Mystique (2025)

Mystique
(2025, 11x14)

Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Dave Cockrum, Mystique first appeared in April 1978 in the pages of “Ms. Marvel” issue 16. While her natural/default appearance features blue skin, red hair and yellow eyes, Mystique’s shapeshifting abilities allow her to take the form of just about anyone.

Although she was the leader of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants in her early appearances, Mystique has at times been an ally of the X-Men. At one point, the Brotherhood even went to work for the government to police their fellow mutants under the name Freedom Force.

Mystique has been linked romantically to several prominent characters (including Wolverine in the 1920s and Sabertooth during the Cold War) and has a…complicated…connection to Nightcrawler which I don’t have the space to unpack here. But her first and most prominent connection was as the adoptive mother of Rogue, who fought alongside Mystique in the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants before leaving to join the X-Men.

All that said, if I’m being honest, I chose her for the October post because she looks pretty spooky and can take the form of whatever creepy-crawly monster you can imagine.

Happy Halloween!