The Evolution of Nightcrawler and Mystique’s Relationship in X-Men Blue: Origins
X-Men Blue: Origins' retcons Nightcrawler and Mystique's relationship, revealing surprising parentage and a deeper bond between them Mystique's true intentions and an unbreakable connection are uncovered in this long-awaited release
Rewritten
X-Men Blue: Origins completely reimagines the complicated relationship between Nightcrawler and his mother, Mystique, and reshapes the narrative of X-Men stories. The Krakoa era of the X-Men is unraveling in dramatic fashion, revealing some difficult truths. X-Men Blue: Origins delves into Nightcrawler's origins, bringing to light the harshest realities.
Nightcrawler has been evading Orchis and dealing with his mother, Mystique, who has been wreaking havoc in New York. Today's landmark issue challenges long-held beliefs about the X-Men's blue elf and his fearsome mother.
Warning, spoilers for X-Men Blue: Origins to follow
X-Men Blue: Origins establishes Nightcrawler as the son of two women
Marvel ComicsMystique's ability to change her appearance enabled her to conceive a child with her partner, Destiny. Despite many fans predicting that X-Men Blue: Origins would revise Nightcrawler's origin, it still remains a shocking revelation.
Origins takes us back to some familiar lore as we learn that Mystique pretended to be the wife of German nobleman Baron Christian Wagner, while secretly arranging for her true love, Destiny, to join Baron Wagner's staff. When Destiny urges Mystique to start a family, Mystique shapeshifts her DNA to become male and they have a son named Nightcrawler. However, Destiny's motives for wanting a family are revealed to be much more sinister.
Nightcrawler’s parents were originally Mystique and Azazel
This retcon undoes a pretty significant piece of X-Men lore. The history of Nightcrawler’s parentage was a long-known and somewhat underwhelming bit of storytelling.
In the initial backstory of Nightcrawler, Mystique gave birth to a child following a secret relationship with Azazel.
According to the original plot, Nightcrawler is the product of Mystique's affair with Azazel, who is a seemingly immortal mutant. Considering Azazel's demonic features and ability to teleport, it was a fitting choice for him to be Nightcrawler's father.
X-Men Blue: Origins reveals Mystique never really abandoned Nightcrawler
Even though Azazel is no longer part of the family's origin, his presence still plays a role in the story. It is a vision of Azazel conquering the world that motivates Destiny to begin a family with Mystique.
Seeing a vision of Azazel conquering Earth and killing the X-Men, Destiny manipulates Mystique into starting a family. Destiny has a vision that Azazel can be thwarted if he believes he has a child who can stop him.
Marvel ComicsDestiny deceived Mystique to allow Nightcrawler to be raised in oppression so he could stop Azazel
Even more troubling is the extent of Destiny's foresight. She predicted that Nightcrawler would have to endure suffering in order to confront Azazel, and deliberately allowed him to be captured. The revelation becomes even more disturbing when Mystique discovers that Destiny had foreseen Nightcrawler's disappearance. With no other options, Mystique and Destiny plead with Xavier to erase their memories, leading to the jaded, aggressive Mystique we now see in stories, a woman who callously abandoned her own child.
Mystique and Destiny are Marvel’s ultimate ride-or-die couple
The origins of X-Men Blue reaffirm the enduring bond between Mystique and Destiny, which has captivated fans with its unbreakable nature despite enduring decades of turmoil.
The passionate connection between Destiny and Mystique shows no signs of fading, but their impending reunion is bound to be fraught with bitterness.
However, the dynamics of their relationship may soon change. Although a reconciliation seems imminent, the recent revelation of Destiny's manipulation of Mystique and Nightcrawler is likely to cast a shadow over their reunion.
Stay tuned to Dexerto for more news about the future potential of Nightcrawler and other X-Men and Marvel Comics updates, as he was recently captured by Silver Sable in the Uncanny Spider-Man story set after this issue.
Editor's P/S
1. The article discusses the retcon of Nightcrawler and Mystique's relationship in X-Men Blue: Origins. I think this is a fascinating development, as it sheds new light on the characters' motivations and actions. It also complicates their relationship, making it more nuanced and interesting.
2. I am particularly intrigued by the revelation that Destiny manipulated Mystique into starting a family with her. This suggests that Destiny is not as benevolent as she seems, and that she is willing to go to great lengths to achieve her goals. It also raises the question of whether or not Nightcrawler was ever truly meant to be a hero. Was he simply a pawn in Destiny's plan to stop Azazel?
Overall, I think X-Men Blue: Origins is a great example of how retcons can be used to add depth and complexity to a story. I am excited to see where the story goes from here and how the characters will deal with the new revelations about their past.
