In 1978, Dazzler was commissioned by Casablanca Records as a multimedia cross-promotion character known as “The Disco Queen.” Marvel Comics created a singing superhero while Casablanca will render a singer. Jim Shooter, Marvel Comics’ CEO, wrote a presentation for the special animation, which soon became a live-action film project that was produced by Filmworks. Shooter then set up a small Marvel committee to identify the character’s nature, background, and individuality. Tom DeFalco became the lead writer alongside the artist John Romita Jr.
Through a suggestion from the writer Roger Stern, the character soon changed its name from the Disco Queen to Dazzler. However, Casablanca Records left the project due to financial concerns, but the film remained at work. During Dazzler’s conceptualization, Romita, Jr. intended the character to look like Grace Jones, a model, actress, and singer. Yet, the filmmakers wanted to promote the model and actress, Bo Derek. They have insisted on design changes that reflect Derek’s features instead. Subsequently, the film was canceled after Filmworks rejected John Derek, Bo Derek’s husband, to direct the film.
In the following years, before getting her own comic series, Dazzler appeared as a guest star in Marvel’s comic series, including The Uncanny X-Men, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Avengers, The Fantastic Four, The Marvel Crossover, and Contest of Champions. During issue #3 of the Dazzler series, John Romita Jr. left and was replaced by artist Frank Springer, who penciled most of the Dazzler’s comic series. Meanwhile, DeFalco remained as Chief Writer through issue #6 and was then replaced by successive writer Danny Fingeroth on the following issues. Fingeroth and Springer remained a stable team through Dazzler issue #27.Dazzler became a bi-monthly publication with issue #25. Springer then changed Dazzler from a New York singer to an aspiring Los Angeles actress. In order to promote this new direction, Marvel’s artist Bill Sienkiewicz created painted artworks for issues #27 through issue #35. Although Springer left Dazzler with issue #32, he returned briefly to issue #35 and Dazzler: The Movie Graphic Novel. After the series was canceled in 1985, Dazzler was considered as a possible founding member of a mutant superhero team, the X-Factor. However, the decision to revived Jean Grey put that idea aside.
Dazzler then went on to a remarkable run as a member of X-Men, before disappearing in the early 1990s and 2000s. She returned to the monthly publication with the launch of New Excalibur as a notable cast member in over fifteen years. After Marvel canceled New Excalibur, Matt Fraction brought back Dazzler as a supporting character in Uncanny X-Men. Also, a one-shot Dazzler special by writer Jim McCann and artist Kalman Andrasofszky was released by Marvel in February 2010.
Dazzler’s Comic Biography
Alison Blaire, also known as Dazzler, was born in the Long Island suburb of Gardendale, New York. Her father was a stoic law student while her mother was a free-spirited entertainer. Because of her parents strained relationship, her mother came upon a decision to leave Carter and Alison, who was a toddler at that time. Consequently, Carter and his mother, Bella Blaire, raised Alison.
As Alison reached adolescence and developed dreams of being a singer, the idea became extremely intolerant to her father, who is now a judge. Rather, Carter obligated Alison to choose a career path similar to his own. Alison then followed her dreams while she continues on a path to law school. In contrast to her father, Alison’s grandmother was more sympathetic and urged Alison to explore her creative side. One time, while performing at a junior high school dance, Alison manifested her mutant abilities. Since then, Alison kept her powers a secret and further alienated herself from her father.She began exploring both her powers and her musical ability by the time she entered a university. Alison made her own suit, accessories and called herself “The Dazzler.” It was at this point that Alison decided to give up her father’s dream. At her graduation ceremony, Alison told her father that she would not attend the law school he had chosen for her. Instead, she’ll continue pursuing her life as a singer without her father’s blessing or financial support.
Dazzler used her light-based mutant powers to match her performances. Taking the music’s sound and turning it into dazzling color displays, the young singer drew enough attention to land her gigs at various New York clubs and discos. However, Alison knew that she was going to keep the nature of her powers a secret. During her singing career, Alison has been able to bypass critical speculation for some time by marketing her light as a “technological secret.” While her little white lie fooled the club managers and other people in her life, Emma Frost, the Queen of the Hellfire Club, and Professor Charles Xavier noticed her powers.
Superpowers and Abilities
Conversion of Sound: She has the ability to converts sonic vibrations that reach her body into different kinds of light. This ability operates over a wide range of frequencies, including the audible spectrum of 35 to 16,500 cycles per second, as well as a large variety of sound pressure levels regardless of the sound’s complexity, dissonance, or randomness.
Superhuman Hearing: Dazzler has highly advanced ears that allow her to detect sounds other people can’t hear.
Resurrection: She is currently afflicted by a strange resurrection factor that prevents her from being killed in conventional methods.
Blinding Flash:With the use of several thousand watts of energy, Dazzler can create a pulse of light that momentarily blinds people with its brilliance.
Lasers: Dazzler can produce a light beam by concentrating, resembling a laser beam, which can cut anything through. This laser beam operates in a fashion similar to the process that creates a LASER (Light Amplification by Stimulated Radiation Emission) and evidently has the same efficiency as a laser.