Mystique facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mystique |
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Variant cover of X-Men (2019) #4.
Art by Shannon Maer. |
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Cameo appearance: Ms. Marvel #16 (May 1978) Full appearance: Ms. Marvel #18 (July 1978) |
| Created by | Chris Claremont (writer) Dave Cockrum (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Raven Darkhölme |
| Species | Human mutant |
| Team affiliations |
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| Notable aliases | Jean Grey Professor Charles Xavier Nick Fury Storm Raven Wagner Leni Zauber Valerie Cooper Mallory Brickman Ronnie Lake Holt Adler Surge Foxx Amichai Benvenisti Risty Wilde Janice Lincoln William Riva Victoria Snow Lonnie Lincoln |
| Abilities |
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Mystique (Raven Darkhölme) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by artist David Cockrum and writer Chris Claremont, the character first appeared in Ms. Marvel #16 (April 1978). A member of a subspecies of humanity known as mutants who are born with superhuman abilities, Mystique is a shapeshifter who can mimic the appearance and voice of any person with exquisite precision. Her natural appearance includes blue skin, red hair and yellow eyes.
Typically portrayed as a foe of the X-Men, Mystique has been both a supervillain and an antiheroine; she has been stated to be over 100 years old. Mystique is the mother of the X-Men hero Nightcrawler and the villain Graydon Creed, and the adoptive mother of the X-Men heroine Rogue.
Mystique has been described as one of Marvel's most notable and powerful female antiheroes.
Mystique appears in seven of the 20th Century Fox X-Men films: the character was portrayed by Rebecca Romijn in X-Men (2000), X2 (2003) and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), while Jennifer Lawrence portrayed a younger version in X-Men: First Class (2011), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) and Dark Phoenix (2019).
Powers and abilities
Mystique is a mutant shapeshifter with the ability to molecularly shift the formation of her biological cells at will to change her appearance and thereby assume the form of other humans and animals. She can also alter her voice to duplicate exactly that of another person. Originally, it was clearly stated that Mystique's powers were limited to appearances only; she could not assume the powers of the people she morphed into or alter her body to adapt to different situations. Additionally she could not change her overall body mass when taking on the appearance of a person larger or smaller, but due to subsequent enhancements she has stated that her body mass is not fixed and can change when she does.
Her body is not limited to purely organic appearances: She also has the ability to create the appearance of clothes and other materials out of her own body, including items such as glasses, zippers, identity cards, handbags and even test tubes. Mystique is shown in at least one instance transforming a metallic part of her costume into a functioning blaster pistol. Whether this is a function of her powers or the costume piece itself, is unclear.
As a shape-shifter, Mystique is able to constantly alter and rejuvenate her body's cells and thereby retain her youthful appearance despite having lived for over one hundred years.
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Mystique received her first power enhancement in the X-Men Forever miniseries, in which she was exposed to dangerous levels of radiation to save the life of Toad. The process boosted her powers so that she can now morph her body into taking certain desired physical traits depending on her situation at the time. Examples of these new abilities include night vision, wings on her back, talons in her fingers or toes, and natural body armor. She can compress into nearly two-dimensions (like a sheet of paper) to glide on air currents in a fashion similar to that of Mister Fantastic. She has moved her vital organs out of place to survive gunshots to her torso and head, and can make herself virtually invisible via camouflage. She has even, with strain, given herself two heads and four arms to facilitate a gun fight on two fronts, as well as shapeshifted into herself as a small child. She is also now able to hold a shape when knocked unconscious and can conceal items in shapeshifted pouches under her skin.
Following her death and resurrection by the Hand, her powers have been further enhanced. She can now alter and conceal her scent from those with enhanced senses, and is capable of changing her shape to a greater degree, including altering her limbs to form tentacles and bladed weapons, and compressing herself into a dog.
Damage to her biological tissue is known to heal at a relatively fast rate and she can form a resistance to poisons upon contacting them. Her enhancements have allowed her to rapidly regrow severed limbs, and rapidly recover from near fatal injury. Her powers grant her immunity to diseases, enhanced agility and strength, and agelessness.
Mystique is a cunning strategist in terrorist and commando operations, and adept at martial arts and information technology. She has a talent for finding, stealing, and understanding cutting edge weaponry. She is a talented actress and a polyglot, being fluent in over fourteen languages. Her mind is naturally unreadable owing to changing grey matter and she wears devices to prevent telepathic intrusion. Furthermore, with over a century's experience in posing as other people she has picked up the unusual skill of being able to identify people posing as others based on body language and changes in behavioral cues.
Having lived for at least a century, Mystique has built up considerable resources, one of her aliases being the billionaire B Byron Biggs who owns a number of safehouses around the world which are often protected by sophisticated security systems. She also controls a variety of weaponry and gadgets, including the Changeling, a highly advanced stealth ship capable of cloaking and flying at very high speed. The ship had sophisticated weapons and surveillance systems, with an on-board analysis computer and power-suppressing containment cells.
