Nightcrawler

This article is about Nightcrawler, the comic book superhero. For the animal nightcrawler, see Lumbricus terrestris.

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Nightcrawler (Kurt Wagner) is a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe, and a member of the X-Men. He first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1 (May 1975).

History

A native of Germany, Nightcrawler is a mutant, born with blue skin and fur covering his body, 2 fingers plus a thumb on each hand, and only two toes, as well as long canine teeth and yellow eyes. Abandoned as a child, he was taken in by the gypsy witch Margali Szardos and raised as one of them. As a teenager, his mutant nature also bestowed on him superhuman agility and reflexes, the ability to see in the dark and to become near-invisible in the dark, and the power to teleport short distances, leaving behind the smell of brimstone. This ability is known informally as bamfing. When he teleports in the comics, he leaves behind a cloud of smoke which is usually lettered with the sound effect *bamf*, the noise of air rushing in to fill the space he has just vacated.

Wagner spent some time in the Munich circus, but eventually his appearance left him persecuted and hunted. He was rescued from a mob by Professor Charles Xavier, who invited him to join his second team of X-Men. Wagner adopted the name Nightcrawler.

With the X-Men, Nightcrawler at last found a home and a family, and his humorous, swashbuckling Errol Flynn-like nature came to the fore. He also found a close friend in his fellow X-Man Wolverine.

After some years with the X-Men, Nightcrawler departed to join the group Excalibur, but he eventually returned to the X-Men.

Vital Statistics

• Name: Kurt Wagner
• Group affiliations: X-Men, Excalibur (disbanded)
• Height: 5 ft. 9 in.
• Weight: 195 lbs.
• Eyes: Shining yellow, no visible pupils
• Hair: Indigo
• Other distinguishing features: Nightcrawler has only 3 fingers on each hand, and only 2 toes. He has a prehensile tail. He has pointed teeth and ears. His skin appears blue but is actually covered with thin indigo fur. He resembles a blue devil or a satyr of Greek mythology (see Pan).
  • Intelligence: Normal
  • Strength: Athlete
  • Endurance: Athlete
  • Speed: Athlete, can teleport himself enhancing his mobility greatly.
  • Agility: Superhuman
  • Reflexes: Enhanced human
  • Other powers and skills: Nightcrawler is a mutant with the ability to teleport himself over short distances. Nightcrawler is a superb natural athlete, whose mutation has endowed him with inhuman agility. He is an accomplished fencer, skilled to the point where he can fence with his prehensile tail. He appears to be able to cling to surfaces in a manner similar to Spider-Man. He is difficult to see in the dark because of his dark blue skin tone, and can see in the dark.