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  • Writer's pictureAaron Fonseca

An Unlikely X-Man Gained the Respect of Thor's Father in the Weirdest Way Possible

The X-Men have survived plenty of ridiculous adventures over the years, perhaps none more so than Dazzler. The unique origins and place the character has in the universe mean she's confronted plenty of unlikely aspects of her bombastic reality -- and has earned the love of some very unlikely powerhouses.

An early Dazzler storyline saw the minor X-Men face off with a Thor-level villain in front of the entire kingdom of Asgard. On top of winning the unlikely duel, Dazzler also gained the admiration of Odin himself -- giving Dazzler a unique achievement that few others in the Marvel Universe have ever matched.


During her early years as a costumed hero, Dazzler was largely focused on her singing career -- which resulted in her gaining some surprising foes. An early surprising rival to Alison Blair proved to be the Asgardian mystic known as the Enchantress. Typically a Thor villain, Enchantress became a foe to Dazzler across her original solo series, with Dazzler even accidentally usurping one of Enchantress' plans to take over the universe by defeating her in a singing audition. This left the bitter Asgardian enraged and desperate for vengeance. Dazzler#16 by Danny Fingeroth and Frank Springer saw the mutant hero dragged to Asgard itself as part of a plan by the Enchantress to finally take revenge.

After surviving a number of traps set by the Enchantress, Dazzler was forced to face off with the Asgardian in gladiatorial combat. While Dazzler was skilled enough to survive for a while, she was only able to survive the combat because of Odin's arrival on the scene. Discovering that Dazzler had previously beaten Enchantress in a contest of music instead of violence, Odin ordered a similar bout to take place before the entire kingdom. Although the Enchantress' voice was comparable to that of a siren, Dazzler's emotional and genuine singing proved enough to move even the typically reserved and stoic Odin. This resulted in the All-Father declaring his respect for Dazzler, proclaiming her the greatest singer in both Midgard and Asgard. He even presented her an Asgardian lyre to serve as a trophy and reminder of her skills.


In recent stories , Odin's anger and hubris have often been among his more notable traits. He's dismissed the strength of humanity and ignored the achievements of man. So having Dazzler turn out to be one of the only beings from Midgard to ever truly earn his respect stands out. This wouldn't be the last time Asgardians found themselves drawn to the potential of mutants, either. Loki saw possibilities with Iceman (and may have inadvertently played a role in unleashing the Omega-Level Mutant's full potential), and the trickster God once briefly turned Storm into the God of Thunder. Meanwhile, Avengers 1,000,000 BC has revealed that one of Odin's first loves was an early host to the Phoenix Force, implied to be an early precursor to mutant telepaths.

But Dazzler's singing skills earning the All-Father's admiration stands out, even among the more ridiculous achievements of the X-Men. While a minor moment in the history of the X-Men, it speaks to the possible bonds that could further exist between the nation of Krakoa and the kingdom of Asgard going forward. With Dazzler more attuned to her music on Krakoa than she'd been during a more tumultuous period as an Agent of SHIELD and then as a member of A-Force, perhaps her music might once again find itself drifting through the halls of Asgard -- potentially even allowing the X-Men and the Asgardians to become more committed allies in the future.



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