In comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Captain Marvel might be one of the most powerful entities in the Marvel Universe. However, that doesn't mean that she's entirely indestructible. Just a few years after Carol Danvers came into her own as Ms. Marvel, the future X-Man Rogue debuted having absorbed all of Carol's powers and memories. Although Danvers eventually recovered, this event left Carol in a powerless state for years, while Rogue semi-permanently absorbed her flight, super strength and invulnerability.
While this even defined both Ms. Marvel and Rogue for years, the actual story where this happens wasn't actually published until a decade after it was written. Now, we're taking a look back at what kept this major Marvel moment from being published for years.
MS. MARVEL #24-25
Writer Chris Claremont started work on Ms. Marvel back in 1977. While the first two issues of Danvers' first solo series were written by Gerry Conaway, Claremont wrote the rest of Ms. Marvel until the series was canceled with Ms. Marvel #23. During this foundational run on the character, Claremont introduced the famous villain Mystique, and set her and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants to have a huge battle with Danvers in Ms. Marvel #24-25 her up for something huge. While Destiny, Pyro, Avalanche and Rogue were all set to appear in the next two issues -- issues Claremont and Mike Vosburg had already started work on -- the title was canceled abruptly with issue 23 due to low-sales.
Ms. Marvel #25 would have revealed the true reasons why Mystique hated Carol so much. Destiny, her partner, predicted that Danvers would cause their adopted daughter, Rogue, some traumatic pain. When Rogue overhears this, she decides to take care of Carol before Carol could take care of her. But during their fight, Rogue assimilates all of Carol's powers and memories.
HOW ROGUE REALLY DEBUTED
However, those issues went unpublished. Carol went to the Avengers shortly after, which led to the infamous Avengers #200, where Carol is brainwashed and impregnated by an alien consciousness with the Avengers' approval. stand by and approve of the alien's actions. Claremont, very clearly, has issues with how the character he had written was being treated by other writers.
However, Claremont had another chance to write for Ms. Marvel again in Avengers Annual #10, with artist Michael Golden, and he tried to incorporate the story he had in mind for her -- even without the two issues that offered vital context. In Avengers Annual #10, we learn the alien that assaulted her had died, leaving Carol free of his brainwashing. She returns to Earth, only to immediately be attacked by Rogue. However, we don't really see Rogue taking Ms. Marvel's powers. We only hear about it throughout the issue's exposition. Furthermore, Mystique's Brotherhood in Avengers Annual #10 aren't attacking Carol because of any prophecy, but rather because they just want to take down the Avengers.
This leads to a fight where Mystique's forces are beaten by the Avengers. Afterward, Carol chews out the Avengers for letting her unwillingly go with the alien. Instead, Carol joined the X-Men's supporting cast, which eventually led her back to the stars and cosmic superherodom.
HOW ROGUE STOLE MS MARVEL'S POWERS
While readers knew the broad-strokes of Carol and Rogue's fight, the original issues that would have been published back in 1979 didn't see the light of day until 1992's Marvel Super-Heroes #10-#11. With additional material by Simon Furman and Mike Gustovich, those two issues included the stories that were intended to be Ms. Marvel #24-25, and they finally allowed the original Ms. Marvel series to have a proper ending. While Marvel Super-Heroes #10 dealt with a plot about Carol fighting Sabretooth, Marvel Super-Heroes #11 featured the famous fight between Rogue and Ms. Marvel, revealing Destiny's predictions surrounding Carol and Rogue.
Since those comics hit store shelves in 1992, fans of Carol Danvers wouldn't actually see how Rogue stole Carol's powers in any explicit way until 13 years after Claremont was supposed to publish the story. Considering how much context this story set up for both Carol and Rogue, it's truly baffling that it took so long for these issues to see the light of day. While both Rogue and Captain Marvel have moved past this shadow of this story, it's still a critically important chapter in both heroes' lives, even if it took a long while to get published.