Warning: Spoilers for Dazzler #1!An iconicX-Mengadget fromNightcrawler’spast is ready to make a comeback in the Marvel Universe. One perk about the rich lore of the Marvel Universe is that something that’s been long forgotten, likeone of Marvel’s cool gadgets, can go underused for years, but then introduced again at any time by way of a different character and story.
One such gadget that has now been re-introduced into Marvel lore isNightcrawler’s classic image inducer, returning inDazzler#1 by Jason Loo, Rafael Loureiro, Java Tartaglia, and Ariana Maher. The image inducer is a gadget with almost fifty years' worth of history and is more 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 this moment and speculate upon the future implications of its return. The return of this gadget has massive implications for the X-Men’s post-Krakoa affairs.
Nightcrawler’s Image Inducer Returns to X-Men Lore
Check Out the Gadget’s Origins and History
Nightcrawler’s image inducer debuted inX-Men#97 by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum. Kurt Wagner uses the device to take on the form of Errol Flynn, based on Kurt’s love of swashbuckling and his ownJedi-like mastery of swords. This moment would prove to be the first of many times that Kurt would use the device in order to hide his true appearance whenever he needed to blend in with human society.The device cloaks the user’s body entirely in a hologram, giving the user a new appearance.
While Iron Man’s impressive tech skill made the image inducer revolutionary, it was never perfect.
Thirty-three years later, Marvel recontextualized the image inducer further with the revelation inNew X-Men#44 by Christopher Yost, Craig Kyle, and Humberto Ramos that, before the device made its debut for Nightcrawler,it was originally created by Tony Stark for Stark Industriesbefore falling into the hands of the X-Men. While Iron Man’s impressive tech skill made the image inducer revolutionary, it was never perfect. The problem with the image inducer is that while it replicates a new appearance, it can’t replicate how the wearer feels, physically. So if anyone touched Nightcrawler, they’d feel his fur or (if not hidden) his tail.
That one downside is something that created many problems for Nightcrawler over the years. Still, though, what the image inducer does wrong does not take away from what it gets right, as it still remains one of Marvel’s most highly coveted gadgets. So coveted, in fact, in thatseveral characters other than Nightcrawler have been known to use such an image inducer. For example,some forget Deadpool’s image inducerthat he used to use. Other characters like Beast and Taskmaster have been known to use image inducers as well.
Dazzler’s Drummer Shark Girl Has Her Own Image Inducer Now
But the Gadget Backfires During a Performance
The premiere issue ofDazzlerfocuses on the title character having her concert in the midst of mutants being ostracized by society - worse than ever - thanks to Orchis' hate campaign before they perished. Dazzler’s manager wants to try her best tokeep the peace between human and mutant attendees. Not only does she beg Dazzler not to remind audiences of her mutant heritage, but she begs her drummer to wear an image inducer collar to hide her shark-humanoid hybrid appearance.
X-Men’s New Danger Room Says Everything You Need to Know About Their New Era
Rogue has rebuilt the Danger Room for her new class of mutants, giving the iconic X-Men training space a low-tech form symbolizing their new era.
The collar works like a charm, as it did for Nightcrawler long ago. However, that changes when Scorpia attacks Dazzler during the concert. While Dazzler is able to eventually subdue Scorpia,Shark Girl’s collar malfunctions during the melee.It’s unclear if Shark Girl got 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 uses the opportunity to embrace the mutant attention and praise her drummer.
Will Nightcrawler’s Image Inducer Return to Marvel Lore for Good?
There’s 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 is officially out as a mutant and Dazzler is becoming vocal about mutanthood, it’s not likely that she herself will use an image inducer again. However, as easy as it was for Dazzler’s manager to get hold of an image inducer, so could anyone else in the Marvel Universe.The return of the image inducer doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll remain a staplefor Shark Girl or anyone on Dazzler’s team.
For more about 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-Men, andExceptional X-Men, all 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 this world. Once reminded, more writers and artists may feel compelled to use it more often in their stories. This brief reintroduction could prove to be the first of many instances of the image inducer being a part of Marvel stories. Something that was once a constant forNightcrawlercould end up being used by many different characters throughout the Marvel Universe - especially in theX-Men- moving forward.
Dazzler#1is available now from Marvel Comics.
X-Men
The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.
