We’re still cruising through X-Men ’97, and it remains in as crackling form as ever, with Mister Sinister having finally entered the fray prior to the team’s reconciliation with the Goblin Queen. Storm, meanwhile, may have found a lifeline in a mysterious (but not to us) new acquaintance, and unlikely heroes have made some legendary stands on Genosha.
But if you’re like me, your mind was probably fixed on the ever-important question of when we would get to see Nightcrawler again.
The Catholic, blue-furred mutant played a pivotal role in some of the original animated series’ more profound stories, such as when Wolverine found his way to his own version of faith, or when the team discovered the familial link between him, Mystique, and Rogue. And as a fan-favorite mutant across just about every X-Men medium there is, it would be foolish to leave Kurt Wagner out of the ’97 game.
So, where is he?
Is Nightcrawler in X-Men ’97?
Nightcrawler—complete with his original voice actor in Adrian Hough—has officially burst onto the scene as of episode five, “Remember It,” as a citizen of Genosha, and Kurt Wagner is as loveable as ever.
Following his impromptu tour of Genosha that he brought Rogue and Gambit along for, Kurt later aided the two X-Men and their new leader Magneto in evacuating Genoshan citizens when Master Mold attacked; suffice to say that Nightcrawler simultaneously caught them at a bad time, and also at a time the X-Men needed him most.
It bears wondering, then, if this is the last we’ve seen of the teleporter, or if he’ll be teed up as a more major character going forward. Nightcrawler, after all, is a far more high-profile character than his current presence in the ’97 canon would suggest (he only had two appearance in the original series), and with the X-Mansion getting emptier and emptier with every passing episode, now might be a good time to fully upgrade Nightcrawler to that main character status he so desperately deserves.
(featured image: Marvel Animation)
