(Image Source: Marvel / Lesley “Leirix” Li)
Rogue is one of the most popular members of the X-Men. She played major roles in the live-action Fox films and was a major character in the 1990s X-Men cartoon. Despite this, most casual fans don’t know her origins as a villain or how she’s developed in the 21st century. A new Marvel Comics series offers old fans and new a chance to meet the new Anna Marie LeBeau as she confronts the sins of her past.
Rogue #1 opens with the titular hero leading her squad of Louisiana-based Uncanny X-Men against a giant Mutant possum. This is fairly mundane stuff for experienced superheroes. However, it does give Anna and her husband Gambit a chance to train their newbie X-Men. At least, it does until the sight of one civilian triggers a strange flashback in Anna’s mind. One from her time with the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, but from the perspective of Sabretooth.
(Image Source: Marvel Comics / Luigi Zagaria)
In the past, Rogue would randomly relive the memories of people she touched. However, her mastery of her powers has grown in recent years to the point to where that was no longer an issue. Or so she thought. When the flashbacks lead to nightmares and delusions, Rogue goes off in search of the one person who may know the truth of her flashbacks — her adoptive mother, Mystique.
Rogue #1 a solid reintroduction to X-Men mainstay
Writer Erica Schultz has a lot of plates to spin in Rogue #1. Anna Marie LeBeau has progressed a lot from the days when she lived in fear and longing of touching another person. At the same time, many modern X-Men books have glossed over her former status as a supervillain.
(Image Source: Marvel Comics / Luigi Zagaria)
Schultz’s script manages to establish Anna’s criminal past and her current status as the foster mother to a found family of Mutant teens. It also subtly showcases how her powers have changed and how she found the control she lacked for a long time. This helps show how Rogue has changed from her more famous counterpart from the animated X-Men ’97. Her sassy Southern attitude, however, is still intact and familiar.
The artwork is similarly complex yet welcoming. Luigi Zagaria has an animated style which evokes the aesthetics of the 90s X-Men cartoons and comics. There is a deeper depth to the designs, however, and some stunning viscera in the scenes where Rogue recalls the past or hallucinates blood on her hands and strange wounds.
(Image Source: Marvel Comics / Luigi Zagaria)
Rogue #1 sets a high standard for the new X-Men comics of 2026. It captures the essence of a popular yet often misunderstood character. It unveils her past and present, while presenting a mystery tied to an uncertain future. Visually, it is amazing. Altogether, Rogue #1 makes for a welcome entry point into the world of Marvel‘s Mighty Mutants
Grade: 10/10
Rogue #1 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
