ROUGE

ROUGE




Rogue is a fictional character in most of the Marvel Comics award-winning X-Men related titles. She was created by author Chris Claremont and artist Michael Golden, and debuted in Avengers Annual #10 (August 1981) as a villain. Rogue was born as a mutant. More so than any other, Rogue considers her powers a curse: she involuntarily absorbs the memories, physical strength, and (in the case of superpowered persons) the abilities of anyone she touches. This potentially fatal power prevents her from making any physical contact with others, including her longtime on-again off-again love interest, Gambit.






Hailing from Caldecott, Mississippi (a fictional county), Rogue is the X-Men's self-described southern belle. A runaway, she was adopted by Mystique of the Brotherhood of Mutants and grew up as a villain. After Rogue permanently absorbed Ms. Marvels psyche and Kree powers, she reformed and turned to the X-Men, fearing for her sanity. Writer Chris Claremont played a significant role in the character's subsequent development. Rogue is unusual among the X-Men as her real name and her early history were not revealed until more than twenty years after her introduction; until the back story provided by Robert Rodi in the ongoing Rogue series, began in September 2004, Rogue's background was only hinted at; her name was revealed as Anna Marie.







Rogue possesses the mutant ability to absorb psyches and abilities of individuals or several beings at once, though the experience can be confusing and disorienting for her. Rogue can absorb the memories, knowledge, talents, personality, and physical abilities (whether superhuman or not) of another human being (or members of some sentient alien races) through physical contact of her skin with the skin of that person (sometimes she also duplicates in herself physical characteristics of her victim). The victim's abilities and memories are absorbed for a one second to 60 second ratio of contact. The victim loses those abilities and memories for exactly the amount of time that Rogue possesses them. In the case of superpowered individuals, she also absorbs any extra abilities they might possess. This absorption usually leaves its victim weakened, and sometimes unconscious. Their powers may also be temporarily weakened or removed. Rogue cannot touch another human being without absorbing their memories, abilities, and superhuman powers (if any) and rendering them unconscious. However, evidence suggests that Rogue's inability to control her powers is psychological in nature. During the times when the Ms. Marvel personality would overtake her psyche, she was able to touch people without any absorption occurring. This fact has not been reconciled since.




This transfer is usually temporary, lasting for a period of time relative to how long contact is maintained, but if Rogue holds on to her victim for too long, the transfer may become permanent, leaving the victim nearly dead. Most often this process happens instantly when Rogue touches someone, but certain extraordinarily powerful beings have proven resistant to Rogue's power, and she may only share part of their memories and power.