworld and the later
X-Men II: The Fall of the Mutants.
*More recently, Dazzler appears as a non-playable character (NPC) in the PC version of
X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse.
*
"Dissecting the Dazzler", Interview with DeFalco, Simonsen, and Stern.*
Dazzler Series Synopsis, William George Ferguson.*
UncannyXmen.net Spotlight feature on Dazzler. 
