The Uncanny Spider-Man has officially arrived, as X-Men’s Nightcrawler suits-up as Marvel’s newest Webslinger. However, rather than just replacing Peter Parker, Kurt Wagner is going one better, taking down a grisly pair of thieves by proving he has one major advantage over the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.
In a preview of Simon Spurrier, Lee Garbett, Jordie Bellaire and Clayton Cowles’ Uncanny Spider-Man #1, Nightcrawler springs into action, foiling two thieves who have snatched a freezer containing a human organ. The thieves make an impressive move by cutting through Central Park, realizing that if they can get clear of the city’s towering buildings, the web-slinging Spider-Man won’t be able to keep up. If this were Peter Parker, they’d be right, but they’re facing the Uncanny Spider-Man, whose teleportation powers stop them in their tracks. Kurt ends things with a classic Spidey quip – the only part of his Wall-Crawling game that still needs some work.
The Uncanny Spider-Man Doesn’t Need Webs
Following the disastrous Mutant Massacre, the X-Men are dead, missing, or scattered across the cosmos. What’s more, the hate group Orchis are attacking mutants with their army of Stark Sentinels, constantly scanning the planet for homo superior life. In the midst of the chaos, Nightcrawler has mysteriously become New York’s new Spider-Man, apparently electing to hide in plain sight. Fans don’t yet know exactly why Nightcrawler has chosen this specific persona, but Marvel is going all-in on the change. Not only are Spider-Man’s villains getting new upgrades related to mutant lore (like the new Techno-Organic Virus-enhanced Vulture), but Nightcrawler’s origin is being reinvented over in X-Men Blue: Origins, exposing the untold story of his start in life, alongside his biological mother Mystique.
Nightcrawler BAMFs Out of the X-Men’s Shadow
Since his introduction, Nightcrawler has been a swashbuckling soul who loves adventure, especially in the name of doing good. He’s spent the last few years inventing a mutant philosophy called the Spark, intended to help mutants process immortality, and gathering together a loyal team of Legionnaires to help those in spiritual need. The Mutant Massacre blew all of that sky-high, and it makes sense that in the wake of everything he’s been through, Nightcrawler simply wants to play hero under Orchis’ nose. Why he’s chosen to do so as Spider-Man will be revealed as the series tells its story, however the teases of X-Men and Spider-Man lore combining are reason enough for fans, with Kurt seemingly heading for romance with Peter’s longtime mercenary ally Silver Sable.
Nightcrawler has always been an incredibly well-developed character with a vibrant sense of self and fascinating powers. As the Uncanny Spider-Man, he’s getting to showcase what makes him a hero out of the X-Men’s shadow, and evolve the Spidey brand with a new mutant spin. And just to make sure he debuts with a bang, Nightcrawler’s Uncanny Spider-Man begins by taking down thieves who think they know exactly who the Wall-Crawler is and what he can do – and couldn’t be more wrong.
The Uncanny Spider-Man #1 is coming September 20 from Marvel Comics.
