Marvel’s Nightcrawler is one of the most recognizable members of the X-Men, but as 2023 brought major changes for the X-franchise as a whole, Kurt Wagner struck out on his own, forging a new independent identity for himself as the Uncanny Spider-Man – and alongside readers, learning the definitive truth about his origin.
Debuting in September, Uncanny Spider-Man – featuring the creative team of Simon Spurrier, Lee Garbett and Javier Pina, Matt Milla, and Joe Caramagna – has found the teleporting mutant forging a new identity, removed from the context of the X-Men to a greater degree than the character has ever been.
In addition to a new identity, 2023 has given Kurt Wagner the opportunity to wield a new weapon, as well as expanding and refining his power set. Most significantly, Marvel authoritatively established Nightcrawler’s true origins – a storytelling decision decades in the making – in the X-Men Blue: Origins one-shot.
2023 Clarified Nightcrawler’s Complicated Backstory
X-Men Blue: Origins Confirmed Kurt Wagner’s True Parentage Once And For All
Prolific X-Men writer Chris Claremont first conceived of the idea that Nightcrawler’s biological parents were, in fact, shapeshifting mutant Mystique and her wife Destiny, during his franchise-defining run on Uncanny X-Men during the 1980s. The idea was too radical for Marvel at the time – but now, four decades later, it has finally become canon. As X-Men Blue: Origins #1 definitively confirmed, Mystique took on a male form in order to impregnate Destiny. In addition to being a unique form of LGBTQIA+ representation that only the X-Men franchise could provide, this permanent new origin for Nightcrawler makes the possibility of him, Mystique, and Destiny uniting as a family more realistic than ever.
By revealing the truth of his lineage not just to readers, but to Nightcrawler himself, his continued growth as a hero now operates within that context. Twenty years earlier, Uncanny X-Men #428 established at the time what was considered the shocking reality of Kurt’s origin – while Mystique had been revealed as his “mother” much prior, this issue presented the ancient, demonic-looking Azazel as his father. In many ways, this first attempt at clarifying the character’s murky origin has defined him ever since. With the confirmation of his true parentage offering a perfect chance for a reset – at a time when he needs it most.
With His Past Defined, Kurt Wagner Can Now Move Forward
The Next Phase of Nightcrawler’s Career Begins As Mutantkind’s Krakoan Era Ends
Introduced in 1975’s gamechanging Giant-Size X-Men #1, Nightcrawler was immediately a popular character, though he did not receive his own solo title for a until a decade later, with an eponymous 1985 miniseries, written and drawn by the creator Dave Cockrum. Kurt Wagner remained an ensemble player in X-Men titles until 2002, when another Nightcrawler miniseries was released. This was followed by his first solo ongoing in 2004, though it only lasted a year – as was the case a decade later with Chris Claremont’s Nightcrawler ongoing, which published twelve issues. Though Kurt has proved essential to the X-Men franchise, he has at times seemed less viable as a focal character than many of his cohorts.
More recently, author Simon Spurrier has been doing exciting things with the character; first with 2021’s Way of X, and now 2023’s Uncanny Spider-Man and X-Men Blue: Origins. While the former series follows Nightcrawler at the peak of mutantkind’s Krakoan era, this year’s offerings find him hiding in plain sight after the fall of Krakoa, operating as another Spider-Man variant in New York City. With so many current X-titles tending toward bleakness, and despair, as mutantkind collectively fights for its survival, Uncanny Spider-Man serves as a thrilling remix of two iconic Marvel properties. While it hasn’t escaped the prevailing darkness of the Fall of the House of X entirely, it has delivered a balancing levity.
With the conclusion of the Uncanny Spider-Man miniseries following the publication of issue #5, it remains to be seen what will come next for Nightcrawler, including what role he will play in the next era of X-Men’s grand, overarching narrative. Certainly, more stories that allow Kurt to interact with Mystique and Destiny should be in store, along with more of his adventures as the “Creepy Crawler” – as his iteration of Spider-Man was quickly dubbed. It’s also possible the future could find Kurt touring the Marvel Universe further, combining the Uncanny modifier, and his unique set of abilities, with other Marvel heroes.
Nightcrawler’s Faith Will Be Tested Like Never Before
Kurt’s Role In The Final Fight Against Orchis Remains Uncertain
Uncanny Spider-Man has featured more than just Nightcrawler’s attempts to adjust to life as a solo superhero – it has been yet another piece of the complex narrative surrounding mutantkind’s battle against the mutant-hating organization Orchis. Kurt survived the Mutant Massacre at this year’s Hellfire Gala, he has not been able to avoid getting caught up in the conflict, as the miniseries dealt with the consequences of him being turned into an unwitting puppet of Orchis. Though he has overcome their nefarious programming and become one of the many disparate X-Men fighting back, the trauma of this mental manipulation will certainly stay with him for some time.
However he ultimately factors into the climactic confrontation between the X-Men and Orchis, the past year has proved that Nightcrawler remains one of Marvel’s most beloved mutants – and that his time as a solo character may finally have come. By giving him a definitive origin story, Marvel has suggested that they remain invested in the future of the character. By allowing a writer with a keen insight into the character, such as Si Spurrier, to experiment with a new take on Nightcrawler in Uncanny Spider-Man, the publisher has proven that it remains excited about the character, that it envisions him as having the potential to continue growing in popularity.
In 2023, Nightcrawler had what is perhaps the most exciting, character-defining year of his nearly fifty-year history. This in itself, in an abstract sense, is a testament to the endurance of Marvel’s wide roster of X-Men characters. In the dynamic, ever-shifting landscape of the X-franchise, any character can come to the forefront at any given time, based on the needs of the story, the interests of creators, and the desires of fans. As he approaches half a century as one of comics’ most recognizable mutants, X-Men’s Nightcrawler is poised to have his most significant run as a high-profile hero in his history.
