Having proven herself to be one of the X-Men's greatest enemies, Mystique has been a prominent character in the mutant corners of Marvel's universe since her inception. However, one Mystique story fans don't know has less to do with her schemes and battles against the heroes... and instead, how she played a motherly role for two popular X-Men alumni: Nightcrawler and Rogue. Effectively making the two heroes step-siblings. Really.
First appearing in Avengers Annual #10, Rogue actually started as a member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, and was tasked by Mystique to systematically take out members of the Avengers. In her first outing, she proved herself a capable villain after she drained Captain Marvel of her powers, and incapacitated multiple Avengers. However, it was later revealed in Marvel Super-Heroes #11 that Mystique, acting as Rogue’s adoptive mother, manipulated her into attacking the heroes for her own means. The good news? It cleared the way for Rogue to become an X-Men hero, much to the chagrin of Wolverine (who mistrusted her due to her ties with Mystique).
Nightcrawler, on the other hand, is actually the biological child of Mystique. Regardless, her treatment of him as a child was far crueler than Rogue’s. In X-Men Unlimited #4, Mystique reveals that she mothered not only Kurt, but also Graydon Creed, leader of the mutant hating group 'The Friends of Humanity.' In the same issue Mystique would go on to say that Kurt’s birth destroyed her life by revealing the fact they were mutants to her husband, and the village they lived in. In an act of cruelty, Mystique decided to throw the newborn Nightcrawler off a cliff to ensure her own survival at his expense. This abandonment would be one of the defining moments in Nightcrawler's life, leading him to be adopted and raised by the Romani sorcerous, Margali Szardos.
What fans should also remember is that while Mystique acted as a mother to multiple characters in the X-Men books... she was never good at it. Though Mystique clearly favors her adoptive daughter Rogue the most (seeming to at least care about her well-being) she also manipulates Rogue on multiple occasions. Even Graydon Creed doesn’t get off that easy, in fact, since Mystique attempted to kill him in the very same issue that confirmed her as his mother. Despite the fact that Mystique is mostly known for her villainous deeds as a mutant terrorist, her most treacherous acts may be the ones she committed as a mother. Her ability to detach herself from those she played a maternal role for help to show how sociopathic and self-centered she can be.
Though she is the mother of both Kurt and Rogue, she wouldn’t hesitate to betray them in order to achieve her goals. With all this in mind, Mystique is without a doubt one of the most deadly and morally dubious X-Men villains ever seen in Marvel Comics. And two fan-favorite X-Men apparently have the same mother issues as a result. Who knew?