Rogue has become one of the most iconic members of the X-Men, which is odd when you consider the fact that she was originally intended to be an Avengers villain. Rogue was initially going to be a foil to Ms. Marvel, though a few publication problems led to her being moved over to the X-Men titles as a member of Mystique's iteration of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.
Rogue went from being one of the X-Men's most vicious villains to becoming one of the longest-running members of the team. She found a new audience with The X-Men cartoon of the '90s, which was only increased by Anna Paquin's portrayal of the character in the X-Men movies.
So what is it that draws fans to Rogue? Her whole gimmick is based on being deprived of the ability to touch someone, which is one of the most basic of human needs. She was incredibly powerful, yet was also terrified of the idea of losing control and harming one of her friends.
We are here today to look at the secret history of one of the most popular members of the X-Men. From the amnesia retcon concerning her first lover, to her brief stint as a Marvel cover girl.
Here are Twenty Shocking Things You Didn’t Know About Rogue!
20 Losing It (And Then Forgetting You Did)
There has been a common inconsistency throughout the X-Men comics over whether Rogue's powers can affect people on a god-like or cosmic scale. Rogue's touch has been shown to weaken the likes of Loki and Mephisto, yet there are other times when Magneto was too strong for Rogue to kiss for more than a few seconds before being overloaded by his power.
There was once a Marvel character known as the Sentry, who was considered to be the most powerful hero on the planet. All knowledge of the Sentry was wiped from reality until he returned in the modern era.
When the Sentry died, everyone's memories of him fully returned. It was revealed during the Sentry's funeral that Rogue had lost her innocence to him, as he was one of the few beings powerful enough to withstand her touch.
19 Curing The Evil Within
Rogue's villainous side was retconned in later comics to being part of her gullible and trusting nature when it came to Mystique's teachings. The actual comics that featured Rogue as a villain told a different tale, as she was one of the most vicious and wicked foes of the X-Men. The powers that she stole from Ms. Marvel made her the match for the whole team.
The story of how Rogue became good is actually something that can't be reprinted, which is likely why the tale of her redemption is pretty much a retcon.
The reason Rogue became good was that she kissed Rom the Spaceknight. It was his noble and valiant spirit that changed Rogue's personality, as she grew to like the positive aspects of his soul.
Marvel never owned the rights to Rom, as he was only created to promote a toy of the same name. This means that none of his appearances can be reprinted.
18 This Happens A Lot
Mister Sinister has one of the most impressive power sets of all of the X-Men's villains. He can replicate any power, so long as he can acquire a DNA sample from someone that possesses the ability he needs. Mister Sinister's body is incredibly durable and can regenerate on the same level as Cell from Dragon Ball Z. He is also a master shapeshifter, who can disguise himself as anyone he wants.
We know that it's possible to kill Mister Sinister, as Mystique managed to do it with the unwilling help of Rogue. Mystique pressed Sinister's body against an unconscious Rogue until it destroyed him.
Mister Sinister didn't stay dead for long, as he was able to shift his mind to another suitable body.
17 Take Them Away
Rogue is one of the members of the X-Men who would willingly take a "cure" for her mutant condition, so long as it could remove her powers. This was a prominent storyline in the X-Men cartoon and the movies, with her refusing to use the treatment in the former and taking it in the latter, though it didn't last.
M. Bison once offered to turn Rogue into a human, so long as she served his terrorist organization. Rogue refused, as she didn't want to be indebted to a tyrant.
Rogue asked Chun-Li what it's like to be normal. Chun-Li said she doesn't know because she can throw fireballs. Great advice there Chun-Li! It's not like you are shooting fireballs out of your fingers every few seconds. You can at least turn your powers off: Rogue can't.
16 Where'd You Get Those Skills?
Rogue's problem with not being able to touch anyone is pretty easy to solve. There are lots of mutants that have the ability to suppress the powers of others, as well as devices that have the same effect.
It seems that Rogue and Gambit sought other methods in helping her find satisfaction while being unable to touch anyone. In Uncanny Avengers #2, Rogue has been taken by the S-Men and is being held captive in their base. She waits until she is offered a glass of water before using the tricks she learned during her "games" with Gambit to spit the water on her captors face so that she could steal their powers. Rogue also manages to successfully grab the cup of water out of her captor's grip and pour it over herself without using her hands. God only knows what kind of games she was playing with Gambit.
15 What Is It About This Outfit?
Rogue once absorbed the powers of Gateway in order to escape an attack by the Reavers. This left her trapped in the Savage Land, which is a secret area of the Marvel Earth that still contains prehistoric creatures. Rogue runs into Magneto during this time and the two of them work together to fight Zaladane.
During her time in the Savage Land, Rogue wore a torn up version of her costume which resembled that of a cavewoman. This costume has gone on to become one of the most popular cosplay choices for Rogue, even though she only wore it for a few issues in the '90s. This is likely because it is one of the few official skimpy costumes that Rogue has ever worn, as the nature of her powers means that she usually wears something that covers most of her body.
14 Corrupted By Temptation
The Shadow King is one of the X-Men's most horrific villains. He has the ability to subtly possess the minds of others, which he has used to control the X-Men and turn them against each other. The Shadow King once took over Muir Island and turned it into his own personal fiefdom. It took an alliance of all of the X-teams to stop him.
Rogue has long been an object of the Shadow King's affections. He seduced her during the Muir Island saga, as his lack of physical form makes him immune to her abilities. The Shadow King later offered to make Rogue his consort, where she would become his Shadow Queen. This is highly out of character for the Shadow King, as he is one of the most inhuman enemies of the X-Men.
13 With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility
No, not the actual Grim Reaper (who Thanos is in love with). Rogue killed the supervillain known as the Grim Reaper, who wore a dopey black & purple outfit and used a scythe-glove.
The Grim Reaper might have had a stupid costume, but he was no slouch in a fight. This is what prompted Rogue to steal some of Wonder Man's powers before she battled him. The Grim Reaper gatecrashed the press conference that announced the formation of the Uncanny Avengers. Rogue wasn't used to wielding Wonder Man's incredible strength, so she accidentally killed the Grim Reaper by snapping his neck.
The Grim Reaper would later be revived by Apocalypse. He killed Rogue by stabbing her through the chest, though her own death was undone by Havok, who sent her a warning via time travel.
12 Fusing Away
In 1996, Marvel and DC collaborated on a miniseries that pitted their greatest heroes and villains against each other. DC vs. Marvel featured battles between the likes of Storm vs. Wonder Woman and Batman vs. Captain America.
At one point during DC vs. Marvel, the two universes merged into one. This led to a short-lived imprint that mixed both realities into a single place. This line of comics was known as the Amalgam Universe.
In the Amalgam Universe, the Justice League and X-Men were fused into a new team, called the JLX. Rogue was mixed with Gypsy of the Justice League, which created a new hero called Runaway. This character was a Romani woman who spoke with a thick southern accent, who possessed the abilities of both of her creators.
11 They're Kind Of A Cute Couple
There was a period of time when the X-Men and the New Mutants stayed in Asgard. They were given their heart's desires, which were meant to tempt them into staying there forever. It is revealed that Loki is the mastermind behind their trip. The X-Men and the New Mutants defeated Loki and returned to Earth.
The 12th issue of What If...? included a story that showed a world where the X-Men and the New Mutants remained in Asgard. In this reality, Rogue fell in love with Frandal the Dashing, who is one of the members of the Warriors Three.
In Asgard, Frandal was able to touch Rogue without fear of being affected by her powers. The two of them remained there and would eventually be wed.
10 Rogue The Raging Demon
Akuma is one of the most powerful warriors in the Street Fighter canon. He acts as a dark mirror to Ryu and Ken, as he represents what they could become if they succumbed to evil. Akuma's most powerful move is the Shun Goku Satsu, which is also known as the Raging Demon. This attack is so fearsome that the player isn't allowed to see it, as the screen goes black when the Raging Demon is used.
It took Akuma years of training and the loss of his heart to evil in order to learn how to wield the Raging Demon. It takes Rogue about two seconds, however, as she can kiss Akuma in the X-Men vs. Street Fighter series and steal his signature move. Rogue can then perform the Raging Demon on Akuma.
9 A Tale Of Two Personalities
Rogue's powers are generally portrayed as being beyond her control: she is unable to switch off her life draining touch and cannot prevent them from activating, even while unconscious. This has changed on occasion, with some versions of Rogue being able to control her powers through training.
In the X-Men comics, there was a period of time when Rogue was haunted by the specter of Carol Danvers, whose life force she had drained in the past. The Carol Danvers persona was able to take over Rogue's body at various points. This persona possessed the ability to control her powers, as she was able to touch Psylocke without draining her life force.
The Carol Danvers persona eventually disappeared when the real version awoke from her coma.
8 He Probably Deserved That
The success of the original X-Men and Spider-Man movies prompted Marvel to create a line of books that contained new versions of their classic characters. This became known as the Ultimate universe, where you could enjoy the Marvel superheroes without needing to get caught up on decades of continuity.
The Ultimate version of Rogue joined the Weapon X program, in an attempt to learn how to control her powers. She was trained to be a special agent, which brought her into conflict with the X-Men.
It is revealed that Rogue accidentally killed her father when she was younger. He used to abuse her when she was in her teens. Rogue's powers eventually manifested and killed her father when he tried to force himself on her.
7 Wait, I'm A Dude Now??
The idea of gender-swapping characters has become a lot more popular in recent years. This is partly due to the work of cosplayers, who love to shake things up by creating female versions of popular male characters, and vice-versa.
The fact that Marvel Comics contains a whole multiverse of characters means that there should be gender-swapped versions of all of the most popular superheroes and villains. This is true of the X-Men of Earth-1007, though this was a change that was inflicted upon them.
The X-Men of Earth-1007 managed to stop the Blank-O-Ray from sterilizing the human race, but they had their genders swapped in the process. This change was permanent, so the X-Men adapted to their new forms. This means that there is a canon male version of Rogue out there.
6 The Super-Skrull Rogue
Exiles was a series that used the premise from Quantum Leap in the Marvel universe. A team of heroes from different universes was gathered together to deal with threats that could possibly affect the multiverse. This led to them traveling to various different realities, where they battled alternate versions of some of Marvel's most recognizable characters.
One of the members of the original Exiles team was Nocturne. She was the child of Nightcrawler and Scarlet Witch. In Nocturne's reality, the version of Rogue that existed there once battled the Super-Skrull. She drained his powers, which gave her an incredibly diverse set of abilities. This version of Rogue possessed all of the powers of the members of the Fantastic Four, as well as gaining the ability to shapeshift.
5 The Tattooed Rogue
The most popular X-Men comics have featured alternate future timelines that have depicted the fate of the team. Days of Future Past shows a world where the Sentinels have hunted mutants to the brink of extinction. Age of Apocalypse showed a world where Apocalypse lead the mutants in a conquest of America, with Magneto and his team of X-Men being the only ones left who can oppose him.
X-Men: The End is another story that deals with the potential fate of the team. In this timeline, Rogue has learned how to control her powers, which allowed her to have a child with Gambit. This version of Rogue also decided to go all Suicide Girls and got a series of tribal tattoos on her arm.
4 An Existential Crisis
Rogue was the main focus of one of the most peculiar issues of What If...? of all time. The 100th issue of What If...? was utterly bizarre, with its cover promising the reveal of the biggest secret of the Marvel universe.
Gambit makes a deal with Mr. Sinister. He offers to steal a box containing priceless artifacts in exchange for a serum that will help Rogue control her powers. They make the exchange and Gambit gives the serum to Rogue. It turns out that Sinister betrayed them, as Rogue accidentally kills Gambit with her touch.
Rogue goes after Mr. Sinister and discovers the contents of the box. It turns out that it contained numerous Marvel comics, including ones starring Gambit and the X-Men. The biggest secret of the Marvel universe is the fact that all of its characters exist in comics.
3 Don't Mess With My Man
Rogue and Gambit have been running hot and cold for a long time now. She has been willing to forgive his past transgressions, such as being partly responsible for the grisly massacre of the Morlocks, because he is totes hawt and has a great accent.
Gambit hasn't been one to let his romance with Rogue get in the way of his flirting with other women. Rogue will usually beat the crap out of him if she catches him in the act.
In Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes, Gambit will try out his cajun charm on Morrigan the Succubus from the Darkstalkers series. Rogue catches him flirting and flies off with him in tow, leaving Morrigan annoyed that she was deprived of a fun evening.
2 She's Worthy Of The Hammer
The question of what exactly makes someone worthy of wielding Mjolnir is something that has never been clearly answered in the comics. There have been great heroes who have been unable to lift the hammer, without any sort of explanation as to why.
The What If...? series had some fun with different wielders of Mjolnir. One issue featured Rogue killing Thor by draining all of his power, which gave her the ability to wield Mjolnir like he could. She ends up killing several members of the Avengers, before being tempted by Loki into attacking Asgard.
The story concludes with Rogue meeting the spirit of Thor, who convinces her to carry on his mission. Rogue defeats Loki's army and is welcomed by Odin as the new Goddess of Thunder.
1 A Regular Cover Girl
Kids today will never know the struggle of trying to find unclothed drawings of comic book characters before the Internet existed. Your only option was to pick up a pencil and learn how to draw it yourself. Nowadays, you can find these kind of images of pretty much every fictional character who has ever existed. If you can't find it, then there are plenty of starving artists on DeviantArt who will draw it for cash.
Marvel once tried to help out their legions of fans by releasing swimsuit issues featuring their characters. Marvel Illustrated Swimsuit was an annual magazine that ran for a few years in the early '90s, which featured pinup drawings of their male and female characters.
Rogue was the only character who appeared on two different covers of Marvel Illustrated Swimsuit, though she shared the second one with Gambit. This goes to show how much the people at Marvel love the character, as she received preferential treatment when it came to being perved on by the audience.