If you’re an X-Men ’97 fan who wasn’t just surprised by the revelation that Rogue and Magneto have history but also instantly wanted to know more, Marvel has just the comic for you. Rogue: The Savage Land, a retro limited series from a great team of modern creators, will dive back into the 1990s story arc that first took two very different X-Men characters and strung a wire of sexual tension between them.
In 1991’s Uncanny X-Men #274, Rogue found herself almost powerless and stranded in the Savage Land, Marvel Comics’ own Land of the Lost-style Antarctic oasis. How did she find herself there? Don’t worry about it. What did she find when she got there? An alliance with an amorous Magneto and the scantily clad Ka-Zar, Marvel’s own Tarzan analog (and oft-played Marvel Snap card), against the evil sorceress Zaladane. Rogue and Magneto’s romance was never truly to be, after he executed Zaladane — a level of villainy Rogue just did not vibe with anymore — but that hasn’t stopped later writers from calling back to the attraction they once briefly shared.
For Rogue: The Savage Land writer Tim Seeley (Nightwing, Shatterstar), a chance to go back to Rogue’s time in the Savage Land was “a dream job, and probably the absolute perfect Marvel gig for me,” he told Polygon via email. “In these 5 issues I get to utilize my love for 80s X-Men, Jim Lee, Chris Claremont, Zabu, scantily clad heroines (and heroes!) and probably most importantly: DINOSAURS.”
Seeley is joined by up-and-coming Italian artist Zulema Lavina, who makes her Marvel Comics debut after being named the winning artist of Disneyland Paris’ 2024 Marvel Art Atelier.
“After winning the Marvel Art Atelier, I was still realizing what an incredible opportunity this is,” Lavina wrote to Polygon, “and then I was asked to draw this Rogue limited series which I immediately fell in love with. It is great to collaborate again with Tim Seeley and I hope the readers will enjoy this amazing story as much as I am. The character of Rogue is full of empathy and determination, the iconic Savage Land setting is fantastic, the story is full of wild and unexpected stuff — I can’t wait for you to read it!”
“We’re going to deliver something fresh,” Seeley promised, “while honoring the impossibly sexy and epic classic tale of a young Rogue, and two of the weirdest allies a girl from Mississippi could ask for: Magento and Ka-Zar.”
You can check out Marvel’s official summary for Rogue: The Savage Land #1 below, as well as the full main cover by Kaare Andrews and a character design variant cover from Russell Dauterman. The first issue of the five-issue series will hit shelves in January 2025.
ROGUE: THE SAVAGE LAND #1
Written by TIM SEELEY
Penciled by ZULEMA LAVINA
Cover by KAARE ANDREWSRELIVE AN ICONIC TIME WITH ROGUE, MAGNETO, KA-ZAR AND MORE!
The X-Man called Rogue has always been a survivor, but without her mutant powers she’ll need to prove it like never before! As the Savage Land turns towards war, Rogue will need all her skills to survive dinosaurs, mutates, and the Master of Magnetism himself! Writer Tim Seeley (LOCAL MAN) and new artist sensation Zulema Lavina tell a lost story of a lost world!
