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“What Happened To Nightcrawler?”
Depression can affect anyone at any time. For Kurt Wagner, the mutant known as Nightcrawler among his X-Men peers, had been suffering from the condition for months now. Ever since the god-like alien known as the Beyonder had teleported Earth’s mightiest superheroes to another world, then made them fight for their very lives, Kurt began to second guess his purpose in life. It was not from being on the planet known as “Battle World”. No, the Nightcrawler was not selected to participate at all.
Why? Was he not a good enough hero to join his friends? Kurt could have teleported to the planet at ease, but he didn’t. Did this make him a coward instead? There were so many questions he needed spiritual answers for, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask for help. It was a shame, as his long-time girlfriend, Amanda Sefton, was growing tired of his antisocial behavior. The sorceress was powerful, but even her powers could not help those that refused it. In truth, she had grown tired of the drama.
Kurt Wagner crouched on his apartment balcony, looking out into the rain, as Amanda left for her job that morning. The streets of Manhattan were already jammed with daily drivers going to work, which never bothered him. But something was going on in Central Park that drew his attention. An odd looking garbage truck was driving in the interior of the treeline, but why? There were no cans to empty out there.
Then the Nightcrawler picked up a scream coming from that very location with his advanced mutant hearing. Maybe a bit of action could shake his blues? Bampf! Kurt vanished in a flash. It was time to investigate the situation for the better good.
Will Kurt Wagner make peace with himself before he loses the love of his life? Why is there a group of men snatching joggers in the middle of Central Park? What lies beneath the old theme park in the eastern Bronx? Collect the series to find out!
Reviewer Note
Oh boy, I couldn’t wait to read this one after I found a copy recently. This issue was the very first X-Men comic book I ever read as a kid. My parents used to drive back and forth on road trips to see relatives multiple times a year. To keep me entertained during those nine-hour drives, they would buy me comic books off the spinner racks at truck stops and restaurants along the way. This was one of those memorable books.
Now, after rereading Uncanny X-Men 204 as an adult, I’m glad to see this story holds up 38 years later. Issue 204 takes place following the events of the first Marvel Secret Wars event, when all the affected heroes and villains were trying to return to some normalcy. Some, like the Nightcrawler, struggled to make sense of what happened to themselves as well as their friends.
This book is not tied to a bigger event, but it is a nice transition story featuring the homicidal villain Arcade and his infamous “Murder World”. This is a no-hold barred, action book. Check it out if you can find a copy. I give this issue a solid three out of five stars. It was a hoot revisiting this one.
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