As an integral part of the X-Men team, Rogue has cemented her legacy as a hero. Rogue has been a hero for so long that it’s easy to forget that she was a villain in her first appearance. Created by Chris Claremont and Michael Golden, Rogue’s first published appearance was in 1981’s Avengers Annual #10. The issue opened with Carol Danvers, also known at the time as Ms. Marvel, falling off of the Golden Gate Bridge. She was saved by Spider-Woman who took her to a hospital for evaluation. With help from Professor X, they discovered that not only her powers but her mind were completely erased. The only memory remaining was the devious image of Rogue.
Later in the issue Rogue battled against the Avengers. First, she took out Captain America. Rogue told him that her ability was to drain superpowers and memories from a person with a touch of her skin to theirs. Since she drained Ms. Marvel, Rogue not only possessed super-strength and the ability to fly but she also knew all the fighting moves of Ms. Marvel’s former team. She kissed Captain America, knocking him out but was careful to avoid what happened with Ms. Marvel. With their teammate’s knowledge, she was able to take out the entire Avengers team singlehandedly. But Rogue’s actual attack and absorption of Ms. Marvel’s power did not happen in the issue. In fact, that attack wasn’t seen until 1992, over a decade after it happened.
How Did Rogue Get Her Powers?
The battle between Rogue and Captain Marvel (at the time, Ms. Marvel) was finally revealed in Marvel Super-Heroes #11, an issue featuring mini-stories from several different Marvel titles. The “Cry, Vengeance!” story (by Chris Claremont and Mike Vosburg) featured pages that were originally intended for 1979’s Ms. Marvel #25. However, before they could be published, Ms. Marvel’s solo series was canceled. The lost comic revealed how Rogue and Ms. Marvel came to their showdown. Unbeknownst to Carol Danvers, she had fallen in the evil mutant Mystique’s crosshairs. The mutant Destiny had predicted that Ms. Marvel would “cost Rogue her very soul, if not her life.” Mystique had adopted Rogue and loved her like a daughter and would not let any harm come to her.
Overhearing that Mystique was set on taking out Ms. Marvel to keep her safe, Rogue decided to take matters into her own hands and confront Captain Marvel. When Rogue appeared outside of Carol’s San Francisco home, the two broke into a brawl. Rogue fought to prove herself while Ms. Marvel tried to stave off the blows. Ms. Marvel took them to the sky over the Golden Gate Bridge. Being suspended in the air, Rogue was forced to use her draining mutant ability. Being unpracticed with her power, Rogue took too much from Carol. When she finally let go, all of Carol’s mind was now inside Rogue’s head. The madness caused by such a thing drove Rogue to toss Carol off the bridge. It left Rogue feeling out of control and Carol’s mind a blank slate.
The Consequences of Rogue and Captain Marvel’s Fight
Rogue’s first published appearance painted her to be something of a super-villain. She seemed to not care who she fought with and would hurt people to get what she wanted. Being able to take out a team of heroes like the Avengers would make her feared by many. However, her unpublished first appearance gave her context and made her a more sympathetic character. She was a teenage girl who had unchecked mutant powers. The first person who gave her a home happened to be an evil mastermind but Rogue had no way of knowing that at the time. Her attack on Carol was driven by her need to appease her adopted mother.
Over Rogue’s subsequent comic book appearances in X-Men, she left Mystique’s team and joined the heroes. She has spent her life trying to make up for her mistake with Ms. Marvel. Although she started off lost, Rogue has now found her place among the greatest heroes of the Marvel Universe.
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