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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 (751–900 of 1,549, oldest first)

New X-Men (2001)
X-Men (1997)
Ultimate X-Men (2001)
X-Men Unlimited (1993)
Marvel : Les origines (2002)
Comic Book Encyclopedia (2004)
X-Treme X-Men (2002)
#7
New Mutants (2003)
#9
Excalibur (2004)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: X-Men 2004 (2004)
Essential Super-Villain Team-Up (2004)
#1
Colecção Wolverine (2004)
#3
Uncanny X-Men - The New Age: The End of History (2004)
Giant-Size Spider-Woman (2005)
#1
X-Men: The Complete Age of Apocalypse Epic (2005)
#2
Cable / Deadpool (2004)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: X-Men 2005 (2005)
Cable & Deadpool (2004)
#2
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: X-Men - Age of Apocalypse 2005 (2005)
New X-Men: Academy X (2004)
#2
X-Men / Fantastic Four (2005)
G.L.A. (2005)
#2
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Teams 2005 (2005)
Best of Marvel : Fantastic Four - Retour aux sources (2005)
Giant-Size X-Men (2005)
#3
Essential X-Men (1996)
#6
Marvel Visionaries: Chris Claremont (2005)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Alternate Universes 2005 (2005)
Ultimate Spider-Man Annual (2005)
#1
Excalibur Classic (2005)
Nightcrawler (2004)
House of M (2005)
#8
Official Handbook of the Ultimate Marvel Universe: The Ultimates & X-Men 2005 (2005)
X-Men: Deadly Genesis (2006)
New Excalibur (2006)
Best of Marvel : mariages Marvel (2006)
Ultimate X-Men Ultimate Collection (2006)
#1
X-Men: The Dark Phoenix Saga (2006)
X-Men: The 198 (2006)
X-Men: Dark Phoenix Saga (2006)
Uncanny X-Men Annual (2006)
#1
Ultimate X-Men Annual (2005)
#2
Black Panther: The Bride (2006)
Uncanny X-Men: The Extremists (2007)
X-Men Power Pack (2007)
Uncanny X-Men: Rise & Fall of the Shi'ar Empire (2007)
Marvel Holiday Special 2006 (2006)
#1
Beyond! (2006)
Essential Silver Surfer (1998)
#2
Marvel Zombies: Dead Days (2007)
#1
New Avengers: Illuminati (2007)
#3
Women of Marvel (2006)
#2
World War Hulk: X-Men (2007)
Essential Punisher (2004)
#2
X-Men: Die by the Sword (2007)
X-Men: Endangered Species (2008)
Uncanny X-Men: Divided We Stand (2008)
Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four (2005)
#31
Secret Invasion: The Infiltration (2008)
ClanDestine (2008)
Wolverine: First Class (2008)