Before Iron Man flew onto the scene, Marvel movies were largely focused on Spider-Man and X-Men, but that didn't mean these entries paled in comparison to what came with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In fact, these stories helped showcase a deeper understanding of the characters' themes and the larger implications of stories involving Peter Parker or the Mutants. Perhaps the best example of this could be found in X2: X-Men United, which has been considered to be one of, if not the best, X-Men films ever made.
X2: X-Men United focused on the idea of the hate and fear humans had over Mutants. While the first film leaned on this notion lightly, X2 went all in and showed how sometimes the most dangerous villains don't need superpowers. More often than not, they just need motivation and a reason to act rashly when faced with the fear of the unknown, but the film did so well in capturing these themes into one character, Nightcrawler, and showcasing the complexities of Mutants and the people they often fight to protect.
Nightcrawler, in the comics, was a German Mutant who was also a devout Catholic, even though his mutation made him appear like a blue demon. He had much love in his heart and sought to use his power for good and prove that humans shouldn't fear what they don't understand. In the film, this is loosely showcased by his drawn-in but kind nature. However, the real drama surrounding Kurt Wagner involved the people who influenced him and the person he unwillingly influenced.
The film's opening had Nightcrawler use his powers of teleportation to attack the President of the United States and send a message that Mutants want their rights and could kill even the President at a moment's notice. This caused immense fear in the President, which led him to act rashly and send Colonel William Stryker to infiltrate and kidnap as many Mutants as possible from Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Through Nightcrawler, the fear that humans have had towards Mutants was taken to dramatic heights but conveyed in a realistic sense.
While fear in itself is powerful, it has nothing on the hatred that people have for Mutants and what some could do with it. For example, because of Jason Stryker's mutation, he inadvertently broke apart the Stryker home, leading William to manipulate his son to eradicate or control all Mutants. This was the reason Nightcrawler attacked the President as well. Because of his anger, Stryker saw Mutants only as tools he could control and ultimately orchestrate their destruction from within.
Nightcrawler was a victim of some of the worst Mutant oppression shown in the series, but it was his inherent kindness and understanding of hate and fear that he was able to endure it. As a martyr of sorts, he showed some of the X-Men, like Storm, that people will do what they do because they can't look past what they see to see the person that's facing them. However, with a character like Nightcrawler, the hope they could garner through kindness and understanding could one day change things for the better.