Colossus and Northstar amicably part ways and keep in touch even after Northstar's team, the Academy of Tomorrow, come to blows with the X-Men. Colossus later agrees to accompany Northstar to his homecoming dance. This disturbs Nightcrawler, Peter's friend, who begins to avoid and resent him. Their relationship becomes very strained after this and never really recovers, Nightcrawler believing that Colossus deliberately misled and "betrayed" him. This also marks a significant change in Nightcrawler's character: much of his relationship with Colossus in the mainstream versions of them also involves Kitty Pryde (Colossus' recurring love interest throughout most of the various X-Men chronicles)'s close relationship with Nightcrawler. In this version, there is no romantic relations between Pryde and Rasputin and all three characters are affected. In other versions, Nightcrawler is routinely seen as an outsider trying desperately to fit in, more so than the other X-Men, but in this one his blatant homophobia and disgust towards Colossus is a strong theme. Comments have been made with a double meaning toward Peter's sexuality, such as Bobby Drake saying "Too bad he's playing for the other team" during a baseball game against the Academy of Tomorrow.