Marvel Made Rogue’s Codename Famous, But Her Hero Name Actually Makes Sense Outside of the U.S.

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Marvel loves a good moniker, but the codename Rogue may not be as accurate as it used to be. After all, Rogue has existed in Marvel lore ever since 1981. For 43 years, she has carried the name Rogue like a badge of honor as it ties tightly into her origin story. However, the X-Men icon has grown and evolved so much since her debut that Rogue become far removed from her origins. And of course, that puts Rogue’s codename in a bad light.

With all that said, Brazil may have had the right idea by naming the character something other than Rogue. A further examination of X-Men comic book art covers featuring Rogue reveals that overseas, the Marvel hero is instead referred to as Vampira.

It seems multiple comics from overseas refer to Rogue as Vampira. After explaining why the name Rogue just does not fit Anna Marie like it used to, it should become all the more clear why the Vampira name feels all the more accurate – almost evergreen – of a codename for the character.

Where Does the Name Rogue Come From?

Her Origin Story

Marvel fans know her best as a villain turned hero, but Rogue’s first appearance did not foretell her birth name and origin story. That would come much later on in Rogue’s journey, and in the time since, she’d get a proper origin story thanks to 2004’s Rogue by Robert Rodi and Cliff Richards. The series establishes Rogue as Anna Marie, a young girl raised by hippies Owen and Priscilla out of Caldecott County. Following Priscilla’s disappearance, Owen would put Anna Marie under the care of the much stricter Aunt Carrie, resulting in Anna Marie becoming a rebellious teenager.

Without a father to keep her in line and refusing to fall in line with a strict aunt, Anna Marie found herself running away from home. She would eventually fall into the care of her adoptive mothers Destiny and Mystique, but that did not stop her from receiving a reputation from the locals. Anyone in the area who took notice of Anna Marie’s devil-may-care attitude as a runaway trying to fend for herself on the streets would call her Rogue. Rogue isn’t just a superhero codename, but a childhood nickname from when she was a runaway teenager who didn’t trust easily.

How Rogue Has Grown Since Childhood

Is Rogue Still Accurate to Describe Her?

Even as a young adult when she worked with her mothers in the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, the name Rogue still applied greatly to Anna Marie. Even in the care of a supervillain trope, she maintained a hard-edged, untrustworthy attitude, alongside a killer instinct in the name of survival. She still carried the same attributes and characteristics she learned while rummaging for herself as a runaway loner. She would not truly become the adult – and, ultimately, the hero – she was destined to be until meeting and eventually joining the X-Men.

Her evolution wasn’t instantaneous, as Rogue remained hesitant to work well with others. Granted, she had every right to as most X-Men needed to gain her trust as well, as her callous adventures with Magneto and the Brotherhood were still fresh in everyone’s minds. Still, though, Rogue was willing to change her behavior and her thought process, and in time, she would do just that when influenced by the right people. She was even reluctant to let Gambit so close to her, both physically and emotionally, but after their first kiss, Rogue and Gambit were inseparable.

Rogue would learn to become a team player and it has completely morphed who she is today. She doesn’t hesitate to trust everyone her around her anymore and she’s all the more willing to play ball with others without feeling she has to constantly be in a defensive survival mode. She’s not just become a team player, but a team leader in the process. Rogue is far from the same kid that she once was, to the point that still calling her Rogue almost feels like a disservice to the character growth that she has achieved in more recent memory.

Why Vampira Feels Like an Upgrade For Rogue

Should it Enter the Official Canon?

The Vampira name for Rogue is the perfect way to describe Rogue’s absorption powers. Just as a vampire sucks the life out of an individual, Rogue drains the life force out of anyone she touches at will. That even has a whole new meaning when considering the newest upgrade for Rogue’s powers. Vampire may not be the best way to describe Rogue’s journey or her personality, but a name like that lends itself to characterizing a key aspect to Rogue.

Still, though, the Vampira name is regional, and therefore, unofficial in regard to Marvel’s official canon. The Rogue name and identity has become as iconic as Spider-Man nowadays, so it’s unlikely that Marvel would ever approve changing her codename officially, even if it would be in favor of something as utterly cool as Vampira. Plus, in fairness, Maila Nurmi called dibs on it first when she played the character of the same name in the 1950s.

“}]] Rogue is now [SPOILER].  Read More