The Baxter Building:
Alison Blaire stands before a mechanical device. She converts every sound she hears into a dazzling display of light. She is nearing exhaustion and knows she can’t possibly sustain this pace for much longer. She wonders to herself how she got involved with any superheroes. She considers herself to be a singer, not a world saver. She laments to herself that she never asked to be born a mutant. Alison is now so tired she wants to quit, and realizes that she can’t.
Reed Richards tells her he is impressed. He expected his deluminizer to exhaust her long before now. He tells her the test is over and she can now relax. The Human Torch flies over to let Reed know that Ali came to visit him and not to be a test subject for his brother-in-law’s electronic devices. Alison explains to the Torch that she asked Reed to examine her powers. She feels she has a lot to learn about them. The Torch says he doesn’t mind if Reed studies her powers, as long as he can study her eyes.
The Thing laments to Sue that he has to work while Johnny gets to play with his lady friend. Sue reminds him that Johnny has finished his work instead of playing poker all night.
Reed tells Dazzler that his tests prove her ability to transduce sound to light energy are far more incredible than even she knows. The Thing makes fun of Dazzler by asking how her powers are supposed to help her in a fight. Alison utilizes her powers to dazzle him with a light display and remind him that she held her own against the Enchantress. The sudden light display upsets his balance causing him to drop the nullifier he is carrying on his foot. The Thing gruffly asks Dazzler if she is trying to scar him for life. The Human Torch boasts that she would not fare so well against his power, especially since he can outshine her. Alison quickly skates to the far wall while dodging the Human Torch’s flaming balls of fire. He notices how quickly she moves. She intends on teaching him a lesson in humility. Dazzler grabs the nearest fire extinguisher. The Human Torch has seconds to beg for mercy before she pulls the pin and presses the lever dousing him efficiently and quickly without needing to use her powers.
Alison is gloating over her victory when Sue Storm materializes directly in front of her throwing her off balance. Mr. Fantastic extends a cushiony hand before she can seriously crash. He reminds Dazzler not to overexert herself while the Thing admits she did well and Johnny laments on how to get the chemical foam out of his hair. Alison agrees to keep this tussle to herself so Ben won’t look weak in front of the Yancey Street Gang. Sue begins picking up the newspaper scattered on the floor and Johnny goes to help her. However, a headline catches his eye. He tells the rest of his friends he can’t believe the United Nations is going to display the crown jewels that once belonged to Dr. Doom.
Alison asks Johnny if Doom isn’t the late ruler of a country the size of a postage stamp in the Bavarian Alps. Johnny tells her that Doom is a true master of science and sorcery and that only the Fantastic Four have been able to keep him from realizing his dream of global domination. Prince Zorba led a revolt a few months ago to depose the Latavarian ruler and he succeeded. However, rumor has it that Doom is making a comeback so this display may be the United Nations’ plan to draw him out of hiding and into the open. Reed tells Johnny that Doom plays for higher stakes than that. The Thing states he can clobber Doom again if he shows up.
Alison looks at her watch and excuses herself as she is already running late for a meeting with her manager. Johnny offers to meet her later in the week if he has free time. Alison thinks to herself that his attitude is way too macho for her to handle.
Across town, United Nations Building
Many people are gathered to see the beautiful spectacle of the famed jewels of Doom. One such spectator is Dr. Arturo Frazen, better known as Latveria’s current Ambassador to the United Nations. He thinks to himself that this exhibit is a sham. Personally, he considers Zorba’s leadership skills to be deficient as the country is now on the verge of economic collapse. He knows that the jewels will have to be put on the international market in order to replace the funds in the Latavarian treasury. He knows he is enterprising enough to keep himself and the jewels doing public displays for a very long time. As he is gazing at the collection, one stone in particular catches his eye. This stone seems to glow brighter than the rest and pulsate with a life of its very own.
Harry Osgood’s office on 39th Avenue:
Osgood sits behind his immense desk in his plush high-rise office. A muscled man stands directly to his right. Dazzler faces him standing in the center of the room in front of the desk. Osgood tells Alison that he has managed to pull enough strings to get her hired to be one of the openers for the Unicef Benefit at the United Nations. Osgood introduces his muscle man as Lancelot Steel. He tells Alison that Lance is his field representative for this event and will be in charge of the backstage details for all of her personal appearances. Lance tells her that they will get along fine as long as she obeys orders. Osgood hurries Alison out as he tells her she has rehearsals to arrange and tons of stuff to do. He also tells her the gig is not a paying gig because she is doing it for charity. As he shuts the door Alison pounds on it reminding him that she is two months behind in rent. She pleads with him but it does no good and the door stays shut. She realizes that no one ever said a singing career would be easy but she never realized it would be this difficult either. Meanwhile, Lance observes himself in the mirrored wall and tries to get a date with Osgood’s secretary.
Gardendale, Long Island:
Alison rises early the next morning and catches a train bound for home. She believes the time has come for her and her dad to reconcile. He wanted her to follow in his footsteps to become a lawyer but she chose to follow her heart’s desire to a singing career. Alison thinks about this situation as she takes those heart-wrenching steps to the front door of her former residence. Alison knocks, hoping beyond hope that just maybe the door won’t be opened. However, her grandmother opens the door and recognizes her instantly. She greets Alison warmly.
Alison’s father calls from his study to find out what all the shouting is for. Alison is escorted by her grandmother into the presence of her father. Her father greets her affectionately and tells her how much he has missed her. She tells him that she has come to make peace between them. He replies he is glad she has finally come to her senses and is willing to do things his way. Alison tells him that nothing has changed and that she has no intention of staying. Abruptly, he walks away from her. All warm emotion and love instantly gone from his voice and demeanor, he tells her she has wasted his time and hers. Judge Carter tells his only daughter that there can be no peace between them as long as she chooses to defy his wishes.
Alison’s Grandmother tries to console her by saying that her father does not mean it. Alison apologizes for making a mistake and leaves.
A Castle high in the Bavarian Alps :
Dr. Doom is sitting at his table performing an experiment when he is interrupted by a query from a servant. He tells the servant to speak quickly or prepare to die. The servant informs his Master that he has learned that Zorba has sent his jewels to the United Nations building in America to be publicly displayed. Doom starts to reprimand his servant for interrupting a most delicate experiment when his servant pleads for him to wait, as there is more information. The servant reveals to Doom that the consignment included a stone known as the Merlin Stone. Dr. Doom cannot believe he has heard his servant correctly.
Dr. Doom immediately stops his experiment and tells his servant he will live to serve his master as his reward. He also tells his servant to prepare his jet sled for immediate flight.
Inside the United Nations Building:
Dr. Arturo stands, admiring the jewels. He believes that the United Nations security will be so busy with the Unicef concert that they will not notice his men slip in and take the jewels.
Outside the United Nations Building, the night of the Unicef Concert: United Nations Plaza:
There is a huge throng gathered for this event. A full battalion of the New York City police department has augmented the United Nations Security force. However, they are still hard pressed to keep order as the happy throng severely outnumbers them. The sleek black limousine cruising by the crowd is not an unusual sight on a night like this. The passengers of this limo are Dr. Arturo and his associates. The hired men are dressed in the outlandish costumes of punk rockers to disguise their true identity. Dr. Arturo makes arrangements for the limo to deliver its passengers to the area reserved for officials. He tells the men that they will join the other men he has hired there.
Backstage at the Unicef concert:
Lance Steel yells at the workmen to hurry up and finish the set. The workmen confer among themselves about an offer they have had from a groupie. Seems someone is willing to pay then one hundred dollars to sneak in the back door to get autographs. Lance angers the workmen so they decide to take the bribe. After all, it is an action that will hurt no one.
Lance walks away from the workmen and intercepts Dazzler’s back up band. He tells them that the finale will be an Elvis Costello number and they better do an outstanding job or he will have them placed back on the gong show.
Lance strides off to the dressing room area and barges in on a certain young singer. He asks her why she isn’t ready when its almost curtain time. Alison assures him that she is touching up her make-up and then all she has to do is let her hair down. He tells her to make certain she isn’t late and leaves quoting her classical poetry. Alison thinks to herself that he isn’t the person she first thought he was.
Outside the dressing room, Lance thinks to himself that his new charge is a loser. He sees some punk rockers hanging out by the back exit. He only sees two of them. He decides to send them on their way before they harass the talent that is about to go on stage. As Lance rounds the corner to approach from behind the punks, it is clearly evident that he has interrupted something. There are four men beating a man on the ground. Lance asks the punks what they are doing. The punks decide he has come to join in their festivities and never offer a chance for him to talk it out.
From the dressing room, Alison can hear Lance scream as he is beaten up. However, she never suspects that he is in real danger. As the screaming continues, Alison decides to check it out and turns on her small radio, places it in her hand bag and proceeds to skate toward the other end of the hall. As she approaches the scene from behind, she overhears one man talk about Dr. Frazen securing the jewels. One says to hit the man harder while another takes a different body away to be placed with the already knocked out workman. They have just enough time to realize the hallway is getting brighter before Dazzler strikes. She plans to momentarily incapacitate the criminals to give her and Lance time enough to escape.
The cheering throng covers up the sounds of the struggle taking place backstage as the first act of the night takes the stage. Osgood sits backstage and wonders where Alison is since he has procured the very next spot for her tonight.
Meanwhile, one of the big bruisers has Dazzler backed against the wall. What he has planned for her is definitely not pretty. Dazzler blinds him and manages a speed skating maneuver that puts him through a plasterboard wall. Then she creates a blinding fog of light to pull off her second maneuver. Dazzler builds up speed and skates straight into the bright lights with both her arms outstretched and her knees bent creating a lower center of gravity. The men never know what hits them as they are knocked unconscious. Lance calls to her to help him up. She does and he tells her there must have been at least twenty of them for him to be overcome so easily. Dazzler asks Lance if he has any idea what started this fight. Lance tells herof the conversation that he overheard about the jewels.
Dazzler exclaims “Of Course!” and lets Lance fall to the floor as she skates off telling him that she is going to check on the exhibit even though she is due on stage. Lances scream of “ouch” echoes in her ears.
In the exhibit room of the United Nations:
Dr. Arturo Frazen and his men approach the room cautiously. However, they see the guards are down and realize that someone has been there before them. A voice Frazen is familiar with calls him a blundering fool and states that Zorba deserves petty thieves like Frazen for bureaucrats. Frazen has less than a second to recognize the voice of Dr. Doom before he and his men are hit with a wave of electro-magnetic energy and knocked unconscious before they even hit the ground.
In the hall just outside the exhibit room:
Dazzler is skating along quickly when she notices three men in front of her. The men remark on the noises they here coming from the exhibit room. Dazzler realizes she should have notified the United Nations own security forces and knows she does not have time to do so now. She absorbs as much energy as she can from the radio in her handbag and produces an incredibly brilliant light display. The men are blinded by the light and do not see Dazzler gaining speed to skate directly into them. She is successful in her ploy and knocks them out. Dazzler knows she is now free to check on the gems in the exhibit. She opens the doors and enters the exhibit room.
In the exhibit room of the United Nations:
Dazzler suddenly realizes the room is spinning and she sinks to her knees. It takes her a few minutes to regain mastery of her senses and she raises her throbbing head to behold the presence to Doom.
Scene of the fight:
Lance Steele is recovering. He groggily gets to his feet and shakes his head to clear his vision. He soon realizes the pain he is in is very great. He changes his mind, leans against the wall, and slides the floor to wait for a rescue.
Backstage at the Unicef concert:
Harry Osgood is getting impatient because Alison has not shown up for her performance. He sends his secretary Cassandra to look for her and Lance. Cassandra returns to tell Osgood that she has checked everywhere and no one has either of them. Harry Osgood is beyond angry. He tells Cassandra to notify the program director the Dazzler will never be performing here or anywhere else on stage, ever again.
In the audience of the concert:
The familiar face of blond-haired Johnny Storm can be seen. He is unaware of the program change. He plans to take Dazzler out after the show. After all, not every girl gets to go out with the Human Torch.
In the exhibit room of the United Nations:
Dr. Doom recognizes Dazzler as a performer for the concert. He does not make war on civilians and tells her this as he helps her gently to her feet. Doom tells her that he does not know why she has come here. He tells her that if she stays out of his way she will not be harmed. For a second, Dazzler is awestruck by Dooms air of confidence and control. Dazzler explains to Doom that the goons lying around on the floor attacked her stage manager and she deserves to know why. Doom replies that he answers to no one. However, because of her courageous and noble spirit it would please him greatly to tell her. Doom tells her how he studied the mystic arts. Through that study he learned of the Merlin Stone. He tells her that a magician gave the Merlin Stone the power to make its owner invincible. Doom also tells her that he captured the Fantastic Four and sent them back in time to get the Merlin Stone. However, they betrayed him and returned with worthless chains. The stones were lost to antiquity until he was able to locate one and add it to his collection. Doom tells her he has located a second stone in a dimension very near this one. Therefore, he has come for the first stone to help him pinpoint the location of the second stone. He feels that if he has these two stones he can easily locate the rest of the magical gems.
Dazzler realizes that she is in the right place at the right time and has a chance to change the fate of the world. She bravely tells Doom that she will not let him continue with his plan. She hits him with a blinding flash of light. Doom is shielded from the protective lenses in his mask so Dazzler is forced to use her skating agility to dodge his attacks. Dazzler realizes she is up against a foe with monumental power and her only hope of stopping him is to do the unexpected. Dazzler changes course and heads toward Doom at full speed. She hits him in the chest, feet first, knocking him to the floor. Dazzler then concentrates all her light energy toward the gems in the case. Doom begins to struggle to his feet. Dazzler amasses her power into a single beam of light and uses the gems to transform it into a laser beam. The laser beam ricochets around the room until a stray beam accidentally strikes him, knocking him to the ground once again. Doom realizes that his armor took the impact of the blast. He also realizes that Dazzler is exhausted and is slumping to the floor.
Doom activates his reserve power packs to electrically charge the floor. Doom knocks Dazzler unconscious with the electric shock.
Doom walks over to the case, breaks it and obtains the first Merlin Stone. He understands that he has underestimated Dazzler and vows never to do so again. He knows he needs someone to brave the peril of interdimensional travel to obtain the second Merlin Stone. This is a risk he will not take with himself. Now, he has someone inconsequential to do it for him. He loads the unconscious Dazzler onto his jet sled and leaves for parts unknown.
