Rogue

Rogue's powers and abilities

Can absorb the powers, energies, memories, knowledge, talents, personality and physical abilities (whether superhuman or not) of another human being (or members of some sentient alien races) through physical contact of her skin with the skin of the other person. She is not limited to absorbing superhuman abilities: for example, she has absorbed the strength, agility, and sharp reflexes of an enhanced human. She can also absorb psionic abilities. In absorbing another persons memories Rogue also gains the emotional responses connected to them. For the transfer of abilities to be accomplished, Rogue?s skin must contact the skin of her victim. Rogue can only absorb abilities and memories from living organic beings. She can possess the powers of several superhuman persons at once. No upper limit has yet been determined for the number of superhuman beings whose power she can maintain simultaneously, or for the amount of power that she can absorb. Rogue can even absorb gross physical characteristics from a victim. Her physical appearance does not change when she absorbs abilities and memories from a normal looking human being. The victim's abilities and memories are absorbed for a time sixty times longer than the period of time Rogue was in physical contact with that person. Those touched are rendered unconscious by contact with her, though some beings, including Juggernaut and Mojo have resisted this effect. While for most of her life, her use of this power was involuntary, Rogue has recently gained full control over it.

This transfer is usually temporary, lasting for a period of time relative to how long contact is maintained, but the transfer may become permanent in certain cases. For example, she absorbed Ms. Marvel's powers permanently due to unknown reasons (Ms. Marvel's strange mix of human and Kree DNA may have had something to do with it) and she absorbed Sunfire's powers permanently when she absorbed the last of his life force by accident. Most often the process happens instantly when Rogue touches someone, but in certain instances where a being has possessed an extraordinary level of power they are able to resist her, and she may only share part of their memories and power.

Her power is proved to be lethal. Mutants are proved to be a bit stronger than humans because mutants have mutated genetics, so her power does less lethal effects for most mutants than humans. Her flirt, Cody Robbins, was in coma state for 3 weeks with just a brief touch. If she had touched Cody a bit longer, he had been already dead. It proves that if she touches her victim too long, she may kill her victim because of too much loss of energies due to the absorption, except if she voluntarily kills her victim with her touch.

As Rogue is absorbing the total psyche of a person, there is a risk of a personality overwhelming her and taking control of her body, including Spiral and Mr. Sinister who both proved to be the dominant personality. It has also been shown that even though Rogue forgets the memories she has absorbed when a psyche returns to its body, 'echoes' of their personalities remain buried in her mind.

Rogue is able to absorb psyches and abilities of several beings at once, though the experience can be confusing and disorienting for her.

Robotic beings are mostly immune to her power. Depending on the amount of organics left, she can usually affect cyborgs. She seems able to affect techno-organic beings. Powerful enough beings can withstand her touch and attempt to impose their own will on her or cause a feedback loop.

Although she is capable of absorbing his powers, Colossus in metal form was able to make physical contact with her with no ill effects in one issue. However, Rogue has shown the ability to absorb him while he is in metal form in various other issues.