Summary
Whether you are a casual fan ofX-Men ‘97or a longtime comic book aficionado, anyone who has ever watched or read anything involving the Marvel Universe knows that every mutant has a unique mutation that gives them an equally unique power set. This can range from Wolverine’s healing abilities to Storm’s command over weather and so much more. Yet for fans, especially ofX-Men ‘97, one question has always come up regarding Rogue, who is getting a lot of attention after the shocking storyline set into motion in Episode 5, “Remember It.” The question is: why can Rogue fly permanently if her mutant gift is the absorption of other mutants' abilities?
The answer comes from the originalX-Men: The Animated Seriesand a hero from the MCU. In the original series, not only do fans get more of a background on Rogue, the development of her powers, and the people she was a part of before she joined the X-Men, but fans are introduced to a powerful Marvel hero that Rogue has a run-in with. That Marvel hero was none other thanCaptain Marvel, known then as Ms. Marvel. The showdown between Rogue and Carol Danvers had repercussions for the future of both heroes and shares a significant connection to the comics.
Rogue’s mutant power is behind her ability to fly
Rogue, one of the more powerful mutants in the X-Men, a mysterious woman from the Southern United States, fled her home as a young woman after she kissed a boy for the first time, instigating her mutant gifts and putting the boy in the hospital. Mystique, the shape-shifting mutant and member of theBrotherhood of Mutants, took Rogue in and helped shape her, allowing her to become like a surrogate daughter. Filled with anger and bitterness towards her mutant gift, which prevented her from touching anyone else, Mystique turned Rogue into a member of the Brotherhood and set the young woman on a mission to further the mutant agenda.
After some time training Rogue, Mystique takes her onto a mission to a military base, convincing Rogue they were after a military plane. However, this proved to be a ruse, as none other than Ms. Marvel,Carol Danvers, arrives on the scene, using her alien-born gifts to stop the mutants from hijacking the aircraft. However, Mystique had other ideas and knew she could use Rogue for a particular purpose.
Rogue got her ability to fly from Captain Marvel
This confrontation was not new to Marvel’s history. A similar showdown between Carol Danvers and Rogue occurred in the comics when Rogue was still a villain working for the Brotherhood. However, this confrontation changed Rogue’s life, as both in the animated series and the comics, Rogue absorbed so much of Carol’s power that a part of Ms. Marvel’s mind and soul were also absorbed, giving Rogue her memories and her sense of morality. However, the most significant thing Rogue absorbed from the famedAvengerwas her power set, which included super strength and flight.
As Carol Danvers is known to modern MCU fans, Captain Marvel gained her abilities from the first Captain Mar-Vell,an alien warrior of the Kree Empire. Gaining limitless cosmic abilities, Carol would become the hero of Ms. Marvel and eventually Captain Marvel, taking her gifts to the skies of Earth and the universe as a whole. However, a chunk of time was taken from her after Rogue’s gift took her entire psyche along with her powers, leaving her body comatose. This would often lead to confrontations with Rogue between her and Carol, each trying to maintain control over Rogue’s body.
This confrontation pushed Rogue to seek out Charles Xavier, who came to her in the original series after hearing her psychic cries for help. He brought her in, and she would go on to become the team’s heart, using her strength in battle and heart to get the group together often. Her ability to fly stems not only from absorbing Carol’s powers but also from the origins of Carol’s power set. Being of alien origin, the cosmic power that Rogue absorbed in that battle and the timeMystiqueforced Rogue to absorb Carol’s power caused a far more permanent absorption than is typical for the hero.
Rogue Takes To The Skies
So, in the end, it was an Avenger who gave the X-Men one of their most influential team members. Not only can she fly, but she can fly fast, as Carol Danvers had supersonic flying abilities both in the comics and on the show. Carol has been in a coma since the original series, but a hint of her return came in that original series. Could future seasons ofX-Men ‘97show Carol’s return and the rematch fans have been waiting for?Could MCU fanseven see Rogue’s introduction in a future Captain Marvel film?
Much ofRogue’s storyline, as it stands, involves her using her flight and other gifts to go after the people responsible for the tragic events of Episode 5, so fans can expect her to take the skies once more in the upcoming 3-part finale ofX-Men ‘97’s first season.
X-Men ‘97
Cast
The animated X-Men team returns in the Disney Plus reboot, X-Men ‘97. With Professor X gone, Cyclops, Wolverine, Jean Grey, and the rest of the mutants find themselves under the leadership of Magneto and facing a new threat. X-Men ‘97 is the first project under the newly created Marvel Animation banner.
