| Mystique | |||||||||||||
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| Real Name | Raven Darkhölme | ||||||||||||
| Alternate Identity | Mystique "Mama" | ||||||||||||
| Powers and Abilities | Shapeshifting | ||||||||||||
| Team Affiliations | Brotherhood of Mutants | ||||||||||||
| Allies | Apocalypse Horsemen of Apocalypse | ||||||||||||
| Family and Friends | Sabretooth (Ex-Lover) Graydon Creed Jr. (Son) Nightcrawler (Son) Rogue (Adopted Daughter) | ||||||||||||
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Raven Darkholme, also known as Mystique, is a shapeshifting mutant. She is the leader of the Brotherhood of Mutants.
Biography[]
A shape shifting mutant, Mystique has had many forms throughout her life. She gave birth to Graydon Creed whose father was another mutant named Sabretooth. Her son grew up to lead a campaign against mutants called the Friends of Humanity. She also gave birth to Nightcrawler, but after the father was horrified to find out that she had given birth to a mutant, she placed him in a basket and left him in a river. She cried while doing this, mainly out of love for her son and also because she would have to start over.
She later became the leader of the Brotherhood of Mutants, whilst she was working for Apocalypse. While she didn’t care about her own biological sons (Graydon because he was dedicated to killing mutants, including her, and Nightcrawler because he had a loving adopted family and she didn’t want to rob him of that), she took great interest in Rogue, her adopted daughter. She taught Rogue how to use her powers and manipulated her into taking orders, using her as a living weapon. She once convinced Rogue to absorb Ms. Marvel until the superhero was in a coma and Rogue permanently had her powers (and her mind trapped inside her).
Rogue later left, and Mystique did all in her power to win her back, most notably trying to brainwash her into becoming a Horsemen of Apocalypse. She tried to assassinate Senator Robert Kelly and frame Gambit (one can’t help but wonder if she was trying to protect Rogue from ending up with a scoundrel like she did; Gambit DOES have an eye for pretty ladies not unlike Sabretooth). The time-traveling mutant Bishop came from a dystopian future and helped stop her.
Rogue helped her in escaping because she took the form she had when she adopted Rogue as a child.
She was given a favor by Mister Sinister, who'd asked that it'd be returned. She was informed by him that she could get her daughter back since Charles Xavier had left the X-Men. She, disguised as Storm, lured Cyclops, Wolverine and Gambit into a trap. She had Blob, Pyro and Avalanche with her to back her up. Cyclops and the others escaped from her trap and she ordered Blob to keep the three X-Men busy. She lured Rogue into the hospital, where the long sleeping Carol Danvers was being kept. She told her she was trying to help her remember her past, the past she claimed Xavier took from her. When Rogue shape shifted into Ms. Marvel and fought her in her mind, she grabbed Mystique and flew with her. After the ordeal was over, Mystique told Rogue she was the only one who could help her, but, Rogue told her she wasn't her daughter anymore and flew away, leaving Mystique behind, watching Rogue flying away.
Powers and Abilities[]
Mystique can shapeshift into any human or mutant she chooses, even matching their voices. She can imitate physical abilities but not others. For example, she could become Cyclops but not shoot energy blasts.
Personality[]
Though Mystique may seem selfish and cruel, she has a soft spot for her adopted daughter Rogue. She only follows the orders of Apocalypse out of fear of her own life.
Relationships[]
Nightcrawler[]
Nightcrawler is Mystique's son, who she abandoned after feeling compelled to while in the face of rejection by individuals who refused to accept a mutant for an Austrian countess, including her horrifid then-husband, Nightcrawler’s father. Her rejection of Nightcrawler caused him to search for the truth and turn to religion for the rest of his life, which he expressed to her when they finally met in person for the first time since he was a baby. However, Kurt was to be pawned off by Mystique to his brother, Graydon Creed Jr.. She put her life and Rogue's above his, which he negated when asking her for the truth about his life. She revealed to him that she had two children and that one of them was him while the other was Graydon. However, she tried to get away in the commotion that nearly led to her death. Before she could escape him, Kurt confronted her one last time. She essentially tried to make him feel bad, but he did not care as he told her that he wished that one day she could forgive herself. And because he still loved her even after all she had done to him, when Graydon tried to kill him, she sacrificed herself to protect him. He was unable to rescue her, but it was later revealed that she survived, crying as she departed while Rogue consoled Kurt.
Sabretooth
Sabretooth is Mystique’s former lover, Graydon’s biological father, and (inadvertently) Rogue’s and Kurt’s stepfather. Mystique told Kurt while telling him about his biological father (an Austrian count) that she finds being a rich woman preferable, and it is theorized this is why she walked out on Sabretooth, as he isn’t exactly a millionaire. It is not known whether or not Sabretooth is aware of his two stepchildren, nor is it known whether or not they are aware of his familial link to them via Mystique.
Rogue
Rogue is Mystique’s adopted (and only) daughter. While confronted by Rogue and Nightcrawler while she was being held captive by her fanatic son Graydon, she brazenly admits in front of all three of her children she considers Rogue her favorite, to which an incensed Graydon lividly accuses her of trying to save her own skin “and no one else’s!” While Mystique ultimately does sacrifice herself to save Nightcrawler and does seem to genuinely care for Rogue, it also can’t be denied that she DID use Rogue as a living weapon against Ms. Marvel, and there’s no way she can make amends for that. She also left Rogue and Nightcrawler believing that she was dead after Graydon shot her, causing her to fall off the dam just before it got blown up, rendering Nightcrawler unable to save her like he had promised her he would after they were reunited. But the tears she sheds as she departs from Rogue that day as she consoles Nightcrawler indicate she’s not doing this out of malice, but rather out of love, believing they (particularly Nightcrawler) deserve a better mother than her.
Graydon Creed
Graydon Creed, aka Graydon Creed Jr. (named after his father Graydon Creed Sr. aka Sabretooth) is Mystique’s son that she shares with Sabretooth. After creating the anti-mutant hate group Friends Of Humanity and making quite the infamous name for himself, he was exposed as Sabretooth’s son by Wolverine to the Friends Of Humanity, causing him to go insane with savage hatred and be institutionalized for a year. When he returned and tried to resume his role as the FoH’s leader, he was informed by them of also being Mystique’s son and Rogue’s and Nightcrawler’s brother. Desperate to prove and “cleanse” himself, Graydon set a trap inside a dam to kill off his entire family, using his own mother as bait. Thankfully, Nightcrawler had the foresight to recruit the X-Men for help beforehand, and Graydon’s plan was spectacularly thwarted; the FoH get arrested for blowing up a dam, and Graydon is left on his father’s doorstep as punishment. It’s not hard to guess what Sabretooth decided to do with “the famed slayer of mutants” and his ex-lover's would-be murderer. Though they’re not together anymore, the fact that Mystique and Sabretooth still team up occasionally indicates the possibility they might still have some tender feelings for each other, if only as a memory of it.
Alternate Versions[]
In an alternate timeline, Mystique actually succeeded in killing Senator Kelly. This led to Sentinels taking over the planet and killing almost every mutant. That world fell for her deception believing that Gambit had killed Kelly.
Background[]
Mystique was voiced by Randall Carpenter in the first season and Jennifer Dale in all other subsequent appearances.
In the Comics[]
She has joined the X-Men, X-Factor, and even worked at The Daily Bugle.
Her powers also include a healing factor stemming from the shapeshifting, which also grants her prolonged life. In fact, she may be as old as Wolverine.
External Links[]
- Marvel
- Wikipedia
- Raven Darkholme (Earth-92131) at Marvel Database
- Raven Darkholme (Earth-616) at Marvel Database