Beauty and the Beast mini

[david r]

"Beauty and the Beast"--what is this mini series about? Who are the villains? If you've read it, what are you feelings about it? Would you recommend it?

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[Kage Kisaragi]

is that dazzler?

[Falconen]

Yep, Dazzler and Beast. Cool Bill S. covers, unfortunately, he didn't do the interior art. I did like the story. I always thought that Hank and Ali made an interesting item, even if it was all pretty much platonic.

[david r]

Yep, Dazzler and Beast. Cool Bill S. covers, unfortunately, he didn't do the interior art. I did like the story. I always thought that Hank and Ali made an interesting item, even if it was all pretty much platonic.

But if your memory serves, what happens? Who are the villains? Do Dazzler and the Beast have any character growth that you can recall?

[Kage Kisaragi]

Well the first issue seems to have Doom in the background so he might be a player in this.

[DDM]

Beauty & the Beast #1-4 is an Ann Nocenti driven story about the Gladiators; Chris Claremont picks up the Gladiators in The New Mutants #29-31 with Dazzler & Shadowcat as a guest stars for the storyline. The Gladiators is about mega-rich people betting on the "contestants" in the arena. You will find the true creator for the Gladiators in The New Mutants. Empath also sends a couple of New Mutants into the arena as part of his revenge on the kids...

[nikbackm]

Doom's self-proclaimed son is involved.

[Kage Kisaragi]

ahhh okay.

[limerick]

dr. doom's son was leader of the gladiators.if i remember rightly he turned out to be a mutant with "charisma"-tpye powers i.e.able to convince people to follow him.ths partly explains dazzlers decision to stay with gladiators.i think doom appears in final issue and is involved in defeating his son.

as memory serves me this mini is a bit of a drag.probably stand outish for dazzlers vunerability

[Novaya Havoc]

Good story idea, but poor for the comic format.

Dazzler is all self-deprecating after being outed as a mutant. This guy takes control of a susceptible Ali and drugs her drinks which cause her mutant powers to "leak" uncontrollably.

Since she's ashamed of her mutant powers, she wigs out. They take her to the Gladiator ring, full of mutants battling for the rich. She gets "the spotlight" there and feels "at home," while they're constantly drugging her.

Beast, who likes Dazzler, helps her spring loose, and they go to the "Heartbreak Hotel," which is a weird metaphor for "mutant rehab." They meet some mutants there including some telepath, Link, and Poltergeist. Then there is LUCY who can only CHANGE THE PIGMENT OF FLOWERS.

Viva Lucy!

Some stuff happens, Dazz wigs out again, and goes back to the Gladiators. Beast follows and ABUSES Dazzler by going "YOU WANT WAR-PAINT?! HERE!!!" and defaces her with lipstick! Beast is an asshole.

Anyway, the guy who runs the ring is this dude named Flynn. He claims to be Dr. Doom's son.

Anyway, so Beast gets drugged and something or other then he and Dazzler have to battle. BEAUTY v. THE BEAST OH NOES.

So then, finally, Dazzler/Beast break free and with the help of their Heartbreak Hotel brigade and some of the Gladiators (Ivitch comes to mind). And they undo Flynn? And Dr. Doom shows up and is YOU ARE NOT MY SON or something. Maybe Flynn was a robot I dunno.

And then they leave.

Claremont re-visited this idea in New Mutants, and then basically ripped it off for the HILAR Storm: The Arena.

A decent idea, but poor in the comic format. It was mostly about Dazzler breaking down and being a "junkie" with the Heartbreak Hotel being a rehab metaphor, and the Gladiators being a "hard drug" metaphor.

Dr. Doom was thrown in to sell books.
Beast was pretty interchangeable with any other lead as a love interest. I think they just wanted the "Beauty and the Beast" moniker.

That's about it. I haven't read this story for about 3 years or so.

[david r]

Sounds interesting. So this is the first time "Mutants in an arena" idea is done? You never hear about this mini, so I wondered if it was any good. Thanks for all the responses.

[Kage Kisaragi]

Sounds interesting. So this is the first time "Mutants in an arena" idea is done? You never hear about this mini, so I wondered if it was any good. Thanks for all the responses.

no, I remember hearing about this sort of mutant fight club before, except it involved Storm and if what I got from peoples summary, more submissive gay dominatrix type stuff was going on.. I don't know, sounds like it came from the X-Mens stranger years.

[david r]

no, I remember hearing about this sort of mutant fight club before, except it involved Storm and if what I got from peoples summary, more submissive gay dominatrix type stuff was going on.. I don't know, sounds like it came from the X-Mens stranger years.

I thought that was from "Storm: The Arena", which came much later than Beauty and the Beast.

[jarrod]

I always thought Claremont linked the Arena to the Gladiators? They were also tied into Tullamore Vogue's slave trade and even the HFC iirc.

[Kage Kisaragi]

I thought that was from "Storm: The Arena", which came much later than Beauty and the Beast.

I thought thats what you were asking, "Was there any other mutant arena type stories." I guess I must have misread it.

[Dagger]

I always thought Claremont linked the Arena to the Gladiators? They were also tied into Tullamore Vogue's slave trade and even the HFC iirc.
LOL. The only redeemable villain from Claremont's Revolution. I loved Tullamore Voge. It's too bad he became a lackey in X-men: The End. Wot wot.