Nightcrawler’s origin gets a long overdue clean-up this fall

Si Spurrier and Wilton Santos will spotlight Nightcrawler and Mystique in ‘X-Men Origins Blue.’

During the Designing the X-Men panel in San Diego, Marvel announced a couple of new projects related to their merry mutants.

The first is X-Men Origins Blue, which arrives in November. The one-shot will delve into the origins of both Nightcrawler and Mystique, and, knock on wood, will retcon the terrible retcons made to the character in the early 2000s. It’s by Si Spurrier and Wilton Santos, and Spurrier’s quote offers a glimmer of hope in the right direction.

“It’s not often you get the chance to shine new light into the origins of a truly beloved character. To do so for two at once is an unprecedented privilege,” Spurrier said. “With this book, we’re breaking new ground in more ways than one. We’re walking this path with the deepest love for Nightcrawler and Mystique, and the deepest respect for the formative stories that surround them.”

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Slugfest | A round-up of Marvel announcements for August

Damage Control, Alien, Edge of the Spider-Verse and more are coming in August.

Slugfest is a roundup of cool announcements about projects coming to a shelf near you. This edition is all about Marvel’s August announcements, of which there are many. Hit the links for more information.

Marvel released their solicitations for August today (You can find the complete listings on Newsarama or The Beat) and they included several new stories and big storylines that I may or may not have already covered here. So, here’s a round-up of what to expect and what looks interesting …

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Spurrier + Bazaldua assemble ‘Legion of X’

The new series, which is part of the ‘Destiny of X’ line-up, debuts in April.

Following the initial announcement of Destiny of X last month and the subsequent news on the creative teams for Marauders and Immortal X-Men, Marvel today shared more details on Legion of X, which will debut in April.

The title spins out of the storylines started in last year’s Way of X and is written by Way of X writer Si Spurrier and drawn by Jan Bazaldua (Winter Guard). They’ll focus on a group of mutants dedicated to bringing “peace, love and justice to Krakoa,” including Legion, Nightcrawler, Pixie and more.

“I’ve wanted to do a precinct-style ensemble story since I first read House of X. For the first time, the Marvel Universe has this densely packed, beautiful (and beautifully volatile) population of superhumans, out in the open, all in one place. It needs peacekeepers, sure… but it’s a mistake to think of them as simply cops. You don’t get far in Krakoa if the limit of your imagination is beating people up or reaching for a gun. Mutant civilization needs those who think differently,” Spurrier told Marvel.com. “That’s where Nightcrawler, Legion, Pixie and Juggernaut come in — along with a rotating cast of your favorite mutants and non-mutants. And a couple of new faces you’re going to want to watch very, very closely…”

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Spurrier and Quinn put Nightcrawler at the center of ‘Way of X’

The new X-Men title will explore “the dark mysteries of the X-Men’s new way of life.”

With X of Swords in the back issue bins and the X-titles moving into what they’re calling “Reign of X,” Simon Spurrier and Bob Quinn are preparing for their own arrival on Krakoa. The duo will team up on a new title, Way of X, which features Nightcrawler, Dr. Nemesis, Pixie and Blink, among others, confronting “the dark mysteries of the X-Men’s new way of life.”

“I should probably just tell a lie for the sake of a neat elevator pitch and say that Way of X is a story about the creation of a new mutant religion,” Spurrier told Marvel.com. “But it’s not—not really. That’s kinda where it starts, for sure. Nightcrawler realizes something’s wrong with the hearts and minds of mutantkind 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?”

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Writer, editor and Hall of Famer Len Wein passes away

The co-creator of Swamp Thing, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Human Target and so many more characters passes away.

Len Wein, co-creator of Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Storm and Swamp Thing, has passed away at 69, according to multiple comics industry professionals, including Paul Kupperberg.

While no cause of death has been reported, the 69-year-old Hall of Fame member has suffered from poor health over the last few years and has been in and out of the hospital for foot surgery over the last few months, according to posts on his Facebook and Twitter feeds.

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