[[{“value”:”
I’ve seen plenty of superhero characters go through horrible situations, but what Marvel just did with Wolverine and Nightcrawler’s relationship is something I don’t think I’ll ever forgive. After Ultimate Wolverine’s first brutal outing as the Winter Soldier, Marvel decided to twist the knife even further with one tragic speech. It’s a shame readers will never see the Ultimate version of Wolverine and Nightcrawler’s friendship.
Readers got to see their first look at Wolverine as the Winter Soldier in Ultimate Wolverine #1 by Chris Condon and Alessandro Cappuccio. Wolverine is unleashed on a resistance group, fighting against the rule of the Eurasian Republic. Unfortunately, the opposition was quickly wiped out once the Eurasian Republic unleashed Directorate X.
Directorate X existed to exploit and experiment with the genetic powers of mutants. The oranization captured Logan, transforming him into the Winter Soldier: the weapon the Eurasian Republic used to destroy the opposition, including Nightcrawler.
Wolverine and Nightcrawler’s Friendship Meets a Brutal End in the Ultimate Universe
Ultimate Wolverine #1 by Chris Condon, Alessandro Cappuccio, Bryan Valenza, and Cory Petit
The two leaders of the opposition in this world are revealed to be Nightcrawler and Mystique, and they’ve met Wolverine several times. It’s shown that Nightcrawler and Wolverine were good friends, much like I know they are in the main Marvel Universe. Just like in the 616 universe, Nightcrawler is given the adorable nickname of Elf by Wolverine, and that just makes Ultimate Nightcrawler’s death all the more tragic. Wolverine has always had a tragic past, but making him the murderer of one of his best friends is something I just don’t think I’ll get over anytime soon.
Related
Major X-Men Death: Nightcrawler’s Last Words Expose the Core of the Character
Sadly, Ultimate Nightcrawler has been tragically slain by his best friend Logan, acting as the new Winter Soldier, in his Ultimate Universe debut.
Out of all the X-Men, Nightcrawler and Beast have the most monstrous appearances. Nightcrawler often used an image inducer to make himself look human. During one of their first outings as friends in the 616 universe, in Classic X-Men #4 by Chris Claremont and John Bolton, Wolverine challenges Nightcrawler to ditch the inducer and reveal his true form during a night out on the town. While initially nervous, Nightcrawler agreeds and finds people are surprisingly welcoming towards him. This story was one of the first times that Nightcrawler was comfortable in his own form, and he owed it entirely to Wolverine pushing him.
Practically Inseparable on One of the Original X-Men Teams
The two make a perfect pair as they balance each other out. Wolverine is gruff and cynical, but he doesn’t care what anyone thinks, and he’s true to himself. Nightcrawler wears his heart on his sleeve and is almost always optimistic and hopeful, both for the future and his interactions with people. But that he looks like a devil once made him hide himself from humanity for fear of how they would react. Wolverine was able to push him to be more comfortable with his body, and Nightcrawler was able to push Logan to be more optimistic.
The other reason I believe that the two get along so well is that society tends to view them both as monsters. Wolverine is a very scary man; he’s rough, and he has indestructible knives that come out of his hands. He’s also deeply conflicted over whether he’s more beast than man. Conversely, Nightcrawler looks like a demon. While he’s a man of faith, most people would only see a monster when looking at him. These misconceptions about their characters belie the true depth of their humanity, which they initially only shared with one another.
This Iconic X-Men Friendship Ends in Tragedy in the Ultimate Universe
Nightcrawler Is No More
That’s what ultimately makes this death so tragic, I think. Wolverine is fully brainwashed and turned against his friends. It’s the ultimate admission that Wolverine truly is just a beast. His humanity has been stripped away, and he’s been sent to kill the only people who ever viewed him as anything more than a monster. It’s an unbelievably tragic twist in the traditional X-Men story, made only worse by the sermon revealing that Nightcrawler had mourned Wolverine. He believed Wolverine was dead and truly missed him, stating that he would never forget the nickname Wolverine had given him.
Nightcrawler and Wolverine have managed to be friends despite everything that should come between them.
Nightcrawler and Wolverine have managed to be friends despite everything that should come between them. Logan has no greater faith in God or Heaven, and yet Nightcrawler is a priest who preaches about both things. Nightcrawler abhors killing, yet Wolverine has more dead people to his name than most. They should be complete opposites, but they are one of the best pairs of friends in the X-Men team, and I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready to forgive Marvel for giving Wolverine and Nightcrawler such a tragic backstory in this new Ultimate Universe.
Ultimate Wolverine #1 is available now from Marvel Comics!
“}]] Wolverine’s past gets a heartbreaking twist. Read More