Raised in a traveling circus, German-born Kurt Wagner learned that his mutant abilities were a gift to be celebrated. Since joining the X-Men, Nightcrawler has changed costumes, switched teams and even shifted his life's focus: He now dedicates himself to a higher calling as a priest in training. Nightcrawler may look like a blue-skinned demon, but this swashbuckler is one of mutantkind's guardian angels -- using his amazing agility and power of teleportation to fight the forces of bigotry!

Real Name: Kurt Wagner

Occupation: Adventurer, priest

Group Affiliation: X-Men

Base of Operations: Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, Westchester County, New York

First Appearance: Giant-Size X-Men #1 (1975)

Height: 5'9

Weight: 195 lbs.

Eye Color: Shining yellow, with no visible pupils

Hair Color: Indigo

Powers: Nightcrawler can teleport himself, his clothing and a certain amount of additional mass from one point to another almost instantaneously. He leaves behind smoke and the smell of burning brimstone, actually atmosphere from the unknown dimension through which he travels. Nightcrawler's infallible spatial awareness enables him to avoid teleporting into solid matter, which could cripple or kill him. As a result, he generally teleports only to places he can see or those he knows well. Through practice, Nightcrawler has increased the amount of mass he can teleport with him. Nightcrawler's spine is more flexible than that of an ordinary human, allowing him to perform contortionist-like feats and spend much of his time in a semi-crouching position without damaging his posture. Due to the dark coloration of his fur, he can blend into deep shadows.

History:

Kurt Wagner has resembled a demon since birth. His unusual physical characteristics -- including indigo fur, a prehensile tail, pointed ears, fang-like teeth, three-fingered hands and two-toed feet -- caused his mother Mystique to abandon her newborn son. Pursued by fearful villagers, she hurled Kurt over a waterfall to save her own life.

Kurt was discovered by a gypsy queen and raised in a traveling circus. Adopted by a motley crew of carnies who harbored no prejudice against so-called freaks, he learned that his mutant abilities and unique appearance were gifts to be celebrated. Long before his power of teleportation emerged, Kurt demonstrated tremendous natural agility. By adolescence, he had become the show's star acrobat and aerial artist. Assuming he was a normal human wearing a demon-like costume, audiences looked beyond his blue skin and saw him for the talented performer he was.

For a time, Kurt knew happiness and peace. But when a Texas millionaire, who sought to cast the young mutant in his American freak show, purchased the Bavarian circus, Kurt was forced to flee his ideal existence. He made his way to Winzeldorf, Germany, where the villagers thought he was responsible for a spate of recent murders. The townspeople were about to kill Kurt when they were psionically paralyzed by Professor X, who had come to recruit him for the X-Men.

Hated and feared for his strange powers and frightening appearance even more than most mutants, the blue-skinned swashbuckler is one of mutantkind's guardian angels, fighting the forces of bigotry and genetic terrorism. While many of his teammates can pass as human in public, Kurt is forever marked as an X-Man.

Blessed with friends and power, Nightcrawler is an idealist at heart. He learned long ago to look past appearances, and strives to see the humanity in those who refuse to recognize it in him. A man of faith, Nightcrawler holds dear to a dream that may be doomed to failure -- universal acceptance, and the peaceful coexistence of man and mutant -- but still he believes with every fiber of his being. Kurt knows from painful experience how cruel the world can be, but he'll never stop trying to make it a better place.