All the Coolest Powers Rogue Has Absorbed in Marvel History

Being a mutant can be very touch and go — just ask Rogue of the X-Men.

Anna Marie, most commonly known as Rogue, is a mutant with the ability to absorb memories, powers, and skills via physical contact. She was raised by Mystique and Destiny to be a force for evil before eventually getting help from Professor Charles Xavier. Over the years, Rogue has sent shockwaves through the Marvel universe with her interesting abilities and captivating stories. The love she shares with Gambit is a staple of X-Men lore and Rogue is a permanent fan favorite.

She’s gone from bad to good, and weak to immeasurably powerful, all by borrowing the abilities of other Marvel heroes. This year, she also has her own limited series, Rogue: The Savage Land, that sheds light on her mysterious relationship with Magneto. Plus, in the current From the Ashes relaunch, she has emerged as a leader of the X-Men alongside (and even against) Cyclops.

See if you can absorb all the information we have to offer, and we’ll tell you the coolest superpowers Rogue has ever absorbed!

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Captain America: Tactical Knowledge of Avenger Weaknesses

With her wife and her volatile adoptive daughter at her side, Mystique had grand plans for her new team, the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Rogue played a key role in those plans. She would pick a fight with Captain America and, upon defeating him, give him just one kiss.

Not only can Rogue absorb powers, she can absorb the memories and psyches of other people. When she kissed Captain America, she learned everything he knew about the Avengers. She learned their strengths and weaknesses, so that defeating them in the future would be a piece of cake. What’s that saying about knowing your enemy?

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Ms. Marvel: Flight, Super Strength, Super Speed, and More

This is easily Rogue’s most infamous power absorption. Before Rogue met Ms. Marvel, her only power was to absorb energy and temporarily borrow powers through skin to skin contact. This could make humans pass out or even fall into vegetative states. But her life changed forever when she came into contact with Carol Danvers’ extraordinary physiology.

When Rogue met Mystique at a very young age, the shapeshifter trained the young mutant her entire life for one plan: Defeat Ms. Marvel. “Do it for your Mama!” she insisted. And Rogue only wanted to please. So she held on tight when she first fought with Carol Danvers, even though she knew it didn’t feel right. She held on so long that Ms. Marvel, later Captain Marvel, fell into a coma, and her consciousness completely left her body.

In fact, Rogue absorbed Ms. Marvel into her mind as an additional psyche — and permanently acquired all of her powers of flight, super strength, super speed, and more. Both heroes would never be the same again.

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She-Hulk’s Super Strength and Moon Knight’s Madness

During the Avengers vs. X-Men event, mutants went up against the Avengers. It seemed like all hope was lost for the X-Men, because Iron Man, as always, planned for every contingency. He used his suit’s incredible assortment of abilities to disable nearly all the X-Men, save for Rogue. Seeing her team getting taken down one by one makes her resort to full absorption, where she absorbs the powers and psyches of the people she touches.

As a result, the Avengers are knocked out quickly, and her fight went to one on one with Iron Man. She absorbed Falcon and used his ability to communicate with birds. Moon Knight, who already has multiple voices in his head, touched Rogue to distract her. It almost worked. Rogue soon became overwhelmed by the different psyches fighting for her control.

Only She-Hulk’s power of sheer rage and strength allowed Rogue to power through the insanity of all the voices in her head and keep her team safe. The green skin was just a temporary side effect.

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Deadpool: A Sickly Romance

Throughout her super hero career, Rogue has shared deep ties with the Avengers. Mutants and Avengers have, historically, not always seen eye to eye. So when the two teams decided to join ranks and form the Avengers Unity Squad, Rogue was chosen as a leader.

As with any team, lineups change over the years. In the third volume of Uncanny Avengers, Deadpool joined the Unity Squad. At first, Rogue found him annoying. Can you blame her? However, when the squad disbanded, these two still decided to work together. The strange chemistry continued to simmer. Up against Red Skull, they were nearly defeated but their teamwork shut down the hateful villain. Floating in the air, Rogue gave Deadpool a kiss, showing him that she wasn’t afraid of what was inside his head — or how the absorption might alter her own skin. While their romance didn’t go anywhere it was a tender moment for two heroes who struggle to let others in.

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Wolverine: Bone Claws and Regeneration

In one interesting storyline, after the House of M event, Rogue absorbed the powers of Wolverine. She used his mutation for one thing and one thing alone: revenge. She plummeted her newfound bone claws straight through the heart of Wanda Maximoff.

Scarlet Witch caused the fractured House of M reality, which resulted in the death of Charles Xavier. Rogue was devastated. She believed that Scarlet Witch was too powerful, and needed to be taken down once and for all. This twisted alternate reality resulted in the death of many beloved X-Men. In fact, even Rogue died for a short period of time because of her rash behavior. However, using Wolverine’s healing factor, she returned to her usual self.

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The X-Men: Claws, Regeneration, Telekinesis, Flight, Metal Skin, Super Strength

In X-Men: Second Coming, Cable and Hope Summers come from the future seeking Hope’s parents. Inexplicably, Rogue could sense Hope’s presence, even though she’s not telepathic. Even Emma Frost was baffled by this unique connection. Since they were connected, the team agreed that Rogue should be Hope’s protector.

Their travels would be dangerous, so the X-Men “loaned” Rogue their powers for the job. She had the bone claws and regenerative abilities of Wolverine and X-23. She had Psylocke’s telekinetic abilities. She had the wings and flight of Angel, and the metal skin and super strength of Colossus. Somehow, she held all at once. And with their combined powers, she was able to hold her own against Bastion and his league of Sentinels.

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Wonder Man: Ionic Energy, Invulnerability, and Agelessness

For a long time, Wonder Man was the only person immune to Rogue’s powers. He could not be absorbed, because he was not made of flesh and blood, but rather existed only as ionic energy in a human shell. Rogue has only ever been able to absorb living creatures’ powers, and Wonder Man existed on the brink of life without a traditionally physical body.

However, Rogue became more and more powerful over the years. Even Wonder Man’s physiology changed slightly. Their individual powers evolved just enough for her to completely absorb him and all of his ionic powers. When their team was up against a Celestial, absorbing nearly hundreds of other powers felt like the only option. Now, with a piece of Wonder Man left behind, she is exceedingly strong, impossibly fast, and doesn’t age or get diseases. She’s invulnerable to nearly all damage with her stored backlog of Simon Williams and Carol Danvers. In fact, Rogue has become so powerful that she cannot touch people without almost instant lethality.

But she’s still that Southern Belle we know and love!

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Apocalypse: Blue Skin

During the Krakoan Era, Rogue and Gambit adventured with a new version of Excalibur. This iteration of the team traveled to Otherworld at the behest of Apocalypse. While certain villains were granted amnesty on Krakoa, they still remained untrustworthy at times. For example, Apocalypse’s scheme soon caused Rogue to fall into an enchanted coma.

Fortunately, the new Excalibur team managed to wake Rogue back up. When she did rise from her slumber she was extremely angry — especially since the first thing she saw was Apocalypse’s foot holding down Gambit. Of all the X-Men’s enemies, Apocalypse is one of the oldest and most dangerous. But that didn’t deter Rogue. She laid her hands on the ancient Egyptian mutant and drained his life force. This absorption was a short-lived one but the sight of Rogue with Apocalypse’s signature blue skin and facial markings is pretty haunting.

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Harvey X: Precognitive Abilities like Cerebro

Following Krakoa, in the From the Ashes relaunch, Rogue leads her own mutant team in New Orleans. It’s composed of longtime allies like Gambit, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, and Jubilee, as well as a roster of new young mutants. Krakoa’s aftermath, a devastating legacy of loss, caused a new schism among mutants. Rogue continued Xavier’s pacifist dream while Cyclops helmed another team to elevate mutants above humanity.

Early on in her team’s new mission, Rogue encountered a mutant boy from her home state, Mississippi. Harvey was a mutant with precognitive powers but he was also dying of a brain tumor. Knowing that he was terminal, Harvey transferred this psychic ability to Rogue. That new skill allowed Rogue to sense that Wolverine was in danger against a powerful enemy. With this new power, which seems like it might stick around, Rogue has the potential to operate as the X-Men’s new Cerebro in the wake of Krakoa’s annihilation.

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Silver Surfer: The Power Cosmic

Within the Marvel Multiverse, all new realities are explored through the What If…? series of stories. Recently, a whole slew of heroes tried their hand at being a Herald of Galactus — including Rogue. Other heroes selected include Moon Knight, Ghost-Spider, Hulk, and Gambit. In most stories, the Silver Surfer is Galactus’ Herald, serving as a scout and messenger for the World Devourer.

But in Norrin Radd’s place, Rogue poses a very interesting new choice. This previously unforeseen combination is pretty fascinating. Galactus’ very touch can topple civilizations and consume planets. Combined with Rogue’s mutant ability to absorb nearly everything through touch itself, the possibilities are mind-blowing.

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If you were Rogue, which Marvel hero’s power would you like to absorb first? Channel your inner mutations and check out all the Rogue collectibles that Sideshow has to offer!

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