X-Men Legacy #274 - Rogue Shots

*Spoiler ahead, maybe...*

And all the anxiety I've been feeling this week just melts away.

To be fair, although I expected the worse, I guess Marvel was trying to set everyone up to think that a marriage proposal was going to happen. So of course that couldn't happen, nope.

Instead, a break up. An open ended break up, as they always are in the comic book world, but a break up none the less. Even if Rogue doesn't get back with Gambit, I'm just kinda happy to see her trying to do what she wants and not what she thinks other people want. I guess that's what this whole issue was about. Rogue feeling empathy towards this dying man who just wanted to do what was right for himself in his life.

In the end the whole decision to be with Magneto and try to start a relationship makes sense when you think about it how Rogue explains it while breaking up with him. She was expected to just follow everyone's orders all her life and although she was free to make her own choices, she never did. After she was in control of her powers, and in essence, control of her life, it was logically expected for her to just end up with Gambit. Instead she pushed the other way. Even if she wanted to be with him, the pressure of conforming to what was expected was too much and so she pushed herself in another direction. But instead of taking control of that situation, she just fell back into her old ways and waited for Magneto to take control. Realizing that this would be an ongoing issue, she finally took some control and wants some time to herself.

Or something.

I'm just really happy this whole relationship is over for now.

Bring on the Rogue Shots:

This issue was centered around Rogue, so I just took the best few shots I could get and here they are -

Rom Spaceknight #31

Issue: Rom Spaceknight Vol. 1 #31

Publishing Date: June 1982

Highlights: Rogue poses as criminal psychiatrist, Dr. Kellogg in order to free fellow members of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.

Synopsis: The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants are being transported to West Virginia during a snowstorm.  Rom stops the transport truck from running over convicts who have slipped while clearing the roadways and the transport truck lifts off and takes flight towards the prison. The convicts convince Rom that they are slaves and he frees them then takes off towards the prison himself. When Rom gets to the prison he realizes he has been fooled and tries to make up for his mistake by preventing the brotherhood from escaping. Rogue escapes with Mystique and Destiny in tow only to encounter an even more disturbing monster within a mansion they take shelter in.

Extra Info: Rogue alludes to growing up in a mansion down south. 

Contradictions: No

Powers Taken: None

Key Issue: Yes



Uncanny X-Men #158

Issue: The Uncanny X-Men Vol. 1 #158

Publishing Date: June 1982

Highlights: While in the Pentagon, the X-Men and Carol Davners run into Rogue and a battle ensues between them.

Synopsis: Within the Bermuda Triangle the X-Men and Lilandra of the Shi’ar Empire try to wake Professor Xavier from a coma. While watching a news report labeling the X-Men as outlaws, it is decided to send Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Carol Davners and Storm to the Pentagon in order to erase all files on the X-Men from the government databases. When making their way through the Pentagon, Carol randomly bumps into Rogue, the girl who erased all of Carol's memories and powers. Wolverine, Nightcrawler and Storm battle Rogue while Carol goes to erase the files only to be attacked by Mystique in the form of Nick Fury. Carol succeeds in beating Mystique and erasing the files while Rogue flees Wolverine, Storm and Nightcrawler.

Extra Info: Rogue somehow changed costume in an instant and not to her usual costume.

Contradictions: None

Powers Taken: Wolverine, Storm,

Key Issue: Yes

A Rogue Chronology Project

I have decided to chronicle my comic book collection.

There are a few reasons for this. The first and foremost reason being that it's a really good reason to reread my collection. Another reason is because my collection revolves around the Southern Belle herself, Rogue.

For years I have followed Rogue and starting late, I have followed the wonderful chronology found at Shrine to the Green Goddess. This site is amazing and has been around for as long as I have been reading comic books. Every time I have become frustrated with the storyline and stopped reading for a while just to be drawn back in, usually by some awesome Humberto Ramos art, I have gone to this list to catch myself up to the current storyline.

I have decided to do a couple of things differently though. I have found placements of flashbacks and memories and time lines somewhat confusing and although they make sense to add in to certain areas, I have opted out of this and my chronology is based on publishing date alone. This way I can read the comics as though I had been reading them since Rogue's first appearance in 1981 (some years before I was even born).

I am also including a (hopefully) daily post devoted to each issue that will include: the Issue Name, Publishing Date, a quick Rogue Highlight within the comic (if any), a Synopsis, any Extra Information, any Contradictions with previous information from previous comics, Powers Rogue has absorbed, and finally; whether or not the issue is considered a Key Issue.

Each comic on the Chronology page will be linked to the corresponding post.

I imagine this will take a while to get through, considering how long it took to date every comic in the chronology.

So I guess this is turning into a Chronology Project, which I know there are a few of out there, but I wanted something a little more in depth than just a list. Rogue's character in general really interests me and part of this is to chronicle her character and history, giving me a better understanding of her as a whole.

So let's see where this takes me, shall we?

Avenger Annual #10

 

Issue: Avengers Annual Vol. 1 #10 

Publishing Date: 1981

Highlights: Rogue’s first appearance to comic books as a member of her foster mother’s newly formed Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.

Synopsis: In San Francisco, Spider Women saves a mysterious woman who is pushed off the Golden Gate Bridge. Reverted to an infant-like state, the woman is identified as Carol Davners and Spider Women calls in Professor Xavier to help fix Carol’s state of mind. Professor Xaiver identifies Carol’s attacker as a girl named Rogue and continues to fix Carol's mind which has been reduced to a blank slate. Meanwhile, Rogue takes the attack to the Avengers in New York, taking down Captain America, Thor, the Vision and Wonder Man all on her own. Spider Women joins in on the fight and Rogue flees. Mystique and Rogue use Rogue’s new powers to break the rest of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants out of prison, where the Avenger’s try to stop them, but Rogue and Mystique escape, leaving the Avengers to fight Blob, Pyro, Avalanche and Destiny, who quickly surrender. In New York, the Avengers reunite with Ms. Marvel only to have her throw their happy hellos back in their faces. The Avengers leave disheartened and return to Manhattan.

Extra info: Rogue is unable to absorb Wonder Man’s abilities.

Contradictions: N/A

Powers taken: Ms. Marvel (permanently), Captain America, Thor

Key issue: Yes

An Offer to Leave Her Speechless...

I have to wonder if I am one of the only Rogue fans almost sick with anxiety over the new X-Men Legacy coming out next week. Probably not.

I get that it's just a comic and I get that the storyline is pretty much set in stone at this point. But I think it's kinda like watching a friend make a really bad choice and not being able to say anything about it.

I have been reading comics for 15 years now. I first fell in love with Rogue when I was 7 years old watching X-Men: The Animated Series. I'm from a small town with no comic book stores, so the first time I ever picked up a comic book I was 11 years old and at the corner store, looking to spend some hard earned bottle depot refunds on candy, when I came across Uncanny X-Men #341 -

Missing the television series, which by this time had been cancelled for a few months, I quickly flipped through the comic book in the store and saw this amazing artwork featuring Rogue and instead of loading up on candy that day, I bought my very first comic book. Ever since then I have been in love with the Rogue of the comic book world. Of course, at that point in time there was a strange love triangle set up involving Rogue, Joseph & Remy, but always I felt Rogue should be with Remy.

But it's not even that I'm a hardcore ROMY fan (which I most certainly am), it's just this connection Rogue seems to have with this older, slightly creepy, somewhat of a jerkwad man bothers me. I just plain don't like Magneto. It wasn't so bad when it was just Rogue with her little girl crush and he just ignored her, but now he's this old and angsty guy chasing after a girl the same age (maybe younger?) than his own daughter. Bleh >.<

I would rather see Rogue with Iceman or Cannonball or even Pyro (you know, if he wasn't dead). But with this "offer" that the previews are eluding to, I find myself thinking it could be the worse case scenario for a fan like me: a marriage proposal.

The reason for all the anxiety I think stems from the fact that I just got back into the story line after a year long hiatus and I seriously don't know if I could continue reading if this is the case and Rogue says yes. I dunno, maybe I'm just being too sensitive about the story line, I mean it's not like there hasn't been bad story lines and horrible character depictions before. And it's not like I haven't gotten through them before either. So maybe I'll get through this one as well.

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who feels this way about the strange relationships Rogue is involving herself in right now. I'm also pretty sure I won't be the only one going through old comic books to reread favorite story lines in order to get through the next few comic books until the Marvel Now! relaunch.


September 12th 2012 Rogue Shots

X-Men Legacy #273:

AvX #11:

Ultimate Comics X-Men #16: