Mystique

Mystique, also known as Raven Darkholme, is the leader of the Brotherhood. She is intelligent, cunning, deceptive and very dangerous due to her shapeshifting abilities. In eariler appearances, Mystique used her real name as the disguised principal of Bayville High to spy on the X-Men and recruit members of the Brotherhood for Magneto. After her powers are exponentially increased due to an accident on Magneto's part, she parts ways with him and begins to operate under her own agenda. Mystique later becomes instrumental in Apocalypse's reawakening. Her backstory reveals that Mystique adopted a four-year-old Rogue, leaving her to be raised by a foster mother (Irene Adler), and Mystique is also the biological mother of Nightcrawler. Though she cares deeply for her children, her actions usually suggest otherwise.

Powers

 * Metamorph - Mystique can alter the formation of her biological cells at will. As a result she can cause herself to look and sound like an exact duplicate of any human, animal, humanoid, or semi-humanoid being of either sex, wearing virtually any kind of clothing. Her control is so exact that she can precisely duplicate another person's retina pattern in her own eyes, finger, palm and skin-pore patterns on her own hands and skin, and vocal cords to match voices to the point of corresponding voiceprints. She can also make herself look exactly like a person who is physically bigger than herself, though she will not weigh as much as the real person does.
 * Retarded Aging - Her metamorphic powers have retarded the degenerative effects of her aging process. She has always had this ability even before her enhancement; she is either close to or over one hundred years old.
 * Enhance Physical Attributes - Able to enhance her strength, speed, agility, reflexes, and senses.
 * Accelerated Healing - Mystique's nature allows her to repair and regenerate herself from minor to near death injuries in a short span of time, much faster than an ordinary human.
 * Psychic Defense - Due to her enhancement, Mystique's nature also provides her with a defense against telepathic intrusion and mind control.

Abilities

 * Expert Hand to Hand Combatant - Mystique is a highly skilled combatant.
 * Acrobatic Skill
 * Polyglot - Mystique knows at least eleven languages; besides her presumably native German and English, she has demonstrated fluency in Spanish, Portuguese, French, Farsi and Czech.
 * Covert Operative - Strategist in terrorist and commando operations.
 * Trained Actress
 * Expert Infiltration

Weaknesses

 * Appearance Limitation - Originally, it was clearly stated that Mystique's powers were limited to appearances only; as she could not assume the powers of the people she morphed into or alter her body to adapt to different situations. Although Mystique’s powers were enhanced, Mystique could never duplicate the powers of other superhumans. She still cannot duplicate the powers of the person she imitates, only their physical appearance, but she can mimic the physical capabilities of whatever form she takes gaining the power of flight as a bird, fangs and claws as a wolf etc. She is able to change her mass, having become a number of small animal shapes and once pretended to be a statue in the foyer of the Xavier Institute.

Season One


In Strategy X, as the principal of Bayville High School, Mystique used her advantage to gain access to students, the first of which being Todd Tolansky. At Bayville High, Todd is waiting in the school's main office when Principal Darkholme calls him into her office. As he walks into the room, Darkholme smells Todd's repulsing odor and excuses herself as she goes to open a window. After she does, Darkholme asks Toad about his 'new friend', Scott Summers. Todd exclaims that Scott's cool and that if it wasn't for him those jocks would've smashed his skull flat. Darkholme states the Scott has special powers and that there are others like him. She reasonably states that they need to learn more about them as she orders him to gain access to the Xavier Institute before Toad expressed distaste in doing so. However, Darkholme transformed into a large alien-like monster while hovering over the boy and silenced him, telling him that he would do what he was told.



The next day at Bayville High school, in Principal Darkholme's office, Darkholme is embittered over Toad's previous visit to the X-Mansion and the fact that he ran away from the X-Men. After Toad's weak excuse of "I did what I could", Darkholme concludes that Xavier probably wiped his mind and that he doesn't even remember the incident. As Toad confirms this with a shake of his head and while still enraged with him, Darkholme angrily orders him to get out of her office. After Toad's departure, Principal Darkholme suddenly transforms into Mystique as she screams out her frustration. A mysterious voice tells Mystique to not be so hard on the boy as they do not want to thin their ranks. Mystique tells him that she will be more careful as her magnetic office supplies suddenly start to swarm around her, as Magneto cites, "Remember, this is only the beginning."

In The X-Impulse, early in the morning at Bayville High, Kurt Wagner's running late for school again since he was getting another "Breakfast Burger Gutbomb" as he teleports in close to his class. But he gets caught by Principal Darkholme while trying to sneak into the school. She reminds him of his tardiness and begins to threaten to enroll him in one of her after-school groups before Scott Summers arrives to collect Kurt upon his teacher's request. As he dragged Kurt inside, Scott scowls Kurt about his junk food obsession as Darkholme skeptically glares at them from behind.

Later, Lance Alvers watches as the Fire Department puts out any flames from the remainder of the school. He walks away from the scene as Darkholme appears behind him saying that he's blown his chances at this school. Lance asks who she is and replies that she's his new advisor and that she has made an opening for him at Bayville High. She further explains that she has much to teach him as she transforms into Mystique, while codenaming him Avalanche.

In Rogue Recruit, Mystique gets a call from Destiny telling her that Rogue's powers have manifested, she arrives in Mississippi and meets with Irene at the airport where she asks her what happened. Irene relates that Rogue was attending at a school dance and made physical contact with a local boy. Mystique laments that the two kept her hidden for five years and in only a few minutes, it all falls apart. She then tells Irene that they cannot lose Rogue, especially to Charles Xavier and tells her that Rogue has the potential for limitless power. After Mystique asks Irene where she will go, the latter merely replies "Home, or what she thinks is home,". Sure enough she is correct, as Rogue goes back to Cody's house.

Soon afterwards, Rogue is seemingly attacked by Wolverine, whom turns out to be Mystique in disguise. She chases Rogue out of the house and then soon morphs into Storm continuing her pursuit as she attacks Rogue with fake lightning. Irene tries to get Rogue to come with her, before the real Wolverine comes with Shadowcat and Nightcrawler, causing Rogue to continue running. Soon afterwards, Rogue accidently absorbs Nightcrawler as she teleports to a nearby graveyard. Meanwhile, Jean Grey confronts Rogue while being viewed by Mystique. Rogue identifies her and concludes that she is like the others. However, Jean convinces her to trust her by telling her that if she knows who she is, then she knows she won't hurt her. Jean gives her a communicator and Storm tells Rogue that all the X-Men have one after arriving. Recognizing her, Rogue runs off. Storm realizes that Rogue is afraid of her and Cyclops tells them that she could not have gotten far. Mystique soon attacks Rogue disguised as both Jean and Cyclops. After the real Jean sees her, she asks her if she is hurt and tells her not to move. While Rogue backs away from Jean, Storm comes behind her and asks what is wrong, telling her that the X-Men are her friends before she is touched by Rogue. She stresses that she has too much power and that she cannot control it before teleporting away. After Cyclops and Jean save Storm from being electrocuted, the other X-Men arrive as Xavier tells them that Rogue has teleported away and that he cannot detect her before relating that he senses the work of another person in their attempts to recruit Rogue. Wolverine sniffs and smells Mystique, stating that she can change her appearance, but not her scent. After Shadowcat tells them that they have to go after her, Xavier tells her that they have had enough damage and Rogue must come of her own free will or not at all, also noting that they must tend to their wounded.

Later, Mystique as Principal Darkholme welcomes Rogue to Bayville High and ensures her that she will be happy there. Rogue thanks her and leaves before Magneto begins to talk to Mystique. He asks if she is certain that all of Rogue's positive memories of the X-Men have faded. Mystique tells him that she is positive.

Appearances
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X-Men film series
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