For one reason or another, the 21st century has seen Marvel’s writers determined to connect Spider-Man to the X-Men. Granted, Spidey is technically a mutant, but he wasn’t born a mutant, which is what traditionally separates him from Professor X and the gang. On different occasions, Marvel’s modern creators have attempted to infuse him into the X-Men with mixed results. Thus it is not surprising that the House of Ideas is once again trying to merge the two concepts.
This time, classic X-Man Nightcrawler will be the focal point as he sports a Spidey costume in his own five-issue limited series, Uncanny Spider-Man. Marvel has said that, as Spider-Man, Kurt will square off with some classic Spidey villains when the first issue hits store shelves in September.
If you listen closely, you’ll hear the groans of old-school X-Men fans worldwide. Putting Nightcrawler in the Spider-Man role is an odd choice, to say the least, making it worthy of the Oddball of the Week prize. Despite the trepidation from longtime readers, having the spotlight on Kurt Wagner should bolster interest in these classic key issues.
GIANT-SIZE X-MEN #1
In 1975, the X-Men were on the chopping block. Despite having been created by the legendary team of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and featuring a “who’s who” of comic artists and writers throughout the years, the original lineup didn’t take with fans. By the 1970s, the title was selling so poorly that Marvel was reprinting old issues rather than investing in new content.
Fresh off his major hit with Wolverine and Incredible Hulk #181, Len Wein took the reins of the X-Men and reinvented the team in Giant-Size X-Men #1. Along with adding Logan to the lineup, he created new characters Storm, Colossus, and Nightcrawler. The rest, as they say, is history.
The overall lull in the market has taken its toll on practically everything, including a holy grail like GSX #1. However, don’t mistake that for low prices. Anything from a 1.0 and above will easily cost you four figures and up.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #161
A year after making his debut, Nightcrawler was given the royal treatment. It’s a fine comic tradition to pair a relatively new character with an established hero to draw interest. When it comes to Marvel in the late 1970s, there was no bigger star than Spider-Man. With the X-Men having taken off thanks to the new creative team and characters, adding Nightcrawler to the cover art was a boon for Kurt Wagner.
Up to this point, the main selling point for ASM #161 had been the first cameo appearance of classic Punisher villain, Jigsaw. With Nightcrawler becoming the Uncanny Spider-Man, at least for a time, the first meeting between Nightcrawler and Spidey will draw more interest from both collectors and investors. As of late, the graded 9.8 has averaged around $300 for the past month.
NIGHTCRAWLER #1
Although Nightcrawler has been a staple of the X-Men since the team was reborn in 1975, he has never been a major standout. Certainly, he has his fans, but he’s not on the level of, say, Wolverine or Storm. However, he has been featured in his own comic series over the years, beginning with 1985’s Nightcrawler #1. In the early 1980s, several X-Men and X-family characters received their own limited series. Most famously, Wolverine had his first series in 1982, and even Magik starred in her self-titled series.
Nightcrawler would go on to have several more starring roles, but there’s no replacing the original. Last year, the graded 9.8 averaged a surprising $141. We haven’t seen any copies trade hands in 2023, and the last sale was for $73 in October.
NIGHT-SPIDEY OR SPIDER-CRAWLER?
Clearly, Marvel’s creative team is looking to try something different with the Uncanny Spider-Man. Who would have expected Nightcrawler to become Spider-Man in any fashion? I’m sure that’s precisely the point, and it could help drive interest toward what has been an underappreciated X-Man.
The bigger picture is whether or not this will usher Nightcrawler into the MCU as part of Marvel Studios’ first batch of X-Men.
