Summary
In a team that’s often hated and feared,Dazzlerhas proven the most popular in-universe member of theX-Menas a huge pop star, and a group of cosplayers has now captured her evolution over her different pop eras.
AsDazzler ramps up for another solo outingand her very own world tour, there’s no better way to catch up on the different looks of one of Marvel’s most fashionable stars.Pat Loika(@patloikaphotoworks) has posted his photos of different Dazzler cosplayers portraying Allison Blaire throughout the decades.
The photoshoot features @gentrypiper in a stunning recreation of Dazzler’s second costume, which first appeared inDazzlervol 1 #38. Captured mid-song, Gentry rocks out with an accurate costume created by @leetal_weapon. The next look is from @meshellwaffleo, who brings the character into the 1990s with a recreation of her Jim Lee design fromX-Menvol 2 #10. Finally, @zombilicious dances the disco diva into the 21st century with a recreation of Kris Anka’s punky, ripped up, costume fromUncanny X-Menvol 3 #24.
Dazzler’s Disco Debut
Dazzler Was Intended To Be More Than Just Another X-Man
Dazzler aka Allison Blaire first appeared in 1979’sX-Menvol 1 #130 after herpower to transform sound into light is detected by Professor X and Cerebro. It’s an auspicious time for Dazzler’s debut, as she finds herself right in the middle of the most famous X-Men story of all time inthe Dark Phoenix Saga. However, Dazzler doesn’t join the X-Men during this story, deciding to pursue her musical career instead. This led directly intoDazzlervol 1, which ran from 1981 to 1986 and saw the heroine combat threats ranging from shady record producers to Galactus himself.
For an X-Men character, Dazzler has had a fascinating solo career.The character was originally conceived as a multimedia franchise in and of herself, with a planned movie alongside her solo comic. This obviously never happened, and while Dazzler did get 40-odd issues of her solo title, she didn’t manage to capitalize on the popularity of disco as was hoped, since the genre was already waning by her first appearance in 1979. After her first solo title, she joined the X-Men properjust in time for the Outback Era, when the team faked their deaths and relocated to Australia.
The Different Looks Of Dazzler
Dazzler Is Always Updating Her Style
In the middle of this aforementioned solo series came the costume cosplayed by @gentrypiper,which trades the disco ball look of Dazzler’s original outfit for the blue and yellow that would come to define almost all her future looks. This costume also has the first use of Dazzler’s iconic starburst motif. Gentry’s version opts for the larger starburst added bysuperstar artist Marc Silvestri, which Dazzler wore in the eventInfernoduring the Outback Era.
Jim Lee’s costume debuted soon after, and the cosplay from @meshellwaffleo nails this look, complete with the ultimate ‘90s comics signifiers of a cool jacket, belt, and headwear. As the majority of her stories have been releasedafterthe disco boom and bust,writers and artists have imagined how Dazzler reinvents herselffor the different cultural moments afterward. These redesigns offer new genre signifiers for Dazzler, and none have been bolderthan the Kris Anka designembodied by @zombilicious’ cosplay. While it retains the starburst logo, this look opts for a darker blue-black color scheme to signify an edgier tone to fit the heroine’s more gothic turn and punk turn.
Disco Is Back!
As Pat Loika mentions, Dazzler is once again getting a new solo series, withDazzler (2024)#1 releasing September 18. The series, written by Jason Loo with art by Rafael Loureiro, promises to chronicle Dazzler’s new world tour, which she’s embarking on alongside other mutants, including her long-time bodyguard Strong Guy.With each issue featuring imagined lyrics from Dazzler songs, it’ll be fun to see how Loo and Loureiro interpret Allie for a time when pop stars are defined by eras and, like comic books, lore-obsessed fans.
Since Marvel’s sliding time scale means Dazzler was not technically alive for the disco era, it’s unclear if this costume signals something about the direction that Allison will be taking musically in the series, or whether it’s just been chosen because it’s iconic. The answer likely lies somewhere in the middle. However, ifDazzlerwants to choose another look during this series, these spectacular cosplays show that theX-Men’sdisco diva is more than spoiled for choice.
