As far as Marvel’s X-Men are concerned, there is only a handful of mutants that are as famous as Wolverine, or Logan. He is, in a way, a “mascot” of the X-Men and his specific personality is what makes him stand out when compared to other mutants. Still, Wolverine is not the only famous mutant, and there are a lot of such characters that stand out on their own. Rogue is certainly one of them and her intriguing relationship with Wolverine is what inspired me to write today’s article, which is going to be about these two characters.
For most of the time, Wolverine and Rogue had a friendly relationship, with Wolverine even acting as a father-type figure to the younger Rogue. Still, one story shows them kissing after Wolverine admits he’s had romantic feelings for her, but the relationship never moved on from that point.
In today’s article, you are going to find out everything you need to know about the exact nature of the relationship between Wolverine and Rogue, as it has been portrayed in comic books. I am going to tell you whether the two of them ever had a relationship or just some form of a friendship. You’re also going to find out whether Wolverine acted as a father figure to Rogue. Enjoy!
Are Wolverine and Rogue in a relationship?
Wolverine and Rogue are the protagonists of today’s article, but before we dive into that, I think it would be smart to introduce these two to those who do not know much about them.
Anna Marie LeBeau, aka Rogue, is a mutant commonly associated with the X-Men. The character debuted in Avengers Annual # 10 published in 1981 as a villain, but she joined the X-Men team shortly after. Rogue is part of a variant of the human species known as mutants. She has the ability to inadvertently absorb (and sometimes also remove) the memories, physical strength, and superpowers of anyone she touches.
Therefore, she herself considers her powers to be a curse. For most of her life, she limited her physical contact with others, including her love interest and recently her husband, Gambit. However, after many years, Rogue finally gained full control over her mutant ability.
Hailing from the fictional Caldecott County, Mississippi, Rogue is the so-called Southern belle of the X-Men. She was a runaway who was adopted by Mystique and Destiny from the Brotherhood of Mutants, becoming the former’s second daughter, which is why she grew up as a villain.
After she permanently absorbed Captain Marvel’s Kree powers and psyche, she reformed and turned to the X-Men, fearing for her sanity. Her real name and her early history were not revealed until almost 20 years after her debut. On some occasions, she has adopted the name Raven, which is the first name of her adoptive mother, Mystique.
Wolverine, whose birth name is James Howlett and is also known as Logan, is one of the most famous and most iconic members of the X-Men, a fictional superhero group that unites benevolent mutants. He, himself, is a mutant who possesses animal-tuned senses, enhanced physical abilities, powerful regeneration abilities known as a healing factor, and three retractable claws on each hand.
Wolverine has been depicted in various ways as a member of the X-Men, Alpha Flight, X-Force, and The Avengers. Although portrayed as an antihero on many occasions, mostly due to his unorthodox methods and his antiheroic personality, Wolverine has always been on the side of the good guys, which is why he was portrayed as a member of different superhero groups throughout his career.
His first appearance was made within the pages of The Incredible Hulk #180 comic book, published in October 1974, although his formal introduction was in the following issue, The Incredible Hulk #181 from November 1974, which was due to the writer’s initial carelessness. Additionally, throughout his career, he made frequent guest appearances in other Marvel comics series, featuring other superheroes or superhero groups.
In the 1980s and 1990s, comics featuring the Wolverine character became the publisher’s best-sellers, which ultimately turned Wolverine into one of the most important modern-day Marvel Comics characters ever.
Now that we know who they are, I can continue with the question, although the answer should be quite obvious by now. Wolverine and Rogue have a strong friendship which developed from them being members of the X-Men and outcasts who understood each other on a deeper level.
Interestingly enough, the two of them started off by hating each other, because Wolverine detested what Rogue had done to Carol Danvers, who was a close friend of Wolverines. Still, the two of them developed a strong mutual respect for each other during the X-Men’s fight against Viper, who poisoned and put all the other X-Men under her control, save for Rogue and Wolverine. Rogue then joined Wolverine so that they could save their friends together, which is when Wolverine developed his respect for the young mutant.
This actually answers the main question of this article, but there are still some important questions that need answering, which I plan on doing in the sections that follow this one.
Is Wolverine in love with Rogue?
Now that I have told you the exact nature of Wolverine’s and Rogue’s relationship, I can also answer some specific questions about it. Now, we do know that their relationship wasn’t exactly a romantic one but that doesn’t mean that they might not have some feeling for each other, right?
This was actually explained in X-Men (Vol. 2) #169 (June 2005), where the mutants fought the monstrous alien race called Golgotha. The Golgotha are very specific creatures as they can cause madness in their opponents but they are also known for amplifying people’s emotions to a certain degree.
When the X-Men fought the Golgotha, they came under the monsters’ influence, which amplified their emotions. Wolverine, at that point, spoke to Rogue, admitting that he had feelings for her and that he had wanted her in a sexual way. It wasn’t anything really romantic, but rather something purely sexual. Now, Rogue also gave in to her desires and the two started to kiss rather passionately, which, of course, knowing Rogue’s powers, resulted in her sucking out Wolverine’s powers until Emma Frost interrupted them telepathically.
As you can see, this story does suggest that they have some feelings for each other, but these feelings are more sexual than anything else, so I cannot really state with any certainty that they were in love with each other.
Is Wolverine a father figure for Rogue?
Although this aspect was more expressed in the movies, Wolverine is, in a way, a father figure for Rogue. After initially hating her, he was one of the few characters that actually accepted her for what she was, including her past actions and her past alliances.
She was, because of that, impressed by him and she respected him a lot, and he also respected her, after the two of them defeated Viper and saved their fellow X-Men.
Wolverine was, really, that type of character and I can completely see him as being a protective figure towards the young mutant. Also, he is a man who has seen a lot and he knows how to accept other people who are, like him, different. That is why I am pretty sure that his friendship with Rogue also had that father figure element which made their friendship deeper and more sincere.
As stated, this wasn’t all that important for the comic books themselves, but this aspect of their relationship had a very important role in the X-Men movies, where Wolverine and Rogue were portrayed by Hugh Jackman and Anna Paquin, respectively.
Is Rogue Wolverine’s daughter?
Our last question is also the easiest one to answer, as the answer is more than obvious. Rogue, or Anna Marie LeBeau, is not Wolverine’s daughter and there is really no way she could be. Namely, the identity of Rogue’s parents is a well-known fact in Marvel’s universe.
She was born in Caldecott County, Mississippi, to Owen and Priscilla, a young married couple who lived in the county’s hippie commune. She was cared for by her maternal Aunt Carrie, but at one point left home. Later, she was taken in by Mystique, who took her in as her daughter.
As you can see, there is absolutely no way for Rogue to be Wolverine’s daughter. Her past is well-known and there are no real mysteries surrounding her birth and her heritage. Plus, it would be quite weird had I concluded this article – about the relationship between Wolverine and Rogue – on an incestuous note, so I’m quite glad I managed to avoid that.