Kurt Wagner is the product of a love affair between Mystique and Azazel. When he was born, the townsfolk were horrified by his demonic appearance so his mother through him into a river. He was found and raised by the gypsy witch Margali Szardos. He possessed the ability of teleportation, as well as incredible agility, wall scaling and a prehensile tail.

He lived a happy childhood despite his devilish appearance, performing as a trapeze artist in the carnival alongside his adoptive siblings Jimaine and Stefan. After Stefan became a mass-murderer in Winzeldorf, Kurt unintentionally executed his own brother. Their conflict caught the attention of a mob, who believed Kurt to be a murderous demon and decided to hunt and lynch him. He was ultimately saved by Professor Charles Xavier of the X-Men, who invited him to join the super hero mutant group under the name Nightcrawler.

Nightcrawler has become one of the most respected and beloved members of the X-Men, due to his charming attitude and kind soul. Considering the X-Men his family, he even led the team in several opportunities. Nightcrawler was also a prominent member and leader of the British-based mutant group Excalibur for years. As a member of the X-Men, Nightcrawler paid the ultimate price to ensure the survival of the first mutant born after the M-Day, Hope Summers. Years later, he found his way back to the land of the living and to the X-Men.

When all mutantkind resettled on the island nation of Krakoa, by Professor Xavier's request, Nightcrawler was one of the first mutants to join. He was offered a position in the Quiet Council of Krakoa, the supreme body of mutant government. Realizing mutant society was deeply altered by the migration to Krakoa and being a religious and spiritual believer himself, Nightcrawler shared his intentions of accounting for the issues within the emerging mutant culture.