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 super-heroine, 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 the power 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 -- wanting to promote model and actress Bo Derek -- 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 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 project altogether 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, Doctor 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 The Uncanny 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" — career , family, relationships — rather than action-based and more traditional superhero plot devices.[citation needed] 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 super-heroine in the mold of Phoenix and conform to other super-heroic stereotypes.[citation needed]
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.[citation needed] 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 super-heroine with an official costume. It did not save the series, and Dazzler was eventually canceled 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 returned to monthly publication for the first time in over fifteen years.
Powers and abilities
Dazzler is a mutant with the superhuman ability to transduce sonic vibrations which reach her body into various types of light. This ability seems to operate over a great range of frequencies, including the audible spectrum (35 to 16,500 cycles per second), and a great variation of sound pressure levels regardless of the complexity, dissonance, or randomness of the sound. For example, a car crash and a symphonic passage of equal duration will both produce usable incoming acoustic vibrations.
Dazzler, however, prefers utilizing the sound of music, particularly that which is rhythmically sustained. Not only is music more pleasant to her ears, but the steady beat of contemporary popular provides a more constant source of sound to convert. The precise means by which this conversion process works is as yet unknown, but it must involve a body-wide energy field that controls the energy levels of the outer electron shells of her body in such a way as to cause the cascaded release of photons.
The field thus operates in a similar fashion as the process that creates a laser (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) and apparently has the same efficie
ncy as a laser (99.9 percent). The released energy is far greater than the incoming kinetic energy and therefore must involve another, unknown energy source as well. Left undirected, Dazzler's light will radiate from her body in all directions, producing regular flashes of white light (white light is a mixture of all portions of the visible spectrum). By conscious control over the light she produces, she can control its direction, frequency (color), amplitude (intensity), and duration.
Apparently Dazzler must consciously or subconsciously will the light to leave her body. Otherwise, light would "leak" from her at all times, even when she was asleep or unconscious. Dazzler can produce numerous effects with the light she converts from sonic vibrations. She can simply cause a bright glow all about her body. She can create very simple patterns out of rays of light like circles, squares, triangles, and stars. With effort, she can even create holograms of human beings and other three-dimensional beings and objects. She can create a pulse of light on the order of several thousand watts of power, which temporarily blinds people with its brilliance. She can create a chaotic cascade of sparkling lights and colors that severely upsets other people's equilibrium, or a pulsating strobe-light effect. By concentrating, Dazzler can generate a coherent beam of light, approximating a laser beam, with which she can cut through virtually anything.
Her training with the X-Men, especially with Cyclops, has taught her how to produce such laser-like beams with much less effort than it previously required of her. She generally directs the laser from a single finger when she requires precision in its use, since pointing aids her in defining its direction. But she can also direct laser blasts from both hands at once when she wishes, for example, to demolish a large structure. She most often uses her hands for directing her light effects, but she could also use other parts of her body.
Since studying with the X-Men, she has become adept at directing her blinding strobe light blast from her eyes. The Dazzler has also learned how to create a protective force field about herself with laser light that can deflect or vaporize oncoming projectiles. The most powerful manifestation of her abilities is a concentrated beam of solid photons she usually fires from her right index finger. The beam is extremely powerful and as a consequence uses a great deal of her energy reserves. She has since learned how to produce these blasts without draining herself, while still providing them with considerable power. She has also recently shown the ability to form her photon emissions into solid constructs, such as swords and staffs. Dazzler's potential to convert sound to light is unlimited. Curiously, she cannot use her own un-amplified voice as a source of sound for her transduction abilities. Dazzler's body, especially her eyes, shields itself against any injurious effects of her light transducing abilities and against those of bright lights in general. Her ability to transduce sound also protects her from being deafened by loud noises.
Since the events of Dazzler: The Movie, Alison's body can store light energy for future discharge on occasional instances of extreme duress.
Dazzler is a highly skilled athlete, and has become a good hand-to-hand combatant thanks to her training with the X-Men, and with the Gladiators. In addition, she is a talented singer, actress, and dancer. She is also a highly accomplished roller skater and can move at high speed; she occasionally wears a pair of roller blades which magnetically adheres to her boots.
Recently, Dazzler has displayed an unusual ability to completely recover from life threatening or fatal injuries[issue # needed]. The nature of this new ability has yet to be explained.
Thanks to Professor X, Dazzler's costume contains devices that enable her to store sonic energy more efficiently and to gauge and focus the light she generates with greater skill. She formerly carried a customized radio/cassette tape player to provide her with sound until she acquired the sound storing devices in her costume.
character biography
Alison was born in Gardendale, New York to Carter and Katherine Blaire. 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, who were fighting the forces of the Hellfire Club. Alison aided the X-Men this time,[2] but did not yet become a regular associate of 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 — often at the expense of her career ambitions. She met Spider-Man, and teamed with him against the Lightmaster.[3] She later battled the Enchantress.[4] She was next defeated by Doctor Doom, and then fought Nightmare.[5] She also met Blue Shield.[6] She aided the X-Men and Spider-Woman against the misguided Caliban.[7] She also battled the Hulk.[8]
She even encountered the planet-eater Galactus, who thought she was of little notice and generally ignored her. Galactus, however, temporarily endowed her with cosmic energy, to retrieve his herald Terrax for him.[9] In addition to being offered membership into the X-Men, Alison was also asked to audition for a place in the Avengers, but declined whilst facing Fabian Stankowicz, who was ultimately defeated easily by the Wasp, saying that the superhero "trip wasn't for [her]."
After moving to Los Angeles, Alison attempted careers in fitness training, dancing, 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, she spent some time as a keyboard player in rock singer and fellow mutant Lila Cheney's band. The band's plane crashed on tour and led to her, Lila and a band-mate being successfully rescued by Cannonball and his brother, Joshua. Lila had been knocked out so Dazzler used the music Joshua played at the scene to blast a hole through the wreckage. Alison was later possessed by the psychic mutant Malice. She was 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. There was underlying tension between them at first (mostly on Alison's part), but over time, she eventually forgave Rogue. Dazzler struggled with her career ambitions and personal insecurities, and eventually she — along with teammates Rogue, Psylocke, Colossus, and Havok — 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. Lila would again join with Dazzler in combating Mojo.
Dazzler eventually returned to Earth without Longshot after an unfortunate series of events, including miscarriage and war. She helped Jean Grey in the fight against a re-powered Magneto, who had an army of Genoshans. She and Jean led a small band of mutants to back up the original X-Men, who were in Genosha already. Dazzler even faced down Magneto himself, barely surviving the encounter. After the conclusion of this incident, the X-Men offered Alison support for her personal problems, but she declined.
Among Dazzler fans in comics are the Juggernaut,[10] former teammate Colossus, Julia Carpenter,[11] The Rhino, Molly Hayes from Runaways, and Kitty Pryde.
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