Summary
- In 2023, Marvel established queer mutant couple Mystique and Destiny as Nightcrawler's true parents, a decision that writers fought for behind the scenes.
- X-Editor Jordan D. White initially hesitated to embrace the idea, but was convinced by writers Si Spurrier and Kieron Gillen.
- The decision to establish Mystique and Destiny as Nightcrawler's parents fits into the franchise's long history, making text what writer Chris Claremont inserted as subtext decades ago during his influential run.
Chris Claremont's series-defining run on Uncanny X-Men. Now it is canon – but even up to its publication, writers had to fight for the story behind the scenes. where
X-Editor Jordan D. White spoke with AIPT for X-Men Monday #233, where he discussed the creative process behind finally establishing Nightcrawler's true parentage on the page, making it official after the idea persisted in the series' subtext for forty years. White itted his own hesitance to embrace the idea, before being convinced by X-writers Si Spurrier and Kieron Gillen.
White noted that he was pleased with the final product, and the way it fits into the context of the franchise's long history. He noted that the decision was ultimately a result of "creator ion and willingness to fight."
Marvel's Most Iconic Queer Couple Just Made History (Changing X-Men Lore Forever)
The monumental X-Men Blue: Origins has finally revealed that Destiny and Mystique are Nightcrawler's biological parents, changing X-Men lore forever.
"The ship had kind of sailed," Jordan D. White said, as he explained his initial resistance to rewriting Nightcrawler's origin. "I was very hesitant. Honestly, the main reason I was hesitant was because I feel like the jury is in on it."
X-Men Writers Si Spurrier And Kieron Gillen Made "Blue: Origins" Happen
"The ship had kind of sailed," Jordan D. White said, as he explained his initial resistance to rewriting Nightcrawler's origin. "I was very hesitant. Honestly, the main reason I was hesitant was because I feel like the jury is in on it." White said that he viewed the established origin for the character as concrete, if not beloved, as the son of Mystique and demonic-looking mutant Azazel. According to White:
We know who his parents are now. We saw a story. It’s not a very beloved story, but it was also relatively definitive, given the way it was told — it seems pretty clear that it’s true and decided. And there have been stories since then that followed up on it.
Notably, White's perspective on canonicity here starkly contrasts with the view espoused by lauded X-scribe Jonanthan Hickman, who suggests continuity is a matter of which stories "stick."
The outgoing chief X-editor noted that writer Si Spurrier initially pushed for the idea, and was ed by Kieron Gillen, another pivotal member of the X-Office during the ascendant Krakoan Era of the franchise. "The two of them made a case for why it would work, here’s how we would make it work, and why it’s valuable," White said, complimenting the pair of writers for their determination in bringing what they believed to be the most enduring story to the page.
"It being the original creator’s intention is meaningful but it [can't] be the only thing," [White] said. Ultimately, the story had to fit into the existing franchise lore, in order for it to be viable.
Nightcrawler's Future Is Now Free Of His Uncertain History
Jordan White further explained to AIPT that he ultimately approved the plot because it was the best story, not just because it has been a long-gestating revelation. Though many fans are excited for Chris Claremont's original idea to become the characters' official story, White noted that the decision is more complex than that. "It being the original creator’s intention is meaningful but it [can't] be the only thing," he said. Ultimately, the story had to fit into the existing franchise lore, in order for it to be viable.
"Si did it in a way that doesn’t invalidate the previous stories," White stated. "It very much acknowledges those previous stories and goes, 'Here’s why the thing said in those stories isn’t true, but also here’s why those things were said.'" While long-time champions of Mystique and Destiny as Nightcrawler's parents may argue that the prior canon explanation could have been voided entirely, in the end, Marvel's decision to finally clarify this long-standing X-Men lore question sets up a fresh, exciting future for all three characters.
Source: AIPT, X-Men Monday #233
X-Men Origins: Blue #1 is available now from Marvel Comics.
