Mystique

__** Raven Darkholme / “Mystique” **__



__**History**__

Little is known about Mystique's past due to the fact that she can eliminate the outward signs of aging with her shape-changing power, and it's not known exactly how old she is. She apparently learned to use her shape-changing power at a very early age, for there is no evidence known to the public or the government that Raven Darkholme ever looked like anything but a normal human being. Years ago Mystique had an affair with Victor Creed and they had a son, Graydon Creed. Graydon was an anti-mutant zealot who became a presidential candidate. He was later assassinated by Mystique. Mystique is also the mother of Nightcrawler. At some point in recent years Mystique became the protector of the young mutant named Rogue, and looked upon Rogue as if she where her own daughter. While Rogue was under her care, she maintained the false identity of Mallory Brickman, the wife of U.S. Senator Ralph Brickman and her adopted daughter, Gloria, was a result.

Mystique had concealed her superhuman powers and criminal intentions so well over the years that, as Raven Darkholme, she was able to rise rapidly through the United States Civil Service to the trusted position of Deputy Director of the Defense Advanced Research Planning Agency (DARPA) in the United States Department of Defense, giving her access to military secrets and advanced weaponry, both of which she used for her own criminal and subversive purposes.

Mystique organized the third incarnation of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, which originally consisted of herself, Avalanche, the Blob, Destiny, and Pyro. Mystique named her group after the original Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, an organization founded by Magneto.

This Brotherhood first became known when it attempted to intimidate the public by assassinating Senator Robert Kelly, who was investigating what he perceived was the possible danger posed by the existence of any superhuman beings. The X-Men thwarted the assassination attempt, and the Brotherhood later clashed with the X-Men on other occasions, as well as the Avengers and other heroes. Rogue was a member of the Brotherhood for a time but finally left to join the X-Men in order to find help in learning how to deal with her superhuman powers.

Anti-mutant sentiment among normal human beings had greatly increased, and the federal government launched its own covert anti-mutant program, Project: Wideawake. Believing that the times had become too dangerous for the Brotherhood to continue its criminal activities, Mystique went to Dr. Valerie Cooper, special assistant to the head of the National Security Council, and offered the Brotherhood's services to the government. Cooper agreed to convey the offer to the President, on the condition that the Brotherhood pass a test she imposed: the capture of Magneto. The Brotherhood, now renamed Freedom Force, succeeded in bringing Magneto to the authorities (only because he voluntarily surrendered to them) and soon afterward officially entered the government's employ. In return, and as Freedom Force's leader, Mystique received a Presidential pardon for all criminal charges against her, but the pardon would be revoked if any member of Freedom Force was found committing a crime. During her time with Freedom Force, Mystique faced many new opponents such as the Grip, Avengers West Coast, and several other foes. During this stint, her team was sent to Muir Island and were confronted by the Reavers, who killed her teammate Stonewall. During the battle, Mystique charged Forge with the duty of protecting Destiny, which he did until Destiny convinced him that Mystique needed more help. After Forge left to help Mystique, Destiny was slain by a mind-controlled Legion. Afterward, Mystique swore vengeance on Forge for her friend's death, but a visit by a future version of herself convinced her to take some time off to mourn the death of Destiny. During her time off, she went on a cruise and scattered Destiny's ashes into the ocean.

Raven recently made a deal with Professor Charles Xavier. Hunted by many countries for her acts of terrorism, Xavier offered her protection from being detected by them. In exchange, she was to act as Xavier's secret operative. If she was caught, Xavier would deny ever working with her. Former lover Forge aided her by providing technology while Shortpack acted as her handler. After completing quite a few missions, Mystique ended her working relationship with Xavier and infiltrated the Xavier Institute under the guise of Foxx, a student put in Gambit's squad. Her true identity revealed by Emma Frost, Raven claimed to want to join the X-Men and have a better relationship with her foster daughter. Mystique's true motives, and who she was communicating with while inside the Institute, remain a mystery. She then left the school.


 * School’s Out / High School Never Ends **

Mystique later returns as the head of another Brotherhood of Mutants (with the Blob, Avalanche, Sabretooth, Burner, Toad, and Probe). She takes advantage of the absence of the X-Men while they are away on an off-world mission and the remaining teachers are in a temporal coma due to the Travelers. She poses as Dane in order to gain access to the Cerebro unit of the school. She forces Liam, an 8th grade telepath, to search for Magneto who is in hiding following the destruction of Genosha. Her plan is foiled when the seniors discover her plan and drive her off. The seniors are ultimately defeated by the Brotherhood of Mutants, however.

Mystique later attempts to kidnap Billy, an omega-level mutant, from the school. She uses a new recruit to the Brotherhood – recent graduate from Xavier’s school, Discord – to lure him to a New York City nightclub. Discord succeeds, and Mystique kidnaps the senior. Mystique creates a distraction at the school by having one of her agents (a prefect named Tiberius) activate a backup unit of Danger. Tiberius later reveals that Mystique is Samantha’s mother! Mystique is unable to escape with Billy, however. The Travelers arrive and put Mystique (as well as the rest of the Brotherhood) into temporal comas. They are later freed when Victorious is defeated and the Travelers disappear.


 * Welcome to Paradise / Hotel California **

Mystique pops up again on the west coast as headmistress of a new mutant school called Academy M. She has assembled a new Brotherhood of Mutants as her staff: Discord, Pyro (somehow resurrected), Switch, Quill, Leech, Cordelia Frost, and Feral. Mystique poses as Magneto using Magneto’s MGH in order to recruit Academy X members to the school. She then kidnaps Academy X student Dagan and staff member Jessica. She uses a telepath to learn Magneto’s location from Dagan. She tests the mutant “cure” Hope on Jessica. When the eXalts arrive to free Dagan and Jessica, Samantha realizes her powers won’t work on Cordelia Frost. She realizes Emma Frost is her mother – and Mystique is her father! Mystique leaves to find Magneto.


 * My Generation / Children’s Crusade **

Mystique leaves Academy M in the hands of new headmistress Cordelia Frost. Dane uses Maya, a student who can tap into electronic signals, to access Academy M e-mails. He discovers that B. Byron Biggs, a powerful member of Oak Investment Partners, is a member of the Academy M Board of Trustees that is bankrolling Academy M. The Academy X staff later discovers that B. Byron Biggs is one of Mystique's alternate identities/

Mystique is later forced to serve as part of Norman Osborn's Dark X-Men team, posing as Professor X and later as Jean Grey.


 * Valley of Lost Souls / Empire of the Damned **

Mystique reassembles her Brotherhood of Evil Mutants (once again Crucible, Blob, Toad, Avalanche, Probe, and Sabretooth) for Magneto to help stop Selene during the Necrosha event.


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bloodlines **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mystique infiltrates Academy X during Sam and Matt’s wedding. She poses as recent Academy X graduate Tanya. During the reception she frees Jubilee (who had recently been turned into a vampire) and programs the Danger Room robots to go berserk. This distraction gives her the chance to visit with her grandchildren, Alex and Kurt. Samantha finds her holding Alex. She says the rumors are true: Alex is a very special baby. She congratulates Sam on her marriage and wishes her luck with Alex, then escapes.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">During the Age of X "future" created by Danielle Robataille, Raven becomes a teacher at Academy X in order to help Samantha raise her children after the divorce. However she is a double agent for Magneto and turns on the eXalts, having replaced their "HOPE vaccine" with HOPE, and shoots Blur at point blank range in the back of the head. She is then killed by Bast.

__**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Powers and Abilities **__

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//Metamorph//: Mystique can psionically 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, 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. Mystique has recently learned to fool super-humanly acute senses such as Wolverine's sense of smell, something she couldn't do before.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//Metamorphic Adaptation//: Mystique has the ability to adapt her body depending on her situation at the time. She can camouflage herself, shift her organs into her lower extremities, heal from numerous bullet wounds in at least a few minutes, and mimic the textures of metals (when she took on the form of Magneto and his helmet). She also clearly stated that she was always naked and she merely made her skin look and feel like other materials to fool others.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//Enhance Physical Attributes//: ability to enhance her strength, speed, agility, reflexes, and senses.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//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.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//Toxin and Disease Resistance//: She is also able to develop resistance and immunities to toxins and diseases.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//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.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//Psychic Defense//: Mystique's nature also provides her with a natural defense against telepathic intrusion.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On top of her superhuman abilities, Mystique is an expert combatant, trained actress, expert marksman, experience covert operative, and polyglot.