Rogue Officially Surpasses Captain Marvel as Marvel’s Most Powerful Woman Alive

The iconic X-Men hero Rogue has had a long and storied history in Marvel Comics, debuting as a teenage villain of Captain Marvel on the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. But… what if instead of becoming an integral part of the X-Men mythos, Rogue was transformed into a Herald of Galactus? That is the question at the center of the upcoming one-shot What If…? Galactus Had Transformed Rogue?, which will explore a vastly different path for the young mutant, one where she has the Power Cosmic at her dangerous fingertips…

Rogue is not the only Marvel hero who will undergo a transformation from the Power Cosmic, as her longtime lover and current husband Gambit gets his own What If…? one-shot, alongside Ghost-Spider, Hulk, and Moon Knight.

Marvel’s announcement of this exciting new installment of What If…? reveals that Rogue’s epic new Herald look was designed by acclaimed Silver Surfer artist Ron Lim, debuting in a gorgeous cover. What If…? Galactus Had Transformed Rogue? is written by the beloved Ann Nocenti with art by Stephen Byrne, and will see Galactus transforming the young mutant into a Herald before she learned to control her powers, or even become a hero, making Rogue without a doubt the strongest woman in the Marvel Universe.

WHAT IF…? GALACTUS TRANSFORMED ROGUE? #1

Written by ANN NOCENTI

Art by STEPHEN BYRNE

When a young Rogue uses her mutant power to absorb the Silver Surfer’s Power Cosmic, the entire course of her storied history is forever changed! Now the rebellious mutant has been blessed with unimaginable power – but also the burden of serving as Galactus’ new herald. Rocket into space along with this iconic X-Man – it’s going to be a bumpy ride!

Rogue Will Become The Newest Herald Of The Devourer Of Worlds

Instead of absorbing Captain Marvel’s power she will absorb the Silver Surfers

The most famous Herald of Galactus is the iconic Silver Surfer – Norrin Radd – who sacrificed his mortality and regular life to save his homeworld Zenn-La from destruction at the hands of the Devourer of Worlds. Gifted a small portion of the Power Cosmic, the power that turned Galan of Taa into Galactus, the Silver Surfer and other Heralds are transformed into cosmically empowered beings. Each Herald has varied abilities, but nearly all can shoot destructive blasts of cosmic power, travel in space with no protection, and fly, making them wildly formidable opponents or allies. Yet, this power comes at a price, as the Herald is now forced to scout and discover worlds for Galactus to devour, something that weighs heavily on certain Heralds like the Silver Surfer, and certainly will on Rogue as well.

While Rogue is incredibly powerful in her own right, an upgrade with the Power Cosmic would elevate the mutant to a godlike being, capable of besting nearly any hero on Earth-616. Rogue’s mutant gift allows her to absorb the power, and even personality, of anyone she touches, which she infamously did to Captain Marvel in her first appearance in 1981’s Avengers Annual #10. Carol Danvers’ powers and personality were so strong that Rogue permanently absorbed them, almost killing Marvel, which eventually led Rogue to Professor Xavier’s doorstep, where she eventually became an X-Men hero. Now, What If…? Galactus Had Transformed Rogue? will see the rebellious and inexperienced young mutant set on a very different path, absorbing the powers of the Silver Surfer as opposed to Captain Marvel.

Will Rogue Be Able To Handle The Trauma Of Dooming Worlds To Destruction?

At her core, Rogue will always be a loving, brave hero

Interestingly, most Heralds are gifted the Power Cosmic by Galactus himself… but in Rogue’s case, she will be forcibly taking the power from the Silver Surfer, raising the question of if Galactus makes her become a Herald, or whether she chooses herself. Rogue will steal the Surfer’s power when she is still a young rebellious mutant, before she becomes a hero on Earth-616, so it would make sense that the disenfranchised orphan – adopted by Destiny and Mystique – would desire to be the most powerful woman in Marvel. However, Rogue is always destined for heroism, so there is no doubt that she is going to quickly learn that the cost of being a Herald is not worth the power received. It would be surprising if Rogue felt comfortable sacrificing worlds to Galactus, so the only question that remains is… what will she do about it?

Rogue’s epic new Herald costume is the perfect celestial upgrade for the already powerful young mutant, and it will be fascinating to see how Rogue deals with such immense power, especially without the guiding hand of her mothers or Xavier around her. While it will be shocking to see a reality where Rogue never became an X-Men hero, perhaps she will still end up on the mutant team by the time her adventure with Galactus ends.

What If…? Galactus Transformed Rogue? #1 from Marvel Comics debuts on

Source: Marvel Entertainment