The new season of X-Men ’97 might be all about Apocalypse, but the superhero series also (rightly) elevates a fan favorite in a major way. Across nine episodes, Nightcrawler might be the X-Man who gets the most to do. His bonds with his half-siblings — like Rogue and the far less altruistic Graydon Creed — became a surprising throughline whenever the series took a breather from its bigger time-travel plot. It made a lot of sense for a character who’s always played a supporting role but rarely gets the spotlight.
The teleporting mutant, otherwise known as Kurt Wagner, is a fascinating dichotomy: he takes the form of a blue devil, yet few X-Men are as kind-hearted as he is. For X-Men ’97 producer Jake Castorena, that’s what makes him a perfect symbol for the titular team. “It’s the juxtaposition of ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover,’” Castorena tells Inverse. “You have this literal demon-looking thing who is a devout Catholic of devout faith... but Kurt’s faith is not necessarily a crutch, nor is it preaching. And that’s what I like about it.”
X-Men ’97 Season 2 has tested the limits of his faith — and his trust in characters both good and evil — at every turn, which served up some delicious moral quandaries for the X-Men. Even before the season came to a close, Kurt had emerged as its MVP. With the Season 2 finale, however, we finally understand why... and the motives behind Kurt’s promotion feel pretty devastating in hindsight.
Spoilers ahead for X-Men ’97 Season 2!
What happens in the X-Men ’97 finale?
This week, X-Men ’97 Season 2 came to a close, wrapping things up with an explosive battle between the X-Men and a resurrected Apocalypse. The immortal mutant hijacked the corpse of Gambit and turned him into his latest Horseman in Episode 7; in Episode 8, Rogue and Professor X effectively brought Gambit back to life and pushed Apocalypse to the recesses of his mind. In the season finale, the X-Men have to finish the job before Cable interferes. He’s set on destroying Apocalypse no matter who gets hurt in the process, and that puts an ailing Gambit in more danger than before.
While the X-Men fend off the combined strength of X-Factor and X-Force, Rogue, Nightcrawler, and Beast search for a power that can end this conflict for good. Inside Apocalypse’s Ship, they encounter a Celestial, Eson the Searcher, who grants Rogue a major power-up to turn the tide and burn Apocalypse out of Gambit’s psyche. The only problem: such power requires a sacrifice, but Rogue gladly lays down her life in exchange for Gambit’s.
Rogue’s choice gives “star-crossed love” a whole new meaning — but she and Gambit do eventually get a kind of happily ever after. While an ultra-powered Rogue uses her new Celestial gifts to defeat Apocalypse and save Gambit once and for all, she doesn’t have to give up her life after all. That’s because Nightcrawler, sensing something was amiss, speaks to Eson to make his own sacrifice, all so that Rogue and Gambit can get a second chance. He tells the Celestial that his demise will plant a seed of new life for the X-Men, allowing the team to heal and find peace after the ordeals of the season. Eson might doubt his optimism — but just before Kurt fades into the aether, he reaffirms that he has faith that everything will work out.
Is Nightcrawler really gone?
Nightcrawler’s sacrifice is tragic, but it makes a lot of sense for the character. When looking back on the season, X-Men ’97 actually resolved plenty of loose ends where his arc was concerned, from his enmity with Grayson to his deepening dynamic with Rogue. This season spoiled us with Nightcrawler storylines, and Castorena says it was difficult balancing that without outright telegraphing the character’s bittersweet end.
“We want to give attention to characters we’re going to kill off, but we also don’t want to give so much attention that it’s like, Hey, is something going to happen?” the producer explains. “We want you to be falsely satisfied, if that makes sense. Subvert expectation, do something so you don’t see it coming; don’t telegraph it to the audience.”
Castorena is also “happy” that Season 2 ended with so many questions left to answer. “I’m very satisfied that we end on a cliffhanger the way we do,” he continues. “Or a question mark, if there is one. I mean, is [Nightcrawler] truly dead? Who knows?”
X-Men ’97 is, after all, modeled on one of the wildest comic sagas Marvel has to offer. “Look, it’s comic books,” Castorena adds. “No one’s ever really gone.”
The door remains open for Nightcrawler to maybe, one day, find his way back to the land of the living. Given what his sacrifice means for Rogue and Gambit, though — and for Nightcrawler’s own inner peace — this might be the last we see of him for some time.
