Nightscrawlers

At least when you first started using him in X-Men? When you first drew him in X-Men, he could leap around comparable to Beast or Spider-Man. And when he appeared in Spider-Man's book not long after, he commented he could have torn a metal door off it's hinges if he had the time to do it. But now Marvel says he's about as strong as an "Olympic level athlete of the same height and build." And he never leaps around like he used to. Hasn't for a long time. But then again, Marvel can't make up its mind if he turns invisible or not in shadows. First he can, then can't, then can, then can't, and so on.

What was your original intent as far as strength level for Kurt? I get the impression you had him at maybe at least 3 times as strong as a normal human.

I didn't really think of strength levels like that, but he was certainly stronger than a normal human. I figured--and I think I said so in a character sheet somewhere--that he was capable of a thirty-foot standing broad jump and a high jump of nearly the same.

As for the yes-or-no business on whether he disappears in shadow or not, it was an idea I cam,e up with after he was already established. I think we introduced it in UX #103 or 104. Jim Shooter later declared that Kurt could do too many things, and something had to go. He narrowed it down to teleportation, or disappearing in shadows. As soon as he left Marvel, the shadow power was reinstated, but it seems to depend omn the whim of the current creative team as to whether he has it or not.

Thanks for getting back to me Dave. I'm surprised that a company that prides itself on maintaining continuity within it's books would be so indeciisive on one of their top characters.

Kurt hasn't turned invisible in his own book yet. I figure once he does it'll be permanent. At least I hope so.