Alan,
Forgive me for not knowing the specific issue, but towards the end of your run on Excalibur there was one scene where Nightcrawler's powers are being evaluated in a Danger Room-esque moment. The scientist comments on Nightcrawler seeming to be a second generation mutant because his physical adaptations didn't seem to have anything to do with his powers.
Also, Kurt seems to become transparent while in the shadows. I've always understood that his fur is so dark that he SEEMS to blend into the dark, but your depiction seemed to indicate there was more to it than just camoflage.
I was wondering where you were headed with all that and if it jived with Marvel's official stance on Nightcrawler's powers.
I'm not sure if I personally wanted Kurt to have any real powers concerning transparency, but as far as I'm concerned he could've joined the FF and called himself the Invisible Girl as long as you were involved! You really elevated Kurt to such heights during your run. Thank you!
Thanks!
Dallas
ps: Do you have any comments (likes/dislikes) on the X-Men movies? I thought Nightcrawler's mid-air rescue of Rogue was such an old school classic!
Nightcrawler question.
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wonderdallas
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Alan Davis
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Dallas
The second generation thing wasn’t my idea. It had been bounced around for years that Mystique was Kurt’s mother—they are both blue so it must be true!?
I have never felt comfortable with accepting that a character has a power and it works-- like magic—just because it does. Rationalising how a power might function—in plausible sci-fi comic terms—makes the character more consistent and can sometimes generate story ideas.
I had already started to explore the navigational aspect of Nightcrawler’s power in the Necrom storyline. (Another inspiration I owe to Gilbert Gosseyn.) And suggested that spatial awareness would also contribute to Kurt’s agility.
The ‘invisible in darkness’ idea was introduced very early on in classic run by Chris Claremont and John Byrne. I’m not aware of anything developing from the original concept but then again, being invisible in darkness isn’t much of an ability. In Excalibur 65 Kurt discovered…
“The entrance to the Dimension I teleport through constantly surrounds me. It distorts light. Absorbing and displacing it so that I appear to be in shadow in the light and virtually invisible in deep shadow.” The idea that Kurt, or at least the area immediately surrounding him, is slightly out of phase with reality has a number of really interesting consequences—which I’ll keep under my hat just in case I ever use them elsewhere.
I also had an interesting idea of how to rationalise Cyclops’ power during the period I the X-books. I never liked the idea that he could defy Newtonian physics with a force beam originating in his eyeballs. Sadly, although the powers that be thought he had become dull they were set on killing him off—(to rest him) because a death is easier to promote, as a sound bite, than an interesting story.
I’ll watch the films out of curiosity but I’ve never been one to regard movies as a degree of success for a comic character. I enjoyed some of the second Spiderman film, the Hulk movie Hulk-action, the Thing and Torch in the FF movie, Batman Begins (except for the ridiculous microwave generator) and all of Hellboy BUT I love the comic medium and, although I understand the financial incentive, it saddens me that so much of the industry pursues the Hollywood dream and often sacrifices the comic medium in the process.
Alan
The second generation thing wasn’t my idea. It had been bounced around for years that Mystique was Kurt’s mother—they are both blue so it must be true!?
I have never felt comfortable with accepting that a character has a power and it works-- like magic—just because it does. Rationalising how a power might function—in plausible sci-fi comic terms—makes the character more consistent and can sometimes generate story ideas.
I had already started to explore the navigational aspect of Nightcrawler’s power in the Necrom storyline. (Another inspiration I owe to Gilbert Gosseyn.) And suggested that spatial awareness would also contribute to Kurt’s agility.
The ‘invisible in darkness’ idea was introduced very early on in classic run by Chris Claremont and John Byrne. I’m not aware of anything developing from the original concept but then again, being invisible in darkness isn’t much of an ability. In Excalibur 65 Kurt discovered…
“The entrance to the Dimension I teleport through constantly surrounds me. It distorts light. Absorbing and displacing it so that I appear to be in shadow in the light and virtually invisible in deep shadow.” The idea that Kurt, or at least the area immediately surrounding him, is slightly out of phase with reality has a number of really interesting consequences—which I’ll keep under my hat just in case I ever use them elsewhere.
I also had an interesting idea of how to rationalise Cyclops’ power during the period I the X-books. I never liked the idea that he could defy Newtonian physics with a force beam originating in his eyeballs. Sadly, although the powers that be thought he had become dull they were set on killing him off—(to rest him) because a death is easier to promote, as a sound bite, than an interesting story.
I’ll watch the films out of curiosity but I’ve never been one to regard movies as a degree of success for a comic character. I enjoyed some of the second Spiderman film, the Hulk movie Hulk-action, the Thing and Torch in the FF movie, Batman Begins (except for the ridiculous microwave generator) and all of Hellboy BUT I love the comic medium and, although I understand the financial incentive, it saddens me that so much of the industry pursues the Hollywood dream and often sacrifices the comic medium in the process.
Alan
Yes, I remember being really fascinated by this explanation in Excalibur#65.
I also remember Kurt being lost in another dimension because of the Multiverse's imminent destruction during the Necrom saga. This short episode, with this really cool idea that Nightcrawler might be trapped in a parallel world, frightened me a lot back then.
I also heard rumours that, if you hadn't left Excalibur after the "Days of future yet to come" storyline, you would have explored Kurt's origins. Is that true ?
I also remember Kurt being lost in another dimension because of the Multiverse's imminent destruction during the Necrom saga. This short episode, with this really cool idea that Nightcrawler might be trapped in a parallel world, frightened me a lot back then.
I also heard rumours that, if you hadn't left Excalibur after the "Days of future yet to come" storyline, you would have explored Kurt's origins. Is that true ?
Rock is alive :
www.atlantys.biz
All about Nightcrawler in one place :
www.bamfcentral.com
THE CLAN DESTINE IS BACK !!
YIIIIIII-HAAAAAAA !
www.atlantys.biz
All about Nightcrawler in one place :
www.bamfcentral.com
THE CLAN DESTINE IS BACK !!
YIIIIIII-HAAAAAAA !
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Alan Davis
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OK, so, what I heard wasn't true...
I can only imagine what Kylun and Cerise's adventures could have been...
A travel back to EE'rath for the first perhap's, involving epic swordsfights.
A travel to the stars for the second. in the middle of strange, alien civilisations...
You know Alan, with your imagination, you really should write and draw YOUR comic book. Something that will entirely be yours.
The Clan Destine and your second run on Excalibur proved that you can do it, and that the result is brilliant.
As a reader, I was always frustrated because it seemed to me you could continue with your characters for years.
But perhap's you still want to play with the "classic" characters...
I can only imagine what Kylun and Cerise's adventures could have been...
A travel back to EE'rath for the first perhap's, involving epic swordsfights.
A travel to the stars for the second. in the middle of strange, alien civilisations...
You know Alan, with your imagination, you really should write and draw YOUR comic book. Something that will entirely be yours.
The Clan Destine and your second run on Excalibur proved that you can do it, and that the result is brilliant.
As a reader, I was always frustrated because it seemed to me you could continue with your characters for years.
But perhap's you still want to play with the "classic" characters...
Rock is alive :
www.atlantys.biz
All about Nightcrawler in one place :
www.bamfcentral.com
THE CLAN DESTINE IS BACK !!
YIIIIIII-HAAAAAAA !
www.atlantys.biz
All about Nightcrawler in one place :
www.bamfcentral.com
THE CLAN DESTINE IS BACK !!
YIIIIIII-HAAAAAAA !
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poison_mouth
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Alan Davis
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- Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2005 9:13 pm
Rationalizing powers
Figuring out how and why a character's powers work is certainly a source of great story potential and it helps to solidify all manner of plot and story decisions when it is 'konwn' how and why a power operates or can be manipulated.
I'm surprised to have read that, but it adds to my respect to Mr. Davis as an artitst and a writer.
I'm surprised to have read that, but it adds to my respect to Mr. Davis as an artitst and a writer.
Thavius - for First Salvo
www.firstsalvo.com
www.firstsalvo.com
I have a definite love of explaining why a character's powers work the way they do! Origins in physics make things far more plausible and lend a reality to the character.
By the way, the Mystique as Kurt's mother thing was an association by color scheme indeed, and that is from Paty Cockrum herself. Dave just drew a sexy lady in a white dress, and they colored her in blue with yellow eyes, and they said Nightcrawler's sister! Claremont got an inspiration and...voila!...Kurt's mom!
Mr. Cockrum was also good enough to share with me an idea he toyed with about Kurt's father being Nightmare, which had been a random thought. He said I could play with it...so I did! And wrote a story! Did you all know that Nightmare in German is Albtraum...which means elfdream? That in Germanic lore a nightmare was caused by an elf sitting on one's chest? That elves in Germanic lore are linked with succubi? I was trying to throw out Azazel as Kurt's father because I did not enjoy that series of stories at all! So when Dave Cockrum said I could run with the Nightmare idea he had, I was pleased! Even moreso when I found out all that nightmares are dealt with in Kurt's native language and country of origin so intimately! Nightmare works so much more better! And elves are also associated with changelings in Germanic lore! How often was Kurt called a changeling? Hmmm? Origins in etymology and sociology also make a character more plausible too!
By the way, the Mystique as Kurt's mother thing was an association by color scheme indeed, and that is from Paty Cockrum herself. Dave just drew a sexy lady in a white dress, and they colored her in blue with yellow eyes, and they said Nightcrawler's sister! Claremont got an inspiration and...voila!...Kurt's mom!
Mr. Cockrum was also good enough to share with me an idea he toyed with about Kurt's father being Nightmare, which had been a random thought. He said I could play with it...so I did! And wrote a story! Did you all know that Nightmare in German is Albtraum...which means elfdream? That in Germanic lore a nightmare was caused by an elf sitting on one's chest? That elves in Germanic lore are linked with succubi? I was trying to throw out Azazel as Kurt's father because I did not enjoy that series of stories at all! So when Dave Cockrum said I could run with the Nightmare idea he had, I was pleased! Even moreso when I found out all that nightmares are dealt with in Kurt's native language and country of origin so intimately! Nightmare works so much more better! And elves are also associated with changelings in Germanic lore! How often was Kurt called a changeling? Hmmm? Origins in etymology and sociology also make a character more plausible too!