The controversy surrounding the portrayal of the Marvel character Nightcrawler, a Catholic priest mutant, officiating a lesbian wedding in an upcoming comic book, has caused a stir online.
Critics, including science fiction author Jon Del Arroz, argued that such a portrayal goes against Nightcrawler’s Christian beliefs and is seen as anti-Christian bigotry by Marvel Comics.
“Marvel Comics hates Christians,” Arroz said.
'X-Men: The Wedding Special' celebrates Mystique and Destiny for 'Marvel's Voices: Pride!' See the happy couple on @Janbazaldua67’s cover, coming this May: https://t.co/KsTKecgMVd pic.twitter.com/6HxTbjTp9h
— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) February 21, 2024
“The most insulting part of the cover revealed is the image of Nightcrawler officiating the mockery of a wedding. Nightcrawler is a Catholic priest, and according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, sexual activity between members of the same sex is considered to be a grave sin against chastity, and homosexual attraction is considered to be objectively disordered.”
“Therefore, it is wholly against Nightcrawler’s vows as a Catholic priest to uphold God’s law to perform such a ceremony. It would be out of character for a Christian character,” he said.
Marvel has notably retconned Nightcrawler’s origin story, changing his parentage to include two female parents.
Marvel Comics hates Christians. #XMen https://t.co/V7heL2MSFX
— Jon Del Arroz (@jondelarroz) February 23, 2024
“Marvel Comics never seems to be able to portray Christian characters or give them adequate representation as they do for groups of certain skin colors or sexual fetishes. The solicitation is further anti-Christian bigotry by Marvel Comics,” Arroz wrote.
Critics have noted Marvel’s pattern of retconning characters and gaslighting fans who object to such changes, suggesting that the actions are turning classic comic stories into overt propaganda.
