X-Men Lore Changes Forever with the Real Reason Nightcrawler Joined the Team

Summary Nightcrawler's family secrets and Destiny's precognition have dramatically shaped his fate as an X-Man.

Destiny's manipulation of events reveals the importance of Nightcrawler's life.

The X-Men saved Nightcrawler from a brutal fate, but at a steep cost to his family.

Warning: SPOILERS ahead for X-Men Forever #3Even for the X-Men, Nightcrawler has always had one of the most unorthodox family trees in Marvel Comics. Thought for decades to be the son of Mystique and the demonic mutant Azazel, and only recently revealed to actually be the son of Mystique and the mutant icon Destiny, Kurt’s world outside of the X-Men has always been unconventional. But Nightcrawler’s family influenced his life with the X-Men more than anyone knew.

X-Men Forever #3 by Kieron Gillen, Luca Maresca, Federico Blee, and VC’s Clayton Cowles sees Destiny confronted by Nightcrawler and Mystique as she explains how she never remembered the truth about Kurt's origin prior to Destiny's Krakoan resurrection. Sharing her vision of a world decimated by Azazel, Destiny reveals other timelines where Nightcrawler was raised by his birth parents.

And in these timelines, Destiny saw Kurt – born to defeat Azazel – dead along with them, telling her son, “But then I seemed to know that I saw Azazel would kill you if we didn’t let you become a %$#@$&% X-Man.”

Related Nightcrawler Is Marvel's Ultimate Swordsman in Jaw-Dropping Cosplay The X-Men's Nightcrawler can teleport at will, but when fighting offensively he uses his skills as a swordsman, a look newly adapted in cosplay form!

Nightcrawler Joined The X-Men To Save His Own LIfe

Kurt’s Life Was In More Danger Than Anyone Knew

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Created to defeat Azazel once and for all, Nightcrawler’s fate was integral to the world’s survival, and Destiny’s revelation also shows just how important the X-Men are to that same fate. When Kurt first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1 by Len Wein, Dave Cockrum, Peter Iro, Glynis Wein, and John Costanza, he initially joined the team to escape a vicious mob that saw him as a monster. Joining the X-Men early on quite literally saved Nightcrawler’s life, and Destiny’s visions have made that truer than ever. But that won’t make Destiny’s betrayal easier for her family to swallow.

Nightcrawler is one of the most iconic and beloved X-Men, so it’s ultimately a good thing that he wound up with his fellow Children of the Atom, but the price his family paid cannot be overstated.

With her vast precognition powers constantly bombarding her with information from the future, Irene Adler has always been inherently disconnected from the present. Despite her love for Mystique, or even their adopted daughter, Rogue, Destiny has consistently used those around her, moving them like chess pieces to get to whatever future that she deems acceptable. In this instance, it appears that Nightcrawler’s entire life has simply been one giant maneuver by Destiny to defeat Azazel. And though the world is better for Nightcrawler’s time with the X-Men, her family can’t say the same.

Destiny’s Machinations Have Changed X-Men History

Irene May Have Finally Pushed Her Family To The Edge

Nightcrawler is one of the most iconic and beloved X-Men, so it’s ultimately a good thing that he wound up with his fellow Children of the Atom, but the price his family paid cannot be overstated. Though Kurt grew up with a loving family, Mystique and Destiny gave up and entirely forgot about a piece of themselves. And while Destiny’s plans may have saved Nightcrawler’s life and the entire world, she’s added another layer of tragedy to the X-Men icon’s already convoluted and heartbreaking backstory.

X-Men Forever #3 is on sale now from Marvel Comics.