Alison Blaire loved her life as the performer Dazzler, using her light-based mutant powers to enhance her stage performances. But her singing career came to end when a demonstration of her powers was set up to promote her upcoming film ended in disaster, stirring up anti-mutant sentiment (during DAZZLER: THE MOVIE, 1983-1984). Having become the focus of a number of costumed criminals, Dazzler turns to the X-Men to learn how to weaponise her mutant powers in a world that now fears and hates her…
This story was originally meant to end with Dazzler joining Beast, Cyclops, Iceman and Angel as a member of X-Factor, but Marvel Comics ended up bringing Jean Grey back from the dead to fill that role instead!
Crossover: While ‘The Chase’ isn’t an official crossover, the story arc doesn’t truly make sense without the Secret Wars II issue, while most of the other chapters aren’t Secret Wars II tie-ins, making this story it’s own crossover.
Must-Reads: In the Fallout section, issues/story arcs marked with a ✔ are essential reading.
Spoilers: The issue descriptions and fallout section contain spoilers, so be warned!
Previous events that directly impact this story:
- DAZZLER: MOVIE (1983-1984) – The public learn Dazzler is a mutant!
Want to keep it simple? Here’s the chronological reading order without story descriptions, or spoilers:
- Dazzler #38-39
- Secret Wars II #4
- Dazzler #40-42
| Title, Issue & Synopsis |
| Dazzler #38 Dazzler (Alison Blaire) recently turned to Professor X and the X-Men for training. Though she turned down an offer to join the team, she still wanted to prove herself to Wolverine who had issues with her recent actions that led to anti-mutant sentiment. Sometime later, Wolverine and Colossus surprise Dazzler, giving her a chance to prove she can handle herself and to put her new soundwave-absorbing costume into action. Dazzler manages to defeat them both, but Cyclops has to step in to stop Wolverine from taking things too far. In Los Angeles, bounty hunter O.Z. Chase is hired to apprehend Ali… 1st appearance: Cerberus, OZ Chase, Dust |
| Dazzler #39 Scientist Rowden Piper builds a suit that will allow him to kill Dazzler with a ‘deathgrip’. Piper blames Dazzler for his daughter’s near-catatonic state (though it was actually caused by Melissa Piper taking drugs to make up for the lack of attention from her father). Rowden puts people at risk while trying and kill Dazzler in front of his daughter. The shock of seeing her father almost die in an explosion shakes Melissa’ out of her state’s beliefs! But Dazzler unleashes her full light power on Piper to stop him from murdering her, leaving him in a catatonic state. Later, O.Z. Chase apprehends Dazzler… 1st appearance: Deathgrip/Rowden Piper |
| Secret Wars II #4 The otherworldly cosmic being who’s recently found human form – despite still calling himself the Beyonder – turns to the Molecule Man for advice on love and selects Dazzler as the focus of his affections, snatching her from O.Z Chase’s truck! The Beyonder tries to impress Dazzler by transporting her to numerous romantic locations in rapid succession and, later, transports himself to Canada to take a ring from the pouch of Alpha Flight‘s Shaman.When the Beyonder presents the ring, Dazzler rejects it and demands she leave him alone. The Beyonder tries to earn her sympathy by creating facsimile Avengers to attack him, then grants her some of his own power to make Dazzler his equal. Dazzler rejects the power-boost, but falls to her death in the process. The Beyonder resurrects her with unquestioning affection for him. Knowing her emotions aren’t real, he decides to go on one last adventure with her until the effects fade. Also see SECRET WARS II New identity: Algrim as Kurse |
| Title, Issue & Synopsis |
| Dazzler #40 With Dazzler gone and his truck broken down, OZ Chase heads into the nearest town where he clashes with psychic bikers sent by the mysterious Dust to find Dazzler. The Beyonder drops Dazzler back into her life, but senses the threat of these Outriders and returns to her side. Following the Outriders’ defeat, the Beyonder powers them up again so they become more of a threat and more of a thrill to battle. Dazzler walks away from the fight when she realises what the Beyonder is doing. The Beyonder realises his efforts to win Dazzler over are pointless and undoes the damage caused to the town – depowering the Outriders and remarking to Dazzler that their initial increase in power came from exposure to her light-casting. The Beyonder departs from Dazzler’s life forever…! Also see SECRET WARS II 1st appearance: Silence (cameo) |
| Dazzler #41 The body-hopping Dust plans on using Dazzler’s light powers to activate his drug which gives normal people superhuman powers! Dazzler and OZ Chase meet Carter Blaire in Denver, but she soon realises this isn’t her real father at all! Dust has claimed Carter Blaire’s physical body which OZ Chase shoots in the head, then watch as Dust crumbles away. Dazzler steals Chase’s truck and drives toward Silence and the drug-powered New Wave… Also see 1st appearance: New Wave, Silence (full) |
| Dazzler #42 Silence plans to use Dazzler’s powers to create an army of super-beings called the New Wave who will be under her control. She intends on killing Dazzler over the death of her husband, Dust. Dazzler projects sound instead of light, killing Silence. Beast (Hank McCoy) and O.Z. Chase help Dazzler escape as the New Wave lose their briefly-held abilities. Everyone agrees to tell the police that the body of New Wave agent Portia is actually Dazzler, so the world believes the real Dazzler is dead. Beast offers Dazzler membership in X-Factor… Also see THIRD GENESIS |
See how this story fits into the wider Marvel Universe with these reading orders:
- X-MEN FAMILY, 1985-1986 – The Mutant Massacre
| Must Reads | Issue & Fallout | Event / Crossover |
| Alpha Flight #28 (1985) The Beyonder’s encounter with Alpha Flight is expanded. | AND THE GRAVES GIVE UP THEIR DEAD SECRET WARS II | |
| Thor #363 (1986) Renaming himself ‘Kurse’, Algrim the Elf catches up with Thor. | SECRET WARS II | |
| ✔ | X-Factor #1 (1986) X-Factor officially come together as a group with the returned Jean Grey taking the last spot on the team (though there’s no mention of Dazzler). | THIRD GENESIS |
| ✔ | New Mutants 42 (1986) Clearly having rejected the Beast’s offer to join X-Factor, Dazzler joins Lila Cheney‘s band on tour. | |
| ✔ | Uncanny X-Men #214 (1987) After she becomes a target of the Marauders, Dazzler decides to join the X-Men. | MUTANT MASSACRE |
| Silver Surfer #1 (1987) The Silver Surfer finally escapes the barrier that’s been trapping him on Earth. | THE WAR OF THE ELDERS OF THE UNIVERSE | |
| ✔ | Uncanny X-Men #228 (1988) OZ Chase reacts to the news of Dazzler’s apparent death, recalling a recent occasion when he teamed up with her and the X-Men against a mutant KGB agent; Chase toasts the X-Men. |
| Collected Edition Title | Collects… |
| Dazzler Omnibus | Amazing Spider-Man #203 Beauty and the Beast #1-4 Dazzler #1-42 Marvel Fanfare #38 Marvel Graphic Novel #12 – Dazzler: The Movie Secret Wars II #4 What If #33 X-Men #130-131 |
| Marvel Masterworks: Dazzler vol.4 | Beauty and the Beast #1-4 Dazzler #35-42 Marvel Fanfare #38 [part] Secret Wars II #4 |
| Collected Edition Title | Includes… |
| Secret Wars II | Secret Wars II #4 |
| Secret Wars II Omnibus Secret Wars Battleworld Box Set | Dazzler #40 Secret Wars II #4 |
Reading Order © Omniverse Comics Guide 2026
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