The Uncanny X-Men #428

Name: The Uncanny X-Men #428
Brand: Marvel
Availability: InStock

Oct 2003 · Marvel · 2.25 USD; 3.75 CAD

📊 ~93,162 copies sold its debut month

☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join free

“How Did I Get Here?”

★ 1st appearance — Azazel

About this Issue

Uncanny X-Men #428 functions as the prologue to Chuck Austen's 'The Draco' arc and is the sole issue dedicated to retelling Nightcrawler's origin through a new lens, introducing Azazel — a demonic-looking ancient mutant — as the biological father of Kurt Wagner and establishing Baron Christian Wagner by name for the first time in Marvel continuity. The issue reframed decades of mystery around Nightcrawler's parentage by grounding his teleportation power and physical appearance in hereditary mutant biology rather than mere circumstance, a creative gambit that sparked fierce debate among readers and critics about whether the retcon enriched or undermined the character's identity. Though the broader 'Draco' storyline became one of the most critically contested arcs in the title's long history, #428 itself — as a self-contained, atmospheric flashback — remains historically significant because Azazel proved durable enough to anchor two separate film adaptations, and the question of Nightcrawler's true parentage it raised was not definitively settled until a further retcon in 2023's X-Men Blue: Origins #1.

In "How Did I Get Here?", writer Chuck Austen and artist Sean Phillips explore a pivotal moment in Mystique’s past, revealing her first encounter with Azazel and the secret that would shape her future. With colors by Dave McCaig and lettering by Rus Wooton, this flashback delves into a defining betrayal and the mysterious birth of a child with striking blue skin and a tail. The cover by Philip Tan captures the tension of that fateful night.

writer Chuck Austen · artist, inker Sean Phillips · colorist Dave McCaig · letterer Virtual Calligraphy's Rus Wooton · cover Philip Tan

ComicBooks.com Value

Our Model is In Beta

Raw (NM) $6

CGC 9.8 · 24 in census $171

CGC 9.6 · 10 in census $80*

CGC 9.4 · 9 in census $69*

CGC 9.2 · 2 in census $59*

CGC 9.0 · 2 in census $57*

CGC 8.5 · 1 in census $46*

Show all 7 grades ▾

CGC 8.0 · 1 in census $25*

* estimate — limited direct-sales data at this grade

Our model’s value — refined as new sales data arrives · CGC census counts shown where available

This exact issue on ebay

CGC 9.6 $89.1 1 listing CGC 9.4 $59.99 1 listing

CGC ▾ $4.5–$125 3 listings

CGC $4.5 CGC $75 CGC $124.99

Raw — MINT ▾ $9.99–$34 2 listings

MINT $9.99 MINT $34

Raw — NM ▾ $4.58–$17.95 3 listings

NM $4.58 NM $9.99 NM $17.95

Raw — NM- $19.8 1 listing

Raw — VF/NM ▾ $7.99–$8.96 2 listings

VF/NM $7.99 VF/NM $8.96

Raw — VERY FINE $4.99 1 listing Raw — FN $7.3 1 listing

Raw / ungraded ▾ $4–$30 20 listings

Verified matches for The Uncanny X-Men #428 · eBay asking prices, seen 20 days ago

Read it digitally

Marvel Unlimited Marvel’s subscription reader ▸ Amazon Kindle Buy the digital edition ▸

Opens a search on each platform — digital availability varies by title.

Sell my copy

Have this issue — or a whole collection? Get a fair offer from us, skip the marketplace fees and the hassle.

We Buy Collections ▸

Fast, fair offers · we handle grading & shipping

History

Chuck Austen had been the regular writer on Uncanny X-Men since October 2002, and #428 was conceived as a standalone prologue — drawn by Sean Phillips rather than the arc's main artist Philip Tan — that would set the stage for the six-part 'Draco' story running through issue #434. The editorial staff introduced a caption dating the flashback '20 years ago,' a line Austen had never intended and which conflicted irreconcilably with Nightcrawler's established age (he had turned 21 in Uncanny X-Men Annual #4), prompting Austen to state publicly that he considered Kurt to be roughly twenty-six at the time of the contemporary story. The issue's production team also included colorist Dave McCaig, letterer Rus Wooton, and editor Mike Marts, with a cover by Philip Tan; the complete arc was subsequently collected in the Uncanny X-Men Vol. 4: The Draco trade paperback.

Trivia · 8 facts

First appearance of Azazel (created by Chuck Austen and Sean Phillips), an ancient demonic-looking mutant and leader of the Neyaphem, a group of mutants banished to the Brimstone Dimension.
First appearance of Baron Christian Wagner, the German nobleman married to Raven Darkhölme (Mystique) and the man whose surname Kurt Wagner would later adopt.
The entire issue is a self-contained flashback depicting Mystique's seduction by Azazel, her affair, the murder of Baron Wagner, and the birth of Nightcrawler — making it the most detailed origin account of Kurt Wagner published to that point.
Serves as the prologue ('Part 0') to 'The Draco' arc, with interior art by Sean Phillips and a cover by Philip Tan; the main arc (issues #429–434) shifted to Philip Tan as interior penciler.
An editorial caption dating the story '20 years ago' was added without Austen's approval and contradicts Nightcrawler's previously established age; Austen stated he intended Kurt to be roughly twenty-six.
Reprinted in Uncanny X-Men Vol. 4: The Draco (collecting #428–434, January 2004 trade paperback) and again in X-Men: Trial of the Juggernaut (2019).
Azazel's role as Nightcrawler's biological father — the central premise introduced in this issue — was retconned in 2023 by X-Men Blue: Origins #1, which revealed Mystique and Destiny as Nightcrawler's true parents.
Azazel was adapted to film as a member of the Hellfire Club in X-Men: First Class (2011, portrayed by Jason Flemyng) and appeared as a variant character in Deadpool & Wolverine (2024, portrayed by Eduardo Gago Munoz after Flemyng declined to return).