It's Not Easy Being Blue: Nightcrawler Appreciation

[M.Hammerman]

The subject of Nightcrawler returning seems to be popping up in several places recently, on different boards. It would seem we are not the only ones with the idea that now that the Hope/AvX thing is over, he should be coming back.

Just a random sequence with Kurt as the Professor.

God, I can't even seriously contemplate Kurt returning... He's been dead the entire time I've been a fan :( Great scene, though--I had totally forgotten that. I've always thought that if Kurt had a greatest fear, it would have to be any sort of disability or infirmity. Which might sound counter-intuitive, given everything he's been through in life. I guess I just have the sense that his faith in his physical capabilities is something he really depends on to deal with the rest of it, so to not have that might be more than he could take.

[M.Hammerman]

Just gonna throw in a Kurt fanart spam. :-D

Allow me to meet you fanart with some more fanart! This is some kind of theme though I don't know what you'd call it...
[IMG]http://media-cache-ec5.**************/upload/67765169363539590_QCTyxs6v_c.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://media-cache-ec5.**************/upload/58898707597180554_nisryKFl_c.jpg[/IMG]

Sorry, I don't have sources for all those--they're snagged from Pinterest: http://**************/alfierirossi/nightcrawler/

BTW, I'm heading to Montreal tomorrow to present a conference paper called "X-Men and the Process of Othering"-- there's more than a little Kurt in it (one track mind right here, lol). Wish me luck! :P

[DevilishRogue]

Oh, those are real awesome pieces of fanart. I love the style! :-D

And good luck on that conference. I trust you will do a good job. I get a kick out of superheroes and comics being the subject of such study. But I guess they really are a modern day mythology. Nock em' dead! ;-)

Apologizing in advance for all the Kurtty lately... But here's some new fic! It's an ongoing series of Kitty/Kurt vignettes I'm doing. At the moment, it's friendship with some "romantic undertones" (firmly in "T"-rated territory for the time being--I know, I know, I'm getting soft in my old age, lol). Here's the link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8664352/...rt-and-Forever

I really enjoyed this.

spoilers:

I loved the second chapter especially with them on the boat. I love how Kurt appears to be oblivious on his own attraction to Kitty and seems to regard it as the same old "Oh Kitty used to fear me dilemma" And that he has a hard time accepting that its not tolerance and that Kitty may genuinely find his face attractive. I really like your take on the "petting" How Kurt may find it a bit degrading yet still feeling pleasure from it. It brings out his constant struggle to be seen as a man and not a pet/mascot. I never explored this myself. Kurt pretty much accepts it in my stories but I really think this small detail was fleshed out to something interesting. You write Kitty so wonderfully and I think you really got her voice down. You're Kurt and Kitty make for an endearing duo.

end of spoilers

[Sundowhn]

Marg, your Kurtty is as wonderful as ever!

That's a good point as far as Kurt and infirmity. It does seem like someone so reliant on movement, speed or generally being able to get where he wants to go really fast would probably have serious issues with limited mobility. It might be something like a person who is a literary intellectual or heavily into reading suddenly becoming dyslexic. (Probably a terrible comparison, but still.)

All the fan art is great, guys!

[March Hare]

That's a good point as far as Kurt and infirmity. It does seem like someone so reliant on movement, speed or generally being able to get where he wants to go really fast would probably have serious issues with limited mobility. It might be something like a person who is a literary intellectual or heavily into reading suddenly becoming dyslexic. (Probably a terrible comparison, but still.)

In fact -apart from X-Men Forever- that situation was sized up many years ago in Uncanny X-Men. I can't tell you which issues were from (awfully drawn, in any case :P ), 'cause I only read them once, but all mutants had temporarily lost their powers. Some X-Men left Xavier School, as Colossus, who spent happily his time in painting, but Kurt didn't dare to and he tried harshly at gym to reach his high old physical level without help from his tail, prehensil feet, etc. He moaned about his disability of keeping upright and walking straight. Piotr was worried about him, 'cause in spite of his supposed maturity Kurt seemed to be blocked, upset and hooked on action.

[March Hare]

BTW, I'm heading to Montreal tomorrow to present a conference paper called "X-Men and the Process of Othering"-- there's more than a little Kurt in it (one track mind right here, lol). Wish me luck! :P

It's too late to wish you good luck, but I'm sure you've got a big success ! Being passionate about your business matter helps a lot! Tell us!

[Valerie]

BTW, I'm heading to Montreal tomorrow to present a conference paper called "X-Men and the Process of Othering"-- there's more than a little Kurt in it (one track mind right here, lol). Wish me luck! :P

I would like to see that paper.

[KurtW95]

Kurt was seen in a panel of the recent Defenders issue. (well, half of him)

[March Hare]

Uh-oh

[March Hare]

Apologizing in advance for all the Kurtty lately... But here's some new fic! It's an ongoing series of Kitty/Kurt vignettes I'm doing. At the moment, it's friendship with some "romantic undertones" (firmly in "T"-rated territory for the time being--I know, I know, I'm getting soft in my old age, lol). Here's the link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8664352/...rt-and-Forever

Gorgeous, Marg! The advantage of prose over comic is you can go deeper in descriptions, as for feelings as for scenes, and you got a really sensuous Kurt, mmmm...! I like specially your detail about his tail --as a great cat lover I am, it annoys me how most of authors compare his constitution and his type with a monkey's instead with a cat's. I'd like see him shaking his tail when he's angry and swinging it when he's pleased!

[March Hare]

I'm sure in a long thread as this is, you have already talk about the blue factor (as Drelion said, "Always had a thing for blue"). Apart from Marvel characters (Mystique, Beast, Archangel...), it's clear that there's no other colour so flattering, from Smurfs to Krishna going through Dr. Manhattan and the Daft Punk's 14-chapters-long-space-adventure Interstella.

But I don't know if out of Europe there is notice about an old 80's cartoons that I like very much. Ulysse 31 --kinda translation of Sci-Fi Odyssey-- included two alien sister and brother, Thais and Numaios, with blue skin, pointed ears and yellow eyes. There's no need to say I was mad about both of them (when I was a child I, as most of people, was not very clear about my sexual preferences ).

[perdid06]

I'm sure in a long thread as this is, you have already talk about the blue factor (as Drelion said, "Always had a thing for blue"). Apart from Marvel characters (Mystique, Beast, Archangel...), it's clear that there's no other colour so flattering, from Smurfs to Krishna going through Dr. Manhattan and the Daft Punk's 14-chapters-long-space-adventure Interstella.

But I don't know if out of Europe there is notice about an old 80's cartoons that I like very much. Ulysse 31 --kinda translation of Sci-Fi Odyssey-- included two alien brothers, Thais and Numaios, with blue skin, pointed ears and yellow eyes. There's no need to say I was mad about both of them (when I was a child I, as most of people, was not very clear about my sexual preferences ).

Used to love ulysse 31, great cartoon, brilliant sounstack, and the visuals were very creative, Thais and Numaios had great design, loved the little flotting sphere glowing when they used their mental powers....

[M.Hammerman]

Hey guys! Glad you liked the fic! There'll be more in that series, for sure. @D. Rogue: With the people touching Kurt thing... I can see it being really different depending on the person and the context, but I guess I have a feeling it might be a bit like when people think they can just touch someone's afro, and all the weird assumptions involved there (also history and power dynamics, depending on the situation). Does that make any sense?

Conference paper went great! Nobody there knew anything about comics, but there was still some good discussion about the ideas. The conference should be publishing an open-resource online book at some point... I'll send you guys a link. For the meantime, here's the scintillating opening paragraph :P

"Midway through 1986’s Uncanny X-Men #210, a blue figure runs toward us, head lowered to emphasize his monstrous (or at least otherworldly) physical features: claw-like, two-fingered hands and two-toed feet, pointed ears, and a forked tail. As he runs, he pleads to the furious, baseball bat and two-by-four-wielding mob advancing on both him and us: 'Leave me alone! I’ve done nothing!' Those who recognize the speaker as Nightcrawler, the superheroic X-Men’s resident demon with the heart of a saint, know such protestations of innocence are almost certainly true. Yet as much as truth is always subjective, some crimes are about being rather than doing. In the eyes of the mob, Nightcrawler has broken laws that are moral, rather than civil, and is guilty not through commission, but embodiment. The mob wants Nightcrawler dead because he was born different, possessing an 'X-gene' that transforms him into something both superhuman and un-human."

[M.Hammerman]

I'm sure in a long thread as this is, you have already talk about the blue factor (as Drelion said, "Always had a thing for blue"). Apart from Marvel characters (Mystique, Beast, Archangel...), it's clear that there's no other colour so flattering, from Smurfs to Krishna going through Dr. Manhattan and the Daft Punk's 14-chapters-long-space-adventure Interstella.

But I don't know if out of Europe there is notice about an old 80's cartoons that I like very much. Ulysse 31 --kinda translation of Sci-Fi Odyssey-- included two alien sister and brother, Thais and Numaios, with blue skin, pointed ears and yellow eyes. There's no need to say I was mad about both of them (when I was a child I, as most of people, was not very clear about my sexual preferences ).

I've never seen that cartoon, but I'll check it out (especially with the added bonus on listening to Daft Punk while doing so, lol). I don't know why everyone always uses blue as a fantasy skin colour... Maybe it shows up better visually, in terms of contrast, etc? I'm also partial to purple, though it's a bit harder to pull off (unless you're Gladiator, who can do no wrong from the tip of his mohawk to the toes of his thigh-high boots).

[March Hare]

Conference paper went great! Nobody there knew anything about comics, but there was still some good discussion about the ideas. The conference should be publishing an open-resource online book at some point... I'll send you guys a link. For the meantime, here's the scintillating opening paragraph :P

"Midway through 1986’s Uncanny X-Men #210, a blue figure runs toward us, head lowered to emphasize his monstrous (or at least otherworldly) physical features: claw-like, two-fingered hands and two-toed feet, pointed ears, and a forked tail. As he runs, he pleads to the furious, baseball bat and two-by-four-wielding mob advancing on both him and us: 'Leave me alone! I’ve done nothing!' Those who recognize the speaker as Nightcrawler, the superheroic X-Men’s resident demon with the heart of a saint, know such protestations of innocence are almost certainly true. Yet as much as truth is always subjective, some crimes are about being rather than doing. In the eyes of the mob, Nightcrawler has broken laws that are moral, rather than civil, and is guilty not through commission, but embodiment. The mob wants Nightcrawler dead because he was born different, possessing an 'X-gene' that transforms him into something both superhuman and un-human."

I'm just visualizing that fabulous issue and my heart goes mad. Claremont/Romita, you made such a great sensitive works...! I like so much that scene that I included it two times in my YouTube NC Tribute (its frame with stoned Kurt and its cover).