Nightcrawler (1st series) #4

Issue Date: 
February 1986
Story Title: 
The Wizard of OOPs!
Staff: 

Dave Cockrum (writer/ artist), Joseph Rubinstein (Finisher), Patty Cockrum (colorist), Dianna Albers (Letterer), Ann Nocenti (editor), Jim Shooter (editor in chief)

Brief Description: 

Nightcrawler and his friends find themselves changed to a living pillar in the sacrificial chamber. Kitty teleports the dark Bamf to the danger room and then back to his correct dimension in an attempt to rescue Kurt. Meanwhile, the child sized Bamf manages to get the keys to a prison cell from a guard and bumps into small Lockheed. Together, they free the girls and plan Shagreens downfall. Shagreen has noticed Dark Bamfs sudden vanishing and returning act. Kurt accuses the sorcerer of loosing control of his minions. The girls, lead in a charge by the small boy Bamf on Lockheed, enter the sacrificial chamber and attempt to free Kurt and his companions. Shagreen casts a large spell rendering all of them unconscious. Suddenly, a wall of the sacrificial chamber is then blasted apart by Windrider. She battles Shagreen by herself. Kurt discovers the pillar is ticklish and causes the pillar to laugh, thereby releasing all of the prisoners chained to it. Full size Lockheed appears and explains to Kitty that he went to get Windrider after eating the green tentacled monster. Kurt uses some nearby chains as a weapon to steal Shagreens’ staff and then busts the stone on the bottom. Shagreen is rendered powerless and the Dark Bamf transforms releasing the entire group of boy Bamfs. Kitty, Colossus and Windrider take the sorcerer prisoner. Kurt finds himself suddenly transported to yet another dimension where he faces a T-rex dressed as a Cowboy. Suddenly, he is transported to yet another dimension where friends greet him. He goes to the see Sevh the Oracle and she finally tells him that he must will himself home. Nightcrawler finally returns home to hugs from Kitty and Illyana.

Full Summary: 

Sacrificial Chamber

Shagreen tells Kurt that he will see his friends’ perish and then he shall join them. Kurt reminds the Sorcerer that the last time they met; Shagreen was falling to his death. Shagreen tells Kurt that there is no way he will ever tell them how he learned the secret of teleportation.

Danger room Control Booth

Kitty tells Illyana that she knows how to pick Kurt out of a crowed of child-sized Bamfs. All they need to do is lock onto the biggest Bamf they can possible find and hope Lockheed is with him. Kitty presses a button and to their surprise a large Dark Bamf appears and demands that they put the room back the way it was. Kitty quickly presses the button again and the girls stare at each other in astonishment.

Inside the Wizard’s Castle

Kurt’s small Bamf friend is roaming around. He claims he can feel that other Bamfs are near. The small Bamf spots a Guard and immediately formulates a plan to free the other Bamfs. He starts by making fun of the guard until he is mad enough to give chase. The small Bamf leads the way and eventually disappears down some stairs. The guard is so angry he fails to notice the stairs and tumbles down them. The guard is unconscious as the small Bamf removes the key ring from his belt.
While the small Bamf is concentrating on this new treasure, he hears a “hyuck” from behind him. Startled, he turns only to see the small size Lockheed has found him. The small Bamf asks Lockheed not to sneak up on him anymore as it scared years off his life. He quickly fills Lockheed in on his plan to rescue the other Bamfs and then go after the Wizard. They stop before a door and the Bamf yells to the guys that he plans to get them out of there. However, when the door is finally opened, they see nothing but girls.
The small Bamf says he can’t believe he has found the girls in a locked room, no other guys, and no bamfing. The girls tell him that it’s about time he showed up. He tells them the plan to go after the wizard and the girls quickly agree. After all, they have their own score to settle. The small Bamf rides a flying Lockheed as the charge is begun

Sacrificial Chamber

Shagreen has noticed the disappearance and the reappearance of the Dark Bamf. The Dark Bamf fails to explain to his master where he went, how he got there, and how he returned. The Sorcerer forbids the dark creature from doing the stunt again.
Chained to the pillar, Kurt tells the Sorcerer that he is losing control of the castle. The Sorcerer is in the middle of giving Kurt a piece of his mind, when the small Bamf girl army sets him upon. The girls angrilybegin smashing everything in sight, overwhelming Shagreen in the process. In the midst of the chaos, one of the girls finds Kurt and calls to the other girls to alert them to her unusual find.
Shagreen eventually gathers himself enough to cast a spell that knocks the Bamf girls unconscious, sending the chamber once again into quiet. Shagreen tells the boggie to say goodbye once and for all. The Dark Bamf stands quietly at his masters’ side.
Suddenly, the wall explodes inward as the Windrider makes her presence known. She tells Shagreen that she has come for her friends and he will not get in her way. Shagreen tells her to leave as he ahs the only power in the castle. The Windrider calls down a bolt of lightening to reinforce her will, as Shagreen begins to cast another spell.
Kurt notices how the Windrider resembles Storm and tells his friends he has been working on a way for them to get free form their chains. Kurt tells them that he believes the pillar to be a living creature and he angles his tail toward Mean. As Kurt maneuvers his tail, the pillar laughs as if it’s ticklish. Suddenly, the friends find themselves free as the pillar lets out a giant “GUFFAW!”
Pirate Kitty sees the big Lockheed through the hole in the wall that Windrider blasted. She asks the dragon what happened to the tentacled creature that grabbed him? Lockheed informs Kitty that the creature was truly delicious in every sense of the word. Lockheed tells Kitty that he fetched Windrider cause he thought they could use some magical help. Kitty thanks the dragon for his thoughtfulness.
With Shagreen engaged, the girl Bamfs proceed to run for cover. Pirate Colossus states that he does not run for cover, especially when he has a score to settle. He is intercepted by the Dark Bamf who pounds him to the ground with a huge fist. Nightcrawler notices that Shagreen is still utilizing his staff as his main source of power. He grabs the nearest mace and proceeds to sneak around behind the Sorcerer hoping that this is a clue to his opponent’s weakest point. Nightcrawler is able to use the mace in a fantastic move that leaves the top of the staff shattered into a million pieces. However, Shagreen is able to use his magic to hurl Nightcrawler toward the escaping girl Bamfs and inform him that his power is in a different host this time. Nightcrawler lands amid the girl Bamfs, knocking some of them down but none of them seem to mind too much. Some of the girls offer to kiss his bruises and make them better. Nightcrawler tells them that this isn’t the time or the place to discuss such matters.

Danger Room Control Booth

Kitty tells Illyana that she has the computer reset but the readings are anything but normal. Illyana encourages her to push the button anyway. Kitty does so; the computers energy combines with the magics of Windrider and Shagreen allowing the two dimensions to be linked together in a two-way circuit. The two startled teenagers peer into a chaotic world of small Bamfs and see their counterparts as well. Suddenly, they notice the shark looking guy (Shagreen) staring at them and realize they can also be seen. The girl Bamfs let the teenagers know that no more girls are needed in this situation. Kitty seizes the moment and announcers herself to the new dimension as a great and powerful sorcerer. Shagreen tells her to keep out of this, but it’s too late as she tumbles into the newly created vortex. Kitty sees her pet Lockheed and the two are joyously reunited.
Meanwhile, Illyana observes Shagreen readying himself to zap her best friend. She closes her eyes and prays that she presses the right button. Zap, Kitty finds herself and Lockheed returned to the correct dimension, the Danger Room control booth. Kitty asks her startled friend what she did, but Illyana explains that she wasn’t looking the whole time she was pressing the button.

Sacrificial Chamber

Nightcrawler takes a moment to observe the battle between Windrider and Shagreen. He sees that the two are very evenly matched. However, Windrider is also trying to protect bystanders while Shagreen isn’t concerned at all about them. Nightcrawler quickly formulates a plan, picks up a nearby piece of chain and sneaks over to the side Shagreen is holding the staff on. Nightcrawler thinks that Shagreen lied about using another host for his power, or why would he still be hanging onto the staff. Nightcrawler takes aim, and whips the chain out wrapping it around the staff.

Nightcrawler yanks on the chain and captures the staff. He then tells Shagreen to give up, as he knows the gem on the bottom of the staff is the host for the sorcerer’s power. Windrider brings Shagreen to his knees easily while Shagreen mutters curses against a giant boggie in particular. Kurt smashes the small gem at the bottom of the staff against the stone floor of the room. Kurt feels himself falling through the transdimensional vortex once again. Dark Bamf is wracked by violent tremors and suddenly shatters into many small boy Bamfs. The girl and boy Bamfs are joyously reunited amid a frenzy of kisses and hugs. Meanwhile, Colossus, Kitty and Windrider have to decide what is to become of Shagreen. Windrider suggests that the sorcerer is made incapable of committing further harm.

The Desert on a Hot Day

Kurt finds himself on the hot ground and the object of attention of a T-rex. One dressed in western attire, complete with cowboy boots. The T-rex informs Kurt that his name is Cretaceous Sam and he intends to fill Kurt full of lead. After all, Kurt is a mammal and he hates mammals. The T-rex asks Kurt to stand so he can shoot him fair and square. Kurt attempts to explain that he is not a mammal. The T-rex asks him just what he is?
Kurt yells, “I AM A BOGGIE” as he springs from the ground and punches the off guard T-rex in the nose. The transdimensional vortex suddenly opens up once again to leave a bewildered T-rex wondering exactly what a boggie is.

Yet, another new world

Kurt finds himself sitting on a tree root overlooking a scenic canyon. He realizes he is still not home and does not see the green flying pterodactyl-like creature coming toward him. As the creature attacks, Kurt is suddenly transported again.

Sehv the Oracle

Suddenly Kurt finds himself facing a familiar landscape and he knows where he can get help. The first creature he recognizes is the Ooga Beast. Kurt teleports himself into the city sure that Sevh will be at the same stand as before. Women who recognize him and want to welcome him back greet him enthusiastically. They tell him that no one else has ever returned a second time before. Kurt apologizes to the ladies and tells them that he only plans to be passing through on his way home. Kurt finds a particular TV set and starts talking to it. Soon, a gray haired grandmother figure appears and also recognizes him from before. He explains about the dimensional warp and the problems he has had recently. She greets Kurt and he tells her why he has returned to her dimension. Sehv explains to Kurt that this predicament has a great deal to do with his last visit there. Sehv tells Kurt that he has some residual “Darkforce” left in him as a result of his fight with the Vanisher. The end result is that Kurt is still dimensionally unstable from that event. The well at the center of time appeared in the Danger Room because it was drawn to Kurt. When Kurt fell in, then the well naturally moved on.
However, Kitty has been generating the moves because the computer she programmed is still locked in on Kurt. The Oracle tells Kurt that he has the power to will himself home, just as he willed himself to this dimension from Cretaceous Sam’s dimension. Kurt can’t believe his ears, after all, the solution sounds simple. He thanks the Oracle for saving him twice and promises the Oracle he will bring a giant screen TV next time he pops by for a visit.

Danger Room Control Booth

Kitty confides to Illyana that she is getting ready to give up. After all, she has tried everything she can think of and Nightcrawler still remains in the other dimension. Illyana tells her friend that they just can’t quit; they have to try again. Suddenly, they hear the sound of teleportation coming from the Danger Room. To the girls’ surprise, they see Kurt standing there. Kurt tells Kitty not to touch any of the controls. Kitty looks at Illyana and exclaims, “We have rescued him!” The two friends make their way downstairs in a jubilant rush to hug the newly returned X-Man. Kurt promises Kitty that he will never leave again like this again. The three friends go off to the kitchen for some well-earned milk and cookies.

Characters Involved: 

Shadowcat, Nightcrawler (both X-men)

Magik (New Mutant)

Lockheed (Kitty’s pet dragon)

Child- sized Bamf, Kurt’s friend

Citizens of Bamf City (girl Bamfs and boy Bamfs)

Mean (small Wolverine like character)

Lockheed the full sized dragon

Kitty and Colossus (this world’s counterparts to the characters in Kitty’s fairytale)

Crew of the Sea Rover Abdul Alhazred (Kitty and Colossus’ ship)

Windrider (this worlds counterpart to Storm)
Sehv the Oracle

Hermione and Friend (recognize Kurt from his last visit)


Dark Bamf: Shagreen’s servant

Prison Guards in Castle

Giant Living Pillar in Sacrificial Chamber

Cretaceous Sam (T-rex dressed as a Cowboy from a western movie)

Story Notes: 

Kitty’s Fairytale takes place in Uncanny X-men # 153.
Kurt’s fight with the Vanisher and his previous encounter with Sehv took place in Bizarre Adventures #27.

Issue Information: 
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