Nightcrawler's Mystique
Since the release of X2 and the introduction of "The Amazing Nightcrawler" into the X-Men team, the character of Kurt Wagner has become a source of attention from female fans of the film. Numerous fanfics have been written since the X2's release detailing romantic interludes with Storm, Rogue (mine), as well as a few slashy fics I haven't read and probably won't (because folks, Wolverine is SO not gay! I can SMELL the testosterone, for God's sake!). There have been fanfics describing his youth, his days with the German circus, how he got the name "Nightcrawler". Predominant among these fanfics are elaborations of Kurt's love life, most of these fanfics by the female half of the film's fans.
Why?
Why have so many girls become so attracted to the character of Kurt Wagner?
First, let's talk about outward appearances. Kurt Wagner is in not handsome in any orthodox way. The attraction I suspect is purely psychological. For me, I was hooked the first time I saw Nightcrawler teleporting around the White House knocking guys over. And then in the church with Storm and Jean, the German accent closed the deal. I have a fetish for accents. I suspect many other girls do, from the way the Nightcrawler fics have sprung up!
So, despite the blue skin (come on...does it LOOK like fur??), devil's tail and three-digited feet and hands, Kurt Wagner's a hit with the girls! And it has nothing to do with looks. The german brogue is nice, but what really seals the deal for us girls is what Kurt Wagner is.
From the moment Xavier located Wagner via Cerebro, we saw him holding a Catholic rosary and praying, which stumped me for a minute. When Storm and Jean found Wagner in the church, I was convinced he was the bad guy. But the character of Kurt Wagner hit a soft spot when he brought religion into fold.
I can't say I'm much of a Christian. It's how I've been raised, but I've had a hard time keeping a faith in something that isn't tangible, and having little proof of any God's existence, my faith is somewhat skaky. But even so, it's always a thrill to see references to God and religion in the film business, because God has taken a backseat in the last half century to more worldly issues such as the war in Iraq...etc etc. So rarely is any reference to God or religion made in the film industry, when it was God that controlled practically every aspect of our daily lives when the US was young.
The point I'm trying to make here is that it was refreshing to see a character making references to religion and proclaiming a reverent faith to God, and even going so far as to recite the Lord's prayer during the scene with Storm outside Cerebro. Because of this, the character of Kurt Wagner is unique, unlike any of the movie characters I've ever seen. You may argue that plenty of movie characters in the past have made references to God. For example, take 1998's romance film "City of Angels". God was mentioned, but indirectly. The director just didn't have the bravery to even let the word "God" be said in the film. Instead, they called him "He", and "Him".
This is why I was so intrigued by the character Nightcrawler. This is why I wrote a fanfic revolving around him, (albeit the fanfic itself isn't very evident of that..). I'm not sure this is the reason why other female fans of X2 are writing fanfics about Kurt Wagner, but this is my reason. It's not just simply female hormones run awry over a sexy German accent. It's an admiration of the character, the bravery that was put into the film by allowing religion to be bluntly mentioned, and also of Alan Cumming, who nailed the role seamlessly, and who I hope will make appearances in the next few films.
Everyone involved should be extremely proud of themselves.
Jesse King
August 17th, 2004