The Winding Way (Nightcrawler #7-11) SPOILERS on last 2 page

Darick · Post by **Darick** » Tue May 17, 2005 10:48 pm

Here are the covers for 9 and 10 for those of you that don't wander over to my forum:

CurlyyHairGirl · Post by **CurlyyHairGirl** » Tue May 17, 2005 11:20 pm

Hooo00ooo, boy!!! Anybody got a napkin?

The cover for #9 is really dark and a tad disturbing, I feel bad for the fuzzy man. It's beautiful though.

# 10 is awesome!!! I love Nightcrawler's classic uniform, I only wish they could put it back into all the current series. My life would be complete.

Soal sword?? Ooo0o0oh

That, Sir, is awesome.

I love the bend mark on the Tarot card, genious!
I wonder if it is just me, but the way the colors are, it looks like there are finger print marks on the edges of the cards, if so...

Bamfette · Post by **Bamfette** » Tue May 17, 2005 11:21 pm

sweet! quite the stark change from 9 to 10

I notice the card beneath is the Knight of Swords, and Kurt's the Page of Swords? is that the Soul Sword?

Shadow_Dancer · Post by **Shadow_Dancer** » Wed May 18, 2005 12:56 am

Terrific covers Darick,

I really enjoy the detail that you put into your drawings. #9 makes me feel so bad for poor Kurt, even if it turns out to be just a nightmare. The contrast of #10 with the other three covers of the arc is exciting. I think a lot of us agree. I feel Kurt's current costume is an improvement over the leather-look, but he still looks best in his classic costume.

Darick · Post by **Darick** » Wed May 18, 2005 5:18 pm

Originally posted by Bamfette
sweet! quite the stark change from 9 to 10

I notice the card beneath is the Knight of Swords, and Kurt's the Page of Swords? is that the Soul Sword?

Yes on all counts! Good eye! (We went with the Page of swords card because the pose was better than the Knight of Swords.)

Darick · Post by **Darick** » Wed May 18, 2005 5:22 pm

Originally posted by CurlyyHairGirl
Hooo00ooo, boy!!! Anybody got a napkin?

The cover for #9 is really dark and a tad disturbing, I feel bad for the fuzzy man. It's beautiful though.

That's the idea! Thanks!

bluefooted · Post by **bluefooted** » Wed May 18, 2005 5:45 pm

Kurt in a cage, mostly nekkid - Rawr

But seriously, beautiful covers, Darick, as usual. Really do what covers should: make me want to buy the issues and find out what the heck is going on

Diablo · Post by **Diablo** » Thu May 19, 2005 1:23 pm

The soulsword suits Kurt well !
I hope he'll use it from time to time.

The (fantastic) four covers of the arc seem to be four (fantastic) pieces of an intriguing puzzle.
A pretty intense arc it will be, no doubt at all.

Bamfette · Post by **Bamfette** » Thu May 19, 2005 1:33 pm

I like that the covers imply an exploration of his gypsy heritage. i mean, it's been brought up in the comics before, but it often falls short of going into it in any great detail. hints and sugegstions here and there... I hope the trade of this arc does not take as long to arrive as the trade for the first :/

Post by **Slarti** » Thu May 19, 2005 6:25 pm

I didn't know the series was just on hiatus! Whew! Thank God! I've been out of the loopy recently and all I knew was I kept looking and looking for it and was just sure it was cancelled.

My day is now made, and those covers are beautiful! I'll be waiting impatiently but happily now!

Shashuella · Post by **Shashuella** » Mon May 23, 2005 12:33 am

Oh my sweet Dear Lord Darik those covers are hot (or sick as my lil bro would say) you sir are a demigod I can’t wait!! #7 gonna be so good it’ll blow my graduation out of the water.

The Drastic Spastic · Post by **The Drastic Spastic** » Mon May 23, 2005 2:14 am

Speaking of "sick"...

*humps moniter* Nice covers!

Post by **Elwing** » Thu May 26, 2005 7:31 am

I love the use of the tarot cards here. The cards on the covers seem to be based on the set that is pictured in detail on http://www.learntarot.com/cards.htm . If I'm not mistaken the card underneath on cover #10 is the "knight of swords" an on the #7 there are "the hanged man" "the magician" "the fool" "death", among others...Nice. Very intrigueing! Don't think there's a "Darick" tarot card though...

Darick · Post by **Darick** » Thu May 26, 2005 2:59 pm

There are no 'Winding Way' cards either.

Post by **Elwing** » Thu May 26, 2005 7:25 pm

true, true. So where comes that "winding way" from? I know that especially Margali has referred to it before, and it seems to refer to the ups and downs one has to go trough to advance as a magician; I may misinterpret this though, and I don't know the background of the expression. English is not my first language and I may miss something obvious... Anybody have more info?

Bamfette · Post by **Bamfette** » Thu May 26, 2005 7:30 pm

As far as i recall, it is the path followed by people wanting to follow the particular type of magic practiced by margilai... but i don't remember the details very well. I think it had that name because the path had peaks and valleys of power levels.

Post by **Elwing** » Thu May 26, 2005 7:55 pm

Yup. I think I read a story where Margali was a beggar in Egypt...Can't remember for the life of me where that was though...Looked she had hit a little bump in the way there. Just as our dear nighty is about to...

Post by **Saint Kurt** » Thu May 26, 2005 9:04 pm

I actually know the answer to this! (To a certain extent - the comics repurpose things as they need it so I know the answer based on the comics I've read.)

The magic Margali practices is called "The Winding Way" and in the comics over the years there have been occasional subplots involving it. The basic idea is that it is form of sorcery that drains the practioner's "life energy". The winding way also had "steps" and Margali spoke of "moving further along" than any other sorcerer in one story so it seems that the magic was progressive.

Here's a few interesting references that I can find sitting around:

- Giant Sized XMen #1: Readers are introduced to Kurt Wagner as he flees a mob carrying torches and pitchforks in Winzeldorf Germany. (This still bugs me. They are wearing modern clothes. The X-Men fly around on airplanes and stuff. Had not the flashlight come to Germany yet? Or had the villagers broken out their vintage torch stash just for this occasion?)

- "Nightcrawler's Inferno" or Uncanny XMen Annual #4: It starts with Kurt's birthday and a bunch of ridiculous things happen that Margali is ultimately responsible for (The X-Men go to Hell with Stephen Strange). I think it's the first time the Stephan/Margali Wizendorf misunderstand is explained but I'm not sure. It summarizes the brothers' relationship and their falling out at any rate.

- In Excalibur #75 - 77 there's a big subplot with Amanda (Jimaine) and Margali where Kurt goes to Germany to rescue Margali after she becomes trapped by D'Spare after becoming weakened by her magic. Margali doesn't think Kurt will help her because it has recently been revealed to Kurt that Margali had been lying her ass off about his past (ie. he just discovered who his family was). Kurt helps her anyway and it gives Margali ideas...

- Shortly after that is "The Soul Sword Trilogy" (Also Excalibur - #83-85) which is all about a race between sorcerers to steal the Soul Sword (which at the time was bonded to Kitty because Illyana was dead) so they can "ascend to power" by traveling "furthest on the Winding Way". It starts out with Margali all weak from using magic - she convinces Amanda to help her protect the soul sword from evil and in the end it turns out that Margali double crossed everyone. When Kurt and Amanda bring the Soul Sword to her for "safe keeping" she "bonds the sword to herself" she ascends to power and rules the way.

That should be a pretty good primer for what's going on in the next few Nightcrawler books. Darick can tell me if I've missed any others because my collection is hardly complete.

-e

(And I just realized that now that we know that title of this arc - it's about time I changed the name of the thread.)

Darick · Post by **Darick** » Fri May 27, 2005 6:28 am

And it's also the name of the story arc.

Diablo · Post by **Diablo** » Fri May 27, 2005 11:28 am

Thanks for the information, zam !
I had forgotten about the "Soulsword trilogy". The comic-books must be somewhere at my parents's house...

ONE month and we'll finally get the new arc !

Post by **Saint Kurt** » Fri May 27, 2005 5:30 pm

No problem. I had surgery on my foot on Wednesday so I'm stuck gimping around on crutches for the next 6 weeks. I've got to do something to entertain myself. I was actually surprised at how fast I found the comics I was looking for.

The real bummer is that Excalibur (the original) is such a great series and there have been no plans to release them as trade paper backs. It's just a crime if you ask me...

-e

Post by **Elwing** » Fri May 27, 2005 8:21 pm

shame. The soulsword thingy was not the best excal bit, but they should at least release the Davis/Claremont stuff. Maybe we should start a petition.
Now, Margali is an interesting character-from what she did later one you'd think she is pretty evil. But not only did she save Kurt, she raised him into a man who does not give the impression of having had an abusive childhood. She must have done something right with him.
And it seems Kurt agrees, coming to her aid in spit of everything that happened. I'm really interested how it will play out...

Bamfette · Post by **Bamfette** » Fri May 27, 2005 9:43 pm

Margalai... i see her as someone who's first priority is herself. at least to the extent that her actions don't hinder her. So she treated Kurt well when growing up, because it posed no problem, and due to his appearance, i am sure he was actually a boon to the circus. but then she would do things to him and Jimaine that well, weren't exactly good if the benefits to her were big enough... that's the impression i got. that she has it in her to be a good person, just so long as it doesn't conflict with her plans for herself, thenthe other side comes out.

Diablo · Post by **Diablo** » Sat May 28, 2005 5:28 am

I agree with that. She seems to be a selfish person, but she can be a good mother too.
I can't wait to know how Roberto and Darick will treat her.

Regarding Excalibur , our wishes have become true.
November will see the release of the first EXcalibur TPB.
Hooray !

here

You can thank my pal Jake (a.k.a. BamfCentral) , who found this.

Bamfette · Post by **Bamfette** » Sat May 28, 2005 6:41 am

are you sure that's the right link, Diablo? I can't find any mention of Excalibur

Nightscrawlers