Dazzler #14

Dazzler #14 (1982)
by Danny Fingeroth & Frank Springer 

The series must’ve been somewhat successful in this period, because now OTHER heroes are guest-starring on Dazzler to get their own boost.
This time it’s She-Hulk, whose first series had ended just two months prior to this.

She-Hulk was set in Los Angeles, so the first order of business is packing and take a flight.

Spoiler alert #1: there are no underwear shots in this issue.
Spoiler alert #2: the fanservice is just as blatant.

Dazzler’s backup band returns. I was afraid about more “fat people eating all the time” jokes, but Fingeroth seems to be more restrained than DeFalco… there’s only one panel with it, and there’s no accompanying joke.

It’s here she meets singer Bruce Harris, who will have a few more appearances in the series.
He’s a bit of a jackass.

Our first GO FOR IT! of the issue is not even during a fight, it’s just the start of the concert. Which makes me wonder… is that her in-universe catchphrase during her concerts?

At least Dazzler is being honest on her priorities.

But watching a performance where we can’t hear the music would be super boring, so SUDDEN SNIPER!!!

Dazzler is quick enough to make the sniper miss his target… hitting instead someone else in the public. Great job Dazzler!

But get this: the bullet just hit Blue Shield, who just happened to be watching the concert!!!

At first I thought he was unharmed because of his force field… but nope! The shield is visible when it’s active, meaning the only reason Dazzler didn’t completely fail to prevent an assassination was just DUMB LUCK.

You might expect Dazzler to team up with Blue Shield to arrest the sniper, but no, we are now at issue 14 and she’s STILL getting upstaged by a z-list superhero who has appeared only once.

Also the mobsters who ordered the hit on Blue Shield’s civilian identity believe that the hero is actually Lance. How do I keep forgetting how dumb this series gets?

But the mob has a secret weapon. Geez, I wonder who the woman wearing a ripped bathing suit could possibly be in a comic with She-Hulk on the cover?

Aaaaand Dazzler gets kidnapped. HOW ARE YOU SO BAD AT THIS!?

Also, Dazzler apparently DID deduce Blue Shield’s identity the last time they met. Still doesn’t explain how she gets herself captured by regular people when she can SHOOT LASER BEAMS AND HYPNOTIZE PEOPLE, but hey, baby steps.

And the monster’s secret weapon turns out to be *gasp* a brainwashed She-Hulk!
I sure am glad we kept the suspense for literally one page.

One one hand, at this point She-Hulk is basically unknown to the general public and is not drawn to be particularly muscular, so I can kind of understand Lance thinking he has a shot against her.
On the other hand… it’s Lance, so of course he’s useless.

Thanks to this distraction, however, Dazzler can turn on her radio and GO FOR IT!

However this fails to do anything to She-Hulk, so a big dumb catfight ensues.

However Dazzler manages to get inside the nearest truck, and once she absorbs the sound from its horn she can get serious…

…and GO FOR… no, wait, she doesn’t use her catchphrase here.
She hasn’t used it more than twice in the same issue so far; maybe it’s in her contract or something.

Conveniently, this is when Blue Shield decides to show up.

But Dazzler has a more established superhero available for a team-up, so she’s completely uninterested in Blue Shield now.

This has just turned into a buddy movie. I can’t emphasize enough just how much energy and fun She-Hulk brings to this dynamic.

It’s an interesting dynamic, because these two are opposites in several ways.
Dazzler hated studying law, She-Hulk grew up wanting to be a lawyer.
Neither of them wanted to get powers, but Dazzler tries to avoid being a hero and She-Hulk grew to love her new life. Good character stuff!!!
Also, since Dazzler’s father is a very important judge, it’s not that unbelievable she knows who Jennifer Walters is.

Also it’s a fun bit of character that She-Hulk is apparently a terrible driver!
I can totally see a writer turning the “women driving” stereotype into the “New York / Los Angeles driver” stereotype. Heck there’s even a “road rage” joke available!

It’s a pity those two won’t get to interact much during their careers, they have a fun dynamic.

And that’s it! The Blue Shield subplot is abandoned COMPLETELY!

Well… that was an interesting diversion. But it’s not like every issue can have Dazzler move to a different city so that she can have a team-up with a super-heroine who lost her regular series, right?
Of course not!

Next issue Dazzler moves to a different city so that she can have a team-up with a super-heroine who was still appearing in her own regular series.

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Dazzler significance: 0/10

Silver Age-ness: 3/10

Does it stand the test of time? 5/10
Once She-Hulk snaps out of it, her interaction with Dazzler is just fantastic. The rest of the story, though…

GO FOR IT!: 13

Superhero fans: 15
Adding Blue Shield, since he took the trouble to go to Dazzler’s concert.