This powerful mutant son of a demon who was abandoned at birth has now created quite a buzz for himself in the X-Men universe. With striking blue skin and a charming personality, Nightcrawler’s looks and attitude are at odds with each other.
Still, his mutant body has given him a variety of unique advantages over many of the other X-Men. Nightcrawler, better known as Kurt Wagner, is a well-known member of the X-Men. Despite his strong Catholic beliefs, he has a remarkable likeness to the Devil, with blue skin, pointed ears, and a prehensile tail.
Unlike other mutants, Kurt Wagner’s devilish mutation was evident from birth, which led to him finding a spot in a touring circus, where he was nurtured as a talented acrobat and aerialist long before his teleportation skills manifested themselves.
While Nightcrawler’s monstrous visage appears to contradict his nature, it is really well suited to him and offers him additional skills and talents that give him an utterly distinct physiology.
X-Men Evolution established a strong origin story
Kurt Wagner is Mystique’s son. He was raised by Germans after his mother abandoned him. He later came to America and joined the X-Men. He was given a unique watch that could produce a holographic projection of him that made him look ordinary. Nightcrawler previously believed he should leave the X-Men because he did not fit in. He was persuaded to stay, but he cited his looks as a possible issue.
Nightcrawler has blue fur covering his torso, two-toed feet, and three-fingered hands, yellow eyes, pointed ears, fang-like canine teeth, and a prehensile tail. These characteristics give him a natural devilish aura. Kurt appears to be a light-skinned young teenage male while wearing his image-inducer. He has dark eyes and blue-ish black hair.
Dave Cockrum created Nightcrawler while still in the United States Navy, stationed in Guam when a storm made sleeping impossible. His first vision, a demon that refused to return to hell for punishment after failing a task, was intended to be a companion for another of his creatures, the Intruder. Later, he proposed the character for inclusion in DC Comics’ Legion of Super-Heroes series, which he worked on right before joining Marvel. Murray Boltinoff, the editor of DC Comics, rejected the character because he was “too funny looking.”
The Nightmare link was thwarted by then-Dr. Strange and subsequently X-Men editor Roger Stern, and the Mystique/Destiny concept was quickly abandoned. Nightcrawler’s paternity was conceived by writer Chris Claremont in a variety of ways, including Nightmare as his father and Destiny as his mother.
Nightcrawler wanted to assist Wolverine in defeating Sabertooth after joining the X-Men. He pursued him and momentarily helped him before Sabertooth fled. Wolverine urged Nightcrawler not to follow him again, and Nightcrawler joked that Wolverine adored him.
Kurt’s bubbly personality has often gotten him in hot water. For example, when experimenting with a contraption found in an abandoned lab, he became locked in the “Middleverse” built by a student named Forge, who was also trapped in this pocket realm. Kurt’s ability came in assistance here, as it allowed him to teleport back into reality and inform the group, who finally saved both boys.
Wagner joined the X-Men under the pseudonym Nightcrawler. Before he was recruited into the X-Men, inhabitants of a village named Winzeldorf suspected Kurt was killing their children based on his looks and assaulted him. They were ready to kill him when Professor Charles Xavier, who had come to recruit Wagner for the X-Men, incapacitated them all psychically. Before they departed for America, he and Xavier went to the Bavarian circus to explain Stefan’s death to Margali, Kurt’s foster mother, but Margali was not present there.
Margali considered Wagner guilty of Stefan’s murder and built a replica of Dante’s Inferno to punish him years later. She learned the truth thanks to Doctor Strange’s all-seeing Eye of Agamotto, and she and Wagner were reunited. Wagner was delighted to be reunited with her and his foster sister Jimaine, who had immigrated to America and changed her name to Amanda Sefton, subsequently becoming Kurt’s lover.
Later, Nightcrawler fought Shagreen the Sorcerer and got stranded in several universes, including the apparition of a fairy tale once narrated to Illyana Rasputin, also known as Magik by his comrade Kitty Pryde, also known as Shadowcat. It was there that Nightcrawler first met the Bamfs, odd creatures who looked like tiny replicas of himself and would periodically emerge in some of his future escapades.
Shortly after, a plan to destroy the super-Sentinel Nimrod backfired, leaving Kurt at the mercy of an enraged mob without his teleportation ability. Shadowcat, Colossus, and Magik saved him, but he believed he had lost his powers for good. His strength returned, but it left him depleted and vulnerable when he utilized it, leading to self-doubt about his contribution to the group once more. When the Marauders attacked the Morlock tunnels during the Mutant Massacre, his fatigue made him vulnerable to an attack from Riptide, which knocked him into a coma.
While he was a member of the X-Men, another member of the team, Rogue, began to experience nightmares of a little blue infant with a mother being followed through the woods by a man before the baby fell into a river. She awakened and yelled while dreaming, prompting her teammates to confront her. Rogue recognized Nightcrawler as the infant in the dream while recounting the experience to the rest of the group.
Despite his denials, he was obliged to investigate when Charles called him and Rogue about the problem. Nightcrawler revealed that his parents didn’t say anything about what happened during her dream, but Charles eventually learned that it was a suppressed memory. Charles told him that they would get to the bottom of the story after school the next day, leaving Nightcrawler awestruck.
Knowing Mystique’s link to Kurt, Charles questioned her about the matter at Bayville High School and attempted to figure out what occurred when he was experimented on as a youngster. She forced him to leave, but not before revealing the location of the castle where Kurt was being tested on. Nightcrawler later discovered that Mystique was his biological mother and Rogue was his foster sister.
Nightcrawler briefly appeared in X-Men animated series
In the X-Men animated universe, Nightcrawler was a monk at a Swiss monastery who was hounded by his superior and the locals who thought he was a demon. Later, his origin as Mystique’s son was revealed, unveiling Rogue as his foster sister and Graydon Creed Jr. as his half brother.
In the episode titled ‘Nightcrawler,’ tales of a demon lead the X-Men to a church, where a mutant strikes fear in the local population. Local townsfolk meet in Germany with the goal of exorcizing a ‘demon’ from their community. Nightcrawler, the monster, is shown to be hidden in the town’s church. Meanwhile, the X-Men are on vacation in the Alps. Wolverine overhears a chat about demons and approaches several vacationers to inquire about these alleged ‘demons.’ He, Rogue, and Gambit then go skiing in search of these demons.
Gambit inadvertently produces an avalanche that buries the three X-Men. After passing out in the snow, the three awaken in a church and meet Brother Reinhardt, who is concerned about the presence of strangers in the Chapel. Reinhardt attempts but fails to knock out Gambit, and Rogue pursues the culprit. Nightcrawler saves Rogue when he falls from a precipice. Everyone believes Nightcrawler attempted to assault Gambit, while Wolverine attacked the mutant.
A man named Johan enters and assures the X-Men that, despite his demonic appearance, Nightcrawler is a Brother of the Abbot and an ally. Nightcrawler explains his origins, detailing how he was abandoned as a newborn by his mother and how he eventually committed his life to God and joined the Abbey. Wolverine is first skeptical since he does not believe in God but later confides in Nightcrawler that he has lost confidence in religion.
Meanwhile, Reinhardt travels to a neighboring town and informs the inhabitants that the ‘devil’ they want is up at his Chapel and that he has allied with him. The townspeople attack Nightcrawler and the X-Men as they march up to the Chapel. The Chapel quickly catches fire, and Nightcrawler saves Reinhardt’s life by assuring him that he is not a threat. Wolverine, Rogue, and Gambit arrive in Paris to conclude their vacation, and Wolverine is shown worshiping at the Cathedral after Nightcrawler restores his faith.
Nightcrawler’s origins, beliefs, and character are discussed in X-Men: The Animated Series Season 5, Episode 6. In the episode titled ‘Bloodlines,’ Nightcrawler must come to terms with the family that never wanted him after his mother is kidnapped. After getting word that his mother is in grave danger, he joins the X-Men on a rescue mission. He hears his mother’s pleas from within the confines of the institution.
Those are Mystique’s cries. Mystique has compromised with Graydon Creed, Friends of Humanity Leader, to turn up Nightcrawler for her own safety. Her explanation to him as to why she abandoned him is heartbreaking. Nightcrawler’s faith is challenged. He must gather the will to forgive his mother for all the anguish she has given him. Nightcrawler also briefly appears in another animated Episode titled ‘The Lotus and the Steel.’
Some lesser-known facts about the Nightcrawler’s physiology
The blue tint of Nightcrawler’s skin, which is actually a light fur that covers his whole body, is one of his most remarkable physical traits. This body fur does not grow like his hair or facial hair. Kurt’s blue coat, however, not only allows him to join a distinguished society of blue X-Men that includes characters such as Beast and his mother Mystique, but it also offers Nightcrawler a particularly stealthy ability.
Kurt’s face almost always rests in shadow due to his unique coloring and shading. He discovered that he is capable of almost wholly disappearing when he enters a shadow, though his glowing eyes are often visible in the shadows when he is camouflaged. This skill has been revisited several times throughout the years and has been linked to his teleportation powers. Kurt, like a cat, has pointed ears that contribute to his elvish look, earning him the moniker “fuzzy elf.”
He also has a prehensile tail that he may utilize in a variety of ways, but the apparent function of the tail is to assist Kurt with his balance. Kurt’s aerial acrobatics benefit tremendously from this feature, but his prehensile tail has many additional advantages. Kurt can use his tail to support his own weight as well as the weight of others, and he has even used it to tie up or toss his opponents.
He can also use his prehensile tail to handle a fencing foil, making it as dextrous as it is vital. He’s used his tail many times in combat when his hands were otherwise busy or when he needed a surprise edge when engaging in swashbuckling, his favorite pastime. Kurt’s hands and feet differ from the ordinary human or mutant in a variety of ways, the most notable being that he only has three fingers and toes on each hand and foot. His hands have two fingers and a thumb, while his feet have two forward-facing toes and one bigger backward-facing toe, which improves his agility and helps him to grip better with his feet, which is helpful with Kurt’s aerial fighting style.
Nightcrawler’s hands and feet also feature tiny suction cups, allowing him to cling to and scale walls. However, his clinging ability is sometimes neutralized by slick surfaces or other methods. Nightcrawler can use his wall-climbing abilities to reach practically any location, even without the ability to teleport, thanks to his agility, balance, prehensile tail, and sticky extremities. Kurt’s bright yellow eyes, which occasionally have pupils drawn in but, for the most part, remain a solid yellow even when he is hidden in the shade, are another clearly recognizable feature.
His eyes’ eye-catching color and design aren’t just for show; they also considerably improve his night vision. He has previously stated that “the darkest darkness is like high noon to me,” and he has utilized his night vision to his advantage numerous times when in his shadow form. Kurt’s link to the Brimstone Dimension and his demonic father Azazel most certainly influenced his mutant physiology since his father has many of the same talents and features as him, including his blazing yellow eyes.
Nightcrawler is one of the X-most Men’s nimble members, and he employs skills honed in the circus and ingrained in him by Danger Room training. Nightcrawler’s agility, on the other hand, is owing to his altered bone structure, which allows him to twist his body much beyond the typical human. When paired with his ability to cling to walls and blend into shadows, his incredible flexibility enables him to stay crouched and squeeze into areas others his size would not be able to.
Nightcrawler in movies
Nightcrawler is played by Alan Cumming in X2. Nightcrawler is indoctrinated with fluid from William Stryker’s mutant son, Jason, in order to carry out an assassination attempt on the President of the United States. He assists the X-Men in breaking into Stryker’s stronghold on Alkali Lake.
A younger Nightcrawler, played by Kodi Smit-McPhee, also appears in X-Men: Apocalypse. Raven saves him after he is forced to engage in mutant cage battles against Angel. Nightcrawler protects Xavier from Apocalypse’s attempted mind transfer during the climactic confrontation between the X-Men and Apocalypse. Subsequently, it saves the group from a crashing plane at the cost of his consciousness. Smit-McPhee reprises the character in Deadpool 2 and appears in the sequel Dark Phoenix.
Some insane powers that Nightcrawler possesses
Nightcrawler can teleport by displacing himself into the Brimstone Dimension, traveling through it, then returning to his home dimension at a certain distance from his place of departure. He deliberates on his point of return. The entire procedure happens so swiftly that he is entirely unaware that he is in the Brimstone Dimension. He navigates this Dimension using an unconscious, natural sense of direction.
Although his teleportation ability is controlled by his conscious mind, it is not psychic in nature. Instead, it is the outcome of some undiscovered biochemical or biophysical reaction that he consciously stimulates. Nightcrawler has a very limited subconscious extrasensory capacity that prohibits him from teleporting himself such that his feet, for example, appear beneath the local ground’s surface. Because this power is so restricted, Nightcrawler will not teleport to any location that he cannot see or has not seen before. Nightcrawler would risk materializing partially or totally into a tangible item if he transported himself into an unknown place.
Nightcrawler’s hands and feet have the ability to adhere to things. This gives him the ability to scale surfaces. His bone structure permits him to move freely. He can remain crouched for an extended period of time and do contortionist-like feats without inflicting any harm to his spine. His constantly blazing eyes also provide him with much enhanced night vision. Nightcrawler’s agility, balance, and physiological coordination are increased beyond the inherent boundaries of the human body. His natural reaction time has been increased to levels that exceed the human body’s natural limitations.
Nightcrawler is an Olympic-class acrobat because of his flexible spine, which allows him to accomplish contortionist-like feats and stay in a semi-crouching posture for extended periods of time without damage. He is an expert in hand-to-hand fighting, martial arts, athletics, acrobatics, and fencing, which he can even do with his tail, which is powerful enough to support his entire body weight. He has long been the team’s pilot and, together with Wolverine, the technician of the X-Blackbird Men’s plane. He had also served as the physician when no other trained X-Men were available.
Conclusion
Nightcrawler is a mutant and the son of a demon, regardless of how he appears or where his talents actually come from. His unique ability set reflects his unusual origins since he received skills from both parents. Kurt’s abilities embody both lines of his family, giving a novel take on the concept of mutant-kind in X-Men books. Nightcrawler’s extraordinary abilities make him an exciting superhero, and his striking visuals make him look more like a supervillain, making his character seem like an exciting mix of both. His bubbly personality and blue skin added to the mix make him an even more unique of a character. There are a lot of scopes for this character to be used in a greater capacity in X-Men movies in the future.