Warning: The following contains spoilers for Way of X #1, by Si Spurrier, Bob Quinn, Java Tartaglia and VC’s Clayton Cowles, on sale now.
Nightcrawler is the most religious member of the X-Men. Kurt Wagner’s faith has often defined him as a character, guiding him through his struggles as a mutant. Way of X #1, by Si Spurrier and Bob Quinn, explores and challenges this faith. Particularly when it comes to the concepts of death and resurrection, Krakoa subverts Nightcrawler’s conventional beliefs.
Nightcrawler’s burning questions around the nature of death were likely exacerbated by his own previous resurrections.
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How Nightcrawler Fell Out of Heaven
Nightcrawler’s first death occurred in 2010’s X-Force #26, by Craig Kyle, Christopher Yost and Mike Choi. During “Second Coming“, Kurt gave his life to save Hope Summers, the mutant messiah. It wasn’t until 2013’s Amazing X-Men #1-5, by Jason Aaron and Ed McGuinness, that Nightcrawler returned. In Heaven, Nightcrawler yearned for adventure, sitting on the outskirts of the realm. Later, Kurt’s father, Azazel, used their connection to invade Heaven and launch an attack on paradise.
Nightcrawler used mystical imps called Bamfs to summon his fellow X-Men so they could help him stop Azazel. During the X-Men’s subsequent battle with Azazel, Nightcrawler used the Bamfs to cast both Azazel and himself out of Heaven, saving the realm and resurrecting himself. This particular resurrection haunted Kurt, since he felt the impact of giving up eternal paradise. At the same time, Nightcrawler had to sacrifice his soul to return to the mortal world, a decision that weighed heavily on him.
Nightcrawler and the Crimson Pirates
Kurt’s next resurrection took place during 2015’s Nightcrawler #10, by Chris Claremont and Todd Nauck. In this issue, Nightcrawler defeated the Shadow King, who possessed the nefarious Crimson Pirates. Afterward, the Crimson Pirates retained their villainous demeanor, impaling Kurt with their swords. While Nightcrawler was accepting of his death, his spirit remained in a “way station” between life and death where he met his longtime love, Amanda Sefton.
In this ambiguous territory, Amanda reminded Kurt that he still had work to do, explaining his hesitation to die. Indeed, Nightcrawler still had to save some young mutants from the Crimson Pirates. After some reassuring words from Amanda, Jean Grey and Wolverine, Nightcrawler found the will to live. Kurt’s second resurrection was much more positive than his previous one, as Nightcrawler realized he had much to offer in life. Kurt also probably found resurrection easier because he was only dead for a brief moment.
House of X
Nightcrawler’s most recent trip between life and death took place in 2019’s House of X #4-5 by Jonathan Hickman and Pepe Larraz. Kurt was part of a mission, where he, along with several other mutants, sacrificed themselves to destroy the Mother Mold Sentinel. During this mission, Nightcrawler and Wolverine shared a touching moment, where Kurt reassured Logan that, when they left the mortal realm, Nightcrawler be waiting for Wolverine on the other side.
Although the X-Men perished on their mission, they returned shortly thereafter, in a moment that introduced Krakoa’s Resurrection Protocols. After the Five brought Kurt and his teammates back to life, Storm held a big ceremony, honoring the X-Men as heroes of Krakoa. Overall, Nightcrawler seemed perfectly content with his death and resurrection here. The X-Men died as heroes. When they returned, it was to the welcome of a grateful mutant nation. For these reasons, Kurt probably didn’t stop to think about his return for long.
Going forward, these experiences with death and resurrection will likely inform Nightcrawler’s views on Krakoan society. Novel ideas like the Resurrection Protocols seem to bother Kurt, especially when abused by young mutants like Pixie.
Similarly, the Crucible, where depowered mutants fight and die so they can earn their powers through resurrection, seems to make Nightcrawler uneasy. After ripping himself from Heaven, losing his soul and experiencing the Resurrection Protocols first hand, Nightcrawler definitely has some strong views on matters of death and resurrection.
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