Bamf
Comic book onomatopoeia and race
title: "Bamf" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["characters-created-by-chris-claremont", "characters-created-by-dave-cockrum", "comics-characters-introduced-in-1982", "imps", "marvel-comics-characters-who-can-teleport", "marvel-comics-demons", "marvel-comics-shapeshifters", "onomatopoeia", "x-men"] description: "Comic book onomatopoeia and race" topic_path: "general/characters-created-by-chris-claremont" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamf" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Comic book onomatopoeia and race ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox comics character"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| image | Nightcrawler Bamf.jpg |
| image_size | 250 |
| caption | Nightcrawler surprises Spider-Man by teleporting in front of him. |
| character_name | Bamf |
| :: |
::callout[type=note] a Marvel Comics term ::
|image=Nightcrawler Bamf.jpg |image_size=250 |caption=Nightcrawler surprises Spider-Man by teleporting in front of him. |character_name=Bamf | debut = Bamf , originally Bampf, is an onomatopoeic term originating in comic books published by Marvel Comics, in particular those featuring the superhero Nightcrawler of the X-Men. The term is derived from the sound Nightcrawler makes when teleporting.
Sound
The "Bamf" sound is caused by air rushing into the space where Nightcrawler's body once was after he had teleported. It has been borrowed as a teleport sound by fans and a generic term for teleporting in general. The sound has become a standard in pop culture.
Race
|image = Bamf.jpg |imagesize = 203 |caption = Nightcrawler cast as a "Bamf" in Kitty Pryde's bedtime story. Art by Dave Cockrum. |publisher = |debut = Uncanny X-Men #153 (January 1982) |debutmo = |debutyr = |creators = Chris Claremont Dave Cockrum |deities = |homeworld = |members = |powers =Teleportation |subcat = Marvel Comics |sortkey = Bamf
Bamfs are also a race of creatures described as small imp-like versions of Nightcrawler, which accompany him wherever he goes. They first appeared in the first Nightcrawler miniseries in 1985, and became a regular fixture of X-Men comics in the early 2010s.
Earth-5311
In Uncanny X-Men #153, Kitty Pryde tells a fairy tale to six-year-old Illyana Rasputin, which includes a race of creatures called "Bamfs", described as small imp-like versions of Nightcrawler. A Bamf enters the story after catching sight of Pirate Kitty, with whom he falls in love. He subsequently joins Kitty's team and aids in taking down Princess Jean (the counterpart of Jean Grey).
Earth-616
In the 1985 miniseries Nightcrawler, Nightcrawler is sent to another universe identical to Kitty's fairy tale, where he encounters the Bamfs. Nightcrawler discovers that female Bamfs differ from the males in that they are taller, resembling female versions of himself. The male Bamfs are lecherous, flirtatious, and skirt-chasing, making them rather tiring company in the presence of females.
During the establishment of the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning, Bamfs infest the school after Beast accidentally opens a portal to their home reality. The Bamfs are later revealed to be demons and the children of a giant maggot and a changeling taking the form of a lamprey. The Bamfs were abandoned in the brimstone plains of Hell before being rescued by Azazel, who used his blood to transform them into imp-like forms resembling him.
Powers and abilities
The Bamfs possess similar abilities to Nightcrawler, including the ability to teleport. They can enhance Nightcrawler's teleportation, enabling him to travel longer distances.
Known Bamfs
- Chuckles – A Bamf who Wolverine named after Professor X.
- Pickles – A Bamf who lived in Beast's van.
References
References
- "jargon file entry on Bamf". Catb.org.
- Silva, Logan. (February 23, 2025). "X-Men Is Done Ignoring the Worst Part of Nightcrawler's Powers: "I Don't Wanna Be Mean"".
- Gardiner. (October 7, 2010). "BOOM! How Comic Book Sounds Become Movie Sounds". [[Gizmodo]].
- ''[[Uncanny X-Men]]'' #153 (January 1982)
- Ayala, Nicolas. (June 10, 2024). "10 Superpowers X-Men's Nightcrawler Never Used In 3 Movie Appearances".
- Lord-Moncrief, Devon. (December 10, 2022). "The X-Men's Nightcrawler Has His Own Elf Helpers - But Who Are They Really?".
- ''[[Wolverine and the X-Men (comics). Wolverine and the X-Men]]'' #1 (December 2011)
- ''The Amazing X-Men'' (vol. 2) #4 (April 2014)
- ''[[Jean Grey]]'' #1 (July 2017)
::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::