Marvel’s announcement of the upcoming ROGUE: THE SAVAGE LAND may feel like a callback to what some consider a ‘controversial’ moment. Written by Hack/Slash creator Tim Seeley, who’s partnering again with HEXWARE artist and award-winner of Disneyland Paris’ 2024 Marvel Art Atelier Zulema Lavina, the pair are doing a take on what happened with Rogue while surviving with no powers in the Savage Lands. Which of course was based on Chris Claremont‘s Uncanny X-Men #269 and #274-275, and of course, the incredibly evocative images drawn by Jim Lee of Savage Land Rogue.
Here’s the premise:
The X-Man called Rogue has always been a survivor, but without her mutant powers she’ll need to prove it like never before! As the Savage Land turns towards war, Rogue will need all her skills to survive dinosaurs, mutates, and the Master of Magnetism himself!
Why it’s controversial in the pop culture zeitgeist today is because the two’s romance was brought back to attention in X-Men ’97. It should be stressed, as creator Tim Seeley confirmed on social media, that this five issue mini-series has nothing to do with that X-Men ’97 story arc and is just Seeley’s and Lavina’s original take.
Now on the one hand, green lighting this comic does some fan service to older fans who remember this era with fondness though never got a full-on story as there were many gaps in the tale. It’s really just an opportunity for elaboration, as those new to Marvel comics could see how the Rogue and Magneto’s brief romance begun; the gist of it being Rogue and Magneto finding themselves working together against an evil sorceress Zaladane.
Much like a typical survival story amongst two people stranded in the middle of nowhere, in the original Claremont Uncanny story, the pair came together against a common enemy leading to a slight romance as the two spent some time together getting close (plus, Rogue could finally touch someone). It’s actually a rather small moment in the story though one that impacted a generation of fans with both its art and its implications to the lore.
Perhaps the biggest issue of critique I’m seeing is the questionable age gap between Rogue and Magneto – as many point out he’s easily in his 60s as a Holocaust survivor. But maybe the real question should be just how old was Rogue in the original 80s Claremont run and why should comics be talking about it? Because I don’t think it’s for the reason we think.
As Screenrant itself has pointed out, Rogue is likely in her 20s in the ’97 TV show so there is nothing illegal on that end age of consent being met. And though I don’t have a full answer to Rogue’s age during Claremont’s run, nor do I have direct clarification for Magneto’s, I do have to stress that those stories went on for years and Western comic characters do have a bit of a maturation problem. As most characters in comics just conveniently, sort of like vampires, just stop aging.
From Kamala Khan to Dick Grayson, almost everyone in superhero comics is depicted between the ages of 18-36 sort of just stays that age and moment in time. While the characters change in personality in ways that benefits the era of the time they’re being written, their ages, for the sake of convenient comic book storytelling, swaps depending on what needs fit the story.
Yet it is because of this type of age-flexibility which is why we have so many different Spider-People along with a very extended Bat family – neither of which I’m complaining about – as fans of both. What I do see as a problem here is are comics itself doomed to be in a perpetual state of immaturity? And how does this affect depictions of sexuality – not necessarily in representation but in depictions of relationships over time?
Though that’s just the first layer. The question really should be… why is entertainment itself in this strange holding period reliant on characters stuck in arrested development? I don’t know. But I do think the way things are being done are changing – though that’s a topic for another time…
As to ROGUE: THE SAVAGE LAND and why I’m genuinely excited to buy it: Tim Seeley‘s run on LOCAL MAN, which is the extraordinary Eisner-nominated story about a washed-up 90s superhero who returns to his hometown after being culturally canceled, makes him one of the best people to do a 90’s story. Visually he knows how to pull this off and as someone who’s read an unhealthy amount of Seeley’s comics, I do see a lot of promise with what I know Tim can do and this particular story.
The man has a great knowledge of what made the 90’s stupidly special (and I say this as someone whose childhood was the 90s) and the savage land story seems like it is meant to be a fun take on that X-Men era. This means yes, it’s rife with sexy Rogue, fun adventures with Dinosaurs, Ka-Zar (aka Tarzan), and of course – a bad boy Magneto who’s “complicated” – though having read Tim’s work, I also expect there to be a spark of something more. Something special. Something that I do think is worth a chance – especially given how passionate both creators seem to be about the project.
“After winning the Marvel Art Atelier, I was still realizing what an incredible opportunity this is,” Lavina wrote to Polygon, “and then I was asked to draw this Rogue limited series which I immediately fell in love with. It is great to collaborate again with Tim Seeley and I hope the readers will enjoy this amazing story as much as I am. The character of Rogue is full of empathy and determination, the iconic Savage Land setting is fantastic, the story is full of wild and unexpected stuff — I can’t wait for you to read it!”
“In these five issues, I get to utilize my love for 80s X-Men, Jim Lee, Chris Claremont, Zabu, scantily clad heroines (and heroes!) and probably most importantly: DINOSAURS,” Seeley followed. “Alongside my collaborator Zulema Lavina, we’re going to deliver something fresh, while honoring the impossibly sexy and epic classic tale of a young Rogue, and two of the weirdest allies a girl from Mississippi could ask for: Magneto and Ka-Zar.”
Check out the covers and release dates below. And stay tuned for more longer takes from me – as The Beat will soon announce my new column for the website.
ROGUE: THE SAVAGE LAND #1 (OF 5)
Written by TIM SEELEY
Art by ZULEMA LAVINA
Cover by KAARE ANDREWS
Variant Cover by RUSSELL DAUTERMAN
Variant Cover by NICK BRADSHAW
On Sale 1/15