Welcome, X-Fans, to another uncanny edition of X-Men Monday at AIPT!
How do you follow a globe-trotting mini-series? With a star-studded one-shot, of course! On April 2, 2025, Dazzler‘s writer Jason Loo and artist Rafael Loureiro reunite to bring you Concert of Champions, featuring Alison Blaire, Lila Cheney, Luna Snow, Spider-Gwen, and other Marvel music stars!
What can you expect from the first-ever Concert of Champions festival? And what’s a Deep Void? Lucky for you, Jason was willing to share some details. Let’s see what he has to say.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: Welcome back to X-Men Monday, Jason! Before we dig into your return to writing Dazzler in Concert of Champions, I have to ask — how’s it been being Alison Blaire’s primary writer across her mini-series and now this one-shot? She has quite the devoted fanbase, and it looks like you even got to attend a Dazzler #1 launch party a few months back.
Jason Loo: It’s been super delightful to continue telling Dazzler’s story during this current X-Men era. I have lots of ideas for her and I’ll take advantage of whatever real estate they give me to tell her backstage adventures. And yeah! I hosted her launch party for Dazzler #1 at a sci-fi-themed bar in Toronto with drag performances by Baby Bel Bel as Dazzler and Devine Darlin as Disco Storm, it was such a magical night! But I was also invited to a Dazzler celebration event organized by fans (thank you, Michael Anderson and Friends of Dazzler!) at New York Comic Con, and that night warmed my heart! Their love and appreciation for her is tremendous!
Courtesy of Jason Loo’s Instagram page
AIPT: That’s awesome — love a good comic launch party! Now, how did the opportunity to continue Dazzler’s story in the pages of Concert of Champions come about, and what’s the one-shot’s elevator pitch?
Jason: My Dazzler editor Martin Biro pitched me the idea of Dazzler as one of the headliners at a Marvel-themed music festival featuring Luna Snow and Lila Cheney, and I was totally game. So I thought about this battle of the bands with a rival mystery band made up of villains, all while Dazzler’s trying to keep it together after barely surviving her World Tour.
AIPT: Well, speaking of, X-Fan Alitude was curious to learn the state of Dazzler going into Concert of Champions.
Jason: Expect a lot of fallout from the Dazzler mini-series. I know her lifestyle manager Sofia Mantega suggested Alison should have given herself more time to recover before agreeing to headline the first annual Concert of Champions. She won’t be in the right headspace is all I can say for now. You’ll just have to pick it up for yourself!
AIPT: This one-shot’s getting a lot of attention thanks to the addition of Luna Snow. X-Fan Diana Lincoln needed to know if you main her in Marvel Rivals.
Jason: I haven’t played Marvel Rivals yet! Been too busy working on comics. But if I ever get a chance to play Rivals, Luna would be the first character I’d select. And then Lin Lie/Iron Fist. It’s really cool I get to write Luna in Concert of Champions, knowing how popular she is in the game. I can’t wait to get my hands on the Marvel Rivals variant cover with her on it!
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: What can you share about Deep Void, the death metal band sharing the stage with Dazzler, Lila Cheney, and the rest of the musical champions?
Jason: I’m keeping that a mystery for the readers. But they’re made up of villains across the Marvel 616. And their musical influences are Ghost and System of a Down, the two bands I used as inspiration when writing their songs.
AIPT: So I assume we can expect more Jason Loo originals in this one-shot? X-Fan J.G. wanted to know!
Jason: Definitely! There are two songs by Deep Void that are integral to the story, and one new song by Dazzler called “Doom and Gloom.” How fitting!
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: So, Luna Snow has actual songs you can listen to on Spotify. If Marvel decided to throw all the money in the world at recording your original Dazzler songs, what popstar do you want to hear sing “Out and Proud,” “In the Darkest Light,” and Alison’s other hit tracks?
Jason: When I was writing the Dazzler tracks for her mini, I had Taylor Swift in mind. But I could see Dua Lipa or Sabrina Carpenter turning them into bangers as well.
AIPT: I’m confident Sabrina Carpenter reads X-Men Monday, so let’s see what she thinks! Finally, everybody loves music, but who do you think is the biggest music fan in the Marvel Universe? Like, who spends their free time scouring record stores for rare Dazzler records?
Jason: I’d like to think most of the kids at Avengers Academy listen to a lot of music. Didn’t Justin Jin aka Kid Juggernaut wear a Lila Cheney shirt recently? I could see Justin, Aaron Fischer, Escapade, and Bloodline spending their off time at record shops and buying band tees.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: Well, now I feel like we need Avengers Academy writer Anthony Oliveira to weigh in! But on that note — thanks for stopping by X-Men Monday, Jason!
For this week’s X-Men Monday eXclusive, we’ve got the preview for Concert of Champions, courtesy of our friends at Marvel. Remember to pick up a copy April 2, 2025!
Writer: Jason Loo
Artist and Inker: Rafael Loureiro
Letterer: VC’s Ariana Maher
Cover Artist: Javier Garron
Cover Color Artist: Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
In the next edition of X-Men Monday: Writers Gail Simone and Murewa Ayodele return to break down some of X-Manhunt Omega‘s biggest moments.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Until next time, X-Fans, stay exceptional!
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