Rogue (Marvel Comics)

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.

Rogue's early history was only revealed over twenty years after her introduction in her self-titled solo series. The backstory written by Robert Rodi 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 and Kree 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. A white streak that runs through her hair and gloves that enable her to regulate her powers serve as Rogue's visual motif.

Often listed as one of the most notable and powerful female characters in Marvel Comics, Rogue has been adapted in various media incarnations. Anna Paquin portrayed the character in 20th Century Fox's X-Men film series, while Lenore Zann, Meghan Black, and Kieren van den Blink have provided her voice in animation.

Publication history

Rogue was first slated to appear in Ms. Marvel #25 in 1979 (and artwork for the first half of the story was completed), but the book's abrupt cancellation left her original introduction story unpublished for over a decade until it was printed in Marvel Super Heroes #11 in 1992, where she absorbed her current powers permanently from Ms.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. Rogue's first published appearance was in Avengers Annual #10 (1981). 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. 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."

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.

Fictional character biography

Early life

Her parents, Owen and Priscilla, were married early in their relationship and lived in a back-to-nature hippie commune in Caldecott County, Mississippi. Born as Anna Marie, she enjoyed the attentions of her Aunt Carrie, on her mother's side. Anna Marie was raised speaking colloquial English and French, common to the Mississippi bayou area. The commune's failed attempt to use Native American mysticism to reach the "Far Banks" results in Priscilla's disappearance. Carrie takes over Anna's care, and in her grief at the loss of her sister, becomes a strict and authoritarian guardian. Anna Marie was a rebellious child and, at some point, the exact event or reasons still unclear, she ran away from home as a young teenager.

At some point, Rogue grows close to a boy named Cody Robbins. During their flirtation, Cody impulsively kisses her, at which point her latent mutant power to absorb the life energy and psyche of others with skin-to-skin contact emerges. Rogue is traumatized by the experience, and Cody is left in a permanent coma. Hence, Rogue wears body-concealing clothing that eliminates the possibility of accidental skin contact. She wishes she "did not have to cover up so much around folks" to protect them from her, and starts to think of her powers as a "curse".

Not long after, she is approached by Mystique, who seeks her out on the advice of her precognitive partner Destiny. Mystique ultimately takes Rogue in and raises her as a daughter. Her role as a mother figure allows Mystique to gradually twist Rogue's loneliness, envy, bitterness, and despair into anger and hatred, before recruiting her into the Brotherhood of Mutants.Template:Volume needed

Brotherhood of Evil Mutants

After Rogue gains a measure of control over her powers, Mystique begins coaxing her into taking part in terrorist activities as a member of the Brotherhood of Mutants. Although Rogue does not blindly hate humans like Mystique, she is led to believe that a normal life is impossible for her in a world where mutants are feared, and so willingly chooses to help the Brotherhood.

X-Men

The more Rogue uses her mutant power, the more her mind becomes filled with fragmentary psychic echoes of the people she absorbs. The permanently absorbed Carol Danvers (Ms. Marvel) is a completely distinct, albeit dormant, personality in her head, and Mastermind subtly exacerbates Rogue's psychological distress as a means of revenge against Mystique. Desperate, Rogue turns to Professor Charles Xavier and the X-Men for help. The Professor is unable to do a psychic scan of her, due to the clashing human and Kree portions of her psyche, but nonetheless decides to not only welcome her into the school, but make her a probationary member of the X-Men. The X-Men threaten to leave the school should Rogue be accepted, even though none of the active members aside from Storm and Nightcrawler had even met Rogue before. However, Xavier is adamant and convinces the X-Men to stay.

Return

Sacrificing herself to stop Master Mold, Rogue is pulled through the Siege Perilous, where she is judged by other-dimensional forces with the promise of a "new life". Rogue is purged of the remaining portions of Carol Danvers's personality, as well as Carol's powers, and teleported back to the X-Men's Outback base. She finds it has been taken over by the Reavers in her absence, and the now-physically separate Danvers persona attacks her. Rogue flees, absorbing the powers of the mutant Gateway to teleport herself to safety. She ends up in the Savage Land, and spends the ensuing days learning how to survive in the inhospitable land. She is eventually attacked again by Danvers, who is now under the mental enslavement of Shadow King. There is not enough life force between the two to sustain both Rogue and Danvers physically as a result of the separation, and Rogue is unwilling to kill Danvers. With Danvers on the verge of draining Rogue's life completely, Magneto intervenes and kills the Ms. Marvel persona.

X-Treme X-Men team

Rogue is part of the X-Treme X-Men team led by Storm. The team's first mission is in search of Destiny's diaries (which prophesy future events). During an invasion of Khan (an alien conqueror from another dimension) of the island nation of Madripoor, Rogue requests that Sage use her power of jump-starting abilities to evolve her to a point where she can control all of the various powers that she has ever absorbed. Sage agrees, and Rogue becomes a one-woman army, able to use the powers of anyone she absorbed in the past all at once.

Back to the X-Men

Rogue and Gambit return to the X-Men as part of Marvel's X-Men Reload. Over time, Rogue's own abilities return, although exactly how and when is never revealed or discussed. However, she no longer possesses the abilities she absorbed from Ms. Marvel. Rogue and Gambit are both put on Havok's team and participated in various missions.

As described in her own miniseries, Rogue then travels down south to save a young mutant girl from her powers. While there, she meets Campbell St. Ange, a young man immune to Rogue's lethal touch. Also while there, Rogue forcibly absorbs knowledge from her Aunt Carrie that explains that Rogue's mother traveled to the Far Banks, a dream-realm, to stop her father from getting there. Rogue encounters the incorporeal spirit of her mother therein and absorbs her memories. After the reunion, her mother's trapped spirit can finally move on. Rogue subsequently goes back to her Aunt Carrie and makes amends with her.

Blood of Apocalypse

In the events that followed M-Day, the mutant Apocalypse is reawakened. Gambit, seeking redemption from Rogue and his fellow X-Men, volunteers to be transformed into Apocalypse's horseman Death. Gambit believes he can control whatever Apocalypse will do to him, in hopes of gaining more power to protect Rogue and the X-Men from the villain.

Endangered Species: Rogue's X-Men

As Professor Xavier goes into space with Havok and several other X-Men to pursue the villain Vulcan, Cyclops gives Rogue the authority to form her own team, complimenting her inspired improvisation in battle situations. She is hesitant at first, because of Gambit's recent disappearance with Sunfire, but accepts the position, saying that when he comes back, she will still be at the school. She chooses Iceman, Cannonball, Cable, Sabretooth, Lady Mastermind, Karima Shapandar (Omega Sentinel), and Mystique, a line-up with which Cyclops does not agree.

Messiah Complex

The X-Men attacks the Marauders' Antarctic base to rescue Rogue and the mysterious mutant baby who is at the center of Messiah Complex. However, the baby eventually takes precedence and the X-Men do not recover (or even see) Rogue.Template:Volume needed

Mister Sinister, now in possession of the mutant baby, relocates the Marauders to Muir Island. While standing by Rogue's bedside, Mystique is visited by Mister Sinister, who tells her that there will be no cure for Rogue and she will eventually die. Without warning, Mystique ambushes Sinister and shoves his face onto Rogue's. The instant contact seemingly kills Sinister.

Being cured

Rogue takes some time off from the X-Men and travels around the Australian Outback on a motorcycle. She returns to the X-Men's former headquarters in Maynards Plains, Australia. Once there, she has a conversation with Mystique (a part of Rogue's psyche), telling her that no one else can help her with her powers and that it was down to her to figure out how to control them.

Utopia

Rogue, Gambit, and Danger decide to go to San Francisco to regroup with the other X-Men. On their way there they are intercepted by Pixie, who teleports them into the city, which is in a state of chaos due to the anti-mutant and pro-mutant movements. Cyclops admonishes Rogue for her disappearance and sends all three out to locate several missing students and bring them home. During their mission, Rogue faces off against the new Ms. Marvel; finding that she cannot touch her opponent, Rogue resorts to a trick and flees the site.

Nation-X

As Utopia has become a safe haven for mutants, the entire population were on high alert following an attack on the X-Men by Emplate, who feeds on mutant bone marrow for sustenance. The X-Men instruct everyone to stay close to each other and report anything out of the ordinary. Bling goes to check out an old amphitheater on her own when Emplate captures her to use as a food source.Template:Volume needed

Unable to enter Emplate's cross-dimensional base, Rogue absorbs Trance's astral projection ability to enter the dimension and save Bling. As she investigates his lighthouse home for clues to Bling's whereabouts, Rogue was attacked by psychoplasmic ghosts. After fighting them off, she rescues Bling from Emplate.

Necrosha

In an attempt to finally achieve godhood, Selene, along with her servant Eli Bard, resurrected many of the X-Men's greatest deceased allies and villains under her control. Among the resurrected is Rogue's foster mother, Destiny, who attempts to contact Rogue but instead contacts Blindfold.

Post-Siege

Following the Siege of Asgard, Rogue was present at the funeral of Robert Reynolds, the Sentry. She stated that Reynolds was immune to the ill effects of her power and that, in a time in her past when she could touch no one else, she had at least one intimate encounter with him. However, between two episodes of psychic blocks that caused Reynolds to completely forget his life as the Sentry, when he regained those memories for a few days, he contacted Charles Xavier telepathically and did not recognize Rogue when he "saw" her through that telepathic bond.Template:Volume needed

Second Coming

During the event in which Cable and Hope return to the present timeline, Rogue is able to sense Hope's presence, like Destiny prophesied, although neither she nor Emma Frost can explain it. After a short confrontation with some of Bastion's men, the X-Men and Cable decide for a diversionary tactic. Cable, along with some of the X-Men, stays behind (since it was him they were tracking), while Rogue, Nightcrawler, and Hope leave so that their enemies do not capture Hope. To that end, Rogue absorbs the power sets of Colossus, Wolverine, X-23, the Archangel, and Psylocke.

Collision

Rogue, along with Magneto, Loa, and Anole, accompany Indra to India: Indra because his wealthy parents informed him of his brother being ill; Magneto because he wanted to investigate strange anomalies in electromagnetic fields over Mumbai. They are attacked by giant Servidores who are chasing Luz, a young woman who claims to be a mutant, but later turns out to be from Quitado, an alien city populated by lab-created superhumans.

Post "Age of X"

After the events of the "Age of X" storyline, Rogue decides not to wipe her memories. Gambit admits the extent of his feelings for her, but is also frustrated by her indecisiveness. He tells her that it is better they are apart until she decides to be with him for good and that he would be waiting for her when she is ready. She becomes torn between her feelings for Gambit and Magneto. After Rogue confronts Magneto about his past, she spends a night with him, promising nothing else.

Avengers vs. X-Men

Although Rogue was initially neutral in the war between the Avengers and the X-Men, when the Jean Grey School was surrounded by the She-Hulk, the Moon Knight, and the Falcon to stop other X-Men from joining Cyclops' team, Rogue was forced into action when some students attacked the She-Hulk, declaring her allegiance to Cyclops after Iron Man sent a remote-controlled armor to attack the school.

Uncanny Avengers

Rogue attends Xavier's funeral alongside Wolverine. Later, after seeing the Scarlet Witch placing flowers on Xavier's grave, Rogue confronts her and orders her to leave, blaming her for his death; the two begin a verbal conflict that results in Rogue punching her in the face, though the Scarlet Witch refuses to fight back. Rogue intends to absorb her powers, but it fails. They are then attacked by five mysterious assailants. During this conflict, the Scarlet Witch is impaled while defending Rogue, and the two are both seemingly defeated.

It is later revealed that the instigator behind the attack on Rogue and the Scarlet Witch was the Red Skull, who has since fused his and Xavier's brains to give him access to his tremendous mental powers. Despite the Skull's attempts to control them, he is eventually defeated by the 'Avengers Unity' team — including Captain America, Thor, Wolverine and Havok — but manages to escape.Template:Volume needed In the aftermath, Rogue accepts membership of the team, seeing it as the best way to continue Xavier's dream, but notes that she will still not forgive the Scarlet Witch for her actions.

The team makes their debut as the Avengers Unity Squad (which also contains Sunfire, the Wasp, and Wonder Man as the team's latest recruits) during a press conference that debuts them. The press conference is then crashed by a resurrected Grim Reaper, who attacks the Avengers Unity Squad while claiming that he is now unable to die. During the fight, Rogue absorbs some of Wonder Man's powers and seemingly punches the Grim Reaper harder than normal, which apparently kills the Grim Reaper again.

She was later seen fighting alongside Captain America with the Avengers A.I.

Rogue absorbs Wolverine's powers and is told to stop the Scarlet Witch, who is seemingly helping the Apocalypse Twins, but in reality, she plans to use her powers to bring as many of Earth's heroes as she possibly can to defeat the Twins. Wolverine tells her that no one is to be killed if it can be helped, but upon seeing Wanda, Rogue goes into a berserker rage and murders her. Rogue is then killed by the recently re-resurrected Grim Reaper, who had been revived once again by the Apocalypse Twins to be one of their four horsemen of death. Her death was undone when Havok and the surviving members of the Unity Squad were sent from the future by Kang to stop the Twins from destroying Earth, their minds projected back into their past selves so that they could not only warn Rogue what was to come, but then arranged for her to absorb the powers of numerous superheroes to give her the strength to hold the Celestial back. Rogue also finally made peace with Wanda and forgave her. After the crisis was over, Rogue was in the process of being driven mad by all the heroes Rogue had absorbed (all of the Avengers and the X-Men). The Scarlet Witch cast a spell to return those powers to their owners, although Rogue still retained the powers and the very essence that she absorbed from Wonder Man. She has also lost her ability to freely touch others.

X-Men (vol. 4)

In 2013, Marvel revealed a new comic book simply named X-Men. Written by Brian Wood, X-Men features an all-female cast including Storm, Jubilee, Rogue, Kitty Pryde, Rachel Grey, and Psylocke. Rogue was removed from this series' cast after the Battle of the Atom crossover, to avoid contradicting her death in Uncanny Avengers.

AXIS and return to the Uncanny Avengers

After her resurrection, Rogue took part in AXIS with the X-Men, her powers allowing her to sense the aspect of Professor X that remained within the Red Skull. During this time, the AUD was disbanded when various heroes underwent a moral inversion due to a spell cast by Doctor Doom and the Scarlet Witch to stop the telepathic Red Skull. In the aftermath, the Unity Division was reformed, with Rogue as leader of the team.

All-New, All-Different Marvel

Following the Incursions, Rogue remains as the field leader of the Avengers Unity Squad, although she accepts Steve Rogers' official oversight and recommendations for membership, such as Deadpool. She is also depicted as suffering side-effects from the mass terrigenesis, requiring regular injections to stop herself from becoming ill or dying. When various Avengers are brainwashed into civilian lives in the community of Pleasant Hill – a S.H.I.E.L.D. project to 'reprogram' supervillains into regular civilians using fragments of a Cosmic Cube that has since gained sentience – Rogue's new identity of Claire sees through the deception thanks to telepathic training provided by Professor X, allowing her mind to plant various clues that lead her to the rest of the team. The same training helps her to resist telepathic attacks by the Red Skull who is keen to use her powers. Later on, the Red Skull attempts to mount a new attack on the team and Rogue succumbs, but Deadpool is able to resist the telepathic attack long enough to get Magneto's old helmet on Rogue so that she can resist the Skull's telepathy. Rogue subsequently takes the Skull to a new facility where Beast is able to extract the uniquely Xavier elements from the Skull's brain, depriving him of Xavier's telepathy. Rogue and Johnny Storm incinerate the brain, rebelling against the orders of the Hydra Captain America. Absorbing Deadpool results in the return of Wonder Man (whom she had previously absorbed). She seems to have at least partially gained control of her powers, as seen when she touches Johnny Storm and is held by Wonder Man. She fights against the Hydra forces in Washington D.C. during the dictatorship of Hydra Captain America. She resumes her relationship with Johnny Storm and avenges his apparent death by killing Corvus Glaive.

Return to the X-Men

Rogue returns to the Xavier Institute for Mutant Outreach and Education in New York after the incarceration of Kitty Pryde and forms a secondary team with the Iceman, Armor, Ink, Magma, and Magik. Later, Kitty Pryde sends her on an undercover mission with her ex-boyfriend Gambit to the island of Paraiso. Their mission, as an estranged couple requiring relationship therapy, was to investigate the disappearance of mutants. This results not only in them confronting their emotions and relationship challenges, but also finding that their memories and powers (as well as those of the missing mutants) are drained into their clones by a mutant called Lavish. Although they are severely weak, they fight against Lavish and the clones, restoring their memories and powers. The couple decide to reunite and Rogue thanks Kitty for having sent them on the mission. A conversation with Storm and Nightcrawler spurs Gambit into proposing to her at Kitty and Colossus' cancelled wedding and the couple decide to take advantage of all their friends being present. They are married by the rabbi who was present for officiating Kitty's wedding, with Nightcrawler and the Iceman as Rogue's bridal party and with Storm and X-23 as Gambit's best women.

While in space, their honeymoon is interrupted when they receive a message from Kitty Pryde about a secret package that they must find; however, the unknown package involves the Shi'ar Empire and several others are after it as well. They soon discover that the package is actually Xandra, who is the bio-engineered daughter of Xavier and Lilandra Neramani. The newlyweds are soon caught by the Shi'ar but are able to free themselves; with the help of Cerise and the Starjammers, they escape. Having read Rogue's mind, Xandra offers to fix her abilities so she can touch anyone; however, Rogue refuses; when Gambit questions her, she explains that the last time it happened, she never learned to control it herself. The ground is interrupted by the Imperial Guard and by Deathbird and a fight ensues. Realizing they are losing the fight, Xandra uses her abilities to make everyone think she and Rogue were killed; after the Imperial Guard and Deathbird leave, they return, only to have Rogue's ability become uncontrollable, as she can now absorb memories without touching anyone. Xandra explains that her powers have evolved, Rogue will have to learn to control it on her own; Gambit and Rogue return to Earth.

During the holiday season, Gambit and Rogue are pulled into the Mojoverse. They are, at first, unaware of what is going on due to their minds being wiped and living in a Noir setting until Rogue's ability becomes unstable, killing Remy in the process, forcing Mojo to constantly reset their lives to Fantasy, Western, Horror, Romance, Sci-Fi and Comedy. During a reality talk show, Gambit walks off and into a bar, where he meets a mysterious brunette who turns out to be Spiral. She restores his memory and makes Gambit an offer that if he steals something for her, she will help Rogue with her powers and help them escape. Spiral meets Rogue in her mind and explains to her that, until she became self-aware of what her abilities should be doing, she was subconsciously blocking control over her powers.

Rogue was later contacted by Hijack after Spider-Girl (Makawalu Akana) saved him from Doctor Tramma and accidentally tapped into his powers enough to deactivate the power in New York City. She helped Hijack carry Makawalu back to her apartment. When Makawalu regained consciousness, she met Rogue for the first time who stated that she is with the X-Men. With her mother coming up and noting that she will be grounded, Makawalu asked Rogue to leave her the number for the X-Men which she can use when she is no longer grounded.

Characterization

Mutant powers

File:Rogue (Marvel Comics).png

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

Rogue possesses the mutant ability to absorb the psyche and abilities of another human being or members of some sapient alien races through skin contact. Rogue can absorb the memories, knowledge, talents, personality and physical abilities (whether superhuman or not) of the person she touches, as well as occasionally duplicating in herself physical characteristics of her victim. As a young woman, Rogue permanently absorbs the superhuman powers and the psyche of Carol Danvers, the original Ms. Marvel. This provides her with superhuman strength, stamina, durability, reflexes, speed and a seventh sense. In the ongoing comics, Rogue possesses Wonder Man's essence, including his powers and psyche. Her organic tissues are permeated with ionic energy, granting her an array of superhuman abilities. She possesses superhuman strength sufficient to lift well over 100 tons, as well as some degree of superhuman speed, agility and reflexes. In addition, Rogue is virtually invulnerable to damage and is capable of flying at high speeds. Rogue's eyes glow in the dark and her vision extends somewhat into the infrared spectrum, allowing her to see in the dark. Her new ionic physiology also grants her a form of immortality, protecting her from age and disease.

Following the conclusion of Messiah Complex, Rogue's slate is wiped clean. The touch of mutant baby Hope erases all of the previous memories and abilities Rogue has absorbed, including those of the Hecatomb. It also cures her of the Strain 88 virus. Rogue's touch now simply steals the memories and abilities of individuals with whom she comes in direct skin-to-skin contact. She controls her powers, making her touch lethal — or non-lethal — at will.

Following the events of X-Men: Legacy, Rogue appears to be able to activate her powers at will, as opposed to them being constantly active, as demonstrated when she kisses Gambit without incident. Professor Xavier hypothesizes that her inability to control her powers stem from mental blocks which separate her psyche from those she had absorbed, crippling the development of her powers in their nascent stage. When Xavier removes the blocks, her powers are allowed to develop normally. With this new control, Rogue absorbs all the powers of the New X-Men to defeat a rogue Predator X, with no apparent harm to either them or herself. She uses this new control during her fight with the Avengers, making the Falcon and the She-Hulk immediately unconscious and absorbing their powers without any negative feedback (although she does acquire She-Hulk's green skin).

Real name

For the first two decades of the character's existence, Rogue's real name was unrevealed; in X-Men #24 (Sept. 1993), she tries to reveal it to Gambit while on a date, but he stops her. The first media to give Rogue a real name was the 20th Century Fox film X-Men, released in the year 2000, in which her first name was "Marie" (with the official novelization of the film giving her surname as "D'Ancanto"). X-Treme X-Men #31 (Nov. 2003) has Rogue use the name "Anna Raven" while living a civilian life, a joint reference to actress Anna Paquin, who played Rogue in the film series, and to her foster mother Mystique, whose real name is Raven Darkholme.

These two names were combined to create Rogue's real name, which was finally established as "Anna Marie" in issue #2 of her 2004 ongoing series. The name was subsequently listed in Rogue's profile in the X-Men 2005 issue of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe and has been consistently used to refer Rogue both by other characters and by Rogue herself ever since.

Rogue's surname remains unknown; alternate-universe versions of the character have used the name "Anna Raven" (Exiles #99, Oct. 2007) and "Anna Marie Darkholme" (Secrets of the House of M, Jul. 2005). Chris Claremont used the name "Anna Marie Raven" in reference to Rogue in non-diegetic establishing text in X-Men Forever: Alpha (May, 2009).

Cultural impact and legacy

Critical reception

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." 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." 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." 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."

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." 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." 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." 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."

Accolades

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

Other versions

Age of Apocalypse

In the Age of Apocalypse reality, Rogue is brought to Magneto and his X-Men for education in her powers by Mystique. Soon after this, Rogue would battle against Apocalypse's son Nemesis (who later became Holocaust) alongside the Scarlet Witch, and would witness the death of the latter. During the next few years, Rogue would express an attraction to both Gambit and the leader of the X-Men, Magneto. She would ultimately become romantically involved with Magneto after he worked out a way for them to touch by surrounding his body in a tight electromagnetic 'sheath' that prevented her from actually making contact with his skin, while still feeling as though she was. The two would later conceive a son named Charles, after Charles Xavier, who was slain by Legion whose target had actually been Magneto himself.Template:Volume needed The Age of Apocalypse universe was later revealed to have been preserved due to the actions of Jean Grey. Rogue and Magneto, along with that reality's X-Men continue their lives.Template:Volume needed This reality's version of Rogue had her uncontrollable absorption abilities and permanently possessed around half of Polaris' magnetic abilities. Unlike her husband Magneto and Polaris herself, Rogue appeared to prefer to use these abilities to fly and augment her physical strength and durability to superhuman levels.

Ultimate Marvel

In the Ultimate Marvel continuity, Rogue is first introduced in the story arc Return to Weapon X as a prisoner of Weapon X and she worked with the Juggernaut and Nightcrawler. In this version, her name appears to be Marian Carlyle. Her powers are exploited to steal sensitive information on the location and layout of the Xavier Institute for Gifted Children. Using this information, agents of Weapon X storm the school and capture the X-Men. Rogue is released along with the X-Men, the Juggernaut, and Nightcrawler, when a combination of the Brotherhood of Mutant Supremacy and S.H.I.E.L.D rescues them and destroys Weapon X's facility. Though offered a place on the X-Men, she joins the Brotherhood. She later joins the X-Men in the Return of the King arc.

In the Cry Wolf story arc, the X-Men are attacked by Gambit who kidnaps Rogue and takes her to his employers, Andreas and Andrea von Strucker. They hope to use her powers for "corporate espionage". In exchange for her help, they promise her they will help her control her powers through a power-dampening material they had developed. She turns them down, feeling that her powers are her penance. Rebuked, they attack Rogue and Gambit. She touches both of them and uses their powers to fend off their guards. The X-Men arrive to take her back, but she turns them down and leaves with Gambit.

Rogue does not appear again until Ultimate X-Men Annual #1, in which she and Gambit fight the Juggernaut. Gambit sacrifices himself to save Rogue and she kisses him as he dies at his request. With this kiss, she takes his powers that seemingly override her own, ridding her of her 'death touch' through several of the books (this also affects Rogue's appearance, as she acquires black eyes with red irises). In the subsequent story arc Date Night, Rogue decides to rekindle her relationship with the Iceman after she loses her virginity to him (something possible due to her being able to touch him now).

During Ultimate X-Men Annual #2, Rogue speaks to Professor Xavier about her concerns regarding Gambit's powers still remaining. Xavier theorizes this is only a temporary change and her powers will return within time. Towards the end of the Annual, Rogue touches a delusional Nightcrawler and her old powers re-emerge, causing her to start teleporting randomly, and she loses Gambit's power, sending her back into the shell of hiding her skin, much to her and the Iceman's dismay.

During Ultimate X-Men #77, she loses her arm during a fight with Cable. However, after absorbing some of Wolverine's healing power, her arm appears to grow back.

In Ultimate X-Men #80, Cyclops disbands the X-Men following Xavier's death. Rogue stays with the Iceman at the Xavier Institute as a student. Xavier later returns and reveals himself to be alive. Rogue once again becomes an X-Man. At the end of Ultimate X-Men, a Banshee-enhanced Rogue is seen to be a member of Colossus' team. Her appearance heavily altered, it seems her abilities have been enhanced such that she can call on absorbed abilities, as she has Colossus' armored flesh and the Angel's feathered wings extending from her arms. While telling Cyclops the benefits of Banshee she kisses him. When asked why, she replies "'Cause I can."

In Ultimate X-Men #95, she reveals that when her father got drunk he would molest her. Once when he tried to touch her, she took his life. She also appears to have found out who Vindicator was, but before she could elaborate, Vindicator took her out.

Addicted to Banshee, Colossus' X-Men began to acquire more Banshee from the Acolytes. When they were discovered by the others, a battle raged. She absorbed the Iceman's power and kissed him to show what Banshee could allow her, but the kiss was broken off by Firestar. Hostilities ceased when Northstar turns up — alive, but crippled.

After the Ultimatum Wave hits Manhattan, Jean Grey refuses to allow Rogue to join her as she cannot be trusted. Rogue then attacks Department H, absorbing Sasquatch's power and attacked Jubilee. It is then revealed that Vindicator is, in fact, John Wraith, whom she blames for ruining her life. She threatens him for help in killing Magneto. They travel to Montreal, where Rogue poses as a stripper to get close to Sabretooth and the Juggernaut. The Purifiers soon attack the X-Mansion and the Juggernaut dies fighting alongside Rogue. Rogue absorbs his powers just before he dies and now permanently possesses them. She then helps the X-Men in their effort to defeat Magneto and his Brotherhood. They do so, but suffer many casualties. Rogue is one of the few X-Men to survive to battle alongside Jean Grey, the Iceman, Shadowcat, Storm, and Colossus. She is last seen helping Jean Grey and the Iceman tear down the Xavier Institute and everything on the estate. They bury the remains of the deceased X-Men in its place.

In other media

Television and films

Rogue has been adapted into several animated television series and films, first appearing in X-Men: The Animated Series (1992–1997), where she was voiced by Lenore Zann. 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. The character later appears in the revival X-Men ’97 (2024–present), with Zann reprising her role. Rogue also appeared in Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1994–1998), again voiced by Zann in the second season, titled Neogenic Nightmare (1995–1996).

Rogue also appeared as a supporting character in X-Men: Evolution (2000–2003), where she was voiced by Meghan Black. 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. She also appeared in Wolverine and the X-Men (2009), voiced by Kieren van den Blink. This version was an amalgamation that mixed traits from the earlier animated series with elements from the films. Rogue also made a minor non-speaking appearance in the Marvel Anime: X-Men (2011) episode "Destiny - Bond".

File:Anna Paquin Rogue.webp

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. The film series depicts a different version of the character compared to her in the comics. 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). 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).

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). 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). 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).

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).

Miscellaneous

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

Collected editions

Title	Material collected	Publication date	ISBN
Solo series (1995–present)
Rogue	Rogue (vol. 1) #1–4	November 1995	Template:ISBNT
X Men Icons: Rogue	Rogue (vol. 2) #1–4	May 2002	Template:ISBNT
Rogue Vol. 1: Going Rogue	Rogue (vol. 3) #1–6	March 2005	Template:ISBNT
Rogue Vol. 2: Forget Me Not	Rogue (vol. 3) #7–12	October 2005	Template:ISBNT
Rogue: The Complete Collection	Rogue (vol. 3) #1–12	September 2015	Template:ISBNT
Other series
X-Men: Gambit & Rogue	Rogue (vol. 1) #1–4 and Gambit (vol. 2) #1–4	October 2016	Template:ISBNT
Rogue & Gambit: Rings of Fire	Rogue & Gambit (vol. 1) #1–5	July 2018	Template:ISBNT
Mr. and Mrs. X Vol. 1: Love And Marriage	Mr. and Mrs. X #1–6	March 2019	Template:ISBNT
Mr. and Mrs. X Vol. 2: Gambit and Rogue Forever	Mr. and Mrs. X #7–12	August 2019	Template:ISBNT
Captain Marvel Vs. Rogue	Avengers Annual #10, Uncanny X-Men #158, 171, 269, Ms. Marvel #9–10, X-Men: Legacy #269–270, Captain Marvel #4–5 and material from Marvel Super-Heroes #11	June 2021	Template:ISBNT
Rogue & Gambit: Power Play	Rogue & Gambit (vol. 2) #1–5	January 2024	Template:ISBNT
Rogue: The Savage Land	Rogue: The Savage Land #1–5	September 2025	Template:ISBNT

External links

• Template:Marvelwiki
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• Rogue Shrine. Comprehensive appearance list and chronology, etc.
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• New Generation X
• UncannyXmen.net Spotlight on Rogue at UncannyXMen.net