Real Name:

Kurt Wagner

Location:

New York City

First Appearance:

Giant Size X-Men #1 (1975)

Created By:

Len Wein and Dave Cockrum
Powers:

Nightcrawler's main power is that of teleportation. He can move himself and what he's carrying to nearly any location that he has seen. The farther he tries to teleport though, the more the risk he has of teleporting into a solid object. Nightcrawler teleports through an unknown dimension and leaves behind the smell of brimstone.

This ability allows Nightcrawler to teleport in and out to attack his foes or make a speedy retreat.

Kurt is also extremely agile and is a trained acrobat and gymnast. He has a prehensile tail that is extremely strong as it can lift a human being and support Nightcrawler's weight in his acrobatics. His feet also have a prehensile quality which he can use to hold himself up and cling to walls.

Nightcrawler's blue fur allows him to blend into the shadows. This ability has also been tied to the dimension he travels to when he teleports. He can even appear to be in the shadows in broad daylight.

Team Affiliations:

X-Men, Ultimate X-Men

Currently Seen In:

Uncanny X-Men, Ultimate X-Men
Interesting Fact:

Nightcrawler's prehensile tail is so agile it can wield a sword, which Nightcrawler uses to great effect.

Origin:

Demon, Evil, Spawn of the Devil. These are the things Kurt Wagner has been called since his birth. Kurt was born with blue hair, fanged teeth, and glowing yellow eyes in Germany. His mother, the mutant Mystique had the ability to change her appearance at will, but Kurt did not inherit those abilities.

The people of the village feared Kurt, and to save her own life, Mystique threw Kurt over a waterfall.

But Kurt did not die, he survived and was found by the gypsy sorceress Margali Szardos, who raised Kurt as her own in a traveling circus. There, Kurt learned about acrobatics and gymnastics, performing with the circus. Fate would have this joyful time cut short.

Kurt was forced to kill his half-brother Stefan, who had gone mad and was killing children. The villagers of the area found out about Kurt and attributed the killings to him and tried to kill him. It was then that Professor X intervened and offered him a chance to learn more about his abilities, and more importantly, a place where Kurt could be himself and free from hate.

Kurt has been an integral part of the X-Men since Giant Size X-Men debuted in 1975. His joyful attitude and playful spirit brings a much needed heart to the X-Men. As Nightcrawler, Kurt is the swashbuckling hero with a pure heart and lightning quick wit and reflexes.