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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Private Eyes
Dazzler, together with her band, Beefer, Hunch and Marx, and her stage manager, Lance Steele, are driving from Los Angeles to San Francisco, where they are going to perform in the legendary Cow Palace, being the support act of rock star Bruce Harris’ West Coast performing tour. Hunch exclaims that Frisco is even better than he remembered. Ali is glad they decided to rent this car and drive up from Los Angeles, instead of flying with Harris and his crew. Lance, who’s driving, retorts that it’s easy for her to say: she didn’t have to take all those hairpin curves on the coast highway. As they finally reach the Cow Palace, Ali admits she’s so nervous: she’s never played to 17,000 people before!
After a few hours of rehearsal and sound checks, the concert begins and the crowd starts calling for Bruce to appear. They came for him, not his warm-up act. However, after Dazzler’s first song, most of them have forgotten that fact. Enthused with her, the crowd urges her to go for it! Ali never imagined what it could be like to play for so many people. It’s less personal, yet feels much more intense. Her singing, skating and stage presence is combined with her spectacular lightshow. The crowd thinks her visual effects are the product of technical wizardry. None know Dazzler is a mutant, with the ability to convert sound into beautiful, dazzling light.
Lance and Bruce are watching her. “She’s really great, huh, Bruce?” Lance remarks. Bruce agrees, although he actually contemplates that his warm-up act isn’t supposed to give him competition. She’s too good. “Eat your heart out, big shot” Lance thinks. With his expert advice, Ali is going to make Bruce look like a kid playing a kazoo!
Eventually, the concert ends. The following morning, the sound of the phone ringing in her hotel room rudely awakens Alison. Ken Barnett, the lawyer that defended her against murder charges, is on the phone. Ken apologizes for waking her up so early. However, even though it’s only eight o’clock where she is, it’s already eleven in New York and he couldn’t wait any longer to talk to her. Ali admits it’s wonderful to hear his voice and informs him she got his flowers in L.A…. and they were beautiful! Ken had hoped that. He asks her how the tour is going. Ali replies the audiences have been great, plus it’s so beautiful here! However, their discussion is cut short as Ken informs her that a client just walked in and he has to go.
Hanging up, Ali thinks he’s very sweet and she could really care for him. But does she really want to get involved with someone after her recent traumatic breakup with Paul Janson? She loved him… and she thought he loved her… but he was looking for something more normal than a performer. Ali realizes she’s always had a struggle with the men she loved. Her father always loved her when she was a little girl but when she became a singer against his wishes – instead of a lawyer – he shut her out of his life forever. Last time he saw her they seemed about to reconcile when he saw her mother’s old brooch that Ali found and he freaked out.
Approaching the window, Ali gazes at the street, all the while thinking that her mother “disappeared” when she was young and neither her dad nor her grandmother will tell her anything about it. Ali can’t even remember what she looked like. All she’s got to connect herself to her is that brooch. She decides that, as soon as this tour is over, she’s going to find out about her… whether her dad likes it or not!
Suddenly, Alison spots a truck on the street that has a marking on it: a winged heart; a marking identical to her mother’s brooch! Ali thinks there are a million things with similar designs. It couldn’t… Then again, maybe it could. Suspecting that this is an indication that her mother lives there, Ali looks up the phonebook and discovers the name “Katherine Blaire” right here in San Francisco! She immediately calls the number and asks the woman who answers the phone whether she ever had a daughter. The woman – actually a teenage girl – admits that her name is, indeed, Katherine Blaire, but mistakes Ali for a friend of hers and asks her to cool it with the prank calls! Katherine tells her “friend” that she has to finish her algebra; otherwise her parents will take her phone away and hangs up!
Ali is not disappointed, however. She believes she can’t let it go just like that. What if her mother is in this city? She suddenly recalls that Jessica Drew lives here – that private detective who’s friends with the X-Men. She and Alison met recently – maybe she could help her. Spotting an ad about Jessica’s office in the newspaper, Ali decides to go have a bath, thinking that she’s got a rehearsal this afternoon and a show afterwards but she’s free till then. She decides to go see Jessica this morning.
Soon afterwards, Spider-Woman makes her way through the skies of San Francisco, gliding on the air currents. Spider-Woman thinks that this has been great fun but even she has to earn her keep – which means it’s time for her alter ego, Jessica Drew, to get to work. Jessica climbs down the Hunterdulin Building’s wall, reaches a certain window and enters her apartment. Changing into normal clothes, she braces herself for another day of investigative adventure – and then someone knocks at the door.
Jessica opens the door and instantly recognizes Alison Blaire. She had read in the papers that Ali was in town. The reviewer in the Chronicle made her sound like the star – rather than Bruce Harris. Jessica welcomes her to San Francisco and asks her if this a social call or if it’s business. Ali admits it’s business, although that doesn’t mean she’s not glad to see Jessica. Jessie urges her to tell her what it’s all about.
Dazzler tells her it’s about her mother. She never really knew her: she disappeared when she was very young. Recently, she found a memento that belonged to her, a brooch, which sort of piqued Ali’s curiosity about her. Ali shows the brooch to Jessica, revealing that this very morning a truck with the same design passed her hotel window. Ali admits it sounds silly but she won’t be able to rest until she knows if it’s somehow connected to her. Jessica grumpily contemplates that ever since Roots, she’s seen an epidemic of “mysterious parents” case! She asks Ali if she wants her to check it out for her, to which Ali replies affirmatively. Jessica replies she’s sort of busy but she will get to it as soon as she can.
Ali explains that she’s leaving town in a couple of days. Jessica asks her to give her number in New York. She’ll phone Ali if anything develops. Dazzler complies but insists she’d appreciate it if Jessica could do something. Jessica reminds her that she’ll need a hundred dollars in advance, as a retainer. Ali realizes that this is almost all she’s got till she gets paid for the tour next month but gives the money to Jessica anyway, wishing her good luck. Jessica thanks her and warns her that, in cases like this, when they go around digging up skeletons, they might turn up things she’d rather not know. Despite feeling worried about that, Ali thinks she’ll take her chances.
As the door closes behind Alison, Jessie asks herself why she had to come down so hard on her. She’s just a sincere person, looking for help. She thinks that maybe she can find time to do some preliminary checking for her this afternoon. Unbeknownst to her, at the same moment, feeling a bit let down by Jessica, Ali decides to go and talk to a few people around here herself.
Indeed, Ali soon asks dozens of people – including the doorman of her hotel – and none of them seems to have seen a winged-heart sign on a truck. Since she got no response from the “respectable people,” Ali decides to try her luck with the street people: the winos, the beggars, the shopping-bag ladies.
Indeed, a little bit later, a bag lady, Lydia, informs her that she sees that truck all the time. Apparently, it passes by this area every day and goes somewhere which Lydia rather vaguely points to Dazzler. Lydia goes on to blabber about pigeons and rye, when Ali interrupts her, wanting to know exactly where the truck goes. “Over there… to the pyramid,” Lydia explains. Dazzler understands she means the Transamerica Building. She decides to come back and check it out after her rehearsal.
While Ali rehearses, Jessica finally finds out which sign shop made the winged-heart sign. The man at the shop informs Jessie that he painted a design like that on a truck a few months back. However, it is his policy not to give out information about his customers. Some people are touchy about that stuff. Does she understand? Jessie assures him she does and produces a 100-dollar bill, telling him that here’s something he may understand. The man happily admits that now they’re talking the same language. He gives her a card with the info she needs but if anybody asks… he never saw her before.
However, when Jessica drives to the address on the card, she discovers an empty lot. The man said he’d painted that sign a few months ago but this place looks like it’s been deserted for years! Jessica decides to inquire some people around Alison’s hotel.
A little later, Jessica inquires the doorman in the hotel Dazzler’s staying. The man repeats he never saw a truck like that; however, he’s surprised that she’s the second gal to ask him today and asks to know what’s going on. “Sorority initiation,” Jessica explains! She realizes that Alison’s snooping on her now; just what she needed; help from an amateur! Jessica doesn’t give up, though, and telephones her connection, a man named Ethan, at the Motor Vehicle Bureau, asking him to tell her the owner of a specific red Chevy van, giving him its license number. Ethan looks it up and informs her that those plates belong to a VW Beetle, not a van, and they’re registered to a company in the Transamerica Building.
Meanwhile, having finished with the rehearsal, Dazzler approaches the Transamerica Building, feeling a little idiot coming here on a bag lady’s say so. However, nobody else was more helpful – including Jessica Drew. Standing outside the building, Ali sees a ramp and assumes it leads to a garage or something; maybe the truck’s here! At the end of the ramp, though, she doesn’t find an entrance big enough for a car or van: only a door. Alison opens the door… and then falls to a black void!
Outside the building, Jessica is driving her car. She has already realized that something strange is going on: first the vacant lot, then the plates turn up on a different car… Suddenly, she hears Dazzler’s scream and realizes that somebody’s in trouble! She quickly changes into Spider-Woman. As she opens the door Dazzler fell over, she is shocked to see there’s no floor. As she drifts down to a cement floor, some twelve feet below the doorway, she asks if anybody’s here. The only answer she receives is the hollow echo of her own voice. She realizes someone is here: she can hear their breathing but they’re too scared or hurt to answer her. Turning on her flashlight, she finally sees Alison and asks her if she’s okay.
Alison replies she is. She recognizes Spider-Woman – unaware, though, that Jessica and Spider-Woman is the same person – and asks her what she’s doing here. Jessica explains she’s investigating her mother’s case for Jessica Drew. Apparently, though, Alison wasn’t patient enough to wait for professionals to do the job! She asks Ali how she ended up here. Ali admits a bag lady sent her. Spider-Woman remarks that she doesn’t know if this place has anything to do with Ali’s mother but there is something weird going on here. They’d both better get out and figure what to do next.
Ali retorts that Spider-Woman can leave but she is going to check this place out! Spider-Woman grabs her hand, urging her not to be an idiot: she’s coming with her. However, Alison’s not scared anymore: she’s angry! The Rolling Stones’ “Hang Fire” blasts from the recorder and Ali releases a light blast against Jessie!
Jessie thought Ali could only do these light tricks on stage with special equipment and wonders how she can do them here. Ali explains that’s her secret and claims she could’ve done a lot worse than just stun her for a second. She insists this is her past she’s looking into and she won’t quit just because some “professional” tells her to. Rather annoyed, Jessie asks her if she thinks that just because she’s got superhero friends and can do some light tricks, she can handle anyt… Suddenly, she pauses as the room’s flooded with light and wonders if Dazzler’s doing that. “N-no,” Ali replies.
A panel opens in one of the basement’s bare walls, disgorging in a pack of vicious Doberman Pinschers! Jessica urges Ali to stay behind her, realizing that Dazzler’s petrified with fear and she won’t even have her light tricks backing her up. Bio-electric venom blasts flare from Spider-Woman’s wrists, felling two of the Dobermans. Jessie fears that, if she tries to zap the two others, she might hit Alison, since the dogs move so fast and decides to take the rest out hand-to-hand. Indeed, she grabs another Doberman and violently tosses it against the wall, knocking it out and finally knocks out the final Doberman with her bare hands. She then turns to Alison and suggests they get out of here. Alison refuses again, though: now, more than ever, she’s got to find out what’s in the rest of this place.
As she opens the only door in the basement, Jessie tries to stop her, throwing herself on Ali and warning her that there’s no telling what’s behind that door. Despite Spider-Woman’s grip on her, Dazzler pulls them both inside the room. Jessica asks her if she’s satisfied: it’s an empty room. Dazzler insists it can’t be: after all someone’s put them through, there’s got to be more to it than that.
Suddenly, the door behind them slams on its own and seemingly locks itself. Jessie remarks she’s no She-Hulk but she can get them through it! In vain she tries, though: even though she puts all her strength into this, she can’t budge it or make a dent in the walls. Even worse, the room is being flooded. Ali points to the other possible exit: some stairs leading to another door. Spider-Woman realizes these high pressure jets of water could knock them senseless: if they pass out here, they drown. She tells Ali to make it to those stairs. Ali, however, sees a spark on the stairs and throws her compact on them: the stairs are electrified! Jessica grabs Ali, puts her on her shoulders, climbs above this mess to the door and kicks it open.
Yet in a new room, Jessie retorts that, if Ali had stuck to her singing, none of this would’ve happened. Ali believes she could’ve at least thanked her for saving her life back there. However, they now have other troubles, as this door also slams behind them and locks itself. Even worse, some sort of vapor – a knockout gas – flows in. Spider-Woman explains she’s been exposed to it before so it can’t hurt her. Ali tears off a piece of clothing from her blouse and uses it to screen her face and keep most of the gas out of her lungs. Jessie suggests she saves her breath: they have company!
Two enormous robots appear, moving menacingly against them. Jessica assures Ali she’ll handle this and throws a punch at one robot, only to discover she didn’t even make a dent in it. Jessica wryly remarks that Ali can give an eyewitness account of how she got crushed to death – if she makes it out alive! Ali turns on her tape player to get some music. She discovers it sounds weird: the speed’s off. It must’ve been ruined by the dousing they got. Still, it’s giving off some sound. Ali thinks that the radio and her mechanically-adhering skates are all she needs to start here. As one of the robots grabs her arm, she manages to get away from him, even though the robot tears the sleeve off her blouse. Jessie tells Alison that she can’t stop this thing; her venom blasts don’t have any effect. Ali finds out that her laser’s not good on the robot she’s fighting, either, but at least her skates are keeping her out of its reach.
As the fight continues, Ali thinks that the robots are big and fast and seem able to move through the gas better than they ever… “Hold it!” she suddenly tells herself. She thinks that maybe that’s it: those things on the robots’ heads must be their ‘eyes’ and they must be super-sensitive to enable them to get around in there. Instead of trying to laser them or confuse them with a light-fog, what if she zapped one right in the sensor with a high-powered light blast? As she indeed zaps it, she realizes it’s getting to it: the robot seems all confused, like its inputs were all discombobulated.  She realizes it’s still after her but has now lost its fine motor control.
With the robot now lashing blindly, Dazzler maneuvers it exactly where she wants. She urges Jessica to jump and then ducks, with the “blind” robot striking its “partner” and decapitating it. “Then that’s my cue…” Dazzler exclaims and turns the tape player on. The eerily slowed music powers her laser which she trains steadily on the robot’s now unprotected delicate inner circuitry.
Moments later, both robots are out and not a second too soon: Ali’s radio just died. Jessica admits that she still doesn’t understand how Alison does those weird light tricks but she can see there’s more to it than just stage effects. In any event, if they want to get of here alive, they’ve got to pool their resources and…
Dazzler interrupts her, warning Jessie about the wall behind her: it’s moving! Jessica realizes that so is the one opposite it; at the rate they’re going, they’ll be crushed flat in minutes! With her radio useless, Ali asks Jessica if she can punch them out. Jessica’s response is negative: the walls are the same material as those in the other rooms and she couldn’t make a scratch on them even before they fought the robots. Alison believes that they’re going to die then, unless…
Suddenly having an idea, she asks Spider-Woman whether she can sing. “Can I what?!” Jessica exclaims. Alison asks her not to argue. She urges her to think of a song – any song – and sing as loud and as long as she can. Spider-Woman asks her if she’s cracking up but Alison vehemently insists. She’s not asking her opinion; she asks her to sing now! Jessie insists that if they’re going to die, she’s going to do it with dignity, not singing some dumb… Ali again coerces her to honor her last request and sing. Jessie finally complies and starts singing. “That’s no good. Louder! Louder!” Dazzler urges her. Jessie complies and Ali tells her that’s it!
Powered by Spider-Woman’s vocalizing, Dazzler glows brightly, building up her energy for a prolonged, concentrated laser blast which she then focuses on the wall, finally able to open a hole on it. Alison knows she can’t sing to power herself – somehow her mutant powers don’t work that way – but Spider-Woman provided all the sound she needed.
The two women escape through the hole into an office. Alison bets they’ll find what they’re looking for there. A frenzied search through the files yields no significant information until Jessie discovers a box – with the winged heart insignia on it – in the last cabinet. Inside the box, they discover a roll of film. Alison suggests they grab it and vamoose. Jessica wonders how. The air vent on the ceiling is the only way out but it might just lead to another trap. Alison reminds her that their only other option is to go back the way they came which isn’t any more appealing. Furthermore, Ali smells fresh air through the vent and believes it must lead somewhere. “You win, lady” Jessie tells her. She wishes she had some better idea but she doesn’t.
Hesitantly, Spider-Woman grabs hold of the vent cover. She remarks it looks okay so far and asks Ali to grab hold of her. A slow, tortuous climb follows as Spider-Woman tenses arms and legs against the sheer, smooth sides of the ventilator shaft and pulls herself and Dazzler upward. The climb is made all the more excruciating by the ordeal they have just experienced and the knowledge that each inch they advance may trigger a trap which could end not only their progress… but their very lives.
At last, the sounds of San Francisco street life become audible. The two women emerge from an exhaust duct on an upper floor of the Transamerica Building. Jessica asks Ali to hold on and let her glider wings do the rest. She starts gliding down the street, while a frightened Ali tries not to look down.
Sometime later, in a screening room at San Francisco State College...
Spider-Woman tells Dazzler that’s it: the story behind her precious winged heart. She hopes Ali is happy. Ali can’t believe it; not after all they’ve been through. She can’t believe that place was a training squad for new S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, designed by Professor Xavier of the X-Men, modeled after their own Danger Room! Spider-Woman informs her that the S.H.I.E.L.D. codenamed it Operation Winged Heart and used that insignia on all vehicles involved in the project. However, the course had become outmoded and was taken out of operation last month. That’s the reason people were guarding it. The truck Ali and the bag lady saw must’ve been someone going to feed the dogs or something.
Ali realizes it had nothing to do with her mother. They didn’t accomplish anything at all. Jessica believes that’s not true: Ali could probably become a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent… after she’d served time for trashing one of their facilities! Dazzler suggests they return they film: it’s not theirs. Spider-Woman corrects her: they don’t return it. She returns it so they don’t get caught. As she glides out of the window, she advises her to leave these things to a professional next time! Dazzler believes that Spider-Woman can think of her as an idiot if she wants, but she doesn’t regret anything that happened today. Ali will track down every clue if she has to, to find out her mother’s true story.
Epilogue
Backstage at the Cow Palace, a lone figure stands and plots. If his calculations are correct, he will soon succeed in destroying… the Dazzler!


[User]
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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Black Magic Woman!
Seattle. The Kingdome.
It had all seemed like a dream for the fledgling singer Alison Blaire, being hired at the last minute to open for rock superstar Bruce Harris on his West Coast tour. However, it has suddenly turned into a horrible nightmare, as Ali has just been told she’s fired! Waiting in the backstage, ready to go out for her show, a tearful Ali is unable to believe that they fired her – and did it just as she’s about to go on.
A voice presents Ali to the audience: “Ladies and gentlemen, from New York, Bruce’s good friend… the Dazzler!” Ali realizes that’s her cue… for the last time. She immediately enters the stage, joining her ever-faithful band, Hunch, Beefer and Marx. She knows they haven’t heard the news about her yet. One would think that Harris’ manager wouldn’t have told her yet either. It can’t help her last performance any!
As she hears the crowd cheering her (“Awright! There she is! Go for it, Dazz!”) Ali realizes that’s exactly why they did it now. She’s heard rumors that Harris thought she was too good, showing him up, winning over his audiences… She realizes Harris wants her to be upset, to be lousy! “Well, we’ll see about that, mister” Ali thinks.
The audience is wild with anticipation; they have hard the advance reports from Los Angeles and San Francisco about this hot, new singer. Ali decides not to disappoint them; especially not tonight. As she begins singing, the audience is quickly enraptured, unaware that Dazzler is a mutant, a living transducer who converts the music around her into a brilliant, multi-colored light show. This is, perhaps, the finest performance Dazzler has ever given.
Backstage, Dazzler’s manager, Lance Steele, confronts Bruce. Lance angrily reminds him that Ali’s been working her tail off for him and now he fires her; that’s some attitude! Bruce claims he had nothing to do with it. His people decided she wasn’t good enough. It’s not her fault – the just demand the best. “We?” an exasperated Lance exclaims. He knows Bruce’s people are a bunch of yes-men; they’ll do whatever Bruce says. It was Bruce who wanted her canned… and he gave the order. Bruce admits that maybe he did. However, he’s the star here. He’s got to look out to his own best interests. Lance clenches his fists in anger.
Bruce’s manager tells Lance they don’t want any trouble; why doesn’t Lance calm down? Bruce’s manager argues that he can’t have his performer upset before he goes on! Lance, however, knows that’s what they did to Dazzler: firing her before she went on and getting her all upset… only she’s still out-singing Bruce by a mile! He suggests Bruce’s manager listens to that crowd. The manager assures her hears it – that’s why Dazzler was canned. He suggests that Lance starts packing before he says something he’ll regret. Lance retorts he doesn’t have to say anything: Dazzler’s saying it all for him… and then some.
Ali finally finishes her third encore and the crowd erupts in an explosion of excitement, admiration and love, cheering her. Ali then skates triumphantly off stage. Backstage, she meets a man, Bill, who congratulates her on her show. Ali, in turn, congratulates him on the engineering: she couldn’t have done it without him. She then turns to Bruce and assures him she couldn’t have done it without him, either. His juvenile attempt to humiliate her didn’t work. Ali hopes he will get a new warm-up act that won’t steal his thunder; she hears Alvin and the Chipmunks are looking for work! Bruce mumbles that’s real funny and tells her to get out.
“With pleasure,” Ali replies. As she’s about to turn around, she stumbles on a man… whom she identifies as Ken Barnett a second later! Ali wonders what the heck he’s doing here; why is he not in New York being a lawyer? Ken explains he had some vacation time coming, so he decided to hop out here and see Ali and maybe tag along with them for the rest of the tour, crash on their floor… After all, he wasn’t always a stuffy lawyer! Ali assures him he’s not one now, either. Even though it’s wonderful to see him, though, she’s got some bad news…
After Alison relates her unhappy tale to Ken, the two go to Ali’s dressing room. While undressing, Ali reveals to Ken that it’s been a wild tour and it’ll mean a lot to her career but all good things have an end. “And a beginning,” Ken adds. He felt something beginning with the two of them, that’s why he sent those flowers, called her and came out here. He hopes Ali doesn’t think he’s jumping the gun… “Ah, what’s life without romance?” Ali admits. She wouldn’t be in the business if she were Miss-Nine-to-Five, doing everything by the book. Still, it’s hard for her to believe that just a few weeks ago he was successfully defending her in her trial for the murder of Klaw and now he’s here in…
A knock on the door interrupts Ali. Lance asks them if they’re ready. “Be right there,” Ali tells him and then tells Ken that it’s time to party!
Dazzler, her band, Lance and Ken go to a pre-fab highway diner, “Danny’s Diner.” However, the mood of Dazzler and her band is far from festive and Ken tries to lighten the evening by exhibiting his skills at toss juggling, using the cups and everything else at the table. When one of his objects crashes down, Ken remarks that now they know why he never joined the circus, bringing smiles to the group’s faces.
In the day before their departure for New York, Alison and Ken tour the great port that is Seattle and explore the treasures of the city – Puget Sound, the Space Needle, the Monorail, Pioneer Square – and simultaneously discover the joy of nascent love.
The following morning, at Seat-Tac Airport…
Ali informs Ken that their flight is leaving in a little while and admits she’s not really upset that Lance and the others couldn’t get on this flight. It’ll give them a little more time together… “Ken! Are you listening to me?” she suddenly asks him, realizing that Ken is absorbed with something altogether different, his look fixed on a woman with sunglasses surrounded by various men. Ken admits he couldn’t help noticing the crowd surrounding that woman. “The crowd, lover boy… or the lady herself?” a jealous Alison asks him. Ken argues she should admit there’s something exotically appealing about her. “And what am I… yesterday’s news?” Ali angrily retorts. Still enchanted by the beautiful woman, Ken asks Ali to give him a break; he’s only human! Dazzler realizes the woman is not just beautiful but there’s also something familiar and disturbing about her.
Soon, they are airborne and thoughts and words turn to other matters. Seated next to each other, Ken admits that he loved the look on Harris’ face when she told him the Chipmunks needed work; he wishes he had it on film. Dazzler admits it’s too bad Bruce’s such a jerk; he can really sing and is cute. She just hopes positive word-of-mouth about her shows spreads quicker than the malicious rumors Bruce and his P. R. flunkies are sure to circulate. Ken assures her that if he tries that, Ken himself will habeas his corpus so fast, he won’t know what hit him!
Ali rises from her seat and tells Ken that she’s got to go powder her nose. Ken urges her to hurry up so he doesn’t have to do any of the work he brought along. Alison makes her way to the rest room when she suddenly spots the woman from the airport, resting in a seat. Puzzled, she realizes she didn’t see her on board when they got on the plane. She assumes the woman boarded at the last minute and decides to move on, after realizing the woman is giving her a creepy stare. Entering the rest room and putting some lipstick on, Dazzler keeps thinking that lady seems so familiar. She knows she’s seen her somewhere before – but where? Unbeknownst to her, the mysterious woman’s left eye suddenly glows, as she sports a devilish smile.
At that exact moment, Ali feels strange for a second and assumes they must have hit an air-pocket or something. Alison rushes from the cubicle… only to suddenly find herself in a world of seeming madness!
Confused and shocked, Dazzler finds herself in what appears to be the large room of a castle, wearing her stage costume instead of her street clothes, with the rest room, the plane and everything else gone and replaced by this castle! She wonders what’s going on. Where is she? What’s happening to her? “Perhaps I can explain, my dear,” a voice replies. “You!!” Dazzler exclaims upon seeing none other than the Enchantress.
The Enchantress welcomes her to her Asgardian palace. Dazzler immediately makes the connection and realizes the woman at the airport and on the plane was her – following Dazzler, watching, waiting… The Enchantress confirms that she was waiting, as she had these months past, for the moment to exact the revenge she swore she’d have upon Dazzler for the ruination she’s caused her!
The Enchantress remembers the day when the cosmic axis was about to shift, opening, for a few short instants, a doorway to a dark dimension – a dimension which lay incalculable sorcerous energies which would give their possessor mastery over the universe itself. The doorway was to materialize upon the stage of the Numero Uno club – and the Enchantress had secured the role of featured singer for herself so as to be there, incognito, when the axis shifted.
However, despite the Enchantress’ sorcerous abilities and her power over males, Dazzler auditioned and stole the engagement from her. Worse, when the Enchantress attempted to usurp Dazzler’s place on stage by force, Dazzler held her at bay with her light powers until the portal to the dark dimension closed permanently, shattering the Enchantress’ dreams of omnipotence. The Enchantress swore vengeance upon Dazzler that day and vengeance she shall have… now!
In an instant, the Enchantress gestures and Alison rises in the air, alighting upon a hideous, gnarled tree which grows from the castle’s gleaming floor. The Enchantress urges her to behold the gibbering monkeys on the tree – all of them would-be suitors of the Enchantress, the “lucky” ones who overcame her palace guard. She asks Dazzler to listen to their simian prattle. Loud… raucous… they could provide her with sound… a weapon, could they not? “But they never shall!” the Enchantress snarls – for before Dazzler can bring her powers to bear, the Enchantress will enshroud her palace… in a spell of silence!
The Enchantress’ last word doesn’t echo, nor is any other sound heard. The monkeys rant on in a horrifying pantomime, their every silent shriek a taunt to Alison. And then, the terror truly begins… An inexorable sense of horror sweeps across Dazzler, as she feels her body begin to change… grow light… lighter… less and less corporeal. By some impossible ancient incantation, she becomes transformed into a cloud… a cloud which bursts forth into rain… rain which collects into a puddle… a puddle out of which re-forms Ali’s human self! After she experiences this, Alison starts screaming, even though it’s unhearable. She can’t believe this is happening. She thinks it must be hypnosis or something. It can’t be real!
Meanwhile, on the Rainbow Bridge, gateway to Asgard, stands Heimdall, guardian of the Realm Eternal. Heimdall, who can hear a leaf fall in a distant forest, senses something amiss in this moment: a zone of silence in the midst of Asgard itself! He believes Odin must be informed of this strange phenomenon. However, he is sworn never to leave his post. Thus, Heimdall sends another man, a royal messenger, to go and alert the All-Father and tell him all that Heimdall has related to him. The messenger assures him that he will not falter in his step.
Shortly thereafter, in Odin’s royal chambers…
The messenger delivers to Odin the message Heimdall has entrusted him with. Odin recalls how Heimdall’s keen hearing has many a time saved the Realm Eternal from its enemies’ sinister stratagems. He decides to dispatch his two ravens, Hugin and Munin, to comb the kingdom in search of the silence Heimdall warns off. Like pieces of the night itself, the two ravens glide off.
Very soon, the ravens return and inform Odin that the zone of silence emanates from the palace of the Enchantress. Odin urges the Warriors Three – Hogun the Grim, Fandral the Dashing and Volstagg the Valiant – to delve more deeply into matters. Odin also declares he must now attend to other matters royal. However, his Vizier shall act in his place when the Warriors Three return.
Soon, the Warriors Three find themselves at the gate to the foreboding castle of the Enchantress. Volstagg commands the guards to stand aside: they come on a mission from the All-Father himself. One of the guards tells them to enter then. However, he also warns the Warriors Three that they shall meet again when the authority of the highest one shall not be protecting them… and then a reckoning will come.
Inside the castle’s chambers, the Warriors Three confront the nefarious Enchantress, with a mortal “houseguest” – Dazzler – also seated nearby. Fandral realizes that the Enchantress has ceased her spell of silence but now they discover that, in defiance of Odin’s law, she has a mortal here! “What right hast thou?” he reviles her. Volstagg asks her to speak quickly or face his wrath! The Enchantress asks him to hold his laughable ire and explains she was merely entertaining an esteemed guest – where is the harm in that?
“Fie upon thee, Enchantress, thy haughty demeanor shall avail you naught!” Fandral rants and raves and demands she tells them what they have been dispatched by All-Father Odin to discern: what transpires here? Hogun intervenes and expresses his view that the mortal could tell them much and more truthfully than the vile mistress of this unholy place. Yet, he observes that she seems unwilling – or unable – to speak.
Indeed, Dazzler seems unable to protest, verbally or otherwise. The Enchantress put her under a spell which prevents her from speaking or acting to save herself. She’d love to tell the three men what’s going on but hard as she tries… she can’t!
The Enchantress proclaims that they have no right to disturb the sanctity of her home. True, she has brought a mortal there. However, she wonders: is it not their right as gods to toy with them as they please? “You revolt me, woman!” Fandral exclaims upon hearing this. In the name of Lord Odin, he orders her to the court of the Royal Vizier! “Where I will, no doubt, be absolved of any wrongdoing” the Enchantress confidently asserts and they all depart.
A little bit later, the party is approaching the Palace Royal, the Warriors Three on foot, Dazzler and the Enchantress riding a horse. “Yonder lies the Palace Royal. There shall I be vindicated,” the Enchantress declares. “We shall see, woman,” Hogun remarks. “No wonder they call you the “grim one,” Hogun,” the Enchantress scoffs at him and advises him he should have a cheerier outlook on life, like she does. She then sneers at Alison, asking her “dear friend” is she’s comfortable.
A little bit later, inside the Vizier’s chambers, the Vizier – by the power vested in him – demands of the Enchantress to relate to him what cause has she to bring this mortal woman to their hallowed home. The Enchantress is about to begin her fib: “As I told these cretins three, my Lord…” However, the Vizier brusquely cuts her short, demanding to know the truth! The Enchantress congratulates him: he’s shrewd indeed. She finally reveals that this mortal recently did her grievous wrong; humiliated her; she must punished for her misdeeds! She explains that she spirited her to Asgard to exact that punishment.
However, the Vizier wonders: are not the mortal’s kind beneath their notice? How could a mortal such as this have wronged the Enchantress? That is immaterial, the Enchantress retorts. She reminds Vizier that this is a mortal whereas she is an immortal of Asgard. That is reason enough for her to do with her as she pleases!
The Vizier retorts that she merely being immortal does not resolve her of all moral responsibility. He decides that the Enchantress and the mortal shall confront each other fairly… in a trial by combat! “Trial by combat?!” Ali ponders in despair. She realizes she may as well go and pick out a coffin: she’s dead meat. In sharp contrast to Ali’s hopelessness, the Enchantress revels in the thought of trial by combat. Vengeance shall be hers… with all Asgard the witness!
While news of the upcoming combat goes out to all corners of the Eternal Realm, back to Earth, in the airplane where Dazzler disappeared, a flight attendant informs Ken that they’ve searched everywhere; they can’t find Alison Blaire! Horribly distraught, Ken is at loss: nobody just disappears from an airplane! He is confident she’s got to be here somewhere! The flight attendant promises they’ll look again, although she doesn’t know where Alison could possibly be.
In Asgard, the duel between Dazzler and Enchantress is about to commence, in the arena of a packed stadium. Ali is still under the spell, powerless to defend herself. In resigning mood, Ali thinks that maybe it’s just as well; if she could fight, she’d just be prolonging her agony.
However, up in the Vizier’s box, an irked Vizier contemplates that the Enchantress must think those who rule the Realm fools; if she believed she could so easily deceive them! For he has been able to discern that the mortal is obviously bewitched. With a gesture, he undoes the spells which bind her. He has also perceived Dazzler’s power over sound and light. With her free now to use it, they shall indeed see a combat whose outcome cannot be foretold!
On the arena floor, Alison can indeed feel that the spell is gone. However, she wonders: even now, how can she fight the Enchantress? Last time they met, the evil Asgardian was holding back… and she still almost turned Alison into oatmeal!
Dazzler’s morbid thoughts are suddenly interrupted as a trio of Asgardian trumpeters sound the call to combat and a team of mighty-thewed drummers rises, holding their mallets poised, waiting for the signal to begin. The Vizier rises from his seat and announces that the Enchantress’ magicks are her weapon, whereas the mortal’s weapon shall be blazing light fueled by the pounding of the royal drums and the cheers of those who would see her triumph! “Now, let the drummers drum and let the battle begin!” he declares.
The Vizier has barely uttered his commands when the Enchantress strikes Dazzler with her mystic bolts. The Enchantress challenges Ali to taste the sting of her bolts: they shall turn her to ash! “Not if I can skate out of their way, mama!” Ali mockingly replies and indeed she skates away. However, she realizes that last bolt was close; too close. Still, she knows that the Vizier has arranged things so she has a fighting chance and she’s not going to blow it!
Indeed, she quickly skates around the Enchantress and generates a strobe-sphere in front of her, in the hopes of confusing her and buying enough time to focus this laser barrage at her! The Enchantress realizes that these flashing lights make it difficult for her to see. However, she believes such trickery will only delay Dazzler’s demise.
The Enchantress effortlessly dissolves Alison’s light sphere and her searing beams. Alison watches in despair as her opponent takes her lasers full force and disperses them into light. She realizes she’s got to attack again – use her lasers another way – before the Enchantress can catch her breath! Legs pumping, heart racing, Dazzler skates round and round the malevolent sorceress, her lasers hewing chunks out of the arena’s stone floor and hurling them at the Enchantress.
Still, the evil sorceress defies Ali and summons forces from beyond her ken to transform Dazzler’s stones into spheres of darkest evil incarnate which intend to suck Ali’s very life from her! Ali tries to escape but she can’t skate fast enough and the spheres of dark energy get to her! The Enchantress finds it fitting that a creature of light should be smothered out of existence by the embodiments of darkness itself. In pure horror, Ali realizes that these disgusting dark energies are sapping her strength, suffocating her! Overwhelmed by panic, she asks the Enchantress to call them off!
The Enchantress retorts she will do nothing… except watch as the dark forces slowly and painfully drain Dazzler’s life from her body! Ali realizes she can’t let them do this to her. She realizes she’s got to forget her pain and revulsion and concentrate… absorb the sounds of the drums and the crowd… and go for it!
Indeed, Ali, now fully empowered, unleashes a huge quantity of searing light and breaks free from the Enchantress’ dark forces. “I did it, Enchantress! My light was too much for them!” Ali boasts, while forewarning her opponent that she’s not stopping here: she’s mad now… and she’s coming to get her!
The Enchantress is bemused by Dazzler’s next “trickery,” as a shimmering mist of light appears between them, of a beauty rivaling the very Eternal Flame itself! Dazzler informs her that it’s called a light-fog… and it isn’t purely decorative!
Indeed, Alison uses the light-fog to keep the Enchantress confused and off-balance, while Ali herself gets up momentum, rolls herself into a ball and rocks the Enchantress with a Dazzler cannonball special! She then begins socking the Enchantress, while challenging her to see how tough she is now that Dazzler has the upper-hand… or should she say “fist?!”
“Foolish, deluded mortal… how dare you sully my body with your vile touch!?” the Enchantress snarls and fights her off. She admits that Dazzler’s cravenly concealed attack did take her by surprise and allowed Dazzler to knock her down but to presume that she is able to do the Enchantress harm with her fists…! As she grabs a rock, she effortlessly crushes it with her bare hands, while informing Dazzler that any Asgardian – even the weakest among them – is possessed of physical strength enough to do this! She wonders then: how should Ali be able to do her harm? Dazzler miserably realizes that nothing seems to faze her adversary. She’s got one card left… and she’s got to play it now!
Skating as fast and as hard as she can, Dazzler races to the far end of the arena, approaching the drummers. From what she can tell, no one in Asgard really likes the Enchantress. She’s an immortal like they are and has her place here but no one trusts her; she’s an entity of evil. She realizes that she’s got to make this fact – and any sympathy in the air – work to her advantage. She tells the men pounding the drums that she needs their help: it’s now or never! One of the men tells his “brothers” that this mortal is worthy of their aid. His colleagues agree. She is a truly valiant warrior; it is not her fault she is a mere mortal! The men decide to help her thwart the unholy sorceress by drumming as never before!
“Awright, you guys! Awright! That’s the way!” an almost frenzied, adrenaline-filled Alison encourages the drummers. She’s thrilled to see that the crowd’s roaring, picking up on the excitement and inspiring the drummers. She realizes now’s her chance: she’s never going to get more intense sound than in the next minute or too. In a fierce mood, she lunges at the Enchantress, declaring that she’s back and fighting!
The beating of the drums and the cheers of the crowd echo and re-echo throughout the stadium, feeding Alison who takes the sound and converts into devastatingly brilliant energy, light visible from all corners of the Eternal City, a light powerful enough to dazzle even the Enchantress… for a few seconds!
Almost immediately recovering from the effect of Dazzler’s searing light, the sorceress admits that Ali’s courage and resourcefulness continue to amaze her. However, she reminds her that mortal she is… and mortal she shall ever be… and no mortal can hope to long hold sway over the spells of the Enchantress!  Saying this, she bombards Ali with her spells, causing the young mutant to scream with pain and collapse to the ground. “That’s right! On thy knees, dog… where you belong!” the Enchantress growls. “You did endeavor to evade the retribution due you… enlisted the aid of Odin’s very Vizier and royal drummers… and still thou could not defeat me,” the Enchantress triumphs.
Not able to withstand the pain, Alison groans that it feels like she’s being torn apart and implores the Enchantress to stop. The sorceress assures her the pain will stop very soon, for she has devised a most fitting fate for her… With her magicks, she will turn Ali into purest light… light which will glow brilliantly and beautifully until it fades away… forever! “Nooooooo!” Dazzler screams just as the Enchantress blasts her. Many a time has Alison glowed with fabulous light but never before with such an eerie brilliance, one foretelling the doom which will come! She realizes she has played the Enchantress’ game – and she has lost.
Suddenly, from the skies above, strikes a bolt of power, whose refulgence eclipses that of the fast-transmogrifying Dazzler. Where the bolt has struck, Odin instantly materializes and demands to know what transpires here; wherefore all this light and sound, this concentration of mystical energies? The Enchantress stammers that she can explain, while Ali struggles to rise to her feet, realizing that another second and she would’ve been gone, transformed into dissipating light.
Odin demands to know whether the Enchantress can explain the spell of silence around his palace earlier this day or whether she can explain to him why he arrives to find her engaged in torture most foul upon this innocent mortal, brought to their hallowed home! The sorceress mumbles that she can. She cautions Odin: the mortal may appear harmless but she is wily and evil indeed! She argues that the woman did her wrong and now, in combat sanctioned by his own Vizier, she pays for her deceit!
“You say she wronged thee… in what manner exactly?” Odin enquires. The Enchantress explains that Dazzler bested her in a competition of song – unfairly, of course. Alison angrily interjects: what about the Enchantress’ attempt to take control of the uni… Odin cuts her, ordering her to silence: this is talk between gods! Turning to the Enchantress, he tells her that if the mortal did compete unfairly against her, then he can decree another such contest – now! And he will choose the victor!
Soon, seated on his box, Odin orders his imperial musicians to let flow their tune. The competition begins and to the winner shall go title and honor of fairest voice in the Realm Eternal.
The Enchantress is the first to sing. Her song is one of unquestionable beauty. There is no denying the subtleties and grace of her melodies, the power of her phrasing… but there is also no denying the bitterness, the coldness pervading her every breath. The men in the crowd – even Odin – are mesmerized by her siren-song.
After the Enchantress concludes her song on a note of bittersweet boldness, Odin admits that truly, for all the hardness of her heart, the Enchantress is a songstress unparalleled; surely no mortal’s voice could compare! “Don’t beat the rent on it, pops! I can beat her!” Dazzler ponders with confidence, only to be immediately plagued by self-doubts: “I think.”
Faintly at first, then more assuredly, a song flows forth from Dazzler’s lips. She sings a medley of soft, powerful love songs whose simplicity makes them understandable to mortal and immortal alike. Taking their cue from the melodies they hear, the musicians harmonize along with Dazzler while she, in turn, transforms their playing into shimmering light. Transported by the unearthly sound of the instruments, Alison forgets where she is... before whom she is singing… everything but the world of light and music in and around her. The more she becomes enmeshed in the moment, the more feeling she puts into her song… and feeling is the one thing that, for all its beauty, the Enchantress’ performance lacked.
The tender emotions of Dazzler’s song are not lost upon those who look, several of them, like Volstagg, visibly moved, weeping. Odin admits that Volstagg’s sentiments echo his own: Asgard has not heard a voice so sublime in eons! Realizing that Dazzler will triumph again and that she will be cheated of both her revenge and the competition, the Enchantress cunningly ponders that perhaps with an invisible spell… Odin, however, ever-aware of her nefarious schemes, instantly turns to her and accuses her that her eyes betray her thoughts! He warns her to stay her magicks or force his regal wrath! The Enchantress complies.
Shortly thereafter, Odin announces his judgment: the fairest songstress in Asgard and Midgard – the mortals’ world, as the Asgardians call it – is the one called… Dazzler! A cheer goes up from the assembled throng and Alison falls to her knees in exhaustion, relief and more than a little awe at the power whose presence she is in.
A musician brings Odin a lyre that he bestows upon Dazzler. He asks Dazzler to take the lyre as a prize and as a recompense for the suffering she has endured here. Awestruck, Alison thanks him and promises she will treasure it forever. Odin then decides that she will be returned, by his power, to Midgard. Indeed, at the All-Father’s words, Dazzler disappears in a flash of purest lightning. A disgruntled Enchantress ponders that Dazzle has made her look the fool again… but in truth, it matters not: more important matters call. If she succeeds in them, Dazzler will be forgotten. If she fails, Dazzler will most surely meet her again… and die!
Kennedy International Airport, New York
A desperate Ken urges a woman to have them check the plane again; a woman can’t just disappear in mid-flight! The woman insists they’ve already searched the plane several times. Perhaps he’d better consult airport security… or a good psychiatrist! “Thanks, you’re a big help,” Ken sighs. He contemplates that everyone from their flight has picked up their luggage… except Alison. He wonders: where could she have gone? What could have happened to her? He reminds himself he is a lawyer and urges himself to use his brain; think! Could she have been kidnapped? Is she playing some kind of weird trick on him? Is she…
“Looking for someone, handsome?” a voice interrupts his frenzied thoughts… Dazzler’s voice! “Ali! It’s you!” Ken exclaims. “Uh, as far as I know,” Ali quips. Exploding with anger and frustration, Ken demands to know where she’s been; where did she disappear to; and where did she get that… lyre? Picking up her luggage, Ali replies it’s a long story and she’d rather not go into it.
Ken retorts that she had him worried silly; he was going nuts! Ali admits she’s sorry if he was but there are certain things about her life she can’t talk about… ‘cause she’s not even sure what to make of them, she ponders. Ken retorts that she sounds like the superheroine she claims she never wants to be. Ali thinks that maybe it’s her business. She may have a crush on him but she doesn’t have to answer him. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get a cab. Alone!” she announces.
However, just seconds later, as Ali moves towards a cab, Ken apologizes. She’s right: anything she wants to keep private is none of his business… not yet anyway. As they lock lips, Ali remarks that she likes kissing him on the East Coast as much as on the West! After the kiss is over, Ali exclaims that her lipstick’s all messed up now and announces that she will go to the ladies’ room to fix it up and…
“The ladies’ room?!?!” Ken exclaims in horror! “Now way, lady,” he tells her, “I’m not gonna take my eyes off of you until I get you safely home!” Saying this, Ken hastily shoves her inside a cab. Ali exclaims that some people just can’t take a joke!


[User]
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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
The Angel and the Octopus!
Standing on a New York City street corner at 3 AM, Alison Blaire and her boyfriend Ken Barnett are so captivated by each other they fail to notice the approaching gang of street thugs. The gang’s intentions are unclear; they may want money, they may want Alison, or they may just want a fight. What is clear, however, are their actions. One thug throws Ken up against the wall and knocks him to the ground. The others focus their attention on the beautiful Alison. While the helpless Ken watches, one of the thugs grabs Alison by the waist and asks if she wants to try a little tenderness. Alison, however, is far from helpless. As long as she has a steady supply of noise, she can access her mutant powers as the Dazzler!
Alison switches on the radio in her purse and instantly transduces the sonic energy into a blinding white light. After the staggered thugs fall to the ground in defeat, Dazzler helps Ken up off the ground. Her powers inadvertently affected him as well. He even tried to close his eyes, but the light was much too powerful to withstand. After getting Ken to a safe place, Alison heads to a payphone and summons the police, giving them a false reason as to how the gang ended up unconscious. Amidst the anti-mutant hysteria in which she lives, Alison cannot verily reveal her mutant powers to many people, including the police. She only hopes the gang members have other crimes on their records that warrant detainment.
Alison hails a taxi cab and sends Ken on his way home. As much as she would enjoy spending the rest of the night with him, she feels far too shaken by the attempted mugging to take care of Ken in his current, befuddled state. They embrace one last time before parting ways. Alison feels so close to Ken when they kiss. If only those thugs hadn’t ruined their night! Ken soothes her and promises there will be other nights.
Upstairs, in her apartment, Alison slips off her dress and prepares for bed. Even in the safety of her own home, she still feels awfully rattled because of night’s events. Strangely, it was not the mugging that disturbed her, but having to use her powers offensively. She may never be comfortable using her mutant powers for anything except performing. Of course, she has very little choice in the matter. Life keeps forcing her into positions in which she has no choice but to fight. Things might be different if she had a superhero for a boyfriend, who could not only show her a good time, but deal with the inevitable muggings and super-villain encounters. But then I’d have the heartaches that go along with that type of guy, Alison realizes. Besides, she really cares for Ken, and wouldn’t trade him for anything.
Alison’s eyes wander to her unopened stack of mail. A letter from private investigator Jessica Drew snags her attention. Despite the mutual animosity with Jessica, Alison excitedly opens the letter, hoping for an update on the case of her estranged mother. Unfortunately, the letter reveals nothing new. It is merely a polite message from Jessica telling Alison she has nothing new to report. However, if her mother is somewhere on the West Coast, she and her partner Spider-Woman will find her. Thanks, Jessie, Alison sighs. But I won’t hold my breath.
The next day, Alison walks into her manager’s office and, as per usual, begins speaking to his secretary, Cassie. To her surprise, Lance is sitting at Cassandra’s desk instead, frantically answering all the incoming phone calls. His inexperience with multiple phones lines becomes quite evident when he keeps accidentally dropping calls. Where’s Cassie? Alison asks. Lance explains that the dopey dame called in sick too late in the morning for Harry to find a temp, forcing Lance to act as the impromptu receptionist. Amidst the mayhem, Lance still has time to ogle Alison. Hey, nice brooch, he says while accidentally dropping another call. She thanks him for the compliment and explains the brooch belonged to her mother, whom she never knew. It is one of the only tangible connections she has with her mom.
Changing the subject, Alison tells Lance she came by to see if her manager found her any gigs. Lance tries to call him on the intercom. Failing once again, he decides it’s much easier to just yell. Dazzler’s here, he shouts! Send her in, Harry S. Osgood shouts back. Upon entering his office, Harry calls her over to the phone and tells her to sing. Alison shrugs and does as she is told. She breaks into a rendition of “Blue Suede Shoes” so lovely it instantly convinces the listener to hire her. Harry takes back the phone and relays the gig details to her. She will be recording backup vocals at Pacifica Studios. She asks when it starts. Right now, Harry shouts!
Alison arrives at Pacific Studios as fast as she can. She is dumbfounded as she enters; this state-of-the-art studio serves only the best musical artists. She wonders whose backup vocals she will be recording. She scans the room, and the first person she recognizes is her very own drummer, Beefer! Ali runs over to him and says hello. Beefer congratulates her on landing this gig, and explains he will be laying down the percussion tracks. “You mean – you’re not faithful to my group alone?” Alison asks. Touring with Alison and her band may be Beefer’s favorite pastime, but a musician’s got to eat, especially one as big as Beefer. “I’m just teasing,” Alison says. “You’re the best there is, and I’m grateful you play for me, but the world deserves to hear as much of your playing as it can get.” Thanking her for the wonderful compliment, Beefer begins explaining the intricacies of drumming, but fortunately for Alison someone else enters the studio.
Beefer introduces Alison to his friend Vanessa Tooks, a striking black woman in a beautiful green dress, who will be accompanying Alison on backup vocals. Vanessa greets Alison and tells her she saw her perform at the Numero Uno Club, but barely recognizes her without her performance makeup. Vanessa tried out for the gig herself, but lost it to an eerie blonde woman. The Enchantress, Dazzler corrects. Even saying the name gives Alison the creeps. Nevertheless, Vanessa calls Alison a terrific singer, but implies her superior singing ability must have come with age. Slightly insulted by this comment, Alison assures Vanessa she is no Grandma Moses! Vanessa apologizes, admitting her jealousy. She escorts Alison to the office to fill out the proper employment paperwork. Several hours later, they finally begin recording.
Alison and Vanessa work extremely well together. In fact, Alison is so engrossed in their singing she forgets to ask for whom they are recording. She finally learns, to her surprise, the artist is none other than Bruce Harris! Bruce fired her as his warm-up act because of his jealousy over her talent. Ali cannot help but relish in the irony; if only he knew she was now recording his backup vocals.
Meanwhile, at her father’s house on Long Island, Judge Carter Blaire furiously sorts through his possessions in the attic. He curses the storage chest filled with memories of his wife. His mother finally enters and asks what is wrong. What’s wrong? He lost Katherine all those years ago, and now he is losing his daughter to the empty profession of musical performance, he says. Now, he feels like he is losing his mind on top of it all! His mother embraces Carter as tears roll down his face.
Later that evening in New York, Alison and Vanessa exit the recording studio and say goodbye. Now that Vanessa has Alison’s number, she will be calling her soon. “Hey,” a guy’s voice says from behind Alison, “as long as you’re giving out your number, can I jot it down?” She turns and faces the handsome blond man, but is repulsed by his audacity. You talking to me? she asks. Yes, he replies, and asks if she remembers him. Alison can’t say she does, although she admits he looks familiar. Asking if she wants a memory refresher, he whips out a copy of Fortune magazine, of which he graces the cover.
“You must be a famous rich guy. You’ve got your picture on the cover of Fortune,” Alison says, dryly. The man asks if she now realizes who he is. It tells me the guy that’s hassling me is rich, Alison jokes to herself. Rich or not, a creep is a creep. She turns and hops aboard a city bus. The blond man follows, but finds he cannot make the exact change needed to board. The driver refuses to even accept a one-hundred dollar bill. Fortunately for the blond man, a courier riding the bus gives him the exact change. Unfortunately for Alison, this slight diversion does not slow the man nearly enough. She moves to the back of the crowded bus and slips out the back door, but the man has enough time to follow. She runs as fast as she can to Central Park with the stalker close behind. Hopefully she can lose him amidst the park’s twisting trails.
Alison finally stops and catches her breath, confident she put enough distance between the stalker and herself. To her disbelief, he pops around the bend and asks if they can finally talk. You, she shouts! He begs her not to run, promising to keep his distance as long as she hears him out. Hesitantly, she agrees. When he starts removing his jacket, however, she gets nervous. “What are you doing?” Dazzler asks. He claims he has something to show her. “Yeah. I’ll bet,” she replies. As he continues to remove his clothes, she reaches into her purse and puts her finger on her radio. If she doesn’t like what he has to show her, she will dazzle his eyes out.
His secret turns out to be quite the pleasant surprise. After removing his shirt, he reveals a sprawling set of bird wings. Alison finally realizes the man’s identity: Warren Worthington III, the mutant millionaire who went public with his identity, the Angel! What does he want with her? Ali asks. Warren explains he was trying to ask her on a date. Alison scoffs. With that arrogant come-on, did he actually believe she might accept? He begs her to listen to his proposal. She tells him to go ahead; she can use a laugh. Warren explains how he first felt attracted to her when they met at Club Numero Uno, but later, while they both auditioned for the Avengers, he began sensing something special about her. Later, while in traction after a battle with Ghost Rider, he reevaluated his entire life, particularly his long-stagnant relationship with Candy Southern. He had forgotten there were other women in the world. During this time, his mind continually returned to thoughts of Alison Blaire. “I decided to fly to New York and see if you could help me sort my life out,” he explains. “I thought we might even have some fun while we’re at it.” Dazzler tells Warren how flattered she feels. However, she has her own life to sort out and isn’t about to drop everything for him. Warren accepts her response and just asks her to consider it. If she needs him, he is staying at the Plaza.
Later, Alison enjoys Ken’s company at a fancy restaurant. Her pleasant time is ruined, however, when her waiter turns out to be none other than Warren Worthington III. She asks what he is doing there. Waiting on her, he replies. After he found out she would be eating at that restaurant, he bought it just so he could see her again. Alison is stunned. “I guess I’m supposed to be impressed, huh? Well, I am! I’m impressed by how big a jerk you are! I don’t care if you’re rich enough to buy the whole blamed world! You can’t buy me, buddy – understand?!” Ken asks what’s going on. Nothing except some rich kid trying to show off his money, Alison says. Grabbing Ken, she begins marching out of the restaurant. Warren asks if they can talk it over, but Alison emphasizes there is nothing to discuss. “You own this place,” she adds. “The tab’s on you!”
Outside the restaurant, Ken asks if that man was Warren Worthington III, also known as the Angel. “Yep,” Alison says. “The super hero without a secret identity – or any tact.” Later, at her apartment, Alison relays to Ken the full story of her encounter with Angel. Ken finds the story funny and laughs it off, a reaction which honestly surprises Alison. Does Ken really have that much faith in her and their relationship? Does he even suspect she might be flattered, even tempted, by the advances of the dashing superhero? While she ponders these questions, Ken notices her distance and asks if something is wrong. No, Alison says, but admits to Ken she wants to spend the night alone. He leaves, somewhat hesitantly. His departure, unfortunately, is duly noted by Warren.
With the boyfriend figure gone, Warren flies over to Alison’s window and gets her attention. He thought Ken would never leave, he tells Alison as she opens the window. Shocked to hear he spied on her, she calls him swell-headed, conceited, and disgusting. “Hey! Flattery will get you everywhere,” he jokes, adding he only watched her front door and wouldn’t ever dare peeking in her window. He invites her to take a special aerial tour of the city. Alison cannot believe his nerve. However, she admits to herself his assertiveness is slightly charming, and agrees to the tour. Angel swoops her up in his arms, pulls her out of the window, and takes her soaring over the majestic cityscape.
Alison feels quite anxious at first; she even tells Warren she might get sick. He urges her to relax and enjoy the ride. Alison, eventually heeding his advice, grows comfortable in his arms and begins enjoying the experience. Warren is an experienced flier, after all, and has a truly unique experience to share. The fear leaves Alison’s body, and she becomes literally awe-struck by the sights she sees. Warren flies her up close to the Statue of Liberty, and then back over the tops of the city’s skyscrapers. She begins looking affectionately into Warren’s eyes, completely forgetting the chillness of the surrounding air. Drunk on the magic of the moment, she leans in, and they share a passionate kiss.
“Warren…” Dazzler says, “…we just kissed.” Warren knows. Sensing he’s not getting the point, Alison asks him to take her home. She absent-mindedly waves goodbye as he leaves, still in disbelief over the kiss they just shared. For the next twenty-four hours, this dreamlike kiss is all Alison Blaire thinks about.
Somewhat recovered by the next night, Alison takes the stage on a late-night public-access TV show and gives less than stellar performance. It doesn’t bother her. After all, she can’t fathom more than five people would be watching. After her performance, the host thanks “the Dazzlette” and has her sit down for an interview. She corrects him on her name. He ignores it and he gives her a supposedly positive on-air review, although Alison fails to hear the compliment scattered amid words like “old” and “disgusting.”
After taping the show, Alison ribs her band members for leaving her hanging in the interview. They sat their, silent as statues! As they begin to defend themselves, a car arrives and honks its horn at Alison. She turns and sees the beaming Warren Worthington III behind the wheel. Forget about our date, he asks? “How could I? I never knew about it!” she answers. She reluctantly enters the car and waves her band-mates goodbye. Although she hates to admit this to Warren, she finds his persistence flattering. He told her he would grow on her! After she asks where they are going, he tells her they have reservations at a nice little restaurant for a sunrise breakfast. She will love it. He promises. Alison doesn’t care, just as long as it costs Warren a small fortune.
Their whimsical flirting is soon interrupted by a disturbance in the road. Up ahead, an armored truck is taking a severe beating from within. Huge bulges appear in its side while a loud pounding noise resonates from inside its box. Soon enough, the armored side of the truck bursts open, and out jumps Doctor Octopus. The sweet air of freedom is his once again, he shouts. He begins to effortlessly scale the side of a nearby building with his metallic octopus arms. His freedom shall not be taken so easily again.
The hero within Warren refuses to let a villain like Doc Ock escape unhindered. He strips off his civilian clothes, revealing his red and white Angel uniform underneath, and tells Alison to ready herself. It is up to them to stop Doctor Octopus. Without even gaining her consent, he takes her in his arms and flies them both up in the air. He knows Alison possesses some pretty incredible powers, but warns her not to get cocky! Alison has no such intent; in fact, she doesn’t want to fight the escaped villain at all. She asks Angel to put her back on the ground. She wants to use her powers to entertain, not get in life-threatening fights with super-criminals. This sort of thing scares her to death!
Finally complying, Warren sets Dazzler down on the roof and tells her to stay put while he apprehends the villain. Dazzler begins to wish him luck. However, while Warren’s back is turned, Doctor Octopus topples over an entire smokestack and sends it crashing down on Warren. Those who choose to pursue Doctor Octopus pay the price, the mad villain shouts! Dazzler screams and dives out of the way. Although unable to fully alert Warren, he manages to get far enough away that the falling bricks only graze him, instead of crushing him completely. He gathers his senses. Upon looking back up, however, he sees Alison held captive in Doctor Octopus’ powerful robotic arms.
With Alison as his hostage, Doc Ock insists Angel let him escape. Warren complies; they will play his way, he says. This agreement doesn’t sit well with Alison, however. The supposedly heroic Warren got her into this mess, and now he leaves her in danger! She decides to save herself. Reaching into her purse, she clicks on her pocket radio and immediately converts the sound waves into light energy. “Let go of me, you creep!” she shouts as she fires a laser into the super-villain’s face. He drops Dazzler. Warren follows her lead, swoops in, and begins pummeling Doctor Octopus. Even while blinded, however, Doc Ock has enough control over his robotic limbs to strike a hefty blow to Warren’s skull, knocking him unconscious. He calls him an arrogant mutant idiot as Warren tumbles off the roof of the building. Unconscious, Angel plummets toward the hard pavement below. Fortunately the rush of the air past his face brings him back around and he opens his eyes just in time to assess his situation. Acting purely on instinct, he reverses his deadly freefall and pulls up in the air.
Dazzler, having attached her magnetic roller skates, realizes she might have to deal with Doctor Octopus on her own. He just tried to kill Warren, she realizes; what is to stop him from coming after her next? She skates at breakneck speed toward a conveniently placed ramp and vaults into the air, passing over the top of an electronic billboard that adorns the rooftop. Predictably, Doc Ock follows close behind. He laughs as Dazzler seemingly overshoots her target. As he pulls himself over the top of the billboard, however, he recognizes her trap. Dazzler overshot the sign, but was able to grab onto its protruding letters. She fires another beam of light into Doctor Octopus’ face, dazzling him yet again. Warren returns and, for good measure, gives Doc Ock a swift punch across the face as the defeated villain falls to the street and smashes the hood of a police car. Warren flies to the dangling Alison and plucks her from her precarious position on the billboard letter. Safely in his arms, she watches the police arrive down below and hit the unconscious Doctor Octopus with a heavy dose of nerve gas. He is a prisoner once again.
With the situation resolved, Dazzler informs Angel she wants no one to know of her involvement in this incident. Her career is shaky enough as it is; she doesn’t need to world knowing she is a mutant. Warren understands. He flies her away and asks if she would still like to get breakfast, but she gracefully declines. She just wants to go home.
Back in her apartment, Angel apologizes for getting her involved. He would not have guessed she disliked using her mutant powers. Alison corrects him; she does like using her powers, but only for perfomances. “I know you mean well, Warren, but you’ve made a shambles of my relationship with a perfectly nice guy, and almost gotten me killed,” Alison says. “I think we’d better call it quits now.” Warren begs for one more chance. Alison insists he leave. She is going to change out of her performing clothes, and when she returns, she wants him gone.
On his way out, however, he cannot help but glimpse the letter on Alison’s desk from the private eye Jessica Drew. According the letter, Alison wants to track down her mother, meaning all Warren needs to do to get closer to Ali is provide her with some answers. Although he knows nothing about the situation, he is confident he can figure it out. As he flies away, Alison emerges from her bathroom, dressed only in her underwear. There he goes. But I don’t have to be a fortune teller to know I haven’t seen the last of him, she tells herself. Thank heaven.
Meanwhile, a small, chartered airplane lands at a New York airport. Its passenger, the menacing, bull-headed Crusher Creel, emerges and barges past the other people at the airport. One man has the nerve to tell him to watch where he is going, but one look from Crusher’s grizzled face is enough to shut him up. The Absorbing Man has come to New York to find the Dazzler, and nothing will stop him.


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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

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The Absorbing Man Wants You!
Loud music does not emanate from the Baxter Building on an ordinary day. Of course, any day Dazzler chooses to visit the Fantastic Four at home is no ordinary day. While Johnny Storm rocks out on guitar while Ben Grimm backs him up on saxophone, Alison Blaire, sporting her magnetic roller-skates, sings and glides effortlessly across the floor, all the while converting the blaring music into dazzling displays of light. Dazzler enjoys hanging out with the Fantastic Four; there are few people in the world who view her mutant ability as cool rather than freakish, after all. She only wishes Reed Richards would join in the fun instead of tinkering with yet another invention.
Suddenly, Reed twirls around in his chair and, with his elongated arms, puts an end to everyone’s fun. Party time is over, he tells them. “How would you know, Reed? It never started for you!” Johnny says. Thing, meanwhile, informs him he doesn’t appreciate the interruption, especially because he was beginning to play “Tiger Rag”. Johnny is similarly perturbed, although he admits he thought they were playing “Purple Haze”. Nevertheless, Mr. Fantastic informs them why he had to stop their jam session: he invented a new weapon for Dazzler to use and wanted to show her immediately.
He presents her with modified cassette player. Dazzler is stunned, but not in the way Reed expects. “Weapon? I come over for a friendly visit,” she says, “… and suddenly you’re designing weapons for me?” Reed explains that using the data from Dazzler’s internment at the Pegasus Project – of which she does not want to be reminded – as well as his own research, he was able to modify an ordinary cassette player to emit extraordinarily high sound-levels. Its power, he says, can equal that of five-thousand police sirens! She will be able to defeat any foe.
Johnny interjects, but Alison, sensing his intentions, tells him she can speak for herself. Defiantly placing her hands on her hips, she tells Mr. Fantastic that if she actually got off on fighting super-villains like the Fantastic Four do, she might appreciate such a handy-dandy device. However, she doesn’t, and wants nothing to do with that lifestyle. She’s not a fighter, like they apparently think she should be, and not a lawyer, like her father wants her to be. She’s a singer; she uses her powers to entertain. That’s all.
Invisible Girl chooses this moment to make her presence known. She reappears right next to Alison and asks her to calm down; Reed only meant well. After all, Dazzler has faced some fairly daunting opponents in the past few months, whether she wanted to or not. Despite her own assertions to the contrary, Dazzler cannot help but recall the foes she’s faced since emerging on the music scene: Lightmaster, who turned her against Spider-Man; Doctor Doom, who forced her into the nightmare dimension; Galactus, who coerced her into retrieving his errant herald Terrax; and the Techmaster, who fought desperately, and violently, to reveal the secret of her powers. Maybe she will accept the weapon after all, she says, suddenly sweating bullets. However, she insists she intends to use it only to spiff up her act. Certainly, Reed says; if she needs to defend herself, she will have it, just like a can of mace. He begins to show her how to use the weapon, but Alison, not being in quite the mood, puts it away and tells him she will give him a call if she has questions. Thing, meanwhile, lifts his sax back to his rocky lips and asks Johnny if he knows the opening to “Mood Indigo”.
Elsewhere, Warren Worthington III, the winged mutant known as Angel, soars high above Gardendale, Long Island, in search of Judge Carter Blaire’s abode. He finally spots it and lands. After changing into his civilian clothes, which conveniently conceal his wings, Warren rings the doorbell. Alison’s grandmother answers. Warren introduces himself, adding he is a friend of Alison’s, and cuts to the chase: he understands Alison’s mother Katherine disappeared many years earlier, and he intends to find out what fate befell her. It’s important to him – and Alison. Stunned, Grandma Blaire lets him inside at once.
Meanwhile, not too far away, a befuddled Judge Carter Blaire stares vacantly into the courtroom over which he presides. He begins to murmur about his estranged wife, Katherine, inadvertently interrupting one of the court’s attorneys. The bailiff notices his absent-mindedness and urges him to call a recess. As the judge is escorted out of the room, the attorneys cannot help but comment on his decaying mental state. He used to be such a good role model, a lawyer says, but lately, he seems quite spooked.
Later, in the Bowery, where the desperate and the downtrodden often seek refuge, the villainous Crusher Creel checks into a seedy hotel. After sharing some curt words with the hotel matron, Crusher heads upstairs with a Rolling Stone magazine tucked under his arm, ignoring the clerk’s brash reminder to not booze it up in his room. As he stomps down the hallway, the hotel’s rattled patrons open their doors and look for the noise-maker, intent on giving him an earful. However, upon glimpsing the burly, bald-headed behemoth in person, most of them duck back inside and mind their own business. The Absorbing Man can do whatever he wants, as far as they care.
Crusher sulks as he enters his disgusting room. Ironically, he has enough gold with him to stay in the finest hotels in Manhattan. However, he needs to lay low for a while until he comes up with a way to get back at the Avengers. Last time they met, it seems, they stole his ball and chain – as well as his pride. He intends to get them both back. His ability to absorb the properties of any material he touches, including the iron bed frame on which he now rests his hand, makes him potentially unstoppable. To demonstrate, he rips off his shirt, revealing his shiny, iron body, and smashes the hotel room’s furniture to smithereens. He may have the power… but he still needs a plan.
He could have benefitted from having a plan last time he encountered the Avengers. They caught him by surprise when he only wanted to lay low! They kept at it, however, and eventually, he was forced to retreat into the ocean, where he absorbed the property of water simply so he could drift away and escape. It proved to be more difficult than he anticipated. He struggled to hold his aqueous form together, and the strain was so great, it drove him mad. When he woke up, he hadn’t the faintest idea about his own identity. He wound up on Easter Island, at which point he regained his memory, just in time to fight the Hulk. In order to stand a chance, he absorbed the properties of the island itself, and grew to immense, stony proportions, but still could not withstand one of the Hulk’s sucker-punches. It knocked him not only into the water, but also into a coma, one he remained in for months.
Some nearby natives mistook the floating giant for an island and docked. All was well until they started a campfire, which finally brought the Absorbing Man back to the realm of the conscious. He stood up and towered over the frightened natives, who mistook him for a god. Deeming him the “island spirit”, he lorded over them, and whenever anyone challenged his rule, he turned to stone and crushed them in combat. Eventually, he grew bored of that decadent lifestyle, and using gold stolen from the islanders, he made his way back to the States. He now intends to get his revenge on the Avengers, and to do so, he will use a secret weapon… Dazzler!
Dazzler, meanwhile, is hanging out in her new friend Vanessa Took’s apartment, talking about music. Alison sometimes wonders why she bothers to sing when the she must compete with the incredible voices of singers like Janis Joplin and Billie Holliday. Vanessa reminds her that the legendary singers are supposed to inspire, not depress. Ali knows, although she wonders if she will ever reach that level of fame. First worry about getting good, Vanessa advises. Suddenly she remembers she needs to get to her voice lesson with her new teacher. Ali was about to leave anyway for her date with Ken.
A few hours later, Alison takes in a chilly, early-April Yankees game with Ken Barnett. Admittedly, Ken is neither a fan of baseball nor cold weather, but he endures both for his baseball-enthusiast girlfriend. Rather abruptly, he tells Alison they need to talk. Certainly, Alison says. However, one of her favorite players scores a hit, and she immediately forgets Ken and stands up to cheer. After she settles down, Ken asks why she was so cold toward him the other night. Was that Angel guy on her mind or something?
 She tells Ken to get real; Angel is nothing but a conceited rich kid who happens to be a super-hero and who happens to have a school-boy crush on her. He’s a jerk, she says; she could never go for him. As she utters these words, however, Alison suddenly second-guesses herself. Angel did take her on a romantic, aerial tour of the city, and they did, in fact, share a kiss. But he is a jerk, she tells herself. Isn’t he?
 The game recaptures Alison’s attention. While she watches, Ken informs her that although she has the right to date whomever she wishes, he earnestly hopes she does not let Angel come between them. “Oh Ken, I wouldn’t hurt you for the world. You know that,” she says. The two then kiss amidst the roar of the crowd.
Meanwhile, in his office, Dazzler’s manager Harry S. Osgood reviews audition tapes with his right-hand man, Lance Steele. Osgood scoffs at yet another talentless singer. Lance mostly agrees, but tries to get the attractive starlet’s number from Osgood before he tosses out the tape. Exhausted, Osgood decides to watch one last audition tape, but before it can play, he and Lance hear a loud crash in the reception area. Someone’s broken into the office, Osgood shouts! Lance announces he will deal with the intruder, but he speaks a moment too soon.
The office door splinters and in walks the shirtless, daunting, Absorbing Man. He demands to know which of the two men is Harry Osgood. Right here, Osgood says, his voice quivering. Crusher approaches him. “Listen, tubby, I saw your ad in that rock and roll rag – the one with Dazzler and the Avengers,” Crusher says, referring to the picture in Rolling Stone. “I need to find that chick – tonight! Where is she?” he demands, grabbing Osgood by the collar. Harry insists he does not know.
Lance grabs an ashtray and hurls it at the Absorbing Man’s head while he isn’t looking. It ricochets harmlessly off his head. Enraged, the Absorbing Man lets go of Osgood and turns toward Lance, grabbing him by the arm in a crushing grip. That was a stupid thing to do, especially to a guy made of iron, he tells the frightened Lance. He informs the two men he could snuff them both without batting an eye, and he will, unless they tell him where he can find Dazzler. He begins to count down from five. Lance gives in after only two seconds, and spills that Dazzler is at the Spearmint Lounge on West Forty-Fifth Street. Crusher binds the two men and leaves. After Lance apologizes for selling out Dazzler, Osgood tells him he understands, but wonders what fate is now in store for Alison.
That night, at the Spearmint Lounge, the week’s hottest night club, Dazzler and her band treat the audience to a glorified synergy of light and sound. Even after performing nonstop for an hour, Dazzler doesn’t tire. She takes a brief moment to thank the audience before informing them they “ain’t seen nothing yet,” and Beefer kicks off yet another rocking song.
Unbeknownst to her, the Absorbing Man watches through a skylight on the club’s roof. Dazzler’s striking beauty almost makes him rethink his mission. Almost. It’s a shame such a cute girl will have to die, he says.
Below, Alison continues to mesmerize her audience with her lightshow, blissfully unaware of the Absorbing Man’s sinister intentions. Deciding to take her act to the next level, she reaches into her purse and turns on the modified radio Mr. Fantastic gave her. It emits a high-pitched noise that initially awes Dazzler. However, it quickly gets out of hand, and unleashes so much power it sends Alison’s light-transmutation ability spiraling out of control. She glows so brightly she temporarily blinds several members of the audience. Panicked, they rush toward the club’s exits. Dazzler realizes a riot might ensue if she doesn’t do something, and immediately after reaching into her pocket to switch off the radio, she addresses the audience and tells them they just witnessed a special-effect malfunction. If they calm down, the show can continue. She even offers a refund to anyone who wants it.
Having witnessed this display, the Absorbing Man is awestruck. He initially intended to merely use Dazzler to bait the Avengers, but has a much better idea inspired by what he just saw.
After the set ends, Dazzler immediately finds the club’s owner and apologizes profusely for the malfunction, for which she takes all the blame. He has no doubt it was her fault, he says, but admits she handled the crowd quite well. If she wants, she can still have her second show, he says. However, any refunds will come out of her paycheck! Dazzler agrees and enters her dressing room, all the while cursing the name of Reed Richards. I’m gonna return this thing to the FF tomorrow, she says, throwing the modified radio in her makeup box, …along with a piece of my mind!
Shortly thereafter, Dazzler’s second set begins, although this time without the added frills of her lightshow. She cannot help but ask the timeless philosophical query: is the Dazzler the Dazzler without her dazzle? Not that it matters; she will just have to perform extra hard for this show, she tells herself.
She doesn’t have to worry about it for much longer. The back wall of the club seemingly explodes, and in walks the Absorbing Man, his body having adopted the strength and durability of a brick wall. “Dazzler! I want YOU!” he says as he charges the stage. Alison immediately recognizes him, and recognizes the fact that she is not possibly interested in whatever he wants from her. She darts toward the backstage area, hoping to lead the Absorbing Man away from the frightened crowd. But what will she do after that, she asks? Suddenly, she remembers the weapon given to her by Mr. Fantastic; maybe she can use it to stop this particular villain. She heads to her dressing room to retrieve it.
In a truly futile move, Alison shuts and locks the dressing room door. The Absorbing Man smashes the entire thing to splinters mere moments later. Nice try, he says, before reminding her that no lousy door can keep him contained. Alison frantically digs through her makeup box in search of the radio. The Absorbing Man smashes the table and sends the contents of the box falling to the floor. “I know what you’re looking for, lady,” he says as she reaches for the radio, “…but I want it too.” He picks up the radio before she can grab it and holds it to her face. “Is that what you used to make that crazy light before? Answer me! Is it?!”
“Y-yes,” Alison answers, confused. Thankfully, Crusher believes her. Now, he intends to make her tell him all about it. After absorbing the properties of the room’s iron radiator, he breaks down the exterior wall and takes Dazzler with him into the alleyway. He intends to use her as a hostage and trade her life for those of the Avengers, and hopes to use the supposed light-emitting device works against the superhero team. If she follows his orders, he says, she’ll come out of this okay. If not, she’ll die for sure.
Alison cannot help but remember Reed and Susan’s warnings. Sure enough, yet another super-villain is threatening her life and using her as if she were a piece of property. It’s not fair; she never asked for this kind of life. Crusher barks at her, bringing her back to reality, and tells her to quit stalling and explain how the device works. How can she explain to him that the machine is useless to anyone who doesn’t possess her mutant power? All Crusher will get out of it is a loud noise.
Nevertheless, she gives it a try. She shows Creel the proper volume settings and begins to explain that both the cassette player and the special cassette were made by one of the world’s top scientific minds. Creel asks her to can it; he has heard enough speeches in his life. With everything in place, he presses the play button, and the device whirrs to life. It emits a sound so powerful, Creel screams and throws up his arms in shock. The noise drives him crazy. Clutching his ears, he accuses Dazzler of trickery, and charges at her. She skates away as fast as she can; the noise only seems to be making him angrier. Unfortunately, he grabs her by the shoulder and throws her to the ground. If she doesn’t tell him how the machine works, he says, he will snap her like a twig!
“You… you want to know how it works?” she asks. “Okay, it’s like this -- first you have to be a mutant sound transducer,” she says, springing to her feet. “Then, you have to have a super sound-source whose sonic energy you can transducer into light,” she adds, this time kicking him in the shin with the heel of her roller-skate. Creel finally notices the bright light he saw in the club emanating from Dazzler’s body. “Then,” she adds, “you have to use all your will-power to forget the fear inside that’s telling you to give up, and then you’ve got to put on all the dazzle and laser energy you can, so that even a guy who fought Thor and the Hulk will maybe get what’s coming to him!” She releases all the light she can muster, sending Creel flying backward against the alley wall.
The flash of light finally subsides. Dazzler, her body still smoking, picks herself up off the ground. Has she made her point yet, she asks? Creel doesn’t answer. Alison turns and asks her question again, but the sight she beholds horrifies her. Instead of defeating the Absorbing Man, she transformed him into a fifteen-foot tall being composed entirely of crackling light energy. This can’t be! she shouts.
It is, the Absorbing Man says. Thanks to Dazzler, he has more power than ever, and he intends to use it to settle his score with the Avengers – after he deals with Alison, that is.