NIGHTCRAWLER: THE FIRST PERSON WE MEET

NIGHTCRAWLER: THE FIRST PERSON WE MEET Giant-Size X-Men #1 opens with Kurt Wagner being pursued by a mob in Germany. Xavier intervenes before they can kill him. The new team's introduction begins with a mutant in danger because of how other people see him. Kurt's blue fur, yellow eyes, pointed tail and unusual hands and feet are part of his everyday body. A change of clothes won't give him the same freedom to disappear into a crowd that some of the other recruits have. Joining the X-Men offers the possibility of meeting people who understand that difference. The issue doesn't make acceptance automatic once he's among mutants. During the rescue, Sunfire's treatment of him gives Kurt reason to question whether this new company will be kinder. Their shared circumstances don't settle how they behave toward each other. Agility, climbing and teleportation let Kurt avoid attacks and reach places another teammate couldn't. Cockrum's red-and-black costume, with its broad shoulders and white gloves and boots, makes his silhouette recognizable even in a crowded group. Kurt asks questions, talks back and lets people know when they've hurt him. He's still willing to help rescue the missing X-Men after the treatment he's received. Xavier has offered him somewhere to belong, but the people sharing the mission will have to make that offer mean something in practice.