Rogue The Uncanny X-Men Savage Land cover main
By
Tiffany Leigh
Published 32 minutes ago
Tiffany is an award-winning journalist and avid comic book reader. She is a nerd at heart and loves going to comic-cons solo to attend all the panels and wander artist alley. She loves to support and strengthen the comic community. Her first story on NYCC cosplayers recceived Editor's Pick on Forbes and since then, she has been covering indie comics (on social media and for Forbes through a style/beauty lens) as well as expanded into the Big Two: DC and Marvel. There are no wrong/bad questions when it comes to comics. Her aim is to appeal to new and longstanding readers with dynamic stories that go beyond capes and cowels.
If she isn't engaging in comic book coverage and interviewing the likes of Jim Lee and Todd McFarlane, you'll find her on Instagram doing comic reviews/education, unboxing, bag breaks, contests, faux cosplay, and working with indie publishers to champion their titles and work.
https://www.instagram.com/leightiffany_/
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Marvel's 'Rogue: the Savage Land' is allegedly mired in controversy because her two-piece ensemble in the storyline has been described as 'scantily clad', 'skimpy', and borderline offensive. It supposedly betrays the ethos of this X-Men icon.
Artist Zulema Scotto Lavina conceived of the look, complete with a yellow and green toned, shredded bikini-top and thong bottom; it is a departure from her functionally-inclined, classic one-piece long-sleeved bodysuit (which keeps her powers under control).
However, in this multiverse, our hero has lost her powers and relies on intuition to survive in a prehistoric jungle. While stranded here, not only does she contend with a treacherous environment and towering dinosaurs, but she is also navigating a complex attraction to Magento in this five-issue miniseries that's penned by Tim Seeley.
What This Means For Marvel's Southern Belle
Comic Book Editor Tom Breevoort addressed this issue vis-a-vis his substack from a fan question from a person named MB:
"Tom, can y'all please, please, please, please, PLEASE cool it with the Savage Land Rogue variant covers? We get it, she's sexy and she's half-naked. Do we really need to objectify her this much? Do we really need ten billion Savage Land Rogue variants for every comic book she appears in? Can we have her in literally any other outfit?"
Breevoort didn't address the controversy head-on with an 'agree' or 'disagree' sentiment; instead, he deferred to facts and sales as his primary justification in opting for Rogue's alternative stylization:
"To be honest, I haven’t commissioned a single cover image that has Rogue in that outfit. But plenty of our retailers are asking for it when they order retailer-exclusive covers, and as the client, that’s their right. And even internally, we’re aware that those covers tend to sell really well, and will sometimes have our sales team request them when they think they’ll do the project some good. As I want to get the books into as many hands as are possible, I don’t really have a problem with this.
In a roundabout way, he is saying that we, the reader/consumer, are responsible for this phenomenon and respective 'sexy' aesthetic, because it's clearly selling like hotcakes. It's a feedback loop and Breevoort says that as long as retailers are asking for it and readers are buying it, they'll continue to create these covers.
Our Take On Rogue's New Look
Savage Lands Rogue costume
My hot take: I like it. As a female journalist and someone who reviews comic books on social media, I don't take issue with this look.
Additionally, the elephant in the room that no one has explicitly stated is that sex (inherently) sells. That obvious point aside, another reason that sales for these specific covers are performing well is because her powers are tethered to touch (via her ability to absorb the life-force from others with it), she is usually fully-clothed in the majority of Marvel/X-Men adjacent storylines. Her baring more skin in this miniseries (and in respective variant covers/interior art) would explain why these 'rare' glimpses of her wearing less are selling well.
It's provocative, but it is not offensive.
Rogue: Savage Land #5 Preview page 1
The reason is that there is context provided for her wardrobe: she is stranded in the jungle, surviving the wild ravages of this otherworldly realm, so this look makes sense to me. Additionally, I feel like it is a visual homage to Tarzan, Jane Porter, and Sheena the Jungle Queen. I would argue that Sheena is far more brazenly titillating and sexually-charged. Ultimately, because it's not a permanent change to Rogue's classic look — I focus more on appreciating how Marvel just wants to tinker and play in the proverbial sandbox with these narratives the publisher wouldn't otherwise get to explore. As a result, I personally and wholly embrace these stylized 'detour' tales.
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