Put on your best face and strap in as we discuss Mystique, the shapeshifting seductress who became a queer blue icon.
Welcome, brave heroes! One of my favorite things about Marvel comics is how human all the characters feel. They struggle with their identity, their powers, and how to keep those they love safe. The X-Men deal with these issues more than most as they wrestle with a world that views them as abominations. Not all the mutants are so forgiving, however. Though Magneto is the first to come to mind when we think of mutant rage, we can’t count out the alluring Raven Darkhölme, known to most as the shapeshifter Mystique.
Mystique first appeared as a guest character in Ms. Marvel in 1978 before migrating to the X-Men comics. She is usually portrayed as a villainous mutant who conflicts with the X-Men, but her story is much less black and white. Mystique is most fairly called an anti-hero since she is fiercely loyal and protective and will go to any lengths to protect those she cares about. However, her methods put her at odds with the more “noble” denizens of the Marvel universe.
Jump to…
Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler
There is no record of when Mystique was born; her unique mutation has given her an exceedingly long life. However, we know she was an adult in the late 19th century. She took on the guise of the English detective Sherlock Holmes (yes, THAT Sherlock Holmes) and put her unique skills to work as a sleuth. During that time, she met a woman named Irene Adler, a precognitive mutant who took the name of Destiny. The two became partners and, eventually, lovers.
Their friend Sir Arthur Conan Doyle recorded their exploits and published them as adventure tales. The pair successfully solved several notorious crimes across the British Empire, including a series of brutal murders attributed to Jack the Ripper that turned out to be the work of Mr. Sinister.
Mystique and Destiny would have several adventures together, as both had extended lifespans. They participated in World War II, where Mystique had a brief tryst with Victor Creed while posing as a German assassin. Eventually, she married Baron Christian Wagner and convinced him to take on Irene as a lady’s maid so they could continue their affair.
They dreamed of creating the perfect child, and Destiny foresaw that a child bearing Azazel’s DNA was the only way to stall an interdimensional war. Using Mystique’s metamorphic abilities, they produced a child with the genetic markers of Azazel and other people they admired. This union resulted in a young blue-skinned mutant who would come to be known as Kurt.*
The Beginning of the End
They tried maintaining secrecy, but the Baron caught wind of the relationship. In a fury, he tried to have all three of them killed. Instead, Mystique killed him and fled, hoping to save her beloved from an angry mob. Destiny also escaped, taking the young Kurt to Margali Szardos, a Romani witch and circus performer. She and Mystique then sought out Charles Xavier, who wiped Mystique’s memory to help her deal with her grief. After that, Mystique took a young girl named Anne Marie under her wing. She founded a terrorist group to combat the anti-mutant horrors of the world: the Third Brotherhood of Mutants.
The Brotherhood of Mutants
The Third Brotherhood of Mutants was a terrorist cell of mutants that fought against humans persecuting mutants. Mystique named the group after Magneto’s team, and her original roster included herself, Destiny, Avalanche, the Blob, and Pyro. Her adoptive daughter Anne joined the group a few years later under the mutant name Rogue. The group gained notoriety for the attempted assassination of anti-mutant Senator Robert Kelly.
On a mission where they battled the Avengers, the team nearly prevailed. However, they found themselves outmatched when they came up against Carol Danvers. Rogue used her mutant abilities to absorb Carol’s abilities but permanently took on her powers and identity. Carol was left an empty shell, and Rogue was cursed with a near-psychotic break. She sought out Charles Xavier, who healed her and recruited her to the X-Men.
Believing that Xavier had brainwashed her daughter, Mystique led her team to attack the X-Men. However, Rogue herself stepped forward to stop her. She explained that Professor Xavier was the only one who could give her a chance at a normal life. Begrudgingly, Mystique accepted and allowed Rogue to stay with the X-Men. From that point forward, she harbored deep resentment for Xavier.
Mystique: Hero or Villain
Mystique has been on both sides of the alignment coin throughout her life. At the beginning she set out to ensure Destiny’s more harrowing prophecies never came true. However, decades of anti-mutant actions led her down a dark path. She has been a deadly terrorist, an assassin, and a brave hero. However, she is primarily viewed as a villain. No matter how noble her intentions may be, her actions brand her in a harsh light at every turn.
Mystique’s Powers: The Skin You’re In
- Metamorph – Mystique’s shape-changing abilities are not a simple disguise; she can alter her cells at the genetic level. This is how she could father a son with Azazel’s genetic marker. Though she cannot take on the powers of those she copies, she can perfectly mimic them in every other way, perfecting her infiltration skills. Even her clothing is shapeshifted, and Mystique has repeatedly claimed that she never wears clothes. After her death and subsequent power charging, she can alter her body with physical adaptations, such as gills, claws, wings, and even the ability to make her body flat as paper. Her shapeshifting has also eliminated the again process in her cells, so she isn’t affected by old age and is well over 100 years old.
- Accelerated Healing
- Toxin and Disease Resistance
- Psychic Defense
- Master Martial Artist and Marksmen
- Multilingual
In addition to her powers, Mystique speaks at least eleven languages and is a master of covert operations. In addition, as evidenced by her Sherlock Holmes personality, she is highly intelligent and observant.
Mystique on Screen
Mystique has had several big screen appearances. Though most fans will recognize Jennifer Lawerence as the blue shapeshifter, early fans like myself will remember Rebecca Romijn’s turn as Magneto’s chief lieutenant.
Mystique in Other Media
Mystique is a powerful stealth combatant with tons of extra fun in Marvel Crisis Protocol. She can shapeshift, stealth up the board, or stun enemies with her Pistol attack. She’s the whole fiendish package, and her rules are worthy of the devious combatant she is.
*This was only made canon in the comics in 2018. In interviews, X-Men writer Chris Claremont stated that he had always intended for Mystique and Destiny to be Nightcrawler’s parents, but the idea was shot down. Marvel called the idea too controversial since there was a mandate at the time preventing gay and bisexual characters from appearing in comics. However, nothing can bury the queer icon that is Raven Darkhölme!
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From North Carolina to Texas and back to North Carolina again, Clint lives the life of a traveling artist. An avid gamer, writer, actor, pyrotechnician, and general nerd, he has finally turned his love of EDH into a career. When not busy being a clueless cowboy, Winterfell Bannermen, or whatever else acting life throws at him, he enjoys reading folklore from around the world, writing narratives for his Wargaming armies, or running D&D 5e games as a professional DM. Look for his storytelling podcast, By the Dancing Fire, or find him on Twitch at FeybornPhyrexian, where he produces MTG content.
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