The Conception and Birth of Nightcrawler!

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birth, birth scene, Chuck Austen, Nightcrawler, Sean Phillips, Uncanny X-Men, X-men

January 22. Today is our birthday, Martians. And there’s nothing more poignant than sharing the moment of birth — especially if what’s being born is a hideous mutant! Let’s have a look at the conception and birth scene of X-Men‘s Nightcrawler. Writer Chuck Austen reveals Mystique as Nightcrawler’s mom!

Sean Phillips rocks the artwork on Nightcrawler’s birth. This sets the stage for even more mind-blowing artwork by Phillip Tan in the Draco storyline, where we learn more about Nightcrawler’s demonic dad. Phillip Tan did the cover for this issue. Tan would stay on the book for too short a time. We really dig his style: distinctive, detailed, and over-the-top.

Chuck Austen’s run on Uncanny X-Men (#410-443) and X-Men (#155-164) is much maligned, but it does have some pretty awesome moments!

Collector’s Guide: From Uncanny X-Men #428.

Don’t Stick Needles in My Son!

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Andy Kubert, birth, birth scene, Iron Man, Orson Scott Card, Ultimate Iron Man

We’ve had some really nice birth scenes here on Mars. Nothing bring us more joy than bringing new life into the world… Unless it’s mutating that life in our laboratories into an army of reptiles that we send off to conquer the planet! While we work on that, you check out this version of the birth of Tony Stark, Iron Man, from Ultimate Iron Man by Orson Scott Card and Andy Kubert!

He Wants to be Born!

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Africa, Barry Windsor Smith, birth, birth scene, Chris Claremont, Storm, Uncanny X-Men 198, X-men

You know, we haven’t had a good childbirth here since we dug that issue of MiracleMan. Lots of carnage involving dinosaurs and mutants, but not many childbirths. Here’s one from artist Barry Windsor Smith and Chris Claremont. Remember when Storm lost her powers? She went on a trip to Africa to find herself. She used to be revered as a goddess in Africa when Professor X first found her. This time around she nearly dies — and helps bring new life into the world.

Collector’s Guide: from Uncanny X-Men # 198.

You can see Barry Windsor Smith’s cover art before coloring and lettering at Marvel 1980s.

This Pure Act of Creation!

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Alan Moore, birth, birth scene, Eclipse Comics, Indie Comics, MiracleMan, MiracleMan 9, Rick Veitch

The birth scene in Miracleman #9 made it one of the most controversial issues of arguably the greatest superhero story of the twentieth century. Isn’t it strange that a candid depiction of birth, an event all of us experience at least once, often draws harsher criticisms than graphic depictions of violence? Hats off to Alan Moore and Rick Veitch for this one.

Collector’s Guide: From Miracleman #9; Eclipse. Reprinted in MiracleMan TPB #2.