Rogue and Magneto’s Savage Land Romance Explored in New X-Men Series

Rogue and Magneto's Savage Land Romance Explored in New X-Men Series

As a long-time X-Men fan who grew up reading Chris Claremont’s epic runs, I am beyond excited for Marvel’s new miniseries, Rogue: The Savage Land. This series promises to delve deeper into one of my favorite storylines from the 80s, a time when Rogue found herself stranded in the prehistoric Savage Land. And let’s not forget the added bonus of revisiting the intriguing dynamics between Rogue and Magneto – a romance that, while brief, left an indelible mark on me as a young comic book reader.


During the X-Men: From the Ashes period, Rogue heads a New Orleans-based squad of X-Men. However, there was an instance when Anna Marie found herself devoid of her powers and marooned in a primeval ecosystem known as the Savage Land. Marvel Comics is revisiting this era with a new five-issue miniseries penned by Tim Seeley (Venom War: Wolverine, Hack/Slash) and illustrated by Zulema Lavina. Entitled Rogue: The Savage Land, this upcoming series unfolds in the same timeframe as Chris Claremont and Jim Lee’s Uncanny X-Men run, which depicted Rogue’s Savage Land escapades in Uncanny X-Men #269 and issues 274-275. These comics also sparked romantic intrigue between Rogue and Magneto, a subplot to be expanded upon in the five issues of Rogue: The Savage Land. Here’s the official summary for the series, as provided by a Marvel press release:

“Rogue, one of the X-Men, has always managed to make it through tough situations because of her mutant abilities. But now, without those powers, she’ll have to show her survival skills like never before. With the Savage Land heading towards a war, Rogue will need to use all her talents to stay alive among dinosaurs, mutated creatures, and even Magneto himself!

Rogue and Magneto's Savage Land Romance Explored in New X-Men Series

Seeley stated to Polygon, where the series announcement was first made, “Across these five issues, I’ll have the opportunity to showcase my fondness for 80s X-Men, Jim Lee, Chris Claremont, Zabu, scantily clad characters (both male and female), and perhaps most significantly: DINOSAURS. Working together with my collaborator Zulema Lavina, we aim to create something new while paying tribute to the unforgettably seductive and grandiose classic story of a young Rogue, and two uniquely strange companions for a girl from Mississippi – Magneto and Ka-Zar.

Rogue: The Savage Land Will Explore Rogue’s Controversial Relationship With Magneto

During artist Chris Claremont’s 16-year tenure writing the X-Men, Rogue first appeared in the Savage Land near the end. This period was marked by the team’s division, yet it also saw the arrival of notable new members such as Gambit. One of the most cherished storylines from this time is Rogue’s journey to the Savage Land with Magneto, a memory that fans hold dear. A part of its enduring appeal might stem from Lee’s portrayal of Rogue, who wore an X-Men costume that had been damaged, revealing more of her during this time.

Rogue and Magneto's Savage Land Romance Explored in New X-Men Series

Besides its notable actions, the series is also recognized for the unanticipated romantic flirtations between Rogue and Magneto. This relationship has been revisited by various X-Men writers, with significant explorations in “Age of Apocalypse” and Mike Carey’s run on X-Men: Legacy. However, it gained broader recognition through its portrayal in the first season of X-Men ’97, a fact appreciated by the series creator Beau DeMayo. Intriguingly, the upcoming series, Rogue: The Savage Land, will provide an opportunity for those curious about Rogue and Magneto’s past to delve deeper into their history.

Rogue: The Savage Land In the Current X-Men Landscape

The Savage Land” is the latest addition to Marvel’s growing collection of miniseries that hark back to older periods in the Marvel Universe. This trend started with the X-Men Legends anthology series in 2021, which was followed by several standalone miniseries instead of a continuous one. As part of this initiative, Chris Claremont, who has been instrumental in shaping the X-Men, returned to write issues of X-Men Legends, the Gambit miniseries, and revivals of X-Treme X-Men and the Wolverine: Madripoor Knights and Wolverine: Deep Cut miniseries. Interestingly, despite his past involvement with this popular Rogue arc from his original X-Men run, Claremont isn’t returning for this series. There could be several reasons for this, such as him turning down the opportunity (though he usually welcomes chances to work on the X-Men), being occupied with another unannounced project after Wolverine: Deep Cut, or Marvel wanting a writer with a more contemporary style to appeal to viewers of the upcoming X-Men ’97.

Rogue and Magneto's Savage Land Romance Explored in New X-Men Series

Across social media platforms, fans exhibited a range of responses to the news about “Rogue: The Savage Land“. Some are thrilled to delve back into this brief chapter in Rogue’s past. However, others argue that it’s disheartening that while other X-Men heroines, such as Phoenix, Storm, Psylocke, Magik, and Mystique, are getting their own series during the X-Men: From the Ashes relaunch, Rogue is only receiving a miniseries. Critics suggest this focus on a time marked by Rogue’s minimal clothing and romantic entanglement with a prominent male character appears to be a nostalgic ploy. (It’s important to mention that as team leader, Rogue effectively serves as the main character in the X-Men: From the Ashes relaunch of “Uncanny X-Men“, even though she shares the spotlight with other characters.)

Fans won’t be able to decide if “Rogue: The Savage Land” is a journey worth taking until the series is finally released in 2025. Issue #1 of this series hits stands on January 15th, featuring main artwork by Kaare Andrews and variant covers by Russell Dauterman and Nick Bradshaw, which you can preview above.

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2024-09-14 17:39