Warning: Spoilers for Dazzler #1!An iconic X-Men gadget of Nightcrawler Past is ready to make a comeback in the Marvel Universe. One advantage about the rich knowledge of the Marvel Universe is that something that has been long forgotten, like one of the cool gadgets of Marvel, can be underused for years, but then introduced again at any time by a different character and story.
One such gadget that has now been re-introduced into Marvel lore is The classic Nightcrawler image inducerRunning in Dazzler #1 by Jason Loo, Rafael Loureiro, Java Tartaglia and Ariana Maher. The image inducer is a gadget with almost fifty years of history and is most deeply associated with Nightcrawler. However, it’s Dazzler’s lead drummer, Shark Girl, and the band’s manager, Wind Dancer, who bring it back.
Looking at how the image inducer has been used in the past allows readers to look at the moment and speculate on the future implications of its return. The gadget’s return has massive implications for the X-Men’s post-Krakoa affairs.
Nightcrawler’s Image Inducer returns to X-Men Lore
Check out the origins and history of the gadget
Nightcrawler’s image inducer debuted in X-Men #97 by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum. Kurt Wagner uses the device to take the form of Errol Flynn, based on Kurt’s love of swashbuckling and his own Jedi-like mastery of swords. This moment would be the first of many times that Kurt would use this device to hide his true appearance when he needed to blend in with human society. The device cloaks the user’s body in a hologramGive the user a new look.
While Iron Man’s impressive tech skills made the image inducer revolutionary, it was never perfect.
Thirty-three years later, Marvel recontextualized the Image Inducer further with the revelation in New X-Men #44 by Christopher Yost, Craig Kyle and Humberto Ramos, who before the medium made his debut for Nightcrawler, It was originally created by Tony Stark for Stark Industries Before falling into the hands of the X-Men. While Iron Man’s impressive tech skills made the image inducer revolutionary, it was never perfect. The problem with the image inducer is that although it replicates a new appearance, it cannot replicate how the wearer feels physically. So if anyone touched Nightcrawler, they would feel his fur or (if not hidden) his tail.
That one downside is something that created many problems for Nightcrawler over the years. However, what the Image Inducer does wrong doesn’t take away from what it gets right, as it still remains one of Marvel’s most coveted gadgets. So coveted, in fact, in that Several characters other than Nightcrawler are known to use such an image inducer. For example, some forget Deadpool’s image inducer that he used to use. Other characters like Beast and Taskmaster have been known to use image inducers.
Dazzler’s Drummer Shark Girl has her own image inducer now
But the gadget backfires during a performance
The premiere issue of Dazzler Focuses on the title character with her concert among the mutants who are ostracized by society – worse than ever – thanks to Orchis’ hate campaign before they perished. Dazzler’s manager wants to try her best to Keep the peace between human and mutant attendees. Not only does she ask Dazzler not to remind audiences of her mutant heritage, but she asks her drummer to wear an image inducer collar to hide her shark-humanoid hybrid appearance.
Related
The collar works like a charm, as long ago for Nightcrawler. However, this changes when Scorpia attacks Dazzler during the concert. While Dazzler was able to eventually subdue Scorpia, Shark Girl’s collar malfunctions during the melee. It is unclear if Shark Girl was caught in the crossfire of the battle, if being around the battle somehow disrupted it, or if the collar just naturally short-circuited. In any case, Shark Girl’s holographic image is destroyed, revealing her mutant form to the world. Dazzler takes the opportunity to embrace the mutant’s attention and praise her drummer.
Will Nightcrawler’s image inducer return to Marvel lore for good?
There is a lot of future story potential
The image inducer making a comeback has major implications for the future of the Marvel Universe. Now that Dazzler’s drummer has officially come out as a mutant and Dazzler is becoming vocal about mutanthood, it’s unlikely she’ll use an image inducer herself again. However, as easy as it was for Dazzler’s manager to get an image inducer, so could anyone else in the Marvel Universe. The return of the image inducer does not necessarily mean that it will remain a staple For Shark Girl or anyone on Dazzler’s team.
For more on what the other X-Men are up to, check out three of the core “From the Ashes” X-Men ongoing titles: X-Men, Uncanny X-MenAnd Exceptional X-MenAll available now from Marvel Comics.
More than anything, reintroducing the image inducer serves as a reminder to Marvel creative teams that this piece of tech exists in the world. Once reminded, more writers and artists may feel compelled to use it more often in their stories. This brief reintroduction could be the first of many instances of the Image Inducer being a part of Marvel stories. Something that was once a constant for Nightcrawler Can be used by many different characters throughout the Marvel Universe – especially in the X-Men – Move forward.
Dazzler #1 is available now from Marvel Comics.