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Rogue (Marvel Comics)

Character appearing in Marvel Comics From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rogue (Marvel Comics)
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Rogue is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Michael Golden, she first appeared in Avengers Annual #10 (1981). In the Marvel Universe, Rogue is depicted as a mutant, a subspecies of humans born with an "X-gene" that grants superhuman abilities. She is capable of absorbing the life force, attributes, memories, and superpowers of anyone through physical touch. The character is initially portrayed as a reluctant supervillain, but she soon joins the X-Men as a superhero and has since endured as one of its most prominent members.

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Rogue's early history was only revealed over twenty years after her introduction. The backstory established her real name as Anna Marie, although her surname remains unknown. A runaway from the fictional Caldecott County, Mississippi, Rogue is adopted by Mystique and Destiny and inducted into the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. She permanently absorbs Ms. Marvel's psyche powers and, fearing for her sanity, defects from the Brotherhood to join the X-Men to use her powers for good. Although she would later gain full control of her mutant abilities, Rogue considers them a curse for many years as they prevent her from getting close to others, including her on-off love interest and eventual husband Gambit, with whom she stars in the team series Rogue & Gambit and Mr. and Mrs. X.

Often listed as one of the most notable and powerful female characters in Marvel Comics, Rogue has been adapted in various media incarnations, most notably in X-Men: The Animated Series (1992–1997) and its revival X-Men '97 (2024-present), voiced by Lenore Zann. Anna Paquin portrayed the character in 20th Century Fox's X-Men film series (2000–2024).

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Publication history

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Rogue was first slated to appear in Ms. Marvel #25 in 1979 (and artwork for the first half of the story was completed),[2] but the book's abrupt cancellation left her original introduction story unpublished for over a decade until it was printed in Marvel Super Heroes #11 in 1992, where she absorbed her current powers permanently from Ms. Marvel.[3] Rogue's first published appearance was in Avengers Annual #10 (1981).[4][5][6] Her second appearance and first cover appearance was Rom #31 (Jun 1982) tied with Uncanny X-Men #158 (Jun 1982), but #158 is also her first X-Book appearance. She next appeared as an antagonist in Dazzler #22-24 (Aug-Oct 1982) before joining the X-Men in Uncanny X-Men #171 (1983). Rogue has also had two miniseries and one ongoing title.

Rogue's real name and early history were not revealed until more than 20 years after her introduction. Until the backstory provided by Robert Rodi in the ongoing Rogue series, begun in September 2004, her background was only hinted at. This resulted in Rodi's version of Rogue's origins inadvertently conflicting with earlier information. In X-Men Unlimited #4, Scott Lobdell indicates that Rogue ran away from her father after her mutant powers manifested, but in Uncanny X-Men #182, Rogue reflects that she never knew her father because he had left before she was born, and several issues, including Uncanny X-Men #178 and X-Men #93, indicate that Rogue was taken in by Mystique and Destiny before her mutation became active.

Chris Claremont said in June 2016 that, had he not left Marvel in 1991, Mystique would have been Rogue's real mother. It is a storyline that appeared in a 2009 run of the series X-Men Forever.[7] Claremont also revealed that the only advice he gave to artist Michael Golden was that Rogue should be inspired by Grace Jones and that she should have streaks of white in her hair. However, Michael Golden did not know what Jones looked like so the visual he submitted did not resemble Jones at all. Still, Claremont immediately approved, telling Golden he "nailed it."[7]

Rogue was a regular character in Uncanny Avengers (2012), beginning with issue #1.

Rogue had two limited solo series between 1995 and 2000, followed by an ongoing series from 2004 to 2005, and she is slated for a fourth volume set for release in 2026.

2025 saw the publication of a limited series titled Rogue: The Savage Land by writer Tim Seeley and artist Zulema Lavina.[8][9]

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Character biography

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Anna Marie (full name unknown)[10][11] was originally presented as being born in Georgia, United States,[12] though this was changed shortly afterward to a fictional place called Caldecott County, located in Mississippi.[13][11] She was born in a commune near the Mississippi River[11] to her hippie parents, Owen and Priscilla, who married early in their relationship.[14][15] She grew up near the banks of the Mississippi River,[13] and was raised speaking colloquial English and French.[16] After her parents became involved in a plan to find the mythical "Far Banks", they performed a ceremony during which Anna’s mother "crossed over", leaving her father alone.[11] He asked his sister-in-law, Carrie, to help raise Anna; however, Carrie’s strict nature led Anna to rebel, earning her the nickname "Rogue",[11] and she eventually ran away from home. In the nearby swamps, the shape-shifting mutant Mystique found Rogue, offered to take her in, and soon Rogue came to see her as a surrogate mother.[11]

Rogue's mutant powers first manifested during her teenage years. When she kissed Cody Robbins, he fell into a coma, and Rogue unintentionally absorbed his memories. Terrified, she fled and was chased by an angry mob who tried to lynch her, but she managed to escape after Nathan Summers helped her.[11] Mystique then taught her how to use her powers, though she could not teach her how to control them.[11] Accepting that she could never live a normal life, Rogue began participating in Mystique's criminal activities and eventually joined Mystique's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.[11]

When Destiny foresaw that Ms. Marvel (Carol Danvers) was connected to a tragedy that could one day cost Rogue her life, Mystique tried to destroy Danvers. Wanting to please Mystique, Rogue attacked Ms. Marvel, and during the fight, she permanently absorbed Danvers' powers and memories.[11] Later, Mystique set Rogue against Angel (Warren Worthington), hoping to locate the X-Men through him. During the mission, Rogue, growing frustrated by her inability to control her powers and rid her mind of Danvers' psyche, asked for help from Professor Charles Xavier and his team, the X-Men. Despite the team's objections, Rogue joined them.[11]

Shortly after, Rogue entered the Siege Perilous, a mystical gateway that gives people a second chance at life. The gateway split Rogue and the Danvers persona, creating the Danvers construct, which attacked her, forcing her to flee to the Savage Land.[17] Rogue eventually surrendered to Danvers, but both were rendered unconscious by Magneto, who used a device to transfer Danvers’ powers back to Rogue, effectively destroying the construct. Rogue stayed with Magneto for a time and began falling in love with him until she witnessed his brutal murder of Savage Land priestess Zaladane.[17] She then briefly fell under the Shadow King’s control until his defeat by the X-Men and X-Factor.[17] She then rejoined the X-Men and became attracted to a new recruit, Gambit. Eventually, they shared a kiss, during which she absorbed his memories and learned about his past involvement with Mr. Sinister. Disturbed by what she discovered, she ran away to South Carolina and worked as a waitress until she was attacked by the anti-mutant forces of Operation: Zero Tolerance.[17] She was saved by the young Magneto clone, Joseph, and joined him in helping the X-Men battle Onslaught, remaining with the team afterward.[17] Later, Rogue became an X-Men field leader,[18] and was part of the X-Treme X-Men team led by Storm.[10]

After Avengers vs. X-Men,[19] Rogue accepts membership in the 'Avengers Unity' team,[20] and the team makes its debut as the Avengers Unity Squad.[21] Later on, Rogue becomes the field leader of the Avengers Unity Squad.[22] Later, she returns to the Xavier Institute in New York after the incarceration of Kitty Pryde and forms a secondary team with Iceman, Armor, Ink, Magma, and Magik.[23] Rogue eventually married Gambit.[24] Following the Ashes era, and shortly after Xavier Institute was transformed into Graymalkin Prison, Rogue becomes the leader of a team consisting of Wolverine, Gambit, Jubilee, and Nightcrawler. The team operates from a new base in New Orleans, Louisiana, which serves as both their headquarters and a training home for young mutants.[25][26]

Alternative versions

A number of alternate universes in the Marvel Multiverse feature different versions of Rogue. In the Age of Apocalypse reality, Rogue is brought to Magneto and his X-Men by Mystique to learn control of her powers.[27] Rogue and Magneto's relationship develops after Xavier's death leads Magneto to lead the X-Men. Though Rogue is initially with Gambit, she chooses to save Magneto during a battle with Wolverine, causing Gambit to leave.[24] After permanently absorbing Polaris’s magnetic powers, Rogue becomes able to touch Magneto, and the two eventually marry and have a son named Charles.[24]

Rogue also appears in the Ultimate Marvel continuity, where her real name is Marian.[28] She is an orphan raised by Mystique and trained for the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants before eventually breaking away and joining the X-Men. In this universe, she is introduced as one of several mutants captured and experimented on by the government’s Weapon X program before becoming part of the main team.[29] She later appears in Ultimate Universe.[30]

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Characterization

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For many years, Rogue used a pair of gloves to regulate her uncontrollable mutant absorption abilities

Rogue is a basic mutant with the potential of reaching Omega-level.[31] She was initially introduced as an antagonist to the X-Men and a rival to Carol Danvers, the original Ms. Marvel, before eventually becoming a hero.[32][19] Rogue has the ability to gain superpowers through tactile contact, absorbing the abilities, energy, and memories of others,[33] but also can drains their life in the process.[34] The longer she maintains physical contact, the more powers, memories, and emotions she can absorb.[31] Most notably, she permanently absorbed the powers and psyche of Carol Danvers.[35][36] This gives her superhuman strength, speed, durability, and flight.[34]

Her absorbing power makes her a "formidable and often feared member of any team she joins".[33] She can use these powers both to defend against opponents and to attack in combat,[33] with such abilities often described as "stolen",[37][36][34][33] which highlights her reliance on others’ powers and distinguishes her from traditional heroes who gain their abilities naturally or through personal merit.[33] However, this power prevents her from maintaining close relationships, especially intimate ones,[33] even though she still desires connection with others.[38]

In contrast to the "masculine American monomyth," which often depicts male heroes as solitary and independent figures who may enjoy the "occasional romantic dalliance" yet ultimately remain alone, Rogue is defined by her quest for "relational connection", a trait that positions her as relatively weaker than her male counterparts.[38] This also aligns her with the alternative narrative structure Maureen Murdock calls the heroine’s journey, in which female heroes often operate collaboratively, something traditionally not essential for male heroes, who are usually shown to act alone, neither out of necessity nor preference.[38] Rogue is thus an illustrative example of the relative powerlessness and subordinate roles of women within mainstream comic books.[39]

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Reception

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Martyn Warren of Screen Rant referred to Rogue as "one of the greatest X-Men of all," writing, "Rogue made her first appearance in Avengers Annual #10 in 1981 and since her debut, she has become one of the most recognizable super-powered mutant members of the X-Men. Her power to absorb the life force of humans and the powers of mutants with physical contact does make her a potentially dangerous ally. But with such a caring heart and an upbeat personality, she always takes a challenge head-on, no matter how difficult it is. With multiple appearances in comics, television shows, and films, she has gained a huge fan base who treasure the many quotes she has delivered over the past 40 years."[40] Michael Austin of CBR.com called Rogue "one of X-Men's most popular women," saying, "One of the most popular superhero teams of all time, the X-Men's roster is made up of many different iconic characters. Marvel has also used those characters to craft some of the best stories in comic book history. One of the most important of these characters is Rogue. Although initially a villain, Rogue quickly rose to become one of the most popular X-Men. She has come a long way since her villainous beginnings and has been a part in some of the best X-Men teams and stories ever."[41] Darren Franich of Entertainment Weekly described Rogue as one of the characters "who left a significant footprint on X-history," asserting, "She's been a young villain-ingenue and a flowing-hair babe with a Gambit fixation, but there's always something fundamentally sad and fascinating about Rogue. Her superpower is tragic at the level of great science fiction: If she touches anyone, she absorbs their powers, their memories, and their whole life. (Touch them too long and they die.) Rogue is how you teach kids about melancholy."[42] Jacob Threadgill of The Clarion-Ledger stated, "Hailing from fictional Caldecott County, Mississippi, the character Rogue has gone from misunderstood villain to one of the most beloved female characters in comic book history as a member of the X-Men. In popular culture, Rogue's backstory of isolation as a confused teen who has the ability to absorb fellow mutants' powers, memory and personality has struck a chord with fans worldwide."[43]

George Marston of Newsarama referred to Rogue as one of the "best X-Men members of all time," asserting, "Rogue started out as a villain, but for the Avengers rather than the X-Men. Since reforming to heroism, Rogue has become one of the most long running and powerful members of the X-Men."[44] Matthew Aguilar of ComicBook.com asserted, "Over the years the X-Man known as Rogue has seen many changes to her powers, costume, and even personality. Those are interesting in their own right, but today the focus is squarely on the many looks she's adopted over the years, each of which has its own cadre of fans. The character left quite the impression on the Avengers in her first appearance (1981's Avengers Annual #10), and ever since she's been a stalwart of the X-Men universe. Granted she started out on the wrong side of things, but hey, it doesn't matter where you start, only where you finish. Fortune cookie psychology aside, Rogue appeals to fans because of her unyielding charisma, her southern charm, and an intriguing powerset that comes with its own struggles. She can fly, lift a tank, and punch through a wall, but being cut off from physical contact with others has always been a fly in the ointment, and that struggle is an essential part of the character."[45] Matthew Perpetua of BuzzFeed stated, "She's easily one of the best characters on a purely thematic level. She's a walking, talking metaphor for sexual anxiety, particularly during the AIDS epidemic of the '80s – she can't touch ANYONE without absorbing part of them and potentially killing them. The character has suffered a bit in recent years thanks to writers insisting on giving her control over her powers and reversing a lot of what makes her special, but Rick Remender has done a good job of reconnecting Rogue with her impulsive, surly roots over in Uncanny Avengers."[46] Sara Century of Syfy said, "Gambit and Rogue are a couple that becomes infinitely more intriguing due to their ability to find stability with one another. The easier and more lighthearted the dynamic, the sexier it becomes. In more recent days, Rogue and Gambit have gone from being a hopelessly melodramatic and toxic pairing to being the X-Men's most endearing couple. They worked through their issues together in therapy and reunited in a surprisingly healthy way. When Kitty Pryde left Colossus at the altar, Gambit took the opportunity to propose to Rogue, and they turned attention from an exhausted relationship to a promising new future together. Without question, Gambit and Rogue are at their very best now, and it's refreshing to read a couple who are just flat-out good for one another in a mythos mired so often in frustration and personal tragedy."[47]

Accolades

  • In 2006, IGN ranked Rogue 4th in their "Top Ten X-Babes" list[48] and 5th in their "Top 25 X-Men" list.[49]
  • In 2008, CBR.com ranked Rogue 1st in their "Top 50 X-Men of All Time" list.[50]
  • In 2011, Comics Buyer's Guide ranked Rogue 10th in their "100 Sexiest Women in Comics" list.[51]
  • In 2011, IGN ranked Rogue 5th in their "Top 25 X-Men" list.[52]
  • In 2014, BuzzFeed ranked Rogue 5th in their "95 X-Men Members Ranked From Worst To Best" list.[46]
  • In 2015, Bustle ranked Rogue 11th in their "14 Female Superheroes Who Deserve Stardom" list.[53]
  • In 2015, Entertainment Weekly ranked Rogue 4th in their "Let's rank every X-Man ever" list.[42]
  • In 2017, Comicbook.com ranked Rogue 8th in their "10 Best X-Men" list.[54]
  • In 2018, CBR.com ranked Rogue 10th in their "Age Of Apocalypse: The 30 Strongest Characters In Marvel's Coolest Alternate World" list[55] and 6th in their "20 Most Powerful Mutants From The '80s" list.[56]
  • In 2018, GameSpot ranked Rogue 28th in their "50 Most Important Superheroes" list.[57]
  • In 2019, Mashable ranked Rogue 2nd in their "8 Badass Women of Marvel We Cannot Stop Fangirling Over" list.[58]
  • In 2019, Comicbook.com ranked Rogue 37th in their "50 Most Important Superheroes Ever" list.[59]
  • In 2020, Scary Mommy included Rogue in their "195+ Marvel Female Characters Are Truly Heroic" list.[60]
  • In 2021, CBR.com ranked Rogue 4th in their "10 Strongest Characters From X-Men Comics" list[61] and 6th in their "20 Strongest Female Superheroes" list.[62]
  • In 2021, Women in the World ranked Rogue 15th in their "Best Female Marvel Characters" list.[63]
  • In 2021, Screen Rant ranked Rogue 1st in their "Marvel Comics: The 10 Greatest Redemptions" list,[64] 4th in their "The 10 Strongest X-Men" list,[65] and ranked Rogue and Gambit 9th in their "10 Best Relationships in The X-Men Comics" list.[66]
  • In 2022, CBR.com ranked Rogue 2nd in their "Marvel: 10 Best Reformed Villains" list,[67] 5th in their "10 X-Men Characters Fans Want In the MCU" list,[68] and 7th in their "The Avengers' Greatest Leaders" list.[69]
  • In 2022, Sportskeeda ranked Rogue 6th in their "10 best X-Men characters who also joined the Avengers" list.[70]
  • In 2022, Newsarama ranked Rogue 10th in their "Best X-Men members of all time" list.[71]
  • In 2022, Screen Rant ranked Rogue 2nd in their "Top 10 X-Men, Ranked by Fighting Skills" list,[72] 5th in their "10 Best X-Men Characters Created By Chris Claremont" list,[73] 6th in their "10 Best Marvel Comics Characters That Went From Villain To Friend" list,[74] and included her in their "10 Most Powerful X-Men" list.[75]
  • In 2022, MovieWeb ranked Rogue 6th in their "X-Men Characters That Need Redemption In The MCU" list.[76]
  • In 2022, Digital Trends ranked Rogue 9th in their "Marvel's most powerful mutants" list.[77]
  • In 2023, CBR.com ranked Rogue 6th in their "10 Most Fashionable Marvel Heroes" list.[78]
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In other media

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Television

Rogue has been adapted into several animated television series, first appearing in X-Men: The Animated Series (1992–1997), where she was voiced by Lenore Zann.[79][80] Initially, the director Larry Houston planned an X-Men team without Rogue, with Shadowcat in the original lineup. However, Marvel requested that Shadowcat be replaced with Rogue.[81] The character later appears in the revival X-Men ’97 (2024–present), with Zann reprising her role.[82] Rogue also appeared in Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1994–1998), again voiced by Zann in the second season, titled Neogenic Nightmare (1995–1996).[83]

Rogue also appeared as a supporting character in X-Men: Evolution (2000–2003), where she was voiced by Meghan Black.[83] In this version, she is reimagined as a sullen and reclusive teenage goth, as the producers of the series believed her absorption powers would make her isolated, cynical, and insecure due to her desire to get close to others.[84][85] She also appeared in Wolverine and the X-Men (2009), voiced by Kieren van den Blink.[86] This version was an amalgamation that mixed traits from the earlier animated series with elements from the films.[83] Rogue also made a minor non-speaking appearance in the Marvel Anime: X-Men (2011) episode "Destiny - Bond".[83]

Films

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Anna Paquin as Rogue in a promotional poster for X-Men: Days of Future Past - The Rogue Cut (2015)

A film adaptation of Rogue appeared in 20th Century Fox’s X-Men film series (2000–2024), played by Anna Paquin.[87][88] Paquin first appeared as a supporting character in X-Men (2000), and reprised the role in X2: X-Men United (2003), and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006).[89] She later returned in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), though only for a brief cameo in the theatrical release. According to director Bryan Singer, the majority of her scenes had been cut from this version of the film as her subplot "became extraneous". The scenes were later included in the director's cut, titled The Rogue Cut (2015).[90][91][92][89]

The film series depicts a different version of the character compared to her in the comics.[93] In the film, her role is reduced, her superpowers weakened,[94] and she is depicted as a damsel in distress.[39] This depiction has been examined as it reflects traditional cultural portrayals of women in comic books and illustrates the subordinate roles often assigned to them in mainstream comics, as well as the "marginalization of Marvel's female superheroes in films".[39]

Video games

Rogue has appeared in numerous video games since 1990. Zann voiced the character in X-Men vs. Street Fighter (1997) and Marvel Rivals (2024).[95][96][97] Jennifer Hale provided her voice in Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro (training mode, 2001), X-Men: Next Dimension (2002), and X-2: Wolverine’s Revenge (2003).[95][96] Megan Fahlenbock voiced Rogue in X-Men: Mutant Academy 2 (2001), while Erin Matthews voiced the character in X-Men Legends (2004) and Catherine Taber in X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse (2005).[95][96]

Rogue also appeared in other games without voice acting credits, including X-Men 2: Fall of Mutants (1990), Sega Genesis X-Men (1993), the X-Men Game Gear trilogy (X-Men in 1994; X-Men: Gamemaster’s Legacy, in 1995; X-Men: Mojo World, in1996), Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes (1998), Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (2000), X-Men: Reign of Apocalypse (2001), LittleBigPlanet (2008, DLC), Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (2011), Marvel Super Hero Squad Online (2011), Marvel Avengers Alliance (2012), Deadpool (2013), Marvel Heroes (2013), Marvel Puzzle Quest (2013), Marvel Contest of Champions (2014), Marvel Future Fight (2015), Fortnite Battle Royale (alternate skin), and Marvel Snap (2018).[95]

Miscellaneous

The character appeared in the Marvel Knights: Wolverine versus Sabretooth motion comic, voiced by Kazumi Evans.[96] She also appeared in the Death Battle! episode "Rogue vs. Wonder Woman".[98] Additionally, Rogue appeared as a meet-and-greet character at Marvel Super Hero Island.[99]

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Collected editions

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References

External links

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