Marvel loves a good nickname, but the codename On your own It may not be as accurate as it used to be. After all, Rogue has existed in Marvel lore since 1981. For 43 years, she has carried the Rogue name like a badge of honor, as it is closely tied to her origin story. However, the X-Men icon has grown and evolved so much since her debut that Rogue has become very distant from her origins. And of course, this puts Rogue's codename in a bad light.
With all that said, Brazil may have had the right idea by naming the character something other than Rogue. An additional examination of X-Men comic book covers Rogue reveals that abroad, the Marvel hero is known as Rogue.
It appears that several foreign comics refer to Rogue as Rogue. After explaining why the name Rogue just doesn't suit Anna Marie like it once did, it should become even clearer why the name Rogue feels even more accurate – almost evergreen – as a codename for the character.
Where does the name Rogue come from?
Its origin story
Rogue isn't just a superhero codename, but a childhood nickname from when she was a teenage runaway who wasn't easily trusted.
Marvel fans know her best as a villain-turned-hero, but Rogue's first appearance didn't predict her birth name and origin story. This would happen much later in Rogue's journey, and since then, she's had a proper origin story thanks to the 2004 film. On your own by Robert Rodi and Cliff Richards. The series establishes Rogue as Anna Mariea young girl raised by hippies Owen and Priscilla in Caldecott County. After Priscilla's disappearance, Owen would place Anna Marie in the care of her much stricter Aunt Carrie, resulting in Anna Marie becoming a rebellious teenager.
Without a father to keep her in line and refusing to toe the line of a strict aunt, Anna Marie found herself running away from home. She would eventually fall into the care of her adoptive mothers, Destiny and Mystique, but that didn't stop her from earning a reputation from the locals. Anyone in the area who noticed Anna Marie's carefree attitude as a fugitive trying to fend for herself on the streets would call her a Rogue. Rogue isn't just a superhero codename, but a childhood nickname from when she was a teenage runaway who wasn't easily trusted.
How Rogue grew up from childhood
Is Rogue still accurate to describe her?
Even as a young girl, when she worked with her mothers in the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, the name Rogue still very much applied to Anna Marie. Even under the care of a supervillain trope, she maintained a tough and untrustworthy attitude alongside a killer instinct in the name of survival.. She still carried the same attributes and characteristics she learned while searching for herself as a lone fugitive. She wouldn't truly become the adult – and ultimately hero – she was destined to be until she met and eventually joined the X-Men.
Her evolution was not instantaneous, as Rogue remained hesitant to work well with others. Granted, she had every right, as most of the X-Men needed to earn her trust as well, as her callous adventures with Magneto and the Brotherhood were still fresh in everyone's minds. Still, Rogue was willing to change her behavior and her thought process, and over time, she would do just that when influenced by the right people. She was even reluctant to let Gambit so close to her, both physically and emotionally, but after their first kiss, Rogue and Gambit became inseparable.
Rogue would learn to become a team player and it completely transformed who she is today. She no longer hesitates to trust everyone around her and is even more willing to play ball with others without feeling like she needs to constantly be in defensive survival mode. She not only became a team player but also a team leader in the process. Rogue is far from the same child she once was, to the point that still calling her Rogue almost feels like a disservice to the character growth she's achieved in more recent memory..
Why Rogue feels like an upgrade to Rogue
Should it be included in the official canon?
Rogue's name for Rogue is the perfect way to describe Rogue's absorption powers.. Just as a vampire sucks the life out of an individual, Rogue drains the life force of anyone she touches at will. This even has a whole new meaning when considering the newest update to Rogue's powers. Vampire may not be the best way to describe Rogue's journey or her personality, but a name like this lends itself to characterizing a key aspect of Rogue.
Still, the name Rogue is regional and therefore unofficial in relation to the official Marvel canon. Rogue's name and identity have become as iconic as Spider-Man these days, so it's unlikely that Marvel would officially approve changing her codename, even if they were in favor of something as cool as Rogue. Also, to be fair, Maila Nurmi first gained attention when she played the character of the same name in the 1950s.