Spoilers for Legion of X #6 ahead!Nightcrawler has long been the heart and soul of most X-Men teams, but a recent issue has him display feats of power that outclass even Iron Man.
Life has not been easy for Kurt Wagner. Abandoned by his mother (later revealed to be the mutant Mystique) after his mutations left him with a monstrous appearance, Kurt has struggled with prejudice and hatred due to his demonic visage. He has found comfort and understanding, first in his Catholic faith, and then in his friends, the X-Men. Since joining the team in Len Wein and Dave Cockrum's Giant Size X-Men #1, Nightcrawler has been a positive presence, regaling his comrades with his charm, wit, good nature, and optimism. Kurt has seldom been one for major displays of power, however, preferring to leave that to his teammates - until now.
In Si Spurrier and Rafael Pimentel's Legion of X #6, Kurt has a chance to shine, and outdoes a well-known MCU Iron Man feat. Judgment Day has come to Arakko, in the form of the evil Eternal (and Thanos's grandfather) Uranos, who has come to lay waste to the planet in the Eternals' quest to eradicate mutantkind. While the battle is brutal, with Arakko devastated and Magneto dead, this issue shows that the situation would be far more dire without the furry blue elf. Kurt first tricks Isca the Unbeaten, teleporting her far from the battle to neutralize an opponent who cannot lose. Then he starts to evacuate Arakki - all of them, one group at a time, with them all maintaining physical contact with him by holding hands.
Nightcrawler Single-Handedly Saves A Planet Of Mutants
With a little power boost from Xavier's Omega mutant son, Legion, Kurt is able to keep going far past his natural limits. While Legion distracts Uranos on the Astral Plane, Nightcrawler evacuates as many of the civilians as he can, safe from danger - and into a pocket dimension in his powerful friend's head. And the plan works perfectly, until a group of Arakki warriors mistakenly injure Kurt, slowing him down and distracting Legion during his battle with Uranos. This heroic strategy bears a striking resemblance to a scene from Iron Man 3, where Tony rescues a group of people who are free-falling from an exploding plane by getting them to hold hands as he flies by them, one by one. It was a memorable scene in an underrated Phase 2 movie, but Kurt's actions blow Tony's plan out of the water - not only does he save a lot more people, but he teleports into a pocket dimension (or "bubble reality") in Legion's brain: that is, beyond normal time and space.
While Judgment Day has been harrowing for Marvel heroes and civilians alike, the event has shown Nightcrawler at his best. Heroic, brave, self-sacrificing, and determined, Kurt saves the day with a swashbuckling flair... while Tony accidentally helped create the mad Celestial known as the Progenitor currently threatening Earth. This god-tier feat by Nightcrawler not only dunks on MCU Iron Man's rescue, but it also showcases the best traits that have endeared this member of the X-Men to fans for generations.