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Kurt Wagner
Kurt Wagner

Kurt Wagner

1,549 appearances · Bronze Age · 1972–2026 · 85 key issues
Who is Kurt Wagner?

Born with blue fur, yellow eyes, and a prehensile tail, Kurt Wagner was chased by a terrified mob in Bavaria before Charles Xavier recruited him as one of the "All-New, All-Different" X-Men. He uses his teleportation ability — announced by a thunderous BAMF — to fight for human-mutant coexistence.

Few Marvel characters have woven themselves as deeply into the fabric of the X-Men universe as Kurt Wagner, the acrobatic, blue-furred mutant who first leapt onto the Bronze Age scene in The Defenders #1 back in 1972, courtesy of Steve Englehart and Sal Buscema. Over more than five decades — stretching an astonishing 1,251 catalogued appearances across Uncanny X-Men, The X-Men, and beyond — he's proven himself one of Marvel's most enduring figures, sharing countless adventures alongside legends like Wolverine, Storm, and Colossus. A proud X-Men stalwart, Kurt brings a singular presence to every page he graces, and with 85 key-issue appearances to his name, serious collectors know his runs are essential reading. If you're building a definitive Marvel collection, this Bronze Age original is absolutely worth your attention.

Identity

Real name. Kurt Wagner

Powers. Teleportation (BAMF), wall-crawling/adhesion, prehensile tail, enhanced agility and reflexes, near-invisibility in shadow

Teams & affiliations
X-Men
★ First appearance
Giant-Size X-Men #1
May 1975

Trivia

  • Nightcrawler was originally conceived as a DC Comics villain before Marvel editor Roy Thomas stepped in and suggested recasting him as a mutant, ultimately folding him into the X-Men roster.marvel.com
  • His instantly recognizable silhouette was deliberately engineered around a demon aesthetic — pointed tail, fangs, and fur included — so he would read as a nightmare figure on the page even though the character himself was written as deeply sympathetic.marvel.com
  • Nightcrawler went on to become one of Marvel's best-known openly devout Catholics, a rare distinction in mainstream superhero comics and a cornerstone of his long-term identity that extends well beyond his powers.marvel.com
  • Chris Claremont has written more of Kurt Wagner's comics than any other writer in our catalog — 275 issues.

Top series

Covers through the years — 1972–2023

The Defenders #1 1972
The Defenders #1
The X-Men #97 1976
The X-Men #97
X-Men Annual #4 1980
X-Men Annual #4
Marvel Fanfare #12 1984
Marvel Fanfare #12
X-Men Annual #14 1990
X-Men Annual #14
Marvel Super-Heroes #10 1992
Marvel Super-Heroes #10
X-Man #12 1996
X-Man #12
X-Men #94 1999
X-Men #94
New X-Men #134 2003
New X-Men #134
New Avengers: Illuminati #3 2007
New Avengers: Illuminati #3
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man: Death of Spider-Man Fallout #[nn] 2011
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man: Death of Spider-Man Fallout #[nn]
Wolverines #6 2015
Wolverines #6
Marauders #1 2019
Marauders #1
Legion of X #7 2023
Legion of X #7

Appearances (1,351–1,500 of 1,549, oldest first)

Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars Facsimile Edition (2024)
Fall of the House of X (2024)
#2
Deadpool: The Saga of Wade Wilson (2024)
X-Force by Benjamin Percy (2020)
#8
Avengers Epic Collection (2013)
#11
Predator versus Wolverine - Toutes griffes dehors (2024)
Avengers Annual #10 Facsimile Edition (2024)
X-Men: Forever (2024)
Ultimate X-Men (2024)
Rom: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus (2023)
#2
Rise of the Powers of X (2024)
Dead X-Men (2024)
#4
Sins of Sinister (2024)
Uncanny Spider-Man: Fall of X (2024)
X-Men: Reign of X by Jonathan Hickman (2024)
#1
Wolverine: Der Beste (2020)
#7
Giant-Size Little Marvels (2024)
#1
Bubi Extra (2022)
#21
Fall of the House of X / Rise of the Powers of X (2024)
Marvel Masterworks: The Uncanny X-Men (2003)
Excalibur Omnibus (2020)
X-Men by Gerry Duggan (2021)
#6
Doctor Strange (2023)
Die furchtlosen X-Men (2022)
Marvel 85th Anniversary Special (2024)
#1
A Rejtélyes X-Men (2023)
Dazzler Omnibus (2024)
Exceptional X-Men (2024)
Silver Surfer Classic Collection - Freiheit (2024)
Storm (2024)
What If?: Into the Multiverse Omnibus (2023)
#2
Venom War: Wolverine (2024)
#2
Excalibur Epic Collection (2017)
#5
DC versus Marvel Omnibus (2024)
Death of Wolverine Omnibus (2024)
Giant-Size X-Men: Second Genesis Revisited (2025)
Marvel Holiday Tales to Astonish (2025)
#1
Ultimate Wolverine (2025)
#1
Uncanny X-Men by Gail Simone (2025)
Rom Epic Collection: The Original Marvel Years (2025)
Phoenix (2024)
#8
Wolverine: Deep Cut (2025)
Venom War: Wolverine / Deadpool (2025)
Cosmic X-Men Omnibus (2025)
Wolverine by Saladin Ahmed (2025)
X-Manhunt Omega (2025)
#1
Giant-Size Marvel Omnibus (2025)
Marvel Babys: Neue Abenteuer (2025)
Giant-Size X-Men: Tribute to Wein & Cockrum (2025)
Free Comic Book Day 2025: Fantastic Four / Giant-Size X-Men (2025)
#1
Magik (2025)
Laura Kinney: Wolverine (2025)
Psylocke (2024)
Giant-Size X-Men (2025)
#1
Emma Frost: The White Queen (2025)
Death of the Silver Surfer (2025)
#1
Free Marvel Must-Haves: June 2025 (2025)
#1
Fall of the House of X / Rise of the Powers of X Omnibus (2025)
Marvel Zero (2025)
#1
X-Men by Chris Claremont: Prelude to a Future Past (2025)
#1
Marvel Archive Edition: Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars Gallery Edition (2025)
Marvel Heroes (2025)
#4
X-Men Epic Collection (2014)
#13
X-Men by Marc Guggenheim Omnibus (2025)
Wolverine: Old Man Logan [Marvel Premier Collection] (2025)
Predator Kills the Marvel Universe (2025)
Uncanny X-Men by Brian Michael Bendis Omnibus (2025)
X-Men: Book of Revelation (2025)
#1
Amazing X-Men (2025)
#1
Unbreakable X-Men (2025)
#1
All-New Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider (2025)
Runaways (2025)
#5
One World Under Doom (2025)
#8
X-Men No. 140 Facsimile Edition (2025)