Uncanny Spider-Man: Marvel Is Making Nightcrawler the New Spidey

Spider-Man and the X-Men are two of the biggest franchises in comics. So why not combine those two pop culture juggernauts into one? That’s what Marvel has done with Uncanny Spider-Man, the latest addition to their ever-shifting landscape of X-Men comics.

Uncanny Spider-Man doesn’t involve Peter Parker joining up with the X-Men. Instead, the series sees Nightcrawler don his own Spider-Man costume and begin patrolling the streets of New York. Check out the cover to Uncanny Spider-Man #1 below for a taste of what this hybrid hero looks like:

Uncanny Spider-Man is written by Legion of X’s Si Spurrier and drawn by The Death of Doctor Strange’s Lee Garbett. Nightcrawler has been a major part of Spurrier’s recent X-Men work, and it appears the series is an extension of his Nightcrawlers and Legion of X work.

Uncanny Spider-Man returns Nightcrawler to his roots as a swashbuckling adventurer, despite the fact that he’s currently wearing the mantle of another hero. However, expect a fairly dark tone to the series even as Nightcrawler dashes and teleports his way through the streets of New York. Uncanny Spider-Man is part of Marvel’s Fall of X lineup, meaning the series builds on the tragic events of the upcoming Hellfire Gala and the latest disaster to befall mutantkind.

“What we’ve got here is a spectacular new beginning – which, yes, is code for ‘perfect jumping-on point’ – which leans hard into heroic, joyful, street-level action,” Spurrier said in Marvel’s press release. “Writing Kurt has always been an exercise in heart. He was the first to feel the cracks in Krakoa… and the first to try and do something about it. Unfailingly loyal to his people, his friends and his responsibilities, he’s gone through a lot. What’s been missing for him is the joy. The freedom. The thrill. And that’s where we find him now. In a restyled Spidey Suit, BAMFing across New York and rubbing shoulders (and butting heads) with the best heroes and villains of the Manhattan milieu…but of course it’s not quite that simple. Is Nightcrawler really doing this for the thrill? Or is he hiding? Is it easier to put on a mask and punch some villains in the nose than it is to stare trauma in the eye…?”

Uncanny Spider-Man #1 will be released on September 6, 2023.

Uncanny Spider-Man may also prove to be a breath of fresh air for fans unhappy about the current direction of The Amazing Spider-Man. The series has been nothing if not divisive as it digs deeper into the latest rift between Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson.

For more on the current state of Marvel’s X-Men comics, find out when the Uncanny Avengers are returning and learn how to read Marvel’s X-Men line in 2023.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.