Disco Dazzler goes Punk!
The new look for the X-Man inspired a spectrum of reaction after Brian Michael Bendis revealed Kris Anka’s new design via Tumblr.
Whether you love or loathe – isn’t it exciting that fans are passionate about this longtime X-Man’s fate?
That’s the power of a writer like Bendis. I don’t like to categorize characters as A to Z because to some readers that hero is beloved. (Somewhere someone is hoping for a Maggot resurrection!) I like to say there are front burner or marquee characters and there are back burner characters. Unfortunately some heroes are so far back they’re practically in the freezer.
Until a creator takes a forgotten hero and makes you fall in love with them all over again or introduces them to brand new readers.
One of my favorite elements of the Bendis New Avengers run was bringing Jessica Drew, Luke Cage (who was already on the comeback trail after his appearance in Alias) and The Sentry into the mix classic Avengers like Captain America and Iron Man along with new recruits Wolverine and Spider-Man.
Who couldn’t love the romance and wedding of Luke and Jessica Jones, the Jekyll and Hyde tragedy of Robert Reynolds and the jaw-dropping twist of Spider-Woman’s return. (Jonathan Hickman recruited classic heroes like Shang-Chi and new versions of Captain Universe and Hyperion to his Avengers run.)
In Uncanny X-Men Bendis is weaving his magic with Alison Blaire as she goes from Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. to Angel of Vengeance. Ali started out as the Disco Dazzler as disco was dying back in the day but came back to the Children of the Atom during the Fall of the Mutants/Mutants in the Outback era. Ali was the lead in the short-lived X-Treme X-Men revival but has always been more of a back burner X-Man but still loved by many X-Fans.
Maria Hill recruited Alison to be the mutant liaison officer with S.H.I.E.L.D. that made her hated by her own kind and a target in the cold war between Cyclops’s Revolution team and secret enemy inside S.H.I.E.L.D. Ali became a victim of one of Mystique’s most bizarre schemes – even for Raven.
As I read Uncanny X-Men #22 watching Dazzler’s reaction to Mystique’s treachery reminded me of Jessica Drew’s agony upon learning a Skrull had been playing Spider-Woman and committing horrible acts in her name.
Jessica was anguished. Alison is angry. After being silenced by the shapeshifter, Dazzler is ready to “Roar” (pardon the Katy Perry reference.) The mutant singer who transforms sound into power is ready to unleash her anger so I think the new punk, alternative look fits.
Bendis and Bachalo created new mutants (Triage, Tempus, Morph, Hijack and Goldballs) to become the students of Cyclops, Emma, Magik and Magneto. Now Bendis appears to be doing what I love – adding and reviving old favorites in the mix. It’s been a long strange journey from Alison’s first appearance as the Disco Dazzler.
And don’t forget the possible future of Alison as foretold in the Battle of the Atom epic!
After the revival and revolution of Dazzler who could be next? Stay tuned.
By Editor