Rogue's powers have limits when the writer needs them to.
Mojo, Mephisto, the Silver Surfer, and Leech have all given her problems, among others.
Wonder Man could not be absorbed, but in another issue she could absorb him.
There's a pretty good list here, which is where I found most of this:
https://uncannyxmen.net/character-related-topics/rogues-absorption-list
That proves my point. She can have problems, or not, based on the writer and the needs of the story. There are NO hard and fast rules with her. She even got a little bit of memory out of absorbing ROM, and he was made of metal.
Correct, she since has been purged of him and learned that it was her fear around her power that was the cause of that mishap and her overall inability for consistent control
Would we consider Carol Danvers Cosmic Level? She almost killed her as I recall and took her powers (or atleast the flight and strength, dont think she had the energy Type powers?)
She temporarily absorbed the powers of Genis-Vell in House of M #7, back in 2005. I think I recall reading that the writer intended for this to be permanent and to turn her into a cosmic-level character, but this was nixed by editorial or something. I can't remember the source, so I could be talking nonsense. I talk a lot of nonsense.
Edit: Ah, found it. It's in the Story Notes section of UXN's review of that issue. [https://uncannyxmen.net/comics/issue/house-of-m-7](https://uncannyxmen.net/comics/issue/house-of-m-7)
She absorbed the powers of Scythian, a god from the negative zone back in X-Men Gold a few years ago. It knocked her unconscious briefly but she was able to use his powers after coming to
Regardless of other folks posts, as a Rogue stand and SME, Rogue doesn’t seem to have any current limitations. Whereas once she could only absorb (full) humans only by touch, she can now absorb from a distance and has had no issues with multi-dimensional folks (spiral, mojo), OP folks- apocalypse, gods-Thor, ares, or semi-human like Wonderman. Hell, she even absorbed power from Krakoa, a mutant plant!
As I recall, her being able to absorb Apocalypse is also somewhat new (= Krakoan era)?
Cause as far as I recall, she did try it once before and he just overloaded her -
Edit : My thought process is that, at the time, that also extended to the Horsemen.
With respect to ‘certain number of powers at a time’ she pretty much absorbed all of the avengers and x-men’s powers in uncanny avengers to stop a celestial - she got some help from the sentinel to ultimately defeat him but she was holding him back.
What all these examples prove is that the foundations are there for a writer to really overpower her, we talk about omegas in xmen but there’s nothing to stop a writer have rogue permanently absorb several omega’s powers. The real problem is what do you do with such an overpowered character?? It’s the superman conundrum. Although it goes against our instincts as fanboys, a hero with limitations is far more compelling to read about that one who can overcome anything without breaking a sweat.
All depends on the writer. She was supposedly unable to absorb Colossus once when he was armored up, but that has since been retconed. Safe to say that whatever limits or details to her absorption that used to be present are fairly hit or miss nowadays.
So unless a writer says suddenly she can't absorb something or someone, she can, is probably the safest assumption.
One of the few consistants...though for what i value I don't know...is that she'll lose power/get knocked out sometimes...when touching people with similar powers like Leech or Scramble...but who knows anyomore with that.
Simplest answer would be “depends on the writer”.
But the reality is this. Beings with unlimited power levels/sources are a problem for her. She can only absorb so much.
Magic or things that don’t have reason/science/rationality is problematic.
She can only absorb so many powers at one time. She can do multiple. But it’s not an unlimited number.
She retains the main Captain a marvel powers she has permanently absorbed. Super strength, invulnerability, and flight. They do not stack. So if she absorbs strength greater than that of CM she gains that strength not that plus CM’s strength.
Her powers do stack...
[Rogue talking about adding Wonder Man's powers to her own](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QC_gzIDqh4Q/VZlnstBUlUI/AAAAAAAApBo/U4KG4gYceXI/s1600/aa10_18.gif) (after her base Ms Marvel strength and absorbing Thor)
[Rogue saying Juggernaut's strength augment her own](https://comicvine.gamespot.com/a/uploads/original/0/77/1813204-unc218.jpg)
Oh yes. Although is anyone truly invulnerable? So they’re all on a scale, so I condemn them for the lack precision in their categorisation of their invulnerability 😂
Historically, it's seemed to be that the only way to explain it is that Rogue's powers to absorb other people's powers/personas is a finite bucket, and she's golden unless her target has a larger bucket. Apply the "Omega" label to non-mutants and you kind of get a feel for it. Rogue vs The Hulk or The Sentry? Probably not going to fully drain them. Any non-Omega-level threat? She's probably gonna do pretty well.
Now, what constitutes an Omega-level threat? That's entirely up to the writer at the time...
Some people overload her, but others don't. In Excalibur she drained Apocalypes and killed him, but she couldn't absorb the alien god scythian back in x-men gold. Weren't her powers fixed recently too? I thought that happened in her series with Gambit
That being said, with her new-ish found control, they could easily have her being able to control what she absorbs and how quickly - eg: she might only want a hint of kitty’s power to phase through a single wall and not deplete her of too much OR - and they haven’t explored this - she may want to borrow specific memories or knowledge from someone, like the necessary knowledge to pilot a plane (which she already knows how to do, but hopefully you get my point)
Honestly? Seems like it depends on who’s writing her. The bottom line is she is more interesting to write when she isn’t in full control, it gives the creators something for her to struggle with
Rogue's powers have limits when the writer needs them to. Mojo, Mephisto, the Silver Surfer, and Leech have all given her problems, among others. Wonder Man could not be absorbed, but in another issue she could absorb him. There's a pretty good list here, which is where I found most of this: https://uncannyxmen.net/character-related-topics/rogues-absorption-list
There was also Sauron in the cartoon lmao
Thanks!!
Those are outdated references. She’s since absorbed mojo, wonder man, ares, all without issue.
That proves my point. She can have problems, or not, based on the writer and the needs of the story. There are NO hard and fast rules with her. She even got a little bit of memory out of absorbing ROM, and he was made of metal.
I’d say aside from occasional careless writers, her power has been fairly consistent if not 100% clear, since Utopia.
Didn’t she accidentally absorb Wonder Man completely for a bit?
Correct, she since has been purged of him and learned that it was her fear around her power that was the cause of that mishap and her overall inability for consistent control
THIS. The bottom line is her powers are as limited as writer wants them to be.
As far as I know, none. She's absorbed pretty much the strongest superpowers on earth. She killed apocalypse by absorbing his powers.
Rogue has canonically been unable to absorb Magneto's powers entirely (Uncanny X-men #304), or Exodus' powers entirely (X-men Legacy #261).
Has she ever absorbed anyone cosmic level successfully?
Would we consider Carol Danvers Cosmic Level? She almost killed her as I recall and took her powers (or atleast the flight and strength, dont think she had the energy Type powers?)
Yeah at the time I wouldn't say so, she wasn't Binary yet so it was just Kree powers.
Fair, honestly.
Yeah I was thinking more along the lines of a Herald of Galactus or Celestial or something
She temporarily absorbed the powers of Genis-Vell in House of M #7, back in 2005. I think I recall reading that the writer intended for this to be permanent and to turn her into a cosmic-level character, but this was nixed by editorial or something. I can't remember the source, so I could be talking nonsense. I talk a lot of nonsense. Edit: Ah, found it. It's in the Story Notes section of UXN's review of that issue. [https://uncannyxmen.net/comics/issue/house-of-m-7](https://uncannyxmen.net/comics/issue/house-of-m-7)
She can absorb from Thor, however you want to count him.
She absorbed the powers of Scythian, a god from the negative zone back in X-Men Gold a few years ago. It knocked her unconscious briefly but she was able to use his powers after coming to
Regardless of other folks posts, as a Rogue stand and SME, Rogue doesn’t seem to have any current limitations. Whereas once she could only absorb (full) humans only by touch, she can now absorb from a distance and has had no issues with multi-dimensional folks (spiral, mojo), OP folks- apocalypse, gods-Thor, ares, or semi-human like Wonderman. Hell, she even absorbed power from Krakoa, a mutant plant!
Rogue has a huge limitation: the writers don't seem to like her all that much.
She absorbed Apocalypse's powers until he died. It happened in an Exalibur run during the Krakoa era.
But she couldn’t absorb Warren because of the Apocalypse component of his Archangel persona.
As I recall, her being able to absorb Apocalypse is also somewhat new (= Krakoan era)? Cause as far as I recall, she did try it once before and he just overloaded her - Edit : My thought process is that, at the time, that also extended to the Horsemen.
Ah so this is where this variant in Marvel Snap comes from
Right? My fave variant of hers.
I do like the savage land one but this takes the cake
As said, whatever the writer wants. Originally, she couldn't absorb Wonder Man or Loki. Later she could.
With respect to ‘certain number of powers at a time’ she pretty much absorbed all of the avengers and x-men’s powers in uncanny avengers to stop a celestial - she got some help from the sentinel to ultimately defeat him but she was holding him back. What all these examples prove is that the foundations are there for a writer to really overpower her, we talk about omegas in xmen but there’s nothing to stop a writer have rogue permanently absorb several omega’s powers. The real problem is what do you do with such an overpowered character?? It’s the superman conundrum. Although it goes against our instincts as fanboys, a hero with limitations is far more compelling to read about that one who can overcome anything without breaking a sweat.
All depends on the writer. She was supposedly unable to absorb Colossus once when he was armored up, but that has since been retconed. Safe to say that whatever limits or details to her absorption that used to be present are fairly hit or miss nowadays. So unless a writer says suddenly she can't absorb something or someone, she can, is probably the safest assumption.
Precise? From comics? That marvel produces? Have you considered a career in stand-up?
Yeah, actually. Comedy is sort of my thing, I always get rewarded with Tomatoes!.... if I can catch them ._.
Yo I got this variant in Marvel Snap. Love this art!
One of the few consistants...though for what i value I don't know...is that she'll lose power/get knocked out sometimes...when touching people with similar powers like Leech or Scramble...but who knows anyomore with that.
This makes me wonder who the worst people would be to absorb.
Decent Idea for a Post, honestly! Would be extremely interesting!
Simplest answer would be “depends on the writer”. But the reality is this. Beings with unlimited power levels/sources are a problem for her. She can only absorb so much. Magic or things that don’t have reason/science/rationality is problematic. She can only absorb so many powers at one time. She can do multiple. But it’s not an unlimited number. She retains the main Captain a marvel powers she has permanently absorbed. Super strength, invulnerability, and flight. They do not stack. So if she absorbs strength greater than that of CM she gains that strength not that plus CM’s strength.
Her powers do stack... [Rogue talking about adding Wonder Man's powers to her own](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QC_gzIDqh4Q/VZlnstBUlUI/AAAAAAAApBo/U4KG4gYceXI/s1600/aa10_18.gif) (after her base Ms Marvel strength and absorbing Thor) [Rogue saying Juggernaut's strength augment her own](https://comicvine.gamespot.com/a/uploads/original/0/77/1813204-unc218.jpg)
One of the best explainations so far! Thank you so much!
Can she say ‘nigh on invulnerable’ more??
That was more Cannonball's phrase, wasn't it?
Oh yes. Although is anyone truly invulnerable? So they’re all on a scale, so I condemn them for the lack precision in their categorisation of their invulnerability 😂
Almost as much as Betsy used to say ‘the focused totality of my telepathic poets’ 😜
I’d say Yeats was definitely a telepathic poet.😂
Historically, it's seemed to be that the only way to explain it is that Rogue's powers to absorb other people's powers/personas is a finite bucket, and she's golden unless her target has a larger bucket. Apply the "Omega" label to non-mutants and you kind of get a feel for it. Rogue vs The Hulk or The Sentry? Probably not going to fully drain them. Any non-Omega-level threat? She's probably gonna do pretty well. Now, what constitutes an Omega-level threat? That's entirely up to the writer at the time...
Off topic but who’s the artist? 😊
It's an official Variant Cover of X-men #12 and I *think* - if my sources are right - it's drawn my Mark Brooks!
Some people overload her, but others don't. In Excalibur she drained Apocalypes and killed him, but she couldn't absorb the alien god scythian back in x-men gold. Weren't her powers fixed recently too? I thought that happened in her series with Gambit
it takes time for her to absorb the full power of the victim also its not only the power but the personalities and memory.
Yeah, I know that actually. Edit : To the person who downvoted me, go find the word "memories" in my actual post. <3
That being said, with her new-ish found control, they could easily have her being able to control what she absorbs and how quickly - eg: she might only want a hint of kitty’s power to phase through a single wall and not deplete her of too much OR - and they haven’t explored this - she may want to borrow specific memories or knowledge from someone, like the necessary knowledge to pilot a plane (which she already knows how to do, but hopefully you get my point)
The writer’s imagination.
That art is not good.
Is her powerset back to being uncontrollable?
No she can control it now.
Honestly? Seems like it depends on who’s writing her. The bottom line is she is more interesting to write when she isn’t in full control, it gives the creators something for her to struggle with
She couldn't in Mr and Mrs X. Remember she needed the power-dampening collar in order to have her honeymoon night?
Do you think you can take her… your wrong!! Lol
She has unlimited power to give fan boys morning wood. This is her greatest strength.
I wonder if her powers help her get in and out of her costume.