Set Description:
LADIEEES AND GENTLEMENNNN! I have the pleasure and honor of presenting to you the first ever complete, graded set of all 42 issues of DAZZLER!!!!!!
I always liked dazzler for some reason. Probably because I was and am a musician who always had dreams of being on the big stadium stages around the world, playing to thousands of fans.
Having a Marvel Mutant character with the same dreams just clicked with me. Being a big Marvel Mutants fan just cemented it for me,
Getting all of these was a five year journey! It was very satisfying though, especially since ALL of these are worth at least some decent registry points.
Dazzler was a historic series, since it was the first to feature direct distribution of comics with something other than the barcode on the cover. In fact, issue #1 was the very first direct distribution comic from Marvel, and was only distributed to comic stores and had no barcode or graphic or anything on it.
It is also a neat series because my favorite artist, Bill Sienkiewicz, is shown in all of his variations. Everything from his Neal-Adams-like art style to his more linear, abstract, mixed media styling to just his inking is featured on some of these covers!
I am still in the process of putting first page/key moment pages on these as well as story summaries and personal comments.
I have now begun to get these signed, which will make almost every single one an OAK when done. I have 11 issues signed right now.
Some of these are single highest graded copies!
My 9.9 copy of #4 is now the earliest comic I have that is above 9.8!
Two are 9.6, but the rest are all 9.8 White Pages or better. As soon as I can get my hands on 9.8s of #24 and #25, I will do so.
I also have the much rarer "Printing Error" version of #1, which is extremely hard to get in 9.8!!
And to top everything off, three of these are Winnipeg Pedigree copies!
If super heroes were rock bands, Dazzler would definitely be the light show!!
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| The gallery tab shows only items with images. Click the thumbnails to enlarge. |
| Slot: |
Dazzler 1 |
| Item: |
Dazzler 1 |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0218820001
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Owner Comments
Well, here's the very first direct distribution comic book from Marvel! This issue is what started the 80s issues and later with an image or logo instead of a barcode. And it did so by not even putting anything on the cover except for the graphics and lettering at the top!
Published: 3/81
Tom DeFalco - writer
Bob Larkin - cover
John Romita Jr. - Penciler
Alfredo Alcala - Inker
Glynis Wein - colorist
Joe Rosen - Letterer
Louise Jones (Simonson)- Editor
Jim Shooter - Editor-In-Chief
Signed by Louise Simonson and Tom DeFalco!!
Story Title : So Bright This Star
Summary:
Alison Blaire, aka: Dazzler, takes down some goons attempting to kidnap her with the help of a passing-by Spiderman.
She then goes home to her 6th floor apartment and bemoans her financial situation. Three months behind on rent, no money and living in a run-down place, despite her singing career.
Considering accepting Ororo's offer of joining the X-Men, she calls the School for Gifted Youngsters and speaks with Ororo, but changes her mind.
She thinks back to when she discovered her powers at a high school dance. She got on stage, began singing, and the light show erupted from her. A gang busts in and starts wailing on everyone, and out of anger, she attacks with a dazzling display she doesn't know she's capable of, blinding everyone. She vows to never use the power again.
Over the years, she joins bands, hones her power, and completes law school at her father's insistence, but decides to be true to herself and go into music. Her father pretty much disowns her. She creates her look and becomes DAZZLER, the singer.
Ending her revelry, we travel to Asgard and witness the Enchantress using the Fountain of Forever to determine the location of an approaching rift in reality she wants to use to try and take over everything. The fountain reveals a disco on Midgard(Earth) as the location. She readies for her trip.
Next morning, at the Avenger's mansion, Beast sees something in the morning paper that causes him to spring to action, nearly trampling Wasp and causing an uproar in the mansion. After apologizing, he bounds off to see Alison.
He shows her the article for auditions for a new singer at the disco club "Numero Uno". She thanks Beast and goes to the audition. The Enchantress auditions first and enthralls Stevie Wildfire, the owner, but then Dazzler performs and even though Stevie is "enchanted" by Enchantress' beauty, Dazzler's voice and light show win her the contract.
Enchantress is infuriated and after taking her wrath out on the wall, leaves and vows to return and get vengeance.
Continued in #2...
PERSONAL COMMENTS:
This was another example to me of how being famous didn't mean being rich or having less troubles to deal with. There's nothing wrong with trying to have a comfortable life, but understand that true happiness doesn't come from extreme monetary wealth.
It comes from doing what you love to do! When you do THAT, the struggles you go through in the process are easily overcome.
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| Slot: |
Dazzler 1 Printing Error |
| Item: |
Dazzler 1 Modern |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1169113013
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Owner Comments
Here is the highly scarce "printing error" version of this historic book!
While all of the copies of this book were direct edition, there were actually two variations published. This version has pages 24 and 25 printed in black and white instead of in color like the regular, more common version.
I am so happy to own a very rare 9.8 copy of this rarer edition!
There are currently only 11 graded copies of this version out there, with just 4 in 9.8!!!
Comparatively, the regular version has 328 graded copies, with 148 of them in 9.8!!
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| Slot: |
Dazzler 2 |
| Item: |
Dazzler 2 |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0218820002
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Owner Comments
Ah, Ah, Ah, Ah stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Published: 4/81
Tom DeFalco - Writer
John Romita Jr/Al Milgrom - cover
John Romita Jr. - Penciler
Alfredo Alcala - Inker
K. Klaczak - Colorist
Jim Hovak - Letterer
Louise Jones (Simonson) - Editor
Jim Shooter - Editor-In-Chief
Signed by Louise Simonson & Tom DeFalco!!
Story Title: Where Demons Fear To Dwell
Summary:
Dazzler prepares for her debut at the Numero Uno. Spiderman, the Fantastic Four, the Avengers & the X-Men all prepare to go see her debut. The Enchantress prepares to both get her revenge on Dazzler and be at the disco when the rift in reality appears in order to get all the sorcerous power she needs to take over the universe.
As the show starts, Enchantress teleports to just behind the curtains on stage and casts a spell that causes Dazzler to age rapidly in front of a stunned audience! Dazzler focuses all her remaining strength in one last burst at the giant disco ball hanging from the ceiling and manages to blast the Enchantress just enough to break the spell and return her to normal.
While the audience flees, the other heroes all dash to prepare for battle. Thanks to the music being left on, Dazzler is able to hold off Enchantress long enough for the others to be ready for battle, but then Enchantress calls forth all her Asgardian minions to attack everyone!
As the battle rages on, the rift begins opening and with everyone else otherwise occupied by the seemingly endless barrage of enemies, it's left to Dazzler to confront Enchantress.
Just as a huge demonic entity comes through the portal at the Enchantress' bidding, Dazzler concentrates more than she ever has before and sings up a light blast that totally pushes the demon back into the rift. The Enchantress tries to counteract with her sorcery but doing so causes the rift to become unstable and it closes completely!
Enchantress withdraws back to Asgard with her army, vowing revenge (again). Dazzler is devastated by the turn of events, but is given a chance at redeeming her singing career by a talent scout who hid during the battle.
When Dazzler goes to the office of Harry Osgood to audition for a contract, all the other heroes who fought by her side, convince Harry to give her a chance and stay to hear her audition.
She gets the contract!
Continued in #3...
PERSONAL COMMENTS:
It's kinda funny. On the surface, I didn't see how Dazzler would ever be able to top the Enchantress' magic. But in the end she did exactly that, and in dynamic fashion!
When you set your heart completely to a goal, and never stop pursuing it, you never truly lose!
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| Slot: |
Dazzler 3 |
| Item: |
Dazzler 3 |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0218820003
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Owner Comments
Shoo-be-do-be-DOOM!
Published: 5/81
Tom DeFalco - Writer
Brent Anderson/Joe Sinnott - cover
John Romita Jr. & A. Kupperberg - Pencilers
D. Bulanadi & Armando Gil - Inkers
Bob Sharen - Colorist
Joe Rosen - Letterer
Luoise Jones (Simonson) - Editor
Jim Shooter - Editor-In-Chief
Signed by Louise Simonson & Tom DeFalco!!
Story Title: The Jewels Of Doom
Summary:
Dazzler is at the Fantastic Four's headquarters. Reed Richards is measuring Alison's abilities and is impressed. Thing questions Dazzler's ability to defeat anyone with just light & Dazzler hits him with a burst, upsetting his equilibrium & causing him to drop a big piece of machinery on his own foot!
The Human Torch tries to playfully hit Dazzler with some harmless Flare Balls but Alison manages to get her hands on a nearby fire extinguisher and douse Johnny.
Everyone's impressed. Then Johnny spots a newspaper headline about the U.N. displaying Dr. Doom's family gems. After explaining to Dazzler about the takeover of Doom's Latverian throne by Prince Zorba, Alison heads back to her manager's office.
At the U.N., the Latverian Embassador, Dr. Arturo Frazen, gazes longingly at the family gems. One in particular.
The Merlin Stone!
Dazzler goes to her manager's office, where he introduces her to her new field rep, Lancelot Steele, and tells her she will be doing a UNICEF benefit concert at the United Nations. She's mad at not making any money from it, but such is the life of a star.
She then visits with her Dad to try and make up, but he still has nothing to do with it if she's not willing to give up her singing career for a career in law.
Doom learns of the Jewel display and the fact that the Merlin Stone is part of it and heads off to the U.N. while Frazen plans on stealing the stone while security is busy with crowd control for the concert.
The day of the concert arrives and Steele is busy organizing Alison's performance. Frazen puts a group of thugs disguised as punk rockers backstage while he goes after the Merlin Stone.
Steele spots the thugs and confronts 'em, but there are too many and when Dazzler hears him yelling, she rushes to his rescue!
The concert starts, drowning out the struggle backstage. Dazzler subdues the thugs and learns from Steele that they were after the jewels. She rushes to the jewel exhibit!
Doom has reached the exhibit just before Frazen and takes him out. Dazzler blinds the other thugs at the door and enters the exhibit only to be zapped by Doom.
Harry Osgood learns that Dazzler is nowhere to be found & changes the concert lineup in anger. The Human Torch is in the audience wanting to surprise Dazzler with his presence.
Doom helps Dazzler up, not wishing to involve "civilians" in his business, but Alison convinces him to tell her what's going on.
He tells her of the Merlin Stones and their ability to make their owner invincible. He is after this one and then a second one he previously owned, thereby making it easier to find the rest.
Dazzler decides to stop him from this madness & ATTACKS!
She dodges Doom's attacks & manages to get a good kick to his chest, bringing him to his knees for a moment. She then concentrates a single laser light blast into one of the gems causing a ricochet effect among all the reflective surfaces in the room!
Doom is struck hard in the back but recovers quickly. Dazzler is exhausted and Doom sends an electric jolt through the floor, striking Dazzler unconscious. He then takes the Merlin Stone & leaves with the unconscious Dazzler, intending to use her to get the second stone.
Continued in #4...
PERSONAL COMMENTS:
It's nice to see fellow peers doing what they can to help Alison. Surround yourself with positive friends & you can't go wrong!
Don't ever let an important event in life keep you from doing what's right. In the end, you will be glad you did the right thing!
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| Slot: |
Dazzler 4 |
| Item: |
Dazzler 4 |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0705949029
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Owner Comments
It's a negative version of Dazzler!
Published: 6/81
Jim Shooter - Editor in Chief
Tom DeFalco - writer
Frank Springer - cover & pencils
Danny Bulanadi/Armando Gil - inkers
Roger Slifer - colourist
Joe Rosen - letterer
Danny Fingeroth - editor
Key Issue: Doctor Doom appearance.
Fantastic! Finally got a 9.9 prior to '83!
Story Title: Here Nightmares Abide!
Check out the silly wordplay introducing the creators at the bottom of the splash page in image #2. Right up my alley. :)
In This Issue:
Doctor Doom forcibly sends Dazzler into a shadow dimension where he has found another Merlin stone to be located, rather than risk the perils himself. Typical Doom.
He plans on using the mystical properties of the stones, when all put together, to become invincible.
Once she is in the new dimension, Dazzler faces down shadowy demons, images of her disapproving father, a polar opposite of herself and ultimately, the big man on campus, Nightmare!
Luckily, this dimension is full of noises and sounds, and this fuels Dazzler's powers, which after a shaky start, she uses to defeat everything she meets in the dimension, including the big bad.
While all of this is going on, her manager is trying to locate her back at the UN building, and the Human Torch informs the other members of the Fantastic Four that Doom is back in action and searches Manhattan himself to find her.
Once Dazzler gets the second stone, Doom transports her back and after a scuffle with some of his robot guards, she manages to focus her light into a laser and destroys both Merlin Stones!! Doom is enraged!
He causes the ceiling to collapse onto Allison, knocking her out. But just before he can take out his revenge on her, he sees the Torch heading their way and decides to flee and fight the FF another day.
But when Johnny gets there, Dazzler is still unconscious and battered. He needs to get her medical attention immediately!
Continued in issue #5...
Personal comments:
Doom is typical here. Arrogant, over-confident, but also VERY dangerous! Thanks to Johnny, Alison survives, though unconscious.
What I took from this issue is that even when you face immense danger, don't panic, think carefully and always have a friend nearby!
Sometimes even victory can yield failure in other ways. That's why failure isn't always a bad thing. It's what we use to better ourselves.
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| Slot: |
Dazzler 5 |
| Item: |
Dazzler 5 |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0218774002
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Owner Comments
R2D2 has nothing on this guy!!
Published: 7/81
Jim Shooter - Editor in Chief
Ed Hannigan, Frank springer & Irv Watanabe - cover artists
Tom DeFalco - writer
Frank Springer - penciler
Ricardo Villamonte - inker
Don Warfield - colourist
Joe Rosen - letterer
Danny Fingeroth - editor
I bought this already graded on Ebay, cracked it, had it signed by Tom DeFalco at Baltimore CC 2013 and had it regraded.
Story Title: "Tell Joey I love him!" (or "Even with not-so-great power comes great responsibility!")
In this issue:
Alison, having been knocked unconscious in a battle with Dr, Doom, is nursed back to health in a hospital, where she begins to really like her doctor, at the dislike of a nurse.
She ultimately winds up helping an old lady in the hospital by helping her estranged son, who winds up being a new hero called the Blue Shield. She doesn't know they are the same person, and doesn't find out in this issue.
She gets some info from the Beast at Avengers headquarters and she and the Blue Shield wind up taking on a Terror Tank created by the Feds, but stolen by the gangsters that Blue Shield has sworn to bring down.
Ultimately, they succeed, thanks to Dazzler destroying the tank's visual capability with her powers. She then inadvertently delivers a message to the old lady's son by speaking of it to him as the Blue Shield. He later visits his mom in the hospital and Alison even gets a date from the doctor who showed her some attention.
But not without the same nurse deciding to do something about the blossoming relationship...
Continued in issue #6!
Personal Comments:
One of the things I like about Dazzler, is that she comes across as more normal, just like the rest of us. She wants to live her life on her own and be able to take care of herself, without involving herself in the broader Mutant struggle.
She tries to have a music career and pay for things herself. Many times, she spends all of her money and doesn't know what she is going to do. How many times in our lives have we been in a position of not being sure how we are going to get through all of our responsibilities in life?
But she strives and never gives up, and ultimately, everything seems to work out....
At least up until the next crisis. Sounds like most everyone's life.
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| Slot: |
Dazzler 6 |
| Item: |
Dazzler 6 |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0218774003
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Owner Comments
We usually wait until the end of the show before we smash our instruments!!!
Published: 8/81
Jim Shooter - Editor in Chief
Bob Layton - cover
Tom DeFalco &Danny Fingeroth - writer
Frank Springer - penciler
QuickDraw Studios & Armando Gil - inkers
Don Warfield - colourist
Joe Rosen - letterer
Danny Fingeroth - editor
Signed by Tom DeFalco!!
Story Title: The Hulk may be hazardous to your health!
Summary:
Dazzler has a long rehearsal session then on the way home, while being followed by a mysterious man, has to take down a gang of thugs in the subway, using the train to give her the sound she needs to subdue them. But she winds up dazzling the people on the train as well and they accuse her of being a mutant. She runs away.
When she gets home, Dr. Paul Janson, her new love interest, is waiting for her, but winds up being called away to the hospital on an emergency, all under the watchful eye of the unknown stranger.
The next day at Gordon University, Dazzler and her band show up for a gig and Dr. Bruce Banner shows up to try and look at the University's data on gamma research to try and find a cure for his "ailment". However, when he gets the hairy eyeball from the secretary about his credentials, he gets overly nervous and runs out to take his sedative pills to calm himself down.
Dazzler's field manager spots him and offers him work in setting up for the show. He accepts in order to have a reason to hang around campus until dark, so that he can sneak in to get a look at the data.
That evening, Dazzler starts up the show and Bruce Banner sneaks into the university but gets spotted by campus security and during the scuffle gets too angry and turns into the Hulk. He knocks out the guards, falls down an elevator shaft and winds up in tunnels under the campus.
Then the Hulk busts up out of the floor right onto the stage where Dazzler is performing. He mistakes Dazzler and her band for the enemy and she winds up having to fight him long enough to give time for everyone else to get out of the building.
She blinds him for just a moment. Then she creates the image of a tank to distract him, then dazzles him with a much higher burst and causes him to smash into a control panel and electrocutes himself. He's only down for a moment, then knocks her back with a shrug and takes off, busting through a wall.
Dazzler decides she can't let him run amok on the campus. It would put too many innocents in jeapordy. Meanwhile, the mysterious man continues to watch from the shadows.....
Continued in issue #7
Personal Comments: I thought it would be very interesting to see how Alison fared against the unstoppable force of the Hulk. However, most of this issue was taken up with the setup of the battle, with just the last few pages being of actual battle.
It must be infuriating, the way that every time she seems to get a little ahead in life, something else seems to go miserably wrong that causes her to have to rely on her powers.
Real life can be a lot like that. It's nice to see that even superheroes can go through similar circumstances.
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| Slot: |
Dazzler 7 |
| Item: |
Dazzler 7 Modern |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0989802002
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Owner Comments
I'm rubber and you're glue, what bounces off me is you you you!
Published: 9/81
Jim Shooter - Editor in chief
Frank Springer - cover
Tom DeFalco - writer
Frank Springer - penciler
Frank McLaughlin & Armando Gil - inkers
Don Warfield - colourist
Janice Chiang - letterer
Danny Fingeroth - editor
Story Title: Fort Apache, The Hulk!
Summary:
Everyone at the concert at Gordon University is running for their lives as Dazzler is chasing after the Hulk, trying her best to settle him down and keep anyone from getting hurt.
She catches up at a lounge where she distracts him from throwing a pool table at people. Instead, he throws it at her! She dashes out of the way and starts charging up for some sort of attack.
Meanwhile, in an office in the World Trade Center buildings, somebody has hired the Enforcers, who they had broken out of Riker's Island, to kill Dazzler's manager, Harry S. Osgood, who he refers to as a "mass murderer"!
Back at the university, Dazzler can't get charged up enough, because she's too busy avoiding Hulk's relentless blows. Finally, she skates as fast as she can and uses a support beam to propel her skates first at Hulk. She bounces of with no effect and slams into a wall, knocking the wind out of her.
Hulk is about to make her pay for attacking him when a large regiment of soldiers shows up to try and take him down, but one example of Hulk's strength is enough to literally send them running. Then an army chopper drops gas on him, but he sends it down to a rough landing with a large, hurled chunk of stone. Then an Army tank configured with titanium grappling lines, wraps the lines around Hulk, slowly tightening them. He eventually breaks the bands and uses them to hurl the Tank through the air at what's left of the soldiers. They finally disperse and Hulk goes into the Hall of Scince "to be left alone".
Dazzler goes in after him, in case people are still in there. She is watched by the same mysterious stranger from previous issues. The Hulk scares off a kid in the lab, then begins to destroy everything, but when he sees test dogs in the cages, he stops and frees them, petting them and settling down.
Dazzler, beginning to understand how the Hulk feels from her previous experiences of being hated, decides to leave him alone and see if he calms down enough, but then soldiers, with some sort of extreme laser weapon, try sneaking in and shooting him in the back. Alison "Dazzles" them unconscious, but the Hulk thinks she is trying to attack him again.
He picks up a file cabinet and threatens to crush her, but once Alison tells him she was wrong to think of him as a monster and shows him that she will not fight him because she really IS afraid of him, he throws down the cabinet, complaining of his head hurting from thinking too much.
Dazzler does a subdued, ballad-like light show to mesmerize Hulk into sleepiness and he turns back into Bruce Banner, all under the watchful eye of the stranger. She sneaks him out in her show's equipment trunks and eventually sends him off with some money to see him through.
Alison gets back home and calls Dr. Paul Janson to see if he wants to catch lunch, but his nurse, who apparently wants Dr. Janson to be with her instead of Alison, lies to her, telling her he's in surgery. She hits the sack, while outside her apartment building, the stranger decides that she could be "useful" to him and that he must make contact soon.....
Personal notes:
I wasn't sure how Alison was going to stop the Hulk, but eventually she does by NOT attacking him. Sometimes the best way to solve a problem is to fully understand it first. Then you can address it from an informed perspective.
The stranger is continuing to hound Dazzler, watching her, apparently sizing her up for some future inquiry. I wasn't too sure of what that might mean for her.
And that jealous little nurse of Dr. Janson is really getting on my nerves. Alison has enough problems as it is. Can't she at least get one thing she really wants in life?
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| Slot: |
Dazzler 8 |
| Item: |
Dazzler 8 Modern |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0705949076
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Owner Comments
Whoever it was must have tried killing her with a tanning booth!
Published: 10/81
Jim Shooter - Editor in chief
Bill Sienkiewicz, Klaus Janson & Jim Novak - cover
Danny Fingeroth &Tom DeFalco - writers
Frank Springer - penciler
Vince Colletta - inker
Don Warfield - colourist
Karen Nemri & Janice Chiang - letterers
Jim Shooter & Danny Fingeroth - editors
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| Slot: |
Dazzler 9 |
| Item: |
Dazzler 9 |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0230156002
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Owner Comments
Unbelievable!! Up until now, there has never been a 9.8 copy submitted of this issue.
I took two copies to Megacon for Bill Sienkiewicz to sign and have onsite graded.
They BOTH got 9.8!!!!! Amazing!!
Published: 11/81
Jim Shooter - Editor in Chief
Bill Sienkiewicz &John Romita - cover
Danny Fingeroth & Tom DeFalco - writers
Frank Springer - penciler
Vince Colletta - inker
Christie Scheele - colourist
Joe Rosen - letterer
Jim Shooter - editor
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| Slot: |
Dazzler 10 |
| Item: |
Dazzler 10 Modern |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1053916011
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Owner Comments
Brilliant entrance, Galactus!
Published: 12/81
Galactus appearance.
Jim Shooter - Editor in Chief
Frank Springer, Vince Colletta & Danny Crespi - cover
Danny Fingeroth & Tom DeFalco - writer
Frank Springer - penciler
Vince Colletta - inker
Don Warfield - colourist
Joe Rosen & Janice Chiang - letterers
Jim Shooter & Danny Fingeroth - editors
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| Slot: |
Dazzler 11 |
| Item: |
Dazzler 11 Modern |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0772699019
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Owner Comments
It's a swingin' good time!
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| Slot: |
Dazzler 12 |
| Item: |
Dazzler 12 Modern |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0965442006
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Owner Comments
It's like havin' a good you and a bad you over each shoulder.
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| Slot: |
Dazzler 13 |
| Item: |
Dazzler 13 Modern |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0165520007
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Owner Comments
Dazzler vs. the Grapplers! I'd like to Grapple some of these chicks!!
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| Slot: |
Dazzler 14 |
| Item: |
Dazzler 14 Modern |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0165520008
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Owner Comments
Prepare to be DAZZLED, She-Hulk!!!
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