Warning! Spoilers ahead forRogue: The Savage Land#3!One of theX-Men’smost infamous romances was between Rogue and her former enemy,Magneto.However, Marvel has outdone itself again by introducing a love interest more bizarre than that ofthe Master of Magnetism. Without her powerfully dangerous touch, the X-Men heroine is setting her sights on the Lord of the Jungle, Ka-Zar, an unexpected attraction to come out of Rogue’s retelling of heradventures in the Savage Land.
In Marvel’s preview forRogue: The Savage Land#3 – written by Tim Seeley, with art by Zulema Scotto Lavina –Rogue not-so-subtly hints at a potential attraction towards Ka-Zar. With a bashful face, Rogue tells Ka-Zar that her powers are gone and it’s been “so, so long” since she’s been able to touch someone to which Ka-Zar is stunned and tells Rogue he’s a married man, shutting down her advances.
Coming from the same storyline that spawned the scandalous Rogue and Magneto pairing, Rogue’s presumed attraction to Ka-Zar is surprising in a whole new way.
Marvel Introduces A Controversial Romance That Rivals Rogue & Magneto’s Love Affair
Rogue: The Savage Land#3 – Written By Tim Seeley; Art By Zulema Scotto Lavina; Color By Rachelle Rosenberg; Lettering By Ariana Maher
Before marrying Gambit, Rogue had an array of different love interests,even her fellow teammate Wolverine, however, her shared attraction with Magneto during 1990’sUncanny X-Men#269-257 was by far the most scandalous. The main issue with the pairing was how Magneto was visibly much older than Rogue, with Rogue being depicted as a younger woman and Magneto being close to the age of Rogue’s mentor, Charles Xavier. Though Rogue and Magneto’s implied interest in one another is less prominent in this retelling,Rogue’s flirting with Ka-Zar is a completely different kind of scandal.
While Rogue’s advances on Ka-Zar may be surprising, it is a familiar motif within X-Men stories; moreover, Rogue’s loneliness surrounding her touch was set up prior inRogue: Savage Land#1.
The X-Men are no strangers to drama, with these soap opera-like stories intertwined with some of themost memorable eras withinX-Menlore, such as Cyclops and Emma Frost’s affair or Kitty Pryde and Colossus’s failed wedding. So while Rogue’s advances on Ka-Zar may be surprising, it is a familiar motif within X-Men stories; moreover, Rogue’s loneliness surrounding her touch was set up prior inRogue: Savage Land#1. If Rogue is hitting on Ka-Zar, it definitely does not paint her in the best light; however, it may also be Rogue seeking companionship as she previously reminisced about missing her friends.
Rogue’s Touch Remains The Bane Of Her Relationships As This Problem Re-Emerges Within The Savage Land
A Power That Has Led To Some Of Rogue’s Most Controversial Moments
For a long time, Rogue’s life-force absorbing touch was a large part of her struggle as a mutant, buther abilities led to some of her more provocative moments,with Rogue’s powers often being an excuse to have the X-Men take on a more intimate style of combat. In many X-Men stories,Rogue kisses her enemiesto absorb their powers. An example of this is shown in the original Savage Land storyline withinUncanny X-Men#274. TheX-Men ‘97animated series also further pushed the greatly polarizing Rogue and Magneto pairing by connecting it to Rogue’s yearning for physical intimacy.
Rogue x Magneto Confused Many in X-Men ‘97, So Marvel Is Preparing to Revisit the Controversial Couple
After its revival in X-Men ‘97, Marvel revisits the controversial X-Men romance between Rogue and Magneto, but with a brand new perspective.
Similar to Rogue’s brief relationship with Magneto inX-Men ‘97, Rogue is drawn to Ka-Zar because she yearns for a friendly touch, but it may also imply she’s willing to stir up an affair. Rogue’s inability to feel others without harming them has remained an interesting dilemma to return to as it shows the struggle of Rogue’s isolation. However, this same narrative has continued to put theX-Menhero in many compromising situations. Ka-Zar immediately rejects Rogue but her plausible attraction to him is an unexpected twist onRogue’s scandalous romance within the Savage Land.
Rogue: The Savage Land#3will be available on June 18, 2025, from Marvel Comics!
