Who are all these other Nightcrawlers?
Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2003 3:35 am
The Marvel Universe seems to be littered with various versions of their main characters...and Nightcrawler is no exception...
Bamf
Name: Not applicable
First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men # 145 (as doll), Uncanny X-Men #153 (as fairy tale character), Nightcrawler Vol.1 #2 (as other-reatlity race)
To entertain Colossus’ little sister, Illyana, the X-Men youngest member, Kitty Pryde, wove a magical tale of high adventure in which transmuted versions of her fellow X-Men were the stars.
Kurt became the loveable, if somewhat hyperactive, Bamf. A small, almost smurf-like creature, Bamf has excessively overactive hormones and can’t resist a pretty face. As Kurt and Logan listened in, Kurt commented that he was not at all impressed by Kitty’s interpretation of him. Logan however thought Kitty had hit the nail rather firmly on the head.
Kurt later had an adventure through different realities when he was pulled into the "well at the center of time." One of the places he visited was a world where Kitty's fairy tale is reality. Here, he encountered an entire race of Bamf creatures.
Current Status: Unknown
“Come to Bamf’s lovin’ arms, babycakes!”
Girl Bamf
Name: Not applicable
First Appearance: Nightcrawler Limited Series #1 ~ Issue #4
The female counterparts to the Bamfs, who refer to them simply as ‘the girls’. They are just as amorous as the males, though they have a tendency to hide from them due to their overenthusiastic romantic intentions. As Kurt’s Bamf companion said: “How’d you think there got to be so many of us?”. They are larger in size and far more human looking than the cartoonish Bamfs. But whereas the Bamfs see Nightcrawler as something of a father figure, so much so they refer to him as ‘Daddy’, the girls consider him their greatest potential conquest. Kurt is unresponsive to their advances however, due to the fact that they look like they could be his younger sister.
Current Status: Unknown
“How ‘bout a kiss, tall dark and bamfsome?”
Boogie
Name: Not applicable
First Appearance: Nightcrawler Limited Series #1 ~ Issue #2
When Nightcrawler was accidentally sucked into the Well at the Centre of Time he was immediately believed to be a boogie by the beings he encountered at the other end. On meeting the creatures he could certainly see why. Apart from the bat-liked webbed wings the resemblance was rather frightening. Though not essentially evil, they are not particularity nice creatures, caring little for nothing but themselves…and maybe the attention of a pretty lady…
Current Status: Unknown
“Boggie nest raised no dummies, it didn’t…”
Dark Bamf
Name: Not applicable
First Appearance: Nightcrawler Limited Series #1 ~ Issue #3
The entire Bamf population, bar one, fused into a single, giant entity by the magic of Shagreen…a shark-like creature intent on learning the secrets of teleportation. Dark Bamf was big, mean, but not very bright. On Shagreen’s defeat at the hands of Nightcrawler, the spell was broken and the Bamfs were freed, much to the chagrin of the Bamfettes, who once again had to fight off their enthusiastic advances.
Current Status: Returned to original Bamfs
“Surrender now and I shall be merciful, puny ones.”
Limbo Nightcrawler
Name: Kurt Wagner
First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #160
When the X-Men wound up in the otherworldly dimension of Limbo they discovered that they had somehow been there before. In fact…some of them were still there. The normal laws that govern the universe have no effect in Limbo, so visitors can be both young and old, alive and dead, good and evil, all at the same time, depending on choices made and paths taken.
Limbo’s Kurt was one of only three surviving X-Men that had been dwelling in the shadowy realm for sometime after their battle with Limbo’s lord and master, Belasco, went terribly wrong. Almost dead, Belasco saved his life, reshaping him, body and soul, into the perfect servant.
Not essential evil, he was a twisted, perverted version of the original and sought only to free himself from slavery, using any means available. He died at the hands of the Limbo version of Kitty only to return some time later to assist his more honourable self when Belasco sought the Soul Sword.
Current Status: Presumed deceased
“…you were glad to see me. I was merely giving you an opportunity to prove it.”
Lightening Squad Nightcrawler
Name: Kurt Wagner
First Appearance: Excalibur #9
Born into a world where Germany won the Second World War, this Kurt Wagner has grown up under the beliefs of the Third Reich, so therefore is, quite literally, a totally Nazi. Though not actually evil, he can be perceived as such due to the usually reaction to the fascist belief system he was raised under.
Frighteningly similar to the original, he also has a flamboyant, swashbuckling nature, but whereas the original is a harmless flirt, this version is a borderline rapist, and certainly not the type to take ‘no’ for an answer.
Current Status: Active member of Lightening Squad
“Is that any way to welcome one who is about to transport you to untold heights of ecstasy?”
Age of Apocalypse Nightcrawler
Name: Kurt Darkhölme
First Appearance: X-Men Alpha
When Charles Xavier’s son, Legion, attempted to right the world’s wrongs by travelling to the past and destroying Magneto, he accidentally killed his father instead. His actions caused a ripple effect that altered reality. Without Xavier’s ideals to appose him, the evil mutant Apocalypse came to power.
The X-Men still existed in this reality however. Led by Magneto, they were all much darker heroes than the originals. In this world, Nightcrawler was raised by his mother, Raven Darkhölme, and though still a force for good, lacked the carefree sprit of the original. He even used his ability to teleport in a way the original probably never considered, by taking hold of an enemy and teleporting part of them with him, he could seriously injure of even kill them.
Current Status: Presumably deceased
“Welcome to the real world. Start coping with it, the way us poor slobs stuck in the real world have to.”
Michael Darkhölme
Real Name: Michael Darkhölme
First Appearance: What if…? #98
What if Raven Darkhölme hadn’t abandoned her newborn son? What if she’d become an overly protective mother to her little blue-furred boy?
Michael Darkhölme is much like Kurt Wagner…he’s sweet and caring, an athletic, sword wielding movie-loving youngster. He’s more artistic (he paints) and no where near as outgoing or flamboyant…but then who would be if their mother kept them locked in the attic?
He lacks Kurt’s confidence, and isn’t at all comfortable with his unique appearance, something that Kurt all but relishes. Too timid to stand up to his mother, it isn’t until Rogue enters his life that he makes the attempt to take a step into the outside world. Unfortunately for him, his first step proved to be his last, as his mother’s Brotherhood of Mutants mistook him for an agent of Charles Xavier and attacked him with everything they had…
Current Status: Deceased
“Don’t let her turn you into one of them…be free.”
Nightcreeper
Name: Kurt “Jack” Ryder
First Appearance: Marvel Comics vs. DC #3
What happens when universes collide?
A combination of Marvel’s Nightcrawler and DC’s the Creeper, Nightcreeper physically resembles Nightcrawler, except for the green colouring, but his personality is a far cry for the charismatic charmer. Nightcreeper is an egotistically, self-serving pain in the butt, and not particularly beloved by his teammates, his heroic efforts seem more an opportunity to show off than the wish to actually help people…
Current Status: Active member JLX
“Hurry Nightcreeper…you’re the most expendable! When this is done, I’ve gotta have a long talk with my agent.”
Creepycrawler
Name: Not applicable
First Appearance: Pint Sized X-Babies #1
Genetically created by Mojo to star in one of his insane TV programs, Creepycrawler was made in the image of Nightcrawler, though a fraction of his age. The exploits of the ‘other worldly’ X-Men were a ratings juggernaut for Mojo, so when his access to the real deal fell through, he decided to make his own much younger, and he assumed, more easily controllable versions. Creepycrawler and all the X-Babies, look and act like toddlers, but still possess the heroic natures of their full-grown counterparts. Because of this, they rebelled against their master and now do everything in their power to thwart his evil schemes…
Creepycrawler is much like the pre-priest Kurt…a fun-loving adventurous spirit with a tendency to get into trouble, and the ability to get out of it again…
Current Status: Active member of X-Babies
“Humour is completely lost on you. I toss them…roll them…and still my jokes go *zeow* over your head.”
X-Men: Evolution Nightcrawler
Name: Kurt Wagner
First Appearance: Strategy X (X-Men: Evolution ~ Episode 1)
A much younger and less confident version of Kurt than the one recruited by Charles Xavier in Giant Size X-Men #1, this Kurt has yet to come to terms with his unusual appearance and relies heavily on the image inducer presented to him on his arrival to ‘fit in’, even amongst other mutants. This has allowed him to overcome his understandable shyness, allowing his plucky, flirtatious personality to emerge. Despite his appearance, he has entered into a romantic relationship with a fellow classmate, the very human Amanda Sefton, who has stood by him through the revelation of mutants to the world, even against her parents wishes…
Like his comicbook counterpart he had no idea of his true parentage, he was adopted by the couple who fished him out of a river. He would discover that his birth mother was one of the X-Men’s greatest foes, Mystique, though she seems to care a great deal more for her blue-furred boy than the comic’s version, but like the comics, the two are yet to deal with this particular relationship. He does, however, seem more than willing to form a bond with his recently revealed adopted sister, Rogue.
Current Status: Active member X-Men, Bayville High student
“Man…that homey’s lingo is so whack!”
Ultimate Nightcrawler
Name: Kurt Wagner
First Appearance: Ultimate X-Men #7
Abducted from his Bavarian home by the Weapon X program, young Kurt Wagner was transformed into a brimstone-breathed biological weapon of mass destruction. Quite possibly the most uncontrollable of the program’s subjects since Wolverine, he too managed to escape the compound, killing several guards in his bid for freedom. Unfortunately, he was recaptured, and severely punished (the soles of his feet were burnt until he could no longer feel pain) as an example to the other mutant residents should they think to escape. Though he survived this ordeal, he was hardly in the best of shape, physically, mentally or emotionally.
When the X-Men were targeted and captured to increase the ranks of Weapon X, Jean Gray befriended the unusual looking Nightcrawler, and managed to get around the language barrier (this version doesn’t speak a word of English), and returned to him something he’d lost long ago…hope.
After several missions with his newfound friends, the X-Men’s rivals, Magneto’s Brotherhood of Mutants, affected a jailbreak, the Weapon X program was soon decimated by its former operatives. Kurt then surprised all concerned by siding with neither team, opting instead to return home…
But when the X-Men became wanted fugitives, Kurt was hunted down by SHEILD so they could learn any information he possessed on his short-term team-mates. He was imprisoned at a SHEILD facility, Camp X-Factor, along with many other mutants including the X-Men’s founder, Professor Charles Xavier…
When Magneto’s brotherhood attacked the facility and freed the captive mutants, Nightcrawler joined Xavier in the effort to stop Magneto and his scheme to eradicate nearly all non-mutant life on earth. On Magneto’s defeat, Nightcrawler and fellow Weapon X survivor returned to Westchester with the X-Men to enrol in Xavier’s school for gifted children…
Current Status: Student, Xavier's School for Gifted Children
“Hier drinnen wurden bereits genug leben ruiniert. Ich werde nicht zulassen, das John Wraith dich auch noch zum killer mach.”
Mutant X Nightcrawler
Name: Kurt Wagner
First Appearance: Mutant X #1
Current Status: Deceased
Movie Nightcrawler
Name: Kurt Wagner
First Appearance: X2: X-Men United
A highly religious circus performer, Kurt was abducted by William Stryker to further his anti-mutant agenda. Through mind control, Kurt was set the task of infiltrating the White House to assassinate the President. Though he failed, he was now a wanted man, and so he went to ground in an abandoned church in the city of Boston. It was here that he was found by X-Men Storm and Jean Grey. He went with the two ladies and soon found himself in an all out battle against the self same man who had abducted him in the first place.
With the X-Men he helped defeat William Stryker and stop his plans of mutant genocide. He returned to Westchester with the X-Men, his future uncertain…
Current Status: Residing with the X-Men
“Most people will never know anything beyond what they see with their own two eyes…”
Bamf
Name: Not applicable
First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men # 145 (as doll), Uncanny X-Men #153 (as fairy tale character), Nightcrawler Vol.1 #2 (as other-reatlity race)
To entertain Colossus’ little sister, Illyana, the X-Men youngest member, Kitty Pryde, wove a magical tale of high adventure in which transmuted versions of her fellow X-Men were the stars.
Kurt became the loveable, if somewhat hyperactive, Bamf. A small, almost smurf-like creature, Bamf has excessively overactive hormones and can’t resist a pretty face. As Kurt and Logan listened in, Kurt commented that he was not at all impressed by Kitty’s interpretation of him. Logan however thought Kitty had hit the nail rather firmly on the head.
Kurt later had an adventure through different realities when he was pulled into the "well at the center of time." One of the places he visited was a world where Kitty's fairy tale is reality. Here, he encountered an entire race of Bamf creatures.
Current Status: Unknown
“Come to Bamf’s lovin’ arms, babycakes!”
Girl Bamf
Name: Not applicable
First Appearance: Nightcrawler Limited Series #1 ~ Issue #4
The female counterparts to the Bamfs, who refer to them simply as ‘the girls’. They are just as amorous as the males, though they have a tendency to hide from them due to their overenthusiastic romantic intentions. As Kurt’s Bamf companion said: “How’d you think there got to be so many of us?”. They are larger in size and far more human looking than the cartoonish Bamfs. But whereas the Bamfs see Nightcrawler as something of a father figure, so much so they refer to him as ‘Daddy’, the girls consider him their greatest potential conquest. Kurt is unresponsive to their advances however, due to the fact that they look like they could be his younger sister.
Current Status: Unknown
“How ‘bout a kiss, tall dark and bamfsome?”
Boogie
Name: Not applicable
First Appearance: Nightcrawler Limited Series #1 ~ Issue #2
When Nightcrawler was accidentally sucked into the Well at the Centre of Time he was immediately believed to be a boogie by the beings he encountered at the other end. On meeting the creatures he could certainly see why. Apart from the bat-liked webbed wings the resemblance was rather frightening. Though not essentially evil, they are not particularity nice creatures, caring little for nothing but themselves…and maybe the attention of a pretty lady…
Current Status: Unknown
“Boggie nest raised no dummies, it didn’t…”
Dark Bamf
Name: Not applicable
First Appearance: Nightcrawler Limited Series #1 ~ Issue #3
The entire Bamf population, bar one, fused into a single, giant entity by the magic of Shagreen…a shark-like creature intent on learning the secrets of teleportation. Dark Bamf was big, mean, but not very bright. On Shagreen’s defeat at the hands of Nightcrawler, the spell was broken and the Bamfs were freed, much to the chagrin of the Bamfettes, who once again had to fight off their enthusiastic advances.
Current Status: Returned to original Bamfs
“Surrender now and I shall be merciful, puny ones.”
Limbo Nightcrawler
Name: Kurt Wagner
First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #160
When the X-Men wound up in the otherworldly dimension of Limbo they discovered that they had somehow been there before. In fact…some of them were still there. The normal laws that govern the universe have no effect in Limbo, so visitors can be both young and old, alive and dead, good and evil, all at the same time, depending on choices made and paths taken.
Limbo’s Kurt was one of only three surviving X-Men that had been dwelling in the shadowy realm for sometime after their battle with Limbo’s lord and master, Belasco, went terribly wrong. Almost dead, Belasco saved his life, reshaping him, body and soul, into the perfect servant.
Not essential evil, he was a twisted, perverted version of the original and sought only to free himself from slavery, using any means available. He died at the hands of the Limbo version of Kitty only to return some time later to assist his more honourable self when Belasco sought the Soul Sword.
Current Status: Presumed deceased
“…you were glad to see me. I was merely giving you an opportunity to prove it.”
Lightening Squad Nightcrawler
Name: Kurt Wagner
First Appearance: Excalibur #9
Born into a world where Germany won the Second World War, this Kurt Wagner has grown up under the beliefs of the Third Reich, so therefore is, quite literally, a totally Nazi. Though not actually evil, he can be perceived as such due to the usually reaction to the fascist belief system he was raised under.
Frighteningly similar to the original, he also has a flamboyant, swashbuckling nature, but whereas the original is a harmless flirt, this version is a borderline rapist, and certainly not the type to take ‘no’ for an answer.
Current Status: Active member of Lightening Squad
“Is that any way to welcome one who is about to transport you to untold heights of ecstasy?”
Age of Apocalypse Nightcrawler
Name: Kurt Darkhölme
First Appearance: X-Men Alpha
When Charles Xavier’s son, Legion, attempted to right the world’s wrongs by travelling to the past and destroying Magneto, he accidentally killed his father instead. His actions caused a ripple effect that altered reality. Without Xavier’s ideals to appose him, the evil mutant Apocalypse came to power.
The X-Men still existed in this reality however. Led by Magneto, they were all much darker heroes than the originals. In this world, Nightcrawler was raised by his mother, Raven Darkhölme, and though still a force for good, lacked the carefree sprit of the original. He even used his ability to teleport in a way the original probably never considered, by taking hold of an enemy and teleporting part of them with him, he could seriously injure of even kill them.
Current Status: Presumably deceased
“Welcome to the real world. Start coping with it, the way us poor slobs stuck in the real world have to.”
Michael Darkhölme
Real Name: Michael Darkhölme
First Appearance: What if…? #98
What if Raven Darkhölme hadn’t abandoned her newborn son? What if she’d become an overly protective mother to her little blue-furred boy?
Michael Darkhölme is much like Kurt Wagner…he’s sweet and caring, an athletic, sword wielding movie-loving youngster. He’s more artistic (he paints) and no where near as outgoing or flamboyant…but then who would be if their mother kept them locked in the attic?
He lacks Kurt’s confidence, and isn’t at all comfortable with his unique appearance, something that Kurt all but relishes. Too timid to stand up to his mother, it isn’t until Rogue enters his life that he makes the attempt to take a step into the outside world. Unfortunately for him, his first step proved to be his last, as his mother’s Brotherhood of Mutants mistook him for an agent of Charles Xavier and attacked him with everything they had…
Current Status: Deceased
“Don’t let her turn you into one of them…be free.”
Nightcreeper
Name: Kurt “Jack” Ryder
First Appearance: Marvel Comics vs. DC #3
What happens when universes collide?
A combination of Marvel’s Nightcrawler and DC’s the Creeper, Nightcreeper physically resembles Nightcrawler, except for the green colouring, but his personality is a far cry for the charismatic charmer. Nightcreeper is an egotistically, self-serving pain in the butt, and not particularly beloved by his teammates, his heroic efforts seem more an opportunity to show off than the wish to actually help people…
Current Status: Active member JLX
“Hurry Nightcreeper…you’re the most expendable! When this is done, I’ve gotta have a long talk with my agent.”
Creepycrawler
Name: Not applicable
First Appearance: Pint Sized X-Babies #1
Genetically created by Mojo to star in one of his insane TV programs, Creepycrawler was made in the image of Nightcrawler, though a fraction of his age. The exploits of the ‘other worldly’ X-Men were a ratings juggernaut for Mojo, so when his access to the real deal fell through, he decided to make his own much younger, and he assumed, more easily controllable versions. Creepycrawler and all the X-Babies, look and act like toddlers, but still possess the heroic natures of their full-grown counterparts. Because of this, they rebelled against their master and now do everything in their power to thwart his evil schemes…
Creepycrawler is much like the pre-priest Kurt…a fun-loving adventurous spirit with a tendency to get into trouble, and the ability to get out of it again…
Current Status: Active member of X-Babies
“Humour is completely lost on you. I toss them…roll them…and still my jokes go *zeow* over your head.”
X-Men: Evolution Nightcrawler
Name: Kurt Wagner
First Appearance: Strategy X (X-Men: Evolution ~ Episode 1)
A much younger and less confident version of Kurt than the one recruited by Charles Xavier in Giant Size X-Men #1, this Kurt has yet to come to terms with his unusual appearance and relies heavily on the image inducer presented to him on his arrival to ‘fit in’, even amongst other mutants. This has allowed him to overcome his understandable shyness, allowing his plucky, flirtatious personality to emerge. Despite his appearance, he has entered into a romantic relationship with a fellow classmate, the very human Amanda Sefton, who has stood by him through the revelation of mutants to the world, even against her parents wishes…
Like his comicbook counterpart he had no idea of his true parentage, he was adopted by the couple who fished him out of a river. He would discover that his birth mother was one of the X-Men’s greatest foes, Mystique, though she seems to care a great deal more for her blue-furred boy than the comic’s version, but like the comics, the two are yet to deal with this particular relationship. He does, however, seem more than willing to form a bond with his recently revealed adopted sister, Rogue.
Current Status: Active member X-Men, Bayville High student
“Man…that homey’s lingo is so whack!”
Ultimate Nightcrawler
Name: Kurt Wagner
First Appearance: Ultimate X-Men #7
Abducted from his Bavarian home by the Weapon X program, young Kurt Wagner was transformed into a brimstone-breathed biological weapon of mass destruction. Quite possibly the most uncontrollable of the program’s subjects since Wolverine, he too managed to escape the compound, killing several guards in his bid for freedom. Unfortunately, he was recaptured, and severely punished (the soles of his feet were burnt until he could no longer feel pain) as an example to the other mutant residents should they think to escape. Though he survived this ordeal, he was hardly in the best of shape, physically, mentally or emotionally.
When the X-Men were targeted and captured to increase the ranks of Weapon X, Jean Gray befriended the unusual looking Nightcrawler, and managed to get around the language barrier (this version doesn’t speak a word of English), and returned to him something he’d lost long ago…hope.
After several missions with his newfound friends, the X-Men’s rivals, Magneto’s Brotherhood of Mutants, affected a jailbreak, the Weapon X program was soon decimated by its former operatives. Kurt then surprised all concerned by siding with neither team, opting instead to return home…
But when the X-Men became wanted fugitives, Kurt was hunted down by SHEILD so they could learn any information he possessed on his short-term team-mates. He was imprisoned at a SHEILD facility, Camp X-Factor, along with many other mutants including the X-Men’s founder, Professor Charles Xavier…
When Magneto’s brotherhood attacked the facility and freed the captive mutants, Nightcrawler joined Xavier in the effort to stop Magneto and his scheme to eradicate nearly all non-mutant life on earth. On Magneto’s defeat, Nightcrawler and fellow Weapon X survivor returned to Westchester with the X-Men to enrol in Xavier’s school for gifted children…
Current Status: Student, Xavier's School for Gifted Children
“Hier drinnen wurden bereits genug leben ruiniert. Ich werde nicht zulassen, das John Wraith dich auch noch zum killer mach.”
Mutant X Nightcrawler
Name: Kurt Wagner
First Appearance: Mutant X #1
Current Status: Deceased
Movie Nightcrawler
Name: Kurt Wagner
First Appearance: X2: X-Men United
A highly religious circus performer, Kurt was abducted by William Stryker to further his anti-mutant agenda. Through mind control, Kurt was set the task of infiltrating the White House to assassinate the President. Though he failed, he was now a wanted man, and so he went to ground in an abandoned church in the city of Boston. It was here that he was found by X-Men Storm and Jean Grey. He went with the two ladies and soon found himself in an all out battle against the self same man who had abducted him in the first place.
With the X-Men he helped defeat William Stryker and stop his plans of mutant genocide. He returned to Westchester with the X-Men, his future uncertain…
Current Status: Residing with the X-Men
“Most people will never know anything beyond what they see with their own two eyes…”