The X-Men's Nightcrawler will decide the future of the mutant race in Simon Spurrier and Bob Quinn's upcoming Way of X series. The X-Men books are bigger than ever right now, courtesy of superstar writer Jonathan Hickman. He has brought together the entire mutant race on the living island of Krakoa, and the mutants are gradually creating a new culture.
It hasn't been easy for Kurt Wagner, aka the amazing Nightcrawler. He reflected as much in conversation with Cyclops in X-Men #7, in dialogue that took readers by surprise. "Every day, there's some new, amazing thing to believe in," Kurt told his friend, "and all it costs is the suspension of everything I used to believe." Nightcrawler's Catholic faith has been central to his character for decades, but it seems he has been shaken by the experience of Krakoa, most likely particularly by the Resurrection Protocols that allow the mutants to conquer death. Hellions #7 subtly confirmed Nightcrawler has lost his faith, with a disturbing quote reading, “We must heal ourselves! The peace promised in death is no more.”
Marvel Comics has confirmed Nightcrawler's story will continue in Way of X, a new series by Simon Spurrier and Bob Quinn that will launch in April 2021. An official teaser suggests the events of Way of X will come to define the mutant race - but Nightcrawler's quest won't just be philosophical.
"Known for his high-concept storytelling on titles like X-Men Legacy and X-Force, Spurrier returns to the X-Men with a series that will explore some of the most pressing questions that have been raised in this thought-provoking new era. Led by Nightcrawler, a brand-new team of mutants will assemble to confront the dark mysteries of the X-Men’s new way of life.
Mutantkind has built a new Eden...but there are serpents in this garden. Some mutants struggle to fit in. Some mutants turn to violence and death. And the children whisper of the Patchwork Man, singing in their hearts... Only one mutant senses the looming shadows. Snared by questions of death, law and love, only Nightcrawler can fight for the soul of Krakoa. Only he—and the curious crew he assembles (including fan-favorites Dr. Nemesis, Pixie, and Blink)—can help mutants defeat their inner-darkness and find a new way to live. This is the WAY OF X."
Nightcrawler's story has seemed tangential to Krakoa's development for the last year or so, but Simon Spurrier is the perfect writer to get inside Kurt Wagner's head. According to Spurrier, Nightcrawler's Way of X story will begin with his founding a new mutant religion, but the demonic teleporter will soon find him going a step further. "Nightcrawler realises something’s wrong with the hearts and minds of mutantkind," he explains, "and sets out to fix it. But as he quickly discovers, this isn’t a job for priests and prayers… The question is, what do they have to become in order to fight it? Preachers? Cops? Executioners? Or something entirely new?"
The reference to "shadows" in the teaser is an interesting one, because it may indicate the identity of the proverbial serpent in the X-Men's Garden of Eden. There's been some speculation the Shadow King is taking over Krakoa, with the malevolent astral entity gradually beginning to twist mutants to his own agenda. That would fit with some of the more troubling aspects of the developing mutant culture that have seemed subtly out-of-character over the last year, such as their obsession with gladiatorial matches. If that is indeed the case, then Nightcrawler is literally fighting for the soul of the X-Men.
Source: Marvel Comics