Rogue of the X-Men has worn a number of uniforms over the years. However, one of her most popular outfits (at least, with cosplayers and cover artists) is her so-called “Savage Land” costume.
Yet the time in which Rogue dressed as a jungle queen is nearly as brief as the costume itself. Because of this, Rogue: The Savage Land expands on the known history to tell a previously untold tale of survival in the wild.
The opening pages recall the circumstances of how the young woman called Anna Marie came to the Savage Land. These involved a magic artifact, a fight with Carol Danvers, and a hurried teleport with borrowed powers. The end result was a powerless Rogue, stranded in one of the most remote places on Marvel Earth-616.
Thankfully, as this issue reveals, Anna Marie had some survival experience. Granted, it was in the backwoods of Mississippi rather than a tropical jungle full of dinosaurs, but she’s nothing if not adaptable. Another battle with Ms. Marvel brings her to the attention of Magneto, who exiled himself to the Savage Land. However, the sudden appearance of Zabu the tiger, seeking help for a captured Ka-Zar, sends Rogue to the the rescue.
Rogue: The Savage Land #1 expands on classic story
Writer Tim Seeley faces a difficult task with Rogue: The Savage Land #1. It is hard to build suspense in a story where the outcome is already known. We know that she is destined to return to civilization and eventually marry the love of her life, Gambit. This makes the effort to establish the long-teased romance between her and Magneto seem somewhat pointless.
Thankfully, Seeley does not waste much time with hypotheticals. His main interest here is in confirming Rogue’s skill as a survivor and exploring her emotional torment. Specifically, her fear that perhaps she has died and the Savage Land is her personal Hell.
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Rogue already felt isolated not being able to touch anyone because of her powers. Being alone with no one to talk to aggravates the issue and feeds into her paranoia. While this is not new territory, it has rarely been explored with this level of eloquence. It is also far more engaging than watching her cope with the usual jungle heroine perils.
The artwork is what truly distinguishes Rogue: The Savage Land #1. Zulema Scotto Lavina is one of the most promising talents to be featured in a Marvel Comics series in some time. Her take on “Savage Rogue” is sexy without being exploitive, and clearly a powerful figure. Laivna’s pencils and inks are well backed by the colors of Rachelle Rosenberg. This is an impressive premiere with the company and I predict this will be the first of many great books from Lavina.
While primarily of interest to X-Men completionists, there is much to recommend in Rogue: The Savage Land #1 to other audiences. The artwork is amazing, and the story a fantastic character study. It is also sure to appeal to fans of pulp action and survival stories.
Grade: 8/10
Rogue: The Savage Land #1 arrives in comic shops everywhere on January 15, 2025.
