X-Men: Mystique Has the Creepiest Way of Screwing with Minds

The mutant shapeshifter Mystique has long been one of the X-Men’s most manipulative foes. Although 20^th Century Fox’s X-Men film franchise allowed Jennifer Lawrence’s Mystique to gradually evolve into a heroic character, the comic book version remains one of Marvel’s most notorious anti-heroes. Thanks to her ability to morph into different forms, Mystique is capable of attacking people on multiple levels, including physically, mentally, and emotionally.

At one point, Mystique’s unique skill set was recognized by Professor X, who recruited her to be a black ops agent for off-the-books missions even the X-Men didn’t know about. Mystique ended up getting her own comic book series, Mystique, by Brian K. Vaughan and Manuel Garcia, which followed the blue-skinned spy and saboteur as she took down pharmaceutical companies and foreign governments that were abusing and experimenting on mutants – all under Xavier’s orders.  

While Mystique was willing to play ball with the “good guys,” her personality remained as conniving as ever, even when she was technically between jobs. This was shown particularly well in her relationship with the mutant inventor Forge, who functioned as Mystique’s personal “Q” and supplied her with special “James Bond” style spy gear. Where Bond and Q had a playfully contentious relationship, however, Mystique and Forge’s scenes had considerably more tension since they were also ex-lovers.

In Mystique #11, Forge attempts to warm up to Mystique by taking her out to a diner. To remain inconspicuous, Mystique morphs into the form of a human-looking woman with tattoos running across her bare arms. As the waitress comes to refill her coffee, however, Mystique decides to have a little fun by transforming one of her tattoos into an exact replica of the waitress’ face. The waitress freaks out, and Mystique later laughs, “that gag never gets old,” indicating that she pulls the same prank multiple times on unsuspecting people.

Her practical joke kills the mood, and Forge gets her to leave the diner, but Mystique’s actions not only showed how skilled she was at shapeshifting but also how effectively she could use her abilities to manipulate others. Although many of her adventures showed her using her mutant powers in obvious ways (for instance by morphing into a high-ranking general to infiltrate a military base), her comic’s most memorable scenes had Mystique use her abilities more subtly, such as when she showed she could turn parts of her body into glass-like substances and break them off like a normal human clipped a nail. She was able to use this talent to create fake test tubes to act as decoys when stealing from labs.

While not the most likeable X-Men character (at least in the comics), Mystique’s creativity makes her a fascinating figure who knows how to use her powers to continuously surprise. Her mutant gifts might not be on the same power level as Professor Xavier, but this shapeshifter still knows how to manipulate people in her own effectively creepy way.

About The Author

Michael Jung
(700 Articles Published)

See also  Modern Family: 5 Times Jay And Gloria's Relationship Was Toxic (& 5 It Was Perfect)

Michael Jung is a mild-mannered freelance writer-for-hire, actor, and professional storyteller with a keen interest in pop culture, education, nonprofit organizations, and unusual side hustles. His work has been featured in Screen Rant, ASU Now, Sell Books Fast, Study.com, and Free Arts among others. A graduate of Arizona State University with a PhD in 20^th Century American Literature, Michael has written novels, short stories, stage plays, screenplays, and how-to manuals.

Michael’s background in storytelling draws him to find the most fascinating aspects of any topic and transform them into a narrative that informs and entertains the reader. Thanks to a life spent immersed in comic books and movies, Michael is always ready to infuse his articles with offbeat bits of trivia for an extra layer of fun. In his spare time, you can find him entertaining kids as Spider-Man or Darth Vader at birthday parties or scaring the heck out of them at haunted houses.

Visit Michael Jung’s website for information on how to hire him, follow him on Twitter Michael50834213, or contact him directly: michael(at)michaeljungwriter(dot)com.

More From Michael Jung