Warning: Contains spoilers for Uncanny X-Men #4!Currently leading the Invisible X-Men, Rogue Has one of the most iconic superpowers in the franchise. Able to siphon the powers and life force of anyone she touches, Rogue also has immense strength and speed (a remnant of the time she stole Captain Marvel’s powers, nearly killing her.) Recent events suggest that she is developing a whole other ability that perfectly suits her new role as team leader.
Recently, Rogue’s team has been stalked by Sarah Gaunt, also the hag. Last issue, Wolverine took on the hag, revealing that her nails were coated with a mystical metal even stronger than adamantium. As Wolverine was torn to pieces, He psychically connected with RogueBegging you to get their new students to safety. in The Inconvenient X-Men #4 By the creative team of Gail Simone, David Marquez, Matthew Wilson and Clayton Cowles, Rogue and Nightcrawler seek out Wolverine after her disturbing vision.
Combining Rogue’s flight and Nightcrawler’s teleportation, they find Logan nearly dead, and Rogue insists she stays to look for his attacker. Wolverine warns Rogue against him, telling her to take some of his power, but Rogue refuses and Nightcrawler teleports Wolverine away. She searches the forest for hag and thinks, “I feel her, I don’t know how. But I feel her like a spider on my skin.” This seems to be a second reference to Rogue with some new sixth senseEspecially since Wolverine’s advanced senses couldn’t identify Gaunt last issue.
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Rogue is developing some kind of telepathic power
So far, X-Men has not explained the sixth sense of Rogue – but it already saved Wolverine
Secondary mutations have given X-Men heroes new powers before – for example, Emma Frost’s diamond form. If Rogue’s new abilities are a secondary mutation, they could be a new psychic power, however It’s most likely an upgrade from your already existing power set. Some of the X-Men’s mutants have their primary power plus some added abilities that adjust their body to use it effectively – for example, Cyclops can fire optical blasts from his eyes, but he also has an instinctive understanding of trajectory, allowing him To use his beams much more effectively.
A more immediate example of mutant powers that come with a sixth sense is Rogue’s old ally Polaris. in X-Men (2021) #5, By Gerry Duggan, Javier Pina and Ze Carlos, Polaris is hit with a flash grenade and is rendered blind, but is still able to sense the people around her, feeling the iron in their blood. Polaris is able to sense what her magnetic powers can affect. Rogue’s powers allow her to absorb the powers, life-force and memories of anyone she touches. If Rogue’s mutant powers follow the same logic as Polaris, she may have some latent ability to sense powerful beings around her. This would explain how Rogue is able to sense Wolverine’s pain, and also how she can tell that the hag is nearby.
Rogue’s advancing power may be evidence of a secondary mutation
X-Men’s New Era makes some big changes
It is possible that there is another explanation for Rogue’s sixth sense, perhaps linked to Sarah Gaunt’s presence (the villain Is Magical in nature, after all.) X-Men’s ‘From the Ashes’ era makes some major changes to franchise rulesFor example introducing villains that can turn humans into mutants, so there is a lot of possibility for what could be happening with Rogue. X-Men is in a time of major transition, and fans can’t necessarily look to the past to figure out what’s possible in the present. One thing is clear though – Rogues new power is a significant development, and one that already saved Wolverine’s life.
The Inconvenient X-Men #4 is available now from Marvel Comics.