The next morning Kurt asked the freaks about Jimaine's whereabouts, but nobody had seen her. Meanwhile Jimaine trained her trapeze flying act with Sabu. Margali watched her through her scrying ball and decided it was time for a sacrifice to bring her daughter back to the right path. That evening it was Nightcrawler's last performance and the show was sold out. Jimaine was approached by her mother posing as Belasco while Sabu performed with Nightcrawler. Sabu's trapeze snapped and Nightcrawler failed to save him. When Jimaine saw the bloody body of Sabu she was sure she should've died that night. Following Sabu's funeral Jimaine told Kurt that she had to stay. Nightcrawler left the Jahrmarkt without her (but with his Errol Flynn memorabilia). (Nightcrawler III#9) - In Florida Nightcrawler and other members of the Jahrmarkt became part of Jardine Circus. Jardine drugged Nightcrawler for weeks to suppress his powers and put him into a cage as part of the freakshow. When a little boy helped Nightcrawler escape he returned four days later to confront Jardine and threatened him. He told Jardine to release anyone he held at his circus against their will or else Nightcrawler would return to punish him. Nightcrawler then left (to return to Winzeldorf in Nightcrawler III#11 or any other issue that depicted the following events; see comments). (Giant-Size X-Men#1/Uncanny Origins#8 - both BTS) - Hunted by an angry mob in Winzeldorf and accused of various murders (children (actually Neuri children) and his brother Stefan though Stefan was the only one he committed and that was by accident). Nightcrawler realized that it would've been smarter to stay with the Jahrmarkt. Professor X saved him and asked Kurt to join his X-Men. (Marvel Comics Presents I#106 (fb) - BTS) - Jutta and seven other members (according to Jutta they were seven in total, but I'm counting 8 with Jutta) of the Jahrmarkt planned to destroy the Neuri, who they held responsible for Stefan Szardos' death. (see comments) (Marvel Comics Presents I#106 (fb) ) - They went to Arnim Zola to be mutated by him. Zola needed bodies to experiment on and empowered them in painful procedures. (Marvel Comics Presents I#103 (fb) - BTS) - The Jahrmarkt started killing any Neuri they could find, but they still didn't know where they lived to kill them all. (Marvel Comics Presents I#106 (fb) - BTS) - In hope to lure out the Neuri, Jutta called Nightcrawler. (Marvel Comics Presents I#101 (fb) - BTS) - Nightcrawler rejoined the Jahrmarkt in Winzeldorf to investigate the strange occurences that scared his former friends. (Marvel Comics Presents I#101) - As Herr Indigo, Nightcrawler, performed fantastic acrobatic acts and drew large audiences once again. After one show Jutta brought Kurt back to his trailer and a boy tried to get an autogram from Kurt, who didn't want the boy to see him without his disguise and just left. Later the boy returned in his true form, as a Neuri, and attacked Nightcrawler. (Marvel Comics Presents I#102) - Jutta watched from afar Wolverine and Nightcrawler fight the Neuri, who just wanted to thank Nightcrawler for saving his life years ago from Stefan Szardos. (see comments) (Marvel Comics Presents I#103) - Bound to the knife-throwers wheel under the big top Nightcrawler interrogated the Neuri under the suspicious eyes of Jutta and other Jahrmarkt members including a clown. Nightcralwer learned from the Neuri youth that his people were peaceful and needed Nightcrawler's help against persecution. Jutta used her fiery powers to kill the Neuri. Nightcrawler and Wolverine didn't realize it was her and she claimed it was the Neuri's own people, who probably wanted to punish him for breaking their "code of silence". Nightcrawler vowed to avenge the youth's death. (Marvel Comics Presents I#105) - The Jahrmarkt followed Wolverine and Nightcrawler, who tracked down the Neuri. Jutta then told the surprised heroes that the Jahrmarkt was going to kill the Neuri. (Marvel Comics Presents I#106) - Jutta separated Nightcrawler and Wolverine from the monsters with a wall of fire to explain to them that the Jahrmarkt only wanted to avenge Stefan's death. Nightcrawler and Wolverine knew that it was wrong and attacked the mutated Jahrmarkt members. Nightcrawler sent the Neuri away to the hills until the Jahrmarkt was defeated. Angered by Nightcrawler's betrayal Jutta attempted to kill him with a fire blast, but Nightcrawler teleported away. (Marvel Comics Presents I#107) - Nightcrawler and Wolverine continued to fight Jutta and the other mutates while the Neuri fled to an abandonned castle, which the villagers torched. Nightcrawler teleported to the castle to save the Neuri while Wolverine continued to fight the Jahrmarkt. (Marvel Comics Presents I#108) - Wolverine defeated the Jahrmarkt, but Jutta slipped away and tried to kill another Neuri with her fire before Wolverine ended her life with his claws. (X-Men Unlimited I#19 (fb) - BTS) - Margali changed bodies with her daughter and transformed Kierkegaard, Gummi, Haus and Feuer into demons from Limbo. (X-Men Unlimited I#19) - Margali (as Jimaine) used the souls of Feuer, Gummi, Haus and Kierkegaard to strengthen her magic powers and seemingly killed their bodies in a ritual. Nightcrawler learned of their deaths from Belasco and went to Winzeldorf as fast as possible. There he joined Margali still posing as Jimaine (easy task with her daughter's body) to save Margali (actually Jimaine in her mother's body) from Belasco. They teleported to Limbo where they successfully defeated Belasco. Margali switched minds with her daughter again and left. Jimaine then transformed Haus, Feuer, Kierkegaard and Gummi back into their true forms. Nightcrawler brought the Jahrmarkt freaks back to Earth in the Midnight Runner (Excalibur's jet, which was suddenly there for no good reason). (Fantastic Four 1999) - Various members of the Jahrmarkt joined Margali in Limbo to live there under her protection. One day they encountered the Fantastic Four, Mechamage and Alyssa Moy, who were brought there by Margali herself. (Uncanny X-Men#407 - BTS) - Feuer retired as the Jahrmarkt's fire-eater and moved into the mountains. (Nightcrawler III#8 - BTS/9 (fb) - BTS) - In search for the Soulsword the demon Hive and various monsters attacked the Jahrmarkt. The monsters tore apart the circus and tortured everyone. (Nightcrawler III#8 - BTS) - Nightcrawler dreamed about the Jahrmarkt. (Nightcrawler III#8) - From afar Nightcrawler, Wolverine and Christine Palmer saw the burning Jahrmarkt. (Nightcrawler III#9) - They found dead Jahrmarkt performers and workers. Among the few survivors was Feuer (seemingly out of retirement again). Christine bandaged Feuer's external wounds and Nightcrawler promised him that he and the other survivors would be brought to a hospital. Cyclops soon arrived in the Blackbird and took Feuer, Christine, Wolverine and Nightcrawler to a waiting ambulance. Before Feuer was brought to a hospital he told Nightcrawler that the monsters were looking for the Soulsword and that they would go next to Florida, to search for the sword at Jardine Circus. (Nightcrawler IV#2 (fb) - BTS) - The Jahrmarkt returned to their winter home in Winzeldorf once again. Well known members included Margali, Feuer, Haus and Gummi. (Nightcrawler IV#2) - Feuer, Gummi and Haus attacked Nightcrawler, Amanda and the Bamfs when they arrived at the carnival because they didn't recognize them and in Nightcrawler's case didn't believe him to be the real deal because they had heard about his death. After a hard fight Haus admitted to know them and the others gave in as well, believing that Nightcrawler and Amanda were the real deal. Amanda then called out Margali, who was watching them the whole time. Amanda told her mother about the robot Trimega attacking her. Suddenly Trimega, who had followed Nightcrawler and Amanda, appeared and attacked Haus from behind. (Nightcrawler IV#3) - Gummi wasn't pleased that Nightcrawler and Amanda had led Trimega to them, but she, Feuer and Haus aided Nightcrawler and Amanda against Trimega, who was eventually casted out by Margali. Feuer, Gummi and Haus stayed in Winzeldorf while Margali joined Amanda and Nightcrawler in their retreat to the Jean Grey School to ask the X-Men for help against Trimega (they were unaware Margali was behind the Trimega the whole time...it was all part of a plot to gain information from the X-Men). Comments: Created by Chris Claremont. Further fleshed out by Scott Lobdell, Gene Colan & Al Williamson. Jardine bought the Jahrmarkt, but it obviously continued to operate in Germany. Only those he was most interested in got an offer to come to Florida and work there for him. There is no real explanation why Jutta knew about the monsters Stefan was after. Maybe she was his lover and he just told her about them. The Jahrmarkt is part of Nightcrawler's contrived origin. Giant Size X-Men#1, Uncanny Origin#8, Excalibur I#Minus 1 and Marvel Comics Presents I#103 (with Stefan's death) all contradict each other, which blows. It made writing this profile painful (literally). Two Saridon later I'm still not finished and that is a bad sign. Giant-Size X-Men#1 (May, 1975): Marvel Team-Up I#89 (January, 1980): X-Men Annual I#4 (1980): Marvel Comics Presents I#103 (1992): Uncanny Origins#8 (April, 1997): Excalibur I#Minus 1 (July, 1997): Nightcrawler III#8-11 (October, 2005): For the purpose of continuity I have to call Uncanny Origins#8 the Cancer in Nightcrawler's early history. Nothing else spits that much on continuity and anything else can be easily fit into history or be called artistic licence. Uncanny Origins#8 manages to ignore history and limit itself to such a strict timeline that it has to be ignored for the sake of my own sanity. Uncanny Origins#8 is Old Yeller and I'm willing to shoot it. Twice if it survives the first load. Oh, and lets not get started on Kurt's family tree. "Draco" still makes me cry in agony! Extra info from Torsten B. Abel: Profile by Markus Raymond. CLARIFICATIONS: The Bearded Lady has no known connection to: The Clowns have no known connection to: Feuer has no known connection to: Gummi has no known connection to: Haus has no known connection to: Jutta has no known connection to: Kierkegaard has no known connection to: Muscle Man has no known connection to: The "Ringmaster" has no known connection to: Sabu has no known connection to: She possessed the power to mentally control her facial hair and entangle enemies with it. (Excalibur: Air Apparent (fb) - BTS) - Nightcrawler shared a dressing room with Gilda the Bearded Lady. (Marvel Comics Presents I#106 (fb) - BTS) - The Bearded Lay joined Jutta's vengeance scheme against the Neuri and was mutated by Arnim Zola. (Marvel Comics Presents I#105-106) - When Jutta and her mutates attacked the Neuri, Wolverine and Nightcrawler the Bearded Lady entangled Nightcrawler with her beard, but Wolverine used his claws to cut off the beard and then knocked her out. --Marvel Comics Presents I#105 ([Marvel Comics Presents I#106 (fb)], Marvel Comics Presents I#105-106 Four clowns were mutates. Three clowns had their skeleton replaced with more malleable bones. One clown was turned into a creature with pointed ears and powerful mandibles that could tear flesh apart with ease. (Marvel Comics Presents I#106 (fb) - BTS) - Four clowns joined Jutta's vengeance scheme against the Neuri and were mutated by Arnim Zola. (Marvel Comics Presents I#103) - A clown was with Jutta when Nightcrawler interrogated the Neuri youth. (Marvel Comics Presents I#105-107) - The mutated clowns participated in the attack on the Neuri, Wolverine and Nightcrawler and were ultimately defeated by Wolverine. The Clowns pictured are the mutates allied with Jutta. Over the years many clowns worked at the Jahrmarkt. In a dream in Nightcrawler III#8 Nightcrawler saw also one of the clowns. --Marvel Comics Presents I#103 ([Marvel Comics Presents I#106 (fb)], Marvel Comics Presents I#103, 105-107, Fantastic Four 1999, Nightcrawler III#9 "Feuer" Langhagen (once called Feur) could breathe fire and shoot fire beams from his eyes. His natural resistance to fire made it easy for him to work as a fire-eater. His fire blast can become hot enough to melt steel. He was a mutant. (Uncanny Origins#8) - When Kurt Wagner was still young, Feuer was a muscular fire-eater. He trained his skills while Stefan, Jimaine and Kurt ran around. (the young, muscular fire-eater doesn't necessarily have to be Feuer, but he was part of the show and it would work chronologically unlike other things in Nightcrawler's early years) (Nightcrawler III#8 (fb) ) - Feuer trained outside his trailer in front of another Jahrmarkt freak. (Excalibur I#Minus 1) - Along with Gummi, Haus and Kierkegaard he was part of the Jahrmarkt's Freak Show. Along with the other freaks he congratulated Nightcrawler and Jimaine to their performance before entering the big top himself. The freaks hung out with each other in the morning when Nightcrawler asked them if they had seen Jimaine, but they couldn't help him. (Nightcrawler III#9 (fb) ) - Feuer joined Nightcrawler when he joined Jardine Circus. (it would fit, and the guy behind Nightcrawler in that flashback looks like Feuer, but it wasn't stated that it was him) (X-Men Unlimited I#19) - In a complicated plot to fight Belasco, Margali Szardos changed bodies with her daughter Jimaine and transformed the freaks into demons from Otherplace while using their souls to empower herself. She seemingly killed the freaks, but after Belasco's defeat with the help of Nightcrawler and her daughter (in Margali's body), the freaks were returned to their normal form by Jimaine and brought back to Earth by Nightcrawler. (Uncanny X-Men#407) - Feuer retired and moved into a house in the snowy mountains without telephone or radio (I assume he lived somewhere in the Alps). One day Nightcrawler teleported himself and Chamber to Feuer's home after a fight with the Church of Humanity. He took care of Nightcrawler, who recognized Feuer when he woke up. While Nightcrawler and Chamber talked outside the house, Feuer cooked with fire. The heroes later had dinner with Feuer and argued heavily. A few conversations with Feuer later Nightcrawler and Chamber were picked up by the X-Men. Feuer showed his powers to Iceman and Angel and then said his farewell to Nightcrawler. He stayed in the mountains. (Nightcrawler III#8 - BTS/9 (fb) - BTS) - Feuer returned to the Jahrmarkt. One day the demon Hive attacked in search for the Soulsword. Feuer was among those that were tortured. (Nightcrawler III#9) - Feuer survived and told Nightcrawler, Christine Palmer and Wolverine that the monsters were searching for the Soulsword and that their next target would be Jardine Circus in Florida. Feuer was brought to an ambulance with the Blackbird. (Nightcrawler IV#2) - Feuer led Haus and Gummi into battle against Nightcrawler, Amanda and the Bamfs when they appeared out of nowhere at the Jahrmarkt's winter home in Winzeldorf. Feuer's fire blast started the fight and Nightcrawler eventually teleported out of the way to lure Feuer into shooting his own friend Haus. The fight ended when Haus suddenly believed Nightcrawler was his old friend, and not somebody posing as him, and hugged him and Amanda. Afterward Feuer and the others talked with Nightcrawler about his resurrection and listened when Amanda talked about their newest enemy Trimega, who suddenly appeared and attacked them. (Nightcrawler IV#3) - Feuer, Gummi and Haus aided Nightcrawler and Amanda against Trimega, who split in three and one of them, unaffected by Feuer's fire, redirected it against Gummi with a wind. Another of the three Trimega robots doused Feuer's flames with water. The fight ended when Margali Szardos cast Trimega out. Feuer stayed at the Jahrmarkt because he, Gummi and Haus were not heroes, but just circus folk. Margali left with Amanda and Nightcrawler to ask the X-Men for help against Trimega at the Jean Grey School. Feuer is German for Fire --Uncanny Origins#8 (Uncanny Origins#8, Nightcrawler III#8 (fb), Excalibur I#Minus 1, Nightcrawler III#9 (fb), X-Men Unlimited I#19, Uncanny X-Men#407, Nightcrawler III#9, Nightcrawler IV#2-3 Gummi's body was malleable like rubber. Her ability to stretch rivaled that of Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards). She was presumably a mutant. (Excalibur I#Minus 1) - Along with Feuer, Haus and Kierkegaard she was part of the Jahrmarkt's Freak Show. Along with the other freaks she congratulated Nightcrawler and Jimaine to their performance before entering the big top herself. The freaks hung out with each other in the morning when Nightcrawler asked them if they had seen Jimaine, but they couldn't help him. (X-Men Unlimited I#19) - In a complicated plot to fight Belasco, Margali Szardos changed bodies with her daughter Jimaine and transformed the freaks into demons from Otherplace while using their souls to empower herself. She seemingly killed the freaks, but after Belasco's defeat with the help of Nightcrawler and her daughter (in Margali's body), the freaks were returned to their normal form by Jimaine and brought back to Earth by Nightcrawler. (Nightcrawler IV#2) - Gummi participated in a battle against Nightcrawler, Amanda and the Bamfs when they appeared out of nowhere at the Jahrmarkt's winter home in Winzeldorf. She entangled Amanda and the Bamfs until Nightcrawler teleporting right in front of her when Haus was trying to hit him. Haus accidentally knocked out Gummi, who released Gummi and the Bamfs from her grip. The fight ended when Haus suddenly believed Nightcrawler was his old friend, and not somebody posing as him, and hugged him and Amanda. Afterward Amanda healed up Gummi while Nightcrawler talked about his resurrection. She then listened to Amanda talked about their newest enemy Trimega, who suddenly appeared and attack them. (Nightcrawler IV#3) - Feuer, Gummi and Haus aided Nightcrawler and Amanda against Trimega, who split in three and redirected Feuer's flames at Gummi. The fight ended when Margali Szardos cast Trimega out. Gummi stayed at the Jahrmarkt, trusting the X-Men would stop Trimega once and for all, when Margali, Nightcrawler and Amanda left for the Jean Grey School to ask the X-Men for help. Gummi is German for Rubber --X-Men Unlimited I#19 (Excalibur I#Minus 1, X-Men Unlimited I#19, Nightcrawler IV#2-3 House was an extremely tall person (maybe gigantism). He only possessed an impaired intellect. (Excalibur I#Minus 1) - Along with Feuer, Gummi and Kierkegaard he was part of the Jahrmarkt's Freak Show. Along with the other freaks he congratulated Nightcrawler and Jimaine to their performance before entering the big top himself. The freaks hung out with each other in the morning when Nightcrawler asked them if they had seen Jimaine, but they couldn't help him. (X-Men Unlimited I#19) - In a complicated plot to fight Belasco, Margali Szardos changed bodies with her daughter Jimaine and transformed the freaks into demons from Otherplace while using their souls to empower herself. She seemingly killed the freaks, but after Belasco's defeat with the help of Nightcrawler and her daughter (in Margali's body), the freaks were returned to their normal form by Jimaine and brought back to Earth by Nightcrawler. (Nightcrawler IV#2) - After Feuer's first fire blast Haus joined the battle against Nightcrawler, Amanda and the Bamfs when they appeared out of nowhere at the Jahrmarkt's winter home in Winzeldorf. Nightcrawler lured Feuer into hitting Haus with a fire by teleporting out of Feuer's way when he used his fire eye beams. Hurt by the fire Haus lashed out wildly and accidentally knocked out Gummi, freeing Amanda from her grip. The fight ended when Haus suddenly believed Nightcrawler was his old friend, and not somebody posing as him, and hugged him and Amanda. Afterward Haus hung out with the Bamfs with a big smile on his face. He then listened to Nightcrawler talk about his resurrection and to Amanda telling them about their newest enemy Trimega, who suddenly appeared and attacked Haus from behind. (Nightcrawler IV#3) - Feuer, Gummi and Haus aided Nightcrawler and Amanda against Trimega, who split in three. One of the Trimega robots hit Haus with a powerful energy blast, knocking him to the ground. The fight ended when Margali Szardos cast Trimega out. Haus stayed at the Jahrmarkt when Margali, Nightcrawler and Amanda left for the Jean Grey School to ask the X-Men for help. Haus is German for House --X-Men Unlimited I#19 (Excalibur I#Minus 1, X-Men Unlimited I#19, Nightcrawler IV#2-3 Jutta was a mutate. She possessed pirokinetic abilities that enabled her to create and control fire. She could shoot fire blasts from her hands or cause nearby things to ignite spontaneously. (Marvel Comics Presents I#101 (fb) - BTS) - Jutta worked at the Jahrmarkt when Nightcrawler was still with them years ago. (Marvel Comics Presents I#106 (fb) - BTS) - After Stefan Szardos' death she decided to avenge him and came up with a plan to kill the Neuri. (Marvel Comics Presents I#106 (fb) ) - Together with seven other Jahrmarkt performers she went to Arnim Zola to deliberately get mutated by him in a painful process. (Marvel Comics Presents I#106 (fb) - BTS) - To further her plot she called Nightcrawler to lure out the Neuri. (Marvel Comics Presents I#101) - As Nightcrawler rejoined the Jahrmarkt Jutta stayed near him until one day the Neuri, that had been saved by Nightcrawler years ago, visited him. (Marvel Comics Presents I#102) - Jutta watched Nightcrawler and Wolverine fight the Neuri youth. (Marvel Comics Presents I#103) - She killed the Neuri youth when Nightcrawler interrogated him and claimed it was the Neuri, who did it. Nightcrawler believed her and decided to avenge the youth's death. (Marvel Comics Presents I#105) - Jutta and her mutates followed Nightcrawler and Wolverine to the Neuri and were really to kill the monsters. (Marvel Comics Presents I#106) - Jutta tried to explain her actions to Nightcrawler and how much pain they had to go through to be able to avenge Stefan's death, but he saw her as nothing else than a murderous bigot. Jutta tried to kill Nightcrawler for his betrayal. (Marvel Comics Presents I#107) - Nightcrawler escaped her fire by teleporting away and then fought Jutta until Wolverine showed him that the castle the Neuri had fled to was on fire. Wolverine continued to fight Jutta and her mutates. (Marvel Comics Presents I#105) - Jutta ran to the castle while Wolverine fought the other Jahrmarkt mutates. She put another Neuri on fire, but before she could do any more damage Wolverine killed her with his claws. --Marvel Comics Presents I#101 (Marvel Comics Presents I#106 (fb), Marvel Comics Presents I#101-103, 105-108 Kierkegaard (or Kirkegaard) were conjoined twins with two heads and only one body. They seemed to be male and female. (Excalibur I#Minus 1) - Along with Feuer, Gummi and Haus they were part of the Jahrmarkt's Freak Show. Along with the other freaks they congratulated Nightcrawler and Jimaine to their performance before entering the big top themselves. The freaks hung out with each other in the morning when Nightcrawler asked them if they had seen Jimaine, but they couldn't help him. (X-Men Unlimited I#19) - In a complicated plot to fight Belasco, Margali Szardos changed bodies with her daughter Jimaine and transformed the freaks into demons from Otherplace while using their souls to empower herself. She seemingly killed the freaks, but after Belasco's defeat with the help of Nightcrawler and her daughter (in Margali's body), the freaks were returned to their normal form by Jimaine and brought back to Earth by Nightcrawler. --X-Men Unlimited I#19 (Excalibur I#Minus 1, X-Men Unlimited I#19 Muscle Man was a mutate. His muscle count was triplet to the point his skin couldn't contain it any longer giving him enhanced human strength. (Marvel Comics Presents I#106 (fb) - BTS) - Muscle Man joined Jutta's vengeance scheme against the Neuri and was mutated by Arnim Zola. (Marvel Comics Presents I#105-107) - He participated in the attack on the Neuri, Wolverine and Nightcrawler, but was ultimately defeated by Wolverine. --Marvel Comics Presents I#105 ([Marvel Comics Presents I#106 (fb)], Marvel Comics Presents I#105-107 The "Ringmaster" associated with Jutta was a mutate. Zola's experiments turned his body into a malleable structure. (and the ability to change the color of his clothes) (Nightcrawler IV#2 (fb) ) - There has been a "Ringmaster" at the Jahrmarkt ever since Kurt was a child. (Uncanny Origins#8) - The "Ringmaster" introduced Nightcrawler at his first trapeze flying act and moments later witnessed Nightcrawler teleporting to safe Jimaine's life. (Excalibur I#Minus 1) - The "Ringmaster" introduced Nightcrawler and Jimaine's trapeze flying act and witnessed Nightcrawler teleport to safe Jimaine's life when she lost her grip. When their act was over he introduced the Jahrmarkt's Freak Show (Feuer, Haus, Kierkegaard & Gummi). (Marvel Comics Presents I#106 (fb) - BTS) - The "Ringmaster" joined Jutta's vengeance scheme against the Neuri and was mutated by Arnim Zola. (Marvel Comics Presents I#105-107) - The "Ringmaster" participated in the Jahrmarkt's attack on the Neuri, Wolverine and Nightcrawler. He was ultimately defeated by Wolverine. It is possible that more than one person worked as the Jahrmarkt's ringmaster over the years. The "Ringmaster" pictured is the mutate allied with Jutta. In Nightcrawler III#8 Nightcrawler saw a much fatter ringmaster in a dream. --Marvel Comics Presents I#105 (Nightcrawler IV#2 (fb), Uncanny Origins#8, Excalibur I#Minus 1, [Marvel Comics Presents I#106 (fb)], Marvel Comics Presents I#105-107 (Nightcrawler IV#2 (fb) ) - Sabu knew Kurt and Jimaine since they were children. (Uncanny Origins#8) - Sabu was one of the finest acrobats and a known trapeze master. He trained Kurt Wagner when he was young. (Nightcrawler IV#2 (fb) ) - He trained Jimaine alongside Kurt. (Uncanny Origins#8) - After years of training Sabu thought Kurt was ready to perform in front of an audience. Continuity poison see comments (Excalibur I#Minus 1) - Sabu trained Jimaine Szardos at the trapeze. They talked about Jimaine's wish to leave with Nightcrawler, which Margali denied her daughter. (Nightcrawler IV#2 (fb) ) - Sabu watched Jimaine's first performance when Nightcrawler used his teleportation power for the first time to save Jimaine's life when she nearly fell to her death when the trapeze lines ripped. (Excalibur I#Minus 1) - At Nightcrawler's last performance at the Jahrmarkt, Sabu fell to his death when the trapeze snapped. Seconds before it happened Margali posing as Belasco approached her daughter and made it seem like Belasco was responsible for Sabu's death. After Sabu's funeral Nightcrawler left without Jimaine, who decided to stay to avenge Sabu's death by becoming her mother's disciple. (X-Men Unlimited I#19 - BTS) - Belasco posed as Sabu, who saw through the disguise, when Belasco confronted him in the X-Men's Danger Room. In Excalibur I#Minus 1 Belasco appeared to Nightcrawler as Sabu. --Uncanny Origins#8 (Nightcrawler IV#2 (fb), Uncanny Origins#8, Nightcrawler IV#2 (fb), Uncanny Origins#8, Excalibur I#Minus 1, Nightcrawler IV#2 (fb), Excalibur I#Minus 1, [X-Men Unlimited I#19] images: (without ads) Appearances:
First Posted: 02/01/2009 Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know. Non-Marvel Copyright info Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!
This included Nightcrawler, Jimaine Szardos (who declined the offer) and seemingly Feuer (at least the fat guy in Nightcrawler III#9 looks like Feuer).
OK, lets get started with the continuity nightmare that is Nightcrawler's early years:
What we learn?: First bits!
Nightcrawler leaves the Jahrmarkt and is hunted by an angry mob for no good reason. He was seemingly the freak at the Jahrmarkt.
----Simple and effective! It works because it was the first time we learn anything of Nightcrawler's past.
What we learn?: Traumatic past!
Nightcrawler was a trapeze flier before Amos Jardine bought the Jahrmarkt and put him into the freakshow.
----Additional info. Nothing contradicted and it made those Jahrmarkt guys not look that bad anymore. Damn Texan millionaires!
What we learn?: Pre-GSX#1 history!
Margali (adoptive mother) and Nightcrawler's adoptive siblings Jimaine and Stefan revealed.
Stefan asked Nightcrawler to kill him if he ever turned evil. They become blood brothers.
Years later Stefan murdered several children.
Nightcrawler tried to stop Stefan from murdering again and accidentally killed him during their fight outside of Winzeldorf.
People thought he was the murderer of their children and hunted him until Professor X saved him. (GSX#1 greets)
Only problem with this was the art because Nightcrawler wore his gypsy outfit, which wasn't the case in GSX#1, but lets not be too nitpicky. Artistic licence!
What we learn?: Retelling of his brother's death!
Stefan's victims revealed as Neuri in this storyline. Nice addition!
Nightcrawler in GSX#1-costume was always a step behind Stefan, but when he caught up with him, Nightcrawler prevented Stefan from killing a baby. Nightcrawler and Stefan jump through a window to the outside where Stefan breaks his own neck with Nightcrawler's tail after realizing he had gone mad.
This still worked fine because Stefan's actual death wasn't depicted before and Nightcrawler in his X-Men costume is more accurate than what was seen in the Annual. At the end even the fight was outside in the green like in the Annual.
This was part of a storyline that depicted other members of the Jahrmarkt for the first time and I kind of liked it.
What we learn?: Early years up to GSX#1 and screwups all the way!
IMHO this was the worst of Nightcrawler's early years stories!
Nightcrawler raised at Jahrmarkt. (OK)
Stefan asked Nightcrawler to kill him if he ever turned evil. They become blood brothers. (Retelling of Uncanny X-Men Annual I#4)
Trained by Sabu as trapeze flier. (New info!)
Used teleportation power for the first time after his first show to safe clumsly Jimaine the tightrope walker.
----New info that was eventually contradicted, but who cares!
Circus outfit is GSX#1 costume. (OK)
Voices in Stefan's head. He is crazy. (OK. We knew he was crazy, the voices were new and would eventually be remembered. Shades of the demon Hive (Halphas) )
Evil Texan Amos Jardine wants Nightcrawler for his freakshow and wants to buy the Jahrmarkt. Nightcrawler doesn't like that and leaves the Jahrmarkt after they received Jardine's offer.
----WAIT! NOT OKAY. Jardine bought the Jahrmarkt and used Nightcrawler. Strike One!
Sabu says goodbye to Nightcrawler.
----OK, just because this issue came before the next one, but it was contradicted eventually and I don't care!
Two days later crazy Stefan with several corpses at a campfire.
----NOT OKAY. Different setting and the timeframe doesn't fit and I don't like the story. Strike Two!
Fights him, kicks him and Stefan's neck is broken by the kick.
----NOT OKAY. Artistic licence. Don't like it despite the neck. Strike Three!
A hunter saw it and Nightcrawler is now on the run and flees to Winzeldorf where an angry mob chases him until Professor X turns up to save the day and take Nightcrawler with him.
----It works and explains the whole manhunt on Kurt in GSX#1, but the strike-out was already complete at this point.
--------Three strikes! That's bad! Really bad! The X-Men issues (GSX#1 & Annual#4) were clearly the main influence for this story. Everything else was just ignored and contradicted despite acknowledging it like Jardine.
Who is to blame? Rosemann? No! I like his work too much (See Judge). Kavanagh? I loved Marvel Comics Presents, so I don't want to blame him either. I blame society and the powers-that-be at the time the story was published because they green-lighted two very similar stories within 3 months and most likeley none of the two creative teams knew much about what the other team was doing. And just because I hate him so much I blame NFL SuperPro as well! Lets blame just SuperPro!
What we learn?: Nightcrawler leaves the Jahrmarkt!
This was part of the Flashback month! Each title had one and Excalibur's was centered around Nightcrawler!
Partner look with Jimaine in their trapeze flying act. Both wear Kurt's later GSX outfit. Sweet. Teleports to safe clumsy Jimaine from falling to her death.
----I like the partner look. Though Jimaine should really have realized at this point that she should get another job. This is the second time he had to save her life in a flashback story.
Nightcrawler tells Jimaine he is going to leave. Jimaine is not happy until Nightcrawler asks her to come with him.
----OK? Where is this going? We can still turn this around.
Margali doesn't allow her daughter to leave.
----OK. See? This can still be turned around.
Sabu trains Jimaine
----OK. She really needs the training and I'm not even angry that Sabu is used. Though I will be soon.
Now it gets complicated.
Margali doesn't want Jimaine to leave and arranges Sabu's death and poses as Belasco (Jimaine already knew he was a bad guy as she had encountered him earlier in the story), to make it clear that he was behind Sabu's death. Plan works, Jimaine stays behind and Nightcrawler leaves the circus.
----Sabu is dead? But how is that possible. Wasn't he present when Nightcrawler left in Uncanny Origins#8. Not in this story! I wouldn't said anything about it if Sabu hadn't been used at all, but he was, so it acknowledges the existence of Uncanny Origins#8 (or did Sabu appear before UO#8?). It shot its own leg! Strike Two-in-One and there is no Thing to help it.
--------The issue barely survives the critical view of someone who seeks continuity flaws, but it does. It was smart enough to not get stuck in a specific timeframe that doesn't allow anything else before or after it. Without saying it this story clearly predates Nightcrawler's stay with Jardine Circus.
What we learn?: More about Nightcrawler's traumatic stay at Jardine Circus and his brother's death again!
Nightcrawler arrives in Florida and is drugged by Jardine and put into a cage for the freakshow.
----We finally see what Jardine did to Nightcrawler. Thank you Mr. Aguirre-Sacasa!
Jimaine is not with him as her mother didn't let her go.
----Referencing Excalibur I#Minus 1. Nice.
Threatened Jardine after escaping from his cage and told Jardine to let everyone go he held there against his will.
----OK. We know Jardine had bought the Jahrmarkt, so he probably let anyone return to Germany after that, which explains future/past appearances by the Jahrmarkt back in their home country.
Nightcrawler returns to Winzeldorf and finds Stefan with several dead children.
----Different setting and the timeframe doesn't fit (Nightcrawler just found him upon his return and didn't follow him for some time), but I like the story. Artistic licence. To be fair: Strike One!
Voice in Stefan's head revealed as the demon Hive.
----Voices explained! Nice!
Nightcrawler kills Stefan by breaking his neck accidentally.
----Ugh!. Lets say artistic licence. I like broken necks since Gwen Stacy. To be fair: Strike Two!
--------Another one that barely survives.
--Markus Raymond
"Feuer" was given the last name "Langhagen" in Uncanny X-Men 407. Allegedly, he was named after Christian Langhagen, a German writer and comic book translator (he translated the Authority and Planetary for their German release, among other things, but as far as I know, no X-Men issues) who was friends with then UXM writer Joe Casey and had helped
him with translating dialogue into German (so it would be actual German, not a Babelfish-style translation). I don't know how accurate that story is, I just remember Christian boasting about it a decade ago.
German Wikipedia page:
Christian Langhagen
I remember Langhagen as well. Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy! ;)
--Markus Raymond
The Jahrmarkt has no known connections to:
(Fantastic Four 1999) - Some clowns later turned up in Otherplace with several other unidentified members of the Jahrmarkt, who had been brought there by Margali Szardos.
(Nightcrawler III#9) - Later on Earth at least one new clown became victim of the demon's Hive (Halphas) attack on the Jahrmarkt during his search for the Soulsword.
When Amos Jardine made the Jahrmarkt an offer to get Kurt, the future X-Men, left the Jahrmarkt before Jardine destroyed it to get him. Margali, Jimaine and Sabu said their farewells to Kurt.
Poison Ends
Fantastic Four 1999, p20, pan7 (main image)
Marvel Comics Presents I#105, p8 (Jutta's mutates, Bearded Lady, "Ringmaster")
Nightcrawler IV#3, p8, pan2 (Feuer, Haus & Gummi)
Marvel Comics Presents I#106, p4, pan1 (red jacket clown)
Excalibur I#Minus 1, p7, pan1 (Feuer & Gummi)
Excalibur I#Minus 1, p8, pan1 (Haus)
Marvel Comics Presents I#101, p5, p2 (Jutta)
Excalibur I#Minus 1, p7, pan1 (Kierkegaard)
Marvel Comics Presents I#106, p6, p1 (Muscle Man)
Uncanny Origins#8,p14, pan2 (Sabu)
Giant-Size X-Men#1 (May, 1975) - Chris Claremont (writer), Len Wein (writer/editor), Dave Cockrum (pencils/inks), Peter Iro (inks)
Marvel Team-Up I#89 (January, 1980) - Chris Claremont (writer), Mike Nasser (pencils), Joe Rubinstein (inks), Al Milgrom (editor)
Excalibur: Air Apparent (1991) - Scott Lobdell (writer), Brian Stelfreeze (pencils), Karl Story (inks), Terry Kavanagh (editor)
Marvel Comics Presents I#101-103 (1992) - Scott Lobdell (writer), Gene Colan (pencils), Al Williamson (inks), Terry Kavanagh (editor)
Marvel Comics Presents I#105-108 (1992) - Scott Lobdell (writer), Gene Colan (pencils), Al Williamson (inks), Terry Kavanagh (editor)
Uncanny Origins#8 (April, 1997) - Bill Rosemann (writer), Mark Campos (artist), Terry Kavanagh (editor)
X-Men Unlimited I#19 (June, 1997) - Ben Raab (writer), Jim Calafiore (pencils), Mark McKenna (inks), Frank Pittarese (editor)
Excalibur I#Minus 1 (July, 1997) - Ben Raab (writer), Rob Haynes & Casey Jones (pencils/inks), Nathan Massengill (inks), Matt Idelson (editor)
Uncanny X-Men#407 (August, 2002) - Joe Casey (writer), Sean Phillips (artist), Mike Marts & Mark Powers (editor)
Fantastic Four 1999 (1999) - Chris Claremont (writer), Jose Ladronn (artist), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Nightcrawler III#8-9 (September-October, 2005) - Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (writer), Darick Robertson (pencils), Jimmy Palmiotti, Scott Koblish (#9) & Rodney Ramos (#9) (inks), Mike Marts (editor)
Nightcrawler IV#2-3 (July-August, 2014) - Chris Claremont (writer), Todd Nauck (artist), Daniel Ketchum (editor)
Last updated: 05/05/2015
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