Capes On the Couch - Where Comics Get Counseling: Issue 160

Issue 160 - Mystique

Nov 16, 2022

Intro
Background
- Mystique, Raven Darkholme, created by Chris Claremont & Dave Cockrum in Ms. Marvel #16 (April 1978)
- To this day, Mystique’s true origins have never been revealed
- The earliest stories place her around 1900, where she was presenting as male and in a relationship with Irene Adler (Destiny), an obvious reference to Sherlock Holmes
- While undercover, she had a short fling with Sabretooth, which led to a child Graydon Creed - despite having 2 mutant parents, Graydon is a normal human who comes to resent all mutants - he grows up to become a powerful politician before being assassinated by a time-traveling version of Mystique #BecauseComics
- She is later seduced by Azazel., and becomes pregnant with a baby that she abandoned at birth - the baby would be taken in and named Kurt Wagner, aka Nightcrawler
  - Side note - Claremont intended for Mystique & Destiny to be Nightcrawler’s parents, but the Code wouldn’t allow a lesbian relationship at the time
- Encounters a young runaway girl from Mississippi, and after Destiny foresees that she will become important to them, she takes in the young Rogue and acts as her foster mother
- She leads a version of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, and trains Rogue to join them and attack Ms. Marvel - Rogue ends up absorbing Carol’s powers, memories, and personality for a time #BecauseComics
- Turns the Brotherhood “legit” as Freedom Force, and they work for the government, while still clashing with the X-Men - during this time, Irene is killed, and this has a serious impact on her
- Joins X-Factor under duress, but after some time she escapes and flees to Europe, where she becomes a top fashion model
- Joins the X-Men as a shapeshifter named Foxx, and attempts to seduce Gambit so she can break up Gambit & Rogue and set up Rogue with another mutant - the ploy fails, but she joins the team on a probationary basis - Kurt says he needs time to process, though, which she gives him
- Works with Gambit & the Marauders to betray Mister Sinister in the fallout of M-Day - Logan is sent to kill her, and he severely wounds her, but does not finish the job
- She is later actually killed by Logan after she had been posing as Professor X for Norman Osborn’s Dark X-Men
- She was revived by the Hand, and posed as Dazzler, who was a mutant liaison for SHIELD in Madripoor
- Had a tender moment with Rogue before her wedding to Gambit
- Serves on the Quiet Council of Krakoa as a Winter representative
- Issues - Piercing the veil
  - Can’t really be herself because of the hatred towards mutants
  - Always distant in her relationships - rare exceptions, like Irene & Rogue
  - Inner self-acceptance isn’t always reflected in outer appearance, which is difficult
- Break (37:27)
  - Plugs for Take a Knee for Marvel vs. DC, Into the Knight, and Chris Claremont
- Treatment (38:42)
  - In-universe - Become emotions, not people
  - Out of universe
- Skit (49:34)
  - ***knock at the door*** Come in -***Mrs Issues*** Hey, just stopping by

Oh! Um…usually you text me, but ok, I thought you were my next patient -No problem, I figured I hadn’t been to your office in a while and I know you’ve had some rough days.

- - Thanks *pause* I thought you had class tonight. -I do, that’s why I brought someone along with me to cheer you up; plus you can keep watch for a bit. I’ll be right back but I have to get my stuff from the car. ***door closes***
  - As always. But where’s -***Door opens***Daughter Issues*** Daddy!
  - *pause* Ok Getthef**kout -WHAT? Why? ***fake crying***
  - Seriously get out or identify yourself or I’m calling the police -***some sort of morphing sound, now Mystique***

M: well you don’t have to be so rude, I thought you were a professional.

- - D Professional enough to know my own daughter hasn’t called me “daddy” in years. Her choice, not mine. And I guess I can’t call the police on my own patient if I haven’t given them a chance to explain. Don’t expect me to be cheery after a stunt like that. -

M You’re perceptive, I’ll grant you that. But now we have a problem.

- - D I know what my problem is. What’s yours?

M *sigh* Let’s be real. You can’t fight me, and I don’t necessarily want to fight you. But you’re valuable. More than you know.

- - D You were going to kidnap me?!

M *laughs* No, nothing as dramatic as that. This was supposed to be a stealth operation. You have information. I need it.

- - D I’ve already been down that rabbit hole. Secure encryption, magical wards, along with undisclosed offshore servers have made sure I don’t make the same mistake ever again.

M Doom really hooked you up, then.

- - D HOW…*deep breath*...you are masterful, you know that? Always seeking more information, more leverage.

M: It’s my currency, it’s how I get ahead.

- - D: But do you need that anymore? You don’t come across as someone who wants to be at the beck and call of someone else, but you also find ways to put yourself as the center of attention, even if no one else knows it yet. I know those aren’t mutually exclusive, but that can get complicated very fast.

M: My life is complicated? Hmmm, I would have never thought that in a hundred years…no wait, that is EXACTLY what I’ve spent every day for the last hundred-plus years thinking about. I have enough baggage to fill an entire airport. I just choose which ones to pick up on various occasions.

- - D: So what set of circumstances would lead you to add me to the mix? It’s obvious you don’t want therapy.

M: I won’t divulge my secrets if you won’t divulge yours.

- - D: This isn’t a negotiation.

M: Au contraire. All conversations are negotiations. Most people don’t apply the proper context. Or pressure.

- - D: This must be so difficult for you. You’re talking to a person that’s not of your world, nothing to offer that you couldn’t weasel out in some other way, and yet, this is the path you chose. You find me weak, but interesting, and I don’t know why.

M: *pause* Are you fishing, or trying to sound profound?

D: Why not both? My point is, you seem to set up your own challenges without respect to the person, or the emotional consequences even for yourself. I’ll give you a hypothetical. What if you learn of someone you DIDN’T want to have on your radar, and they hunt you down after they destroy me? Is that risk worth it?

M: It wouldn’t be the first time that someone else gets hurt in the crossfire.

- - D: But what if it’s someone you actually care about? Are you really going to throw away the opportunity to improve a lasting relationship for the sake of an odd job or morbid curiosity? What if I could offer you that chance and the other person is willing to talk about it…with you and me?

M: You can’t make promises like that.

- - D: Never said I could. But I can try. That’s all I’m saying.

M: I know for a fact that you aren’t a…family therapist.

- - D: Who said it was family?

M: *pause* I…

- - D: *snaps fingers* YOU were fishing! You didn’t know! This was a hunch, wasn’t it?

M: *sigh* There aren’t that many psychiatrists that delve into…our type, for lack of a better term. Word spreads fast. I have the background on your services, but things were locked out, as you so eloquently put it, before I could get any good dirt. But still…if there was a chance…

- - D: There’s no alternative mission…no monetary gain? You really just want…hmmm…I meant what I said. No guarantees. This may get messy.

M: As always. So…you know, I may have wanted someone that is NOT considered a person close to me. If I disclose it, would you be able to set up someone like that, too?

- - D: Nope Nope Nope. This is a one-time deal. You get one person, I contact on my time. If they say no, you don’t get another chance. Understood?

M: Clearly. Doesn’t mean I will stop trying. I have more on you, you know. Think about it. Every person you see in your life could be me, doctor. A. Ny. One.

- - D: And every person you meet is an opportunity for you to stop looking at them as a puppet to mimic, and engage them for who you really are. I guess we’ll both have doubts.