BIOGRAPHY - page 2
Afterward, Amanda led Colossus and Wolfsbane to Margali's caravan in the German countryside, hoping to find the missing Margali. Instead, they found the caravan empty and quickly departed when they heard evil laughter. [Excalibur (1st series) #102] In truth, Margali wasn't at her caravan because she was being held prisoner by Belasco. The demon had taken the Soulsword from Margali, claiming himself as its rightful owner. [Excalibur (1st series) #103]
Belasco planned to use the Soulsword to wrest control of Limbo and, fearing for her own safety and that of the Winding Way, Margali knew she had only one option, though it was a diabolical one. She cast a spell that transferred her mind into Jimaine's body, at which point Jimaine's mind became trapped in Margali's caged body within Limbo. [X-Men Unlimited (1st series) #19] Margali appeared as Amanda to Excalibur for only a brief time and, though she acted somewhat strangely during that period, no one in Excalibur, not even Nightcrawler, detected that something so dire was transpiring. Soon after, “Amanda” quit Excalibur, without even saying goodbye to Nightcrawler. [X-Man #26, Excalibur (1st series) #108]
Belasco offered Nightcrawler the return of Margali in exchange for permanent control of the Winding Way and warned him that Amanda was up to trouble at their old circus. Though Kurt didn't believe the illusions of his dead circus friends that Belasco showed him, he nevertheless eventually returned to the circus, where he found “Amanda” practicing the dark arts. Margali did not yet reveal herself to her foster son, who spilled his own blood over a pentagram so that they 
could transport to Limbo. There, they were confronted by S'ym, who quickly exposed Margali, whose face and signature ram’s horns appeared over Amanda's face, leaving Nightcrawler confused. After she defeated S'ym, Margali explained to Kurt how she transferred her mind into Amanda's body, even though she knew it would cost what she had left of her soul. Kurt was shocked at how Margali could do this to her own daughter, and told her he wasn't sure if he could call her “mother” again.
When Margali was soon taken by a recovered S'ym, Kurt teleported into Belasco's citadel, where he promptly rescued Amanda. This surprised Belasco, who had no idea that Amanda had been 
his captive. Amanda was then able to relieve Belasco of the Soulsword, sending it tumbling down into the barren wastelands around his citadel. When Margali then returned, Belasco lunged at her, but Margali phased at the last moment and Belasco fell into a large pit in the ground, which closed up around him. The crisis over, Margali switched hers and Amanda’s minds back into their true bodies and asked her daughter for forgiveness. Amanda gave it, but at the same time warning her mother that she must promise to never pull a stunt like that again. Margali was relieved to know that Kurt still considered her his mother, and he told her he may be able to forgive her one day. Margali then bade her children farewell and she vanished, leaving Amanda to assume the role as Mistress of Limbo. [X-Men Unlimited (1st series) #19]
Margali returned to her native Paris, France and used her power to portray herself in a much younger body with blonde hair. There, she found herself under assault by the inter-dimensional group called the Ruined. These aliens were bent on taking over the Earth, and a group of them called the Quintessence planned to drain Margali's power. Seeing her as this Earth's Sorceress Supreme, they intended to use her power to merge their dimension with Paris. Margali lamented how her children would laugh to see her reduced to this state but knew that, if they were there, they would fight for her. Though Kurt and Amanda were not aware of their mother's crisis, the Fantastic Four were in Paris and by chance came to Margali's aid, defeating the Ruined and freeing Margali from their hold. [Fantastic Four (3rd series) #20]
Unfortunately for Margali, she found herself imprisoned and incommunicado by the Parisian government for “the good of the state.” In need of magical assistance and unable to locate any of their regular magical associates, the Fantastic Four returned to Paris where they knew Margali was incarcerated. Freed and aided by Mechamage, Margali teleported the Fantastic Four to a portion of Limbo which she had claimed as her own. In fact, she had even based Der Jahrmarkt 
there. Fearing the lives of the Fantastic Four were in danger, Margali determined that they, and Alyssa Moy, had been infected with a magical virus that would consume their souls. Margali worked alongside Mechamage, Alyssa Moy, Hellstorm and the Fantastic Four on an adventure that took them to the Hellfire Club, where they battled Blackheart and Selene, as it was determined Blackheart was responsible for the infection. The Fantastic Four were cured and, in the aftermath, Margali, Mechamage and Alyssa Moy decided to remain working together as the Shadow Hunters. Margali explained that they each had past sins to atone for. [Fantastic Four Annual 1999]
Margali's heroism continued for a time and she even aided other magic users during the crisis known as Maximum Security, during which the cosmic entity known as Ego the Living Planet started to assimilate the Earth's bio-sphere. During the crisis, Margali worked alongside the likes of the Scarlet Witch and Agatha Harkness to keep Ego at bay. [Maximum Security #3]
Apparently no longer working with the Shadow Hunters, Margali journeyed to Limbo, where she was horrified to find her daughter being brutalized by the demonic Nightmare. Margali quickly 
subdued Nightmare and trapped him, demanding to know why the demon had come to find the Soulsword. However, she soon realized that Nightmare was being used as a puppet, carrying out the bidding of another. Margali and Amanda determined that a serious mystical imbalance was occurring and journeyed to find Nightcrawler, who had been under mystical assault himself. Margali and Amanda revealed to Nightcrawler that the Soulsword was hidden within him, and Margali proceeded to pull the Soulsword from her foster son.
When the demon Hive, which was revealed to have been the cause of Nightcrawler's recent troubles, possessed Wolverine, Margali gave the Soulsword to Kurt, instructing him on how to use it to kill the demon. However, Margali was taken aback when Kurt rejected her guidance and announced that he would keep the Soulsword inside of him for the time being. [Nightcrawler (3rd series) #9-11] Margali's next actions are unknown, but she apparently returned to Der Jahrmarkt. Sometime later, Margali and Amanda, who was no longer the Mistress of Limbo, had a falling out. Although the reasons are unknown, they barely spoke to each other afterwards. [Nightcrawler (4th series) #2]
Margali's desire for power reared its ram-horned head again when she learned that Kurt, who had been dead for some time, had been rescued from the Afterlife, and that Azazel had been there too. Margali desperately craved access to this realm beyond, so she set about one of her most horrible schemes yet, sending a robot called Trimega to terrorize Amanda and the recently returned Kurt. As Trimega's intended target was Amanda, they believed Margali might be in danger as well. Despite the bad blood between them and their mother, the two teleported to Winzeldorf and soon arrived at Der Jahrmarkt, where they found Margali seemingly fine. Margali claimed ignorance of the Trimega and reminded her children that she walked the Winding Way and had no use for automatons. When several Trimegas suddenly attacked the circus, Kurt and Amanda battled them, but they were ultimately stopped by Margali, who easily cast the Trimegas away. Seeking help, Margali accompanied Kurt and Amanda to the Jean Grey School, where they were met with hostility by Storm and several other X-Men, who still did not trust Margali. The Beast and Storm took Margali into custody, which is what Margali planned all along. She cast a spell of enchantment over the two senior X-Men and tore from them their memories, specifically their recollection of recent events involving Kurt's resurrection and their journey to the Afterlife.
Armed with the knowledge she desired, Margali unleashed an army of Trimegas upon the Jean Grey School. Nightcrawler and Wolverine led the assault against the Trimegas, while the X-Men protected the school and the students. Amanda was able to reverse the harm Margali's spell 
caused Storm and Beast, while Margali opened the portal to the realm beyond. She claimed that this was her lifelong dream and boasted to Kurt that she would claim the realm beyond as her own. Margali had no interest in listening to Kurt as he simultaneously battled her bodyguard Trimega and tried to talk her down. Even Amanda could not convince Margali to close the portal, so Kurt knocked Margali out, after which he and Amanda leapt into the portal to close it from the other side. Unfortunately, in doing so, Amanda became trapped on the other side, though she was able to save the world by closing the portal. [Nightcrawler (4th series) #1-4]
While initially placed under the watch of several of Kurt's Bamfs, presumably Margali was placed into custody. How long the witch queen spent in custody, if at all, is unknown. Sometime later, Margali, joined dozens of other magic-users when summoned by Merlin to assist Dr. Strange in destroying a powerful magic barrier. [Doctor Strange and the Sorcerers Supreme #12]
The power-hungry Margali soon struck a deal with the anti-mutant organization Orchis, which was in the early stages of launching an all-our-war on Krakoa. In exchange for casting a spell which transformed numerous mutants into monstrous creatures, including her own beloved Nightcrawler, Orchis gave Margali the power she needed to ascend the Winding Way. However, where Margali was concerned, nothing is ever that straight-forward. Margali returned to the Bavarian forest in Germany, to the old circus where she raised her children, and waited until Nightcrawler himself (
and several other mutants) found her after tracking the source of the transformation spell. Margali initially claimed that she was at a weak point on the Winding Way, but one of Nightcrawler's allies was able to determine that she was lying and Margali easily kept the mutants at bay when they attempted to fight her. Before long, Orchis agents arrived on scene to apprehend the mutants. [Legion of X #8-9]
While Nightcrawler fought the Orchis agents, Margali used this opportunity to talk to him about his 
life, specifically his goodness, his soul and the hope that he offered anyone who he encountered. She spoke to him about his faith and how it kept him strong, no matter what he was up against, including his current body being disfigured and mind disorientated. Margali then committed a terrible sin against her foster son as she used the hope within him to form a weapon called the Hopesword. Margali then cruelly left Kurt in a cave in the Bavarian forest and teleported away.
Aboard the Orchis space station called the Bloom, Margarli watched over the now imprisoned Nightcrawler. Worse, when some of Nightcrawler's allies attempted to rescue him, Margali used the Hopesword to decapitate Legion and shunted the rest of Nightcrawler's would-be rescuers out into space. The ever-conflicted Margali claimed to care for Nightcrawler, but the mysterious Mother Righteous, who orchestrated Margali's rise to power, decided otherwise. Mother Righteous was not impressed that Margali was underhanded with her and decided that she needed Legion more than she did Margali. Margali did not have time to defend herself as Mother Righteous stripped her of her power and absorbed her essence into one of the strange spheres that hovered around her. Mother Righteous then took possession of the Hopesword and forced Nightcrawler to use it, carrying out tasks for Orchis. [Legion of X #10, X-Men: Before the Fall – Sons of X #1]
Given Margali has a knack for making unexpected returns, it's merely a matter of “where” she will appear next, not “when.” Perhaps next time she may focus on attempting to rescue her long-forgotten daughter, rather than tormenting her beloved Nightcrawler.