Commentary: X-Men’s Nightcrawler Might Be Limiting Himself
by Benjamin Hall
Kurt Wagner alias Nightcrawler is one of the more long-standing members of Marvel’s mutant superhero team the X-Men (Giant-Size X-Men #1 [1975]). He has the capability to teleport across various distances. Also he can use his prehensile tail to grab things. His ability to teleport depends mainly on his knowledge of where he is going to end up. Not to mention that his teleportation occurs with the same speed at which he is traveling (Essential Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe – Deluxe Edition Vol. 2 [2006]) Meaning that if falling from a plane he has to teleport up numerous times in order to not become dead matter on the ground. Despite displaying the ability to teleport himself, along with other people and things, Nightcrawler may not be using this power to its fullest extent.
Like Nightcrawler there are other Marvel characters who do not start out using their powers to their fullest extent. At least two examples of these types of characters are Nightcrawler’s X-Men teammate Robert Louis Drake, alias Iceman (The X-Men #1 [1963]), and the Fantastic Four’s Susan Storm-Richards, alias the Invisible Woman (Fantastic Four #1 [1961]). Originally Iceman could only use his power to create snow and ice in certain ways, such as transforming himself into a human snowman. Yet, Iceman is now to more, such come back from decapitation when in ice form (The Uncanny X-Men #433 [2004]). Sue Storm Richards could originally only become invisible and visible. She now can do the same for others plus make force fields of various shapes and sizes.
Since these other two characters can expand their abilities beyond what they originally could conceive it is possible Nightcrawler could as well. For example Nightcrawler may be able to teleport other people and/or objects without touching them. This is a possibility since he has to think to access his teleportation power. There is also the probability that he could stop the teleportation of either himself and others in different places. Meaning that he could reappear in one place and the others would appear in another location. His teleportation power could even see a few other applications that writers at Marvel could use.
In conclusion Wagner’s power is currently seeing a limit, due to a lack of imagination.
