- Written by: Erica Schultz
- Art by: Luigi Zagaria
- Colors by: Espen Grundetjern
- Letters by: VC’s Ariana Maher
- Cover art by: David Nakayama
- Cover price: $4.99
- Release date: January 21, 2026
Rogue #1, by Marvel on 1/21/26, kicks off with a southern-fried mutant learning to make peace with her past, only to have old ghosts literally haunting her dreams.
First Impressions
The opening fight at Mackie Memorial Airport throws you right into Rogue leading a strike team against a giant mutant possum, which is gloriously absurd in the best way. Writer Erica Schultz establishes Rogue as the responsible leader she’s become rather than the reckless Brotherhood member she used to be. Artist Luigi Zagaria delivers clean panel work that makes the chaos feel grounded and kinetic rather than cartoonish.
Plot Analysis
The issue opens with Rogue commanding a team of younger mutants during a monster-response mission at an airport in Louisiana. During the fight, Rogue encounters a man in a wheelchair that triggers fragmented memories, though she can’t place who he is. The mission wraps up with Rogue taking damage that her Wonder Man powers protect her from, but the mystery man’s face haunts her afterward.
That night, back at Haven House training facility, Rogue experiences a vivid nightmare where she’s committing violence alongside Mystique and Sabretooth. The dream feels too real, and when she wakes in a panic, she confides in Gambit about the disturbing visions. Hotoru, the young healer on her team, admits he might be influencing her dreams through his death-state powers. Rogue accepts this explanation but something doesn’t sit right.
The next morning, Rogue decides to investigate on her own despite Gambit’s protests. She travels to Missouri to find Destiny and Mystique, the former foster mother and her partner from her Brotherhood days. When Rogue arrives and meets Destiny, she learns that Mystique is in terrible physical condition, her shape-shifting powers disrupted. Mystique warns Rogue not to pull on old threads, but Rogue presses for answers about Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. and a man named J. Stelton.
The issue explodes into chaos when violent flashbacks assault Rogue’s mind without her making physical contact with Mystique. Blood appears everywhere, J. Stelton screams for help, and Rogue’s past comes crashing down around her. Mystique finally agrees they need to talk, setting up the next issue’s mystery about what happened during the Brotherhood’s history.
Writing Quality
Schultz balances action, character introspection, and mystery setup without any section feeling like filler. The opening fight establishes stakes and character dynamics in about three pages. The dialogue captures Rogue’s Southern voice authentically, from her casual banter with Gambit to her internal monologues about guilt and regret. Pacing stumbles slightly in the middle section where Rogue’s travel and arrival at Mystique’s location gets rushed, but the final act accelerates perfectly into the cliffhanger. The structure moves from present action to past reflection to future investigation, mirroring Rogue’s emotional journey nicely.
Art Quality
Zagaria’s line work is precise and expressive, especially in reaction shots where emotional weight matters. The airport sequence uses wide shots for scale and close-ups for tension without losing clarity in panel-to-panel transitions. Colorist Espen Grundetjern shifts from bright airport tones to muted indoor lighting to shadowy nightmare sequences, using color to telegraph mood shifts. The dream sequence particularly stands out, with warmer reds and browns suggesting blood and danger. However, some backgrounds feel sparse in quieter scenes, making intimate moments feel a bit hollow visually.
Character Development
Rogue’s motivation drives everything, this issue clearly establishes that she’s trying to atone for her past while building something better with the X-Men. Her conflict between wanting to move forward and being pulled backward creates genuine tension. Gambit feels a bit one-dimensional here, though his comic relief about pretzels works in small doses. Mystique’s appearance is brief but effective, playing the world-weary mentor with dark humor. Hotoru gets minimal page time but comes across as sincere in his concern. The issue could have deepened secondary character arcs, but the focus on Rogue’s internal struggle keeps the momentum tight.
Originality and Concept Execution
Rogue investigating her own forgotten memories isn’t groundbreaking territory for X-Men comics, but Schultz frames it as a personal reckoning rather than another “villain from the past” story. The concept of fragmented memories surfacing through dreams and violent flashes feels fresh enough. The mystery setup intrigues without feeling manipulative. The issue succeeds in making readers curious about Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. and J. Stelton without relying on cheap cliffhangers.
Positives
The character work stands out as this issue’s greatest strength. Rogue comes across as genuinely conflicted between her desire to protect the next generation and her compulsion to face her Brotherhood past head-on. Schultz nails her voice and internal logic. The opening action sequence balances humor with character establishment, proving you can do both in under three pages if you’re deliberate. Zagaria’s artwork in the nightmare sequence particularly shines, using distorted perspectives and color shifts to make readers feel Rogue’s psychological unease. The mystery setup about Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. plants enough questions to make you want issue two, which is exactly what a #1 should do.
Negatives
The pacing in the middle section where Rogue travels to find Mystique feels compressed, rushing past what could have been character moments. Gambit’s limited presence and one-dimensional dialogue undercut the relationship that should carry emotional weight. The dream sequence, while visually compelling, remains vague enough that readers can’t fully understand what Rogue’s actually seeing, which creates confusion rather than mystery. Some background detail work disappears in quiet scenes, making the art feel unfinished. The issue also doesn’t establish what made Rogue such an authority figure on this new X-Men team, leaving newcomers slightly lost about her current standing in the superhero hierarchy.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers. Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
The Scorecard
Writing Quality (Clarity & Pacing): [3/4]
Art Quality (Execution & Synergy): [3/4]
Value (Originality & Entertainment): [1.5/2]
Final Verdict
Rogue #1 delivers a competent character study wrapped in mystery and action, making it worth your money if you care about where the character’s going next. The creative team demonstrates genuine skill in pacing and emotional beats, even if some middle-section stumbles keep this from being essential reading. If you’re tired of Rogue being sidelined in team books and want to see her carry a solo title with intelligence and humor, this earns its place on your pull list. Just know you’re signing up for a mystery box where the contents matter more than the immediate payoff, and that’s not always a safe bet in modern comics.
7.5/10
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