X-Men: Dark Phoenix may not be getting a lot of love with fans or critics. Maybe it was the fact that fans all knew this was the last one, maybe there was some fatigue from every other movie released being a superhero movie—after all, the past few years have seen an absolute glut of big-budget superhero releases hitting the silver screen. But there are still some things to like about the last X-Men movie of the 20th Century Fox era. One of these cool things to see is another Merry Marching Marvel Mutant making her debut; the rock star, Dazzler!
It took twelve X-movies to get her to the big stage—and that's kind of ridiculous when you think about it—but her cameo performance didn’t disappoint. Debuting in Uncanny X-Men #130, which coincidentally took place during “The Dark Phoenix Saga,” with a cool song written by the band Odessa. While her first appearance is, unfortunately, her last in the FXU (Fox X-Men Universe), she’s been an X-Man, an Avenger, and an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. there’s plenty of room for her in the MCU. But Who’s That Girl? Here are 10 Things To Know About Dark Phoenix’s Dazzler. Fox may be done with the property, but this character is definitely just getting started!
Her Name Is Alison Blaire
Born in Gardendale, New York to parents Carter and Katherine Blaire, Dazzler was born Alison Blaire. Like many mutants, she loved your normal everyday life until her powers manifested. She was an aspiring singer and dancer, and, luckily, that was a career she was able to pursue even after she became a mutant.
Played By Halston Sage
When we finally meet Dazzler in Dark Phoenix, she’s being played by actress Halston Sage. Sci-fi and fantasy fans would know her best as Lt. Alara Kitan on Seth MacFarlane’s The Orville. She’s had a pretty decent career for someone so young, starring in the movie Paper Towns and Goosebumps. She is also no stranger to being a rock star, having been in several music videos and the Nickelodeon series, How To Rock.
Created For Casablanca Records
Imagine a world where a Dazzler movie predated even Howard The Duck. It could have happened. Dazzler was originally created in part because of a deal Marvel had struck with Casablanca Records, most famous for having signed glam rock act KISS back in their heyday, to produce a disco superhero. Then editor-in-chief, Jim Shooter had even written a screenplay. Dazzler was set up to become an 80s mega pop icon. When money became a concern, Casablanca took their ball and went home, but Dazzler endured and continues to do so to this day.
Her Mutant Abilities
Because of all the flashy lights and neon, it’s easy to confuse Dazzler’s abilities for Jubilee’s, but they’re actually different. Jubilee was able to create fireworks via plasma. But Dazzler’s are even crazier; she’s able to convert sound into light beams of all kinds of varying strength. At one point, Galactus had exposed her to the sounds of a black gold exploding to amplify her powers so she could help him find his herald, Terrax. She is able to control all kinds of vibrations from music to amplify her light beams or store it for future use.
Romance With Longshot
Like so many X-Men over the years, Dazzler too has had a long-term relationship. He was with the extra-dimensional mutant, Longshot. Their relationship is just about as strange as any other relationship on the X-Universe. In brief, it involves a triangle with Rogue, adventures in Longshot’s home, Mojoworld, and amnesia for both characters. Longshot helps Dazzler get her memories back, but after Longshot gets his back, their relationship is changed, and Dazzler breaks it off. They may or may not be Shatterstar’s parents.
In-Universe Fans
You can’t be a big globe-trotting rock star without a steady legion of fans, right? Even though she’s fictional, Dazzler is no different. She even has plenty of famous fans within the Marvel Universe. Some of her more famous fans include manic pixie dream mutant girls like Shadowcat and Molly Hayes. She also has fans amongst her X-Men enemies like Juggernaut and Rhino.
Apocalypse Appearance
Had Dark Phoenix director Simon Kinberg had his way, Dazzler would have made her big screen debut a film earlier in Apocalypse. After all, that film was set in the era that she was created in: the eighties. In the process of trial and error of scriptwriting, her appearance fell by the wayside. The character was regulated to a cameo that got deleted. When the kids head to the record store, they find a Dazzler record.
Based On Bo Derek
At the time of her creation, an actress named Bo Derek was all of the rage. She was then best known for the now-iconic running on the beach shot in the movie, 10. As far as becoming the cinematic version of Dazzler, the project obviously never saw fruition. First, Dazzler was intended to look more like Grace Jones, she was changed to look more like Derek. But the project was still doomed, and when Derek’s husband John was denied the chance to direct, they left the project.
T-Swift Connection
While Halston Sage did a good job in her cameo performance, had Kinberg and company gotten their way, an actual mega pop star would have gotten to play the fictional one. Taylor Swift’s name was bandied about to don the glitter and play the glamorous Dazzler. The hub-bub started when Swifty visited the set of Apocalypse. It was seemingly all just conjecture based on friendly pictures and tweets.
Her Sister Mortis
Lois London grew up loving Dazzler’s music. However, thanks to her mother Barbara not discussing her sordid past, she never realized that she was Alison Blaire’s half-sister. While they were briefly united, those feeling soured and Lois wound up staying with her estranged and abusive father, now a wealthy man. Her powers manifested as being able to create an unknown energy field. She and Dazzler seem to be immune to each other’s powers, similar to Scott and Alex Summers’ powers.