I'm calling this Kurt Wagner: The Once
Reluctant Leader (which is actually a term).
Well I just decided to post parts of the interview here to show what I was responding to in words. Completely different post from the one in the other thread but thought that since this is to do with NC it should be addressed in here as well.
Well I wasnt much focused on whether Kurt
enjoyed being a leader actually. Since the early X-Men days it was obvious Kurt didn't think that it was a role he imagined himself in. RR provided the scans and there is Wolvy himself scoffing at the idea of himself being the X-Mens leader, very different from his days leading X-Force. This interview sort of ignores interviews by CC and Davis themselves and his character arc that reached fruition with him taking up the mantle in issue 45 of Excalibur. True leadership style than Scotts which has been discussed. This sort of ignores all that outcry thats been going on about him being downgraded to the teams mascot again. You don't have to agree but dont pretend that wasnt a big part of Kurts more vocal fans. Don't deny the one of the two camps just because you only agree with the other please Marvel.
AIPT: Bethany w. Pope (@BethanyWPope) said that Nightcrawler is a character who’s lead a team on occasion, but it never really sticks the way it does for Storm or Cyclops. Why do you think that is?
Jordan: I think that for fans of Nightcrawler–and by that I mean both readers AND creators who like him–that’s typically not what they are coming to that character for.
Is it what I'm looking for when I wan't more NC Actually. No. Not really. I would like to see some new and interesting ideas with Kurt overall as it has already been explored in the past. Don't get me wrong it may be interesting to see Kurt become X-Men leader - a successful one- just for a change instead of the same one forever: Cyclops (and I guess you can add Wolverine). His lack of success in the X-Men but his success in Excalibur? Hum, I think it has a lot to do with the X-Offices inability to let go of Cyclops and peoples inability to see Kurt other than the X-Mens cheerleader. Which is something that has been quite griped about on these forums since Kurt has taken a backseat when CC left in his final run.
But count me as one of those supposedly rare fans that rather not see Kurt as just a friend among quite a few who used to post here. Man, I still remember how angry the fans were at Austen for that issue way back when when it was first released, especially here on CBR, with Scott berating Kurt for being a friend and not a leader. They felt like years of development had been flushed down the drain. This was before CBR had appreciation threads and I was under a different user name and we had to voice our complaints souly in the issue threads as they came out or start a whole new topic. Being constantly cheerleader/friend only was why so many users gave up the comics. I've just conversed with some recently. I will add that there are those that prefer Kurt the carefree adventurous confident as well so you won't see them opposing this view of him and thats their right of course. Kurt did get a bit dusty towards the end of Excalibur.
AIPT: Welcome back, Jordan! So, of all the leaders of all the various X-Teams, who is your personal favorite and why?
Jordan: Oh–a “favorite” question that I am not going to answer with “Original Excalibur”! Mostly because I don’t think Excalibur really had a leader. Whenever I see people saying Nightcrawler was the leader of classic Excalibur I am like “He was?” I never got that impression.
I gather this wasn't his favorite question because of people like me since favorite its in quotation marks. Sorry, I guess? I'm one of those odd peeps that liked Kurt as leader of Excalibur and uh, actually thought he was by the stories themselves and not something I conjured up because of wishful thinking especially Alan Davis' solo days and up. But I didn't really see it as an X-Book til Ellis (Maybe a little before). So I really dont count pre those days him being an
X-Leader but it seemed more like a Defenders/Avengers team. This comment by Jordan might bring back the Chuck haters out from hiding, lol, but probably not because I think they gave up.
Resources:
https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Nightcrawler
https://comicvine.gamespot.com/nightcrawler/4005-1461/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nightcrawler_(comics)
https://vsbattles.fandom.com/wiki/Nightcrawler
https://www.cbr.com/excalibur-most-p...embers-ranked/
At least Hickman is giving him a voice I guess I just wished I liked his writing. *sigh*
Anyway, I want Kurt to go solo into the greater MU or join a team but not Avengers but a whole new team after Kurts story of being a councel member is through! I loved his icons series, despite him being a priest he really didn't refer to his faith all that much. I wouldn't mind seeing Abnett and Lanning have a crack at him again. They wrote him so well in Amanda/Jimaines mini. The wrote mostly Marvel Uk and Marvel cosmic titles but you could tell they knew the character and his potential. Is it wrong to say the X-Men aren't doing it for me anymore?