Dazzler is returning in her own solo limited series this September as part of Marvel's big 'From the Ashes' X-Men line relaunch. Sentry writer Jason Loo and freshman Marvel artist Rafael Loureiro will take Alison Blaire/Dazzler out on tour in a four-issue limited series that will even include some actual Dazzler songs.
Dazzler's big tour comes just as mutantkind is once again "hated and feared" by humans, meaning she'll be dealing with some serious obstacles along the way. But to have her back, she's traveling with a whole mutant crew including "head of security Domino, personal guard Strong Guy, one-man roadie Multiple Man, drummer Shark-Girl, and expert publicist Wind Dancer."
"Out & proud as a mutant and back on the road! Dazzler, Marvel’s glittering mutant songstress, has been in and out of the limelight over the years - but now the time has finally come for her to take center stage!" reads Marvel's announcement. "Dazzler embarks on a new world tour, the culmination and celebration of her entire musical career. But while Dazzler may be ready to focus on her music, her celebrity-mutant status and a violent attack may sideline the entire endeavor before it’s even begun…"
Dazzler was initially created in the late '70s as a character who was intended to cross over from comics into her own movie from the get-go, capitalizing on the era's disco fever. But before Dazzler made it to the page in 1980, disco's popularity crashed and burned, leaving her movie aspirations unrealized. Still, she managed to headline her own title for 42 issues, which even launched as a best-seller.
"Rafael and I are giving everyone backstage access to the greatest show of the decade: the Dazzler World Tour!” Loo says in a statement. "Sounds exciting? Not for Dazzler when she's facing tons of pressure from all sorts of people trying to cancel her shows. But she's not going down without a fight."
Along with the main comic story, each issue of Dazzler will also contain lyrics for Dazzler songs. Dazzler's powers, which play into her music, involve turning sound into light. Though this was initially a somewhat superficial power, she's since honed it into being able to convert sound into destructive laser beams and more.
"Ever since I can remember, I've been crazy about two things: music and drawing comics," adds series artist Rafael Loureiro. "To think that I would be able to combine both passions in my Marvel debut is beyond my wildest dreams. Not only that, but with such an amazing X-Men character as Dazzler - I absolutely had to jump at the chance!"
The upcoming 'From the Ashes' era will revolve around three core titles, X-Men, Uncanny X-Men, and Exceptional X-Men, along with spin-offs for X-Force and X-Factor, solo titles for Jean Grey/Phoenix and Wolverine, and a revival of early '00s cult-favorite X-Men spin-off title NYX starring Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel. Meanwhile, Storm will be joining the Avengers, and she's also getting her own solo title in the 'From the Ashes' line, with details coming soon.
Dazzler #1 goes on sale September 18 with a cover by Terry and Rachel Dodson, seen above.
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