Darkhölme, Raven

Mystique was a mutant terrorist, wife of European Nobleman, wife of a senator, and model. She is also a mother to 3 children, 2 of which are her's biologically.
Little is known about the origins of the shapeshifting mutant terrorist known as Mystique, the mutant name adopted by Raven Darkhölme which itself is an assumed name. As a consulting detective, her services were enlisted by Irene Adler, a mutant clairvoyant who had written confusing passages concerning the future of mutantkind that needed to be deciphered. In their quest, Darkhölme became 'Mystique' while Adler became 'Destiny'. The more they attempted to control the future the more they failed, a struggle that has made an angry Mystique embrace extremist solutions to achieve her objectives. Alongside her wife Destiny, Mystique reformed the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants to assassinate anti-mutant politician Senator Robert Kelly, an attack that was prevented by the X-Men.
Eventually, she was in the crosshairs of the king of vampyr thanks to her elderly lover, Irene who had been changed at some point. After being seduced then changed into one his brides, Raven had become a useful and loving concubine.
== History ==
=== Early Years ===
Little is known for certain about Mystique's early life. Her shapeshifting powers grant her a lifespan far beyond that of a normal human. It is known that her powers first manifested when she was twelve years old, and that she had to "fight just to survive."
=== Sherlock Holmes ===
In 1895, Raven took up the identity of consulting detective "Sherlock Holmes" operating out 221B Baker Street in London working with her long term partner Irene Adler. The two were hired to investigate a number of murders believing them to have been inspired by Jack the Ripper. They investigated Milbury House the home of Dr. Nathaniel Essex who was discovered at the scene naked and battered but with no memory of the attack. Raven went undercover as a prostitute hoping to lure out the attacker. On that night they found the true attacker "Mr. Sinister", who escaped across the rooftops. They followed him back to Dr. Essex's home they discovered him turning back into the frail Doctor. They arrested him and sent him away to Bedlam to be detained and treated. However overnight they learned that he was murdered. Their adventures inspired author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle creating the literary legend of Sherlock Holmes.
=== 1921 ===
Raven found herself in the Mexican Sonoran Desert about to be executed by a firing squad; her blue skin had led the locals to believe she was a witch. While she was blindfolded and tied to a post, she noticed a man tied up beside her. When she asked if he was a murderer, He answered: "... worse, a horse thief." Raven managed to untie herself just before the firing squad shot and watched as the man was riddled with bullets.
However, he managed to somehow survive and kill the guards. After they both escaped, Raven was surprised that he was still alive and asked how he knew she would be able to free herself and escape. He responded: "I didn't", and when she asked where he was going to next, he said the nearest bar. Raven introduced herself to the man who said his name was Logan, after which she told him that she had a group of friends in Kansas City, that he would probably like to meet.
Once in Kansas City, Raven told Logan about her group, who scammed local people. After meeting Raven's crew, and saving one of them from an angry customer that was scammed, Raven informed Logan that she, along with her crew, were planning a bank heist and she wanted him to take part in it. When Logan expressed his reluctance to get attached to people, Raven told him that she knew it was hard to trust people, but that they could be a family and to trust her. They kissed and Logan decided to help her. However, Raven betrayed Logan and her friends by alerting the police; leaving her crew to take the fall for the heist while she escaped with the stolen money. She encountered Logan in a train later and he questioned her about this. Raven tells Logan that each one of them should just start a new life. Once Logan turns his back, she kicks him out of the train.
=== Mystique Meets Her Destiny ===
Her earliest meeting with Destiny (Irene Adler), occurred at "the dawn of the 20th century." Irene was an Austrian mutant with precognitive powers. She was most accurate in predicting near-future events concerning her present environment. However, during a period of 12 months in her adolescence, Irene had produced 13 volumes of prophecies concerning the late 20th and early 21st centuries. When that period ended, Irene was left physically blind and haunted by disturbing images of uncertain meaning. She enlisted Raven's services in pursuit of two goals: the deciphering of her recorded prophecies and a mission to prevent the most terrifying of them from ever being fulfilled.
The two women soon became lifelong friends and lovers, but they both discovered that their set goals were difficult to achieve. Their abilities easily allowed them to achieve personal success, but to shape the future proved to be next to impossible as it would require extensive social engineering.
Their decades-long quest required them to constantly travel. They encountered Shadowcat and Rachel Summers, who had time traveled from the future and sought to prevent a plot by Nazi agents Baron Wolfgang von Strucker and Geist/"Ghost," a member of Nazi intelligence, and their ally Amahl Farouk, the Shadow King.
The three had conspired to question the rights of the British Monarch to the throne and then to replace him with Oswald Mosley of the British Union of Fascists, a likely ally for Nazi Germany. Irene and Raven contacted their old acquaintance, Logan to help the time travelers. Irene and Raven advised Shadowcat and Logan against proceeding in their contemplated assassination of Adolf Hitler and other prominent leaders and officials of the Nazi Party. Raven was laconic in only stating: "All of us have learned to kill, Logan, but more importantly, we have learned not to kill, and to know the difference."
At some point, Raven reportedly lost contact with Irene. She managed to locate her working as an archivist in the Alamogordo nuclear research facilities in New Mexico. Raven was uncertain of Irene's motives but apparently trusted her enough not to press for answers.
=== Motherhood ===
Raven eventually met Victor Creed, the man known as Sabretooth. At the time, she used the identity of deceased German secret agent Leni Zauber. Both Leni and Victor had been assigned with the assassination of a scientist in East Berlin. Raven completed the mission in place of Leni. After the mission, she and Victor took refuge in safe house for a few days. They became lovers, but she soon faked her death in order to leave him.
The result of this short-lived affair was the birth of Graydon Creed, her earliest known child. Mystique was seemingly uninterested in motherhood, and made arrangements for Graydon from afar. Graydon spent most of his childhood in a boarding school. Raven kept track of his activities until he reached adolescence. Graydon was the son of two mutants and as a result likely to be a mutant himself. However, he proved to be no more than an ordinary human, and never manifested mutant powers. Raven was disappointed and soon abandoned him. Graydon grew to hate his parents and eventually extended his hatred towards all mutants. He later became leader to the mutant-hating organization Friends of Humanity and then a politician. Graydon, at the height of his political ascension was assassinated by an unknown shooter. The shooter was later revealed to be a time traveling version of Mystique, as part of a convoluted time paradox involving Jean Grey, Iceman, Toad, and Juggernaut.
At some point, Mystique disguised herself as an ordinary human and married Baron Christian Wagner; an affluent member of German nobility. He would prove to be a loving husband, but rather disappointing as a lover. His infertility added to their marital problems. Raven started using her shapeshifting powers to secretly have sexual encounters with others. She particularly seemed to seek men who somewhat resembled Victor Creed. She was apparently both seeking sexual satisfaction and attempting to conceive another child. Another fellow mutant eventually seduced her.
He called himself Azazel and stated he was the ruler of "an island nation off the coast of Bermuda: La Isla des Demonas," The Island of Demons. He was apparently a fellow shapeshifter and also had the powers of teleportation. He was later revealed to also have the power of immortality and to be the father of an ancient race of mutants known as the Neyaphem, active since at least 9000 BC. His natural form was that of a young man with black hair, yellow eyes, red skin and a pointed tail. He later claimed to have been posing as a demon and to have used many aliases: "Because I am Azazel, Semihazah, Duma, Keriel, Mastema, Beliar, Gadreel and Beelzebub. And most commonly called Satan." Many of these aliases have also been claimed by several notable demons of the Universe.
Raven soon became pregnant. Her husband became suspicious and his father suggested a blood test to verify if the child was his. Mystique used a dagger to slay the Baron and then buried him. When she gave birth her concentration on her human form was lost and her natural blue body was revealed. Her child was a young boy with black hair, yellow eyes, blue skin and a pointed tail. The locals considered both the mother and the child to be demons and attempted to slay them. Mystique managed to escape but abandoned her second known son. He was found and raised by Romany sorceress Margali Szardos. He grew up to become Nightcrawler of the X-Men, inheriting his mother's blue skin and his father's powers of teleportation.
Mystique would later become adoptive mother to a young girl named Anna Marie, who had run away from her home in rural Caldecott County, Mississippi. The girl was living alone in a wooded area, brandishing a shotgun and trusting no one when Mystique found her. Destiny foresaw that Rogue would be important to them and Mystique sought her out, gained her trust and took her in. She and Destiny would raise the girl over approximately a decade and Mystique would grow to be very protective of her. While Rogue was under her care, she maintained the false identity of Mallory Brickman, the wife of U.S. Senator Ralph Brickman. It is unknown whether a real Mallory Brickman ever existed and was replaced, but the guise had an adopted daughter, Gloria.
Mystique had concealed her superhuman powers and criminal intentions so well over the years that, as Raven Darkhölme, she was able to rise rapidly through the United States Civil Service to the trusted position of Deputy Director of the 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.
=== Brotherhood of Evil Mutants III ===
Mystique organized the third incarnation of the Brotherhood of Mutants, which originally consisted of herself, Avalanche, the Blob, Destiny, and Pyro. Mystique named her group after the original Brotherhood of Mutants, an organization founded by Magneto. The third incarnation of the Brotherhood first became known when it attempted to intimidate the public by assassinating Senator Robert Kelly, who was investigating what he perceived as the possible danger posed by the existence of superhuman beings, like mutants. The X-Men thwarted the assassination attempt.
Anna Marie was trained by Mystique and eventually joined her Brotherhood team as Rogue. Her mutant power was the ability to absorb the psyche, memories, personality, strengths and any skills or powers of whoever she touched. Rogue proved to be a powerful member of the team. She went on many missions with the Brotherhood and with her help the team was almost able to defeat the Avengers.
On a mission with the Avengers, Rogue fought Carol Danvers, better known as the super heroine named Ms. Marvel. Rogue tried stealing Carol's powers, but Carol fought too hard and Rogue ended up permanently absorbing Carol's memories and powers, while Carol was left an empty shell.
Professor Xavier later restored Carol's memories, but not the emotions that went with them. Rogue, meanwhile, felt like she was losing her mind, grappling with Danvers' psyche and at times not knowing which memories were really hers. Feeling like she was in danger of losing control of herself, Rogue ran away from home and sought help from the X-Men, hoping that Professor X would be able to treat her. While the other X-Men were very hesitant of accepting their former enemy at first, Xavier welcomed her and gave her a spot on the team.
Worried that Rogue had left because Xavier had brainwashed her, Mystique went to rescue her leading an attack on the X-Men. Rogue stopped her, saying how she had left of her own free will. Mystique was doubtful and hurt, but Rogue ultimately convinced her by saying that Xavier was probably the only person who could help with her powers and give her a chance at a normal life, as she feared the absorbed personality of Carol Danvers would otherwise drive her insane.
Mystique grudgingly agreed and let Rogue stay with the X-Men. Though she would remain close to Rogue, coming to help her at times, Mystique came to resent Xavier.
=== Freedom Force ===
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 afterwards officially entered the government's employ. In return for entering the government's employ 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, she charged Forge with the duty of protecting Destiny. Forge managed to protect her until she convinced him that Mystique needed more help. After Forge left to help Mystique, Destiny was slain by a mind-controlled Legion. After the battle with the Reavers, Mystique discovered Destiny dead and swore vengeance on Forge for her death. She was then visited by a future version of herself and decided 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.
With Destiny dead, a tired and depressed Mystique was marked for death by the villainous Shadow King. The Shadow King saw Mystique as a threat to his plans of using the FBI to track down Storm and used his powers to enslave Raven's government handler Val Cooper and ordered her to kill Raven. Val broke free at the last minute and shot herself, allowing Raven to contact Nick Fury and arrange a desperate endgame to oust the Shadow King. Mystique allowed herself to be brainwashed into thinking she was Val, so that the Shadow King would not suspect that she was alive and rejoined the Shadow King's side. During the Muir Island Saga, the Shadow King's final gambit to destroy the X-Men and Professor Xavier, Mystique was given the trigger word "Rogue" that caused her to return to normal and help save Xavier from being murdered by the Shadow King.
During this time, Freedom Force's remaining members were sent to Kuwait during the Gulf War. This mission proved to be another disaster; several members were either killed, wounded, or captured, and Freedom Force officially disbanded.
=== Psychotic Break ===
Mystique's mental condition worsened when she was marked for death by her former Freedom Force teammate, Spiral. Spiral stalked Raven across the globe, further adding to Raven's mental instability. She was saved by Wolverine, who took her to the X-Mansion in hope that Xavier could help the wayward mutant. In the end, Raven apparently had a complete breakdown (though later stories implied she was faking it) and was taken to Dallas by Forge. While with Forge, Mystique was horrified when she found out that her son Graydon Creed had formed a successful anti-mutant hate group. Shortly afterwards, Graydon hired Sabretooth to kill Mystique, but when Mystique told Sabretooth about their son and he decided to go after Graydon instead.
When a top-ranking U.S. General who had ties to Graydon turned up dead, Forge realized that Mystique was to blame as she made her move to kill her son. This led to Rogue and Nightcrawler trying to stop Raven and led to Nightcrawler learning that Mystique was indeed his mother. Raven failed to kill Creed and was presumed dead after saving Nightcrawler from Creed's attempt to murder his newly discovered brother.
=== The X-Factor ===
Mystique resurfaced several months later, in a failed attempt to kill Legion for murdering Destiny. Mystique had an implant put in her skull by Forge in order for the government to be able to keep track of her. She was then forced to become a member of the government-sponsored team X-Factor after being arrested for trying to blow up a dam. In truth, Mystique was trying to save the dam, which the U.S. Government wanted to destroy so that they could blame it on mutants. Her membership led to tension with her teammates when Sabretooth was added to the team months later as a sleeper agent, for the main purpose of killing Mystique before she could uncover the truth about the conspiracy she had discovered. She slowly developed a romantic relationship with team leader Forge (though he later came to believe that she was just using him).
Part of the conspiracy involved Mystique's son Graydon Creed running for President, under an anti-mutant platform. At the same time, both Graydon and Mystique learned that her lover Destiny had married and had children during one of the couple's separations. Irene's children were now adults with their own children, one of which was a mutant. Graydon had the mutant teen savagely beaten by members of the Friends of Humanity, as a warning towards his mother. Mystique was furious and wanted to kill her son but stopped when she was given a message that Graydon's backers wanted her to kill him and turn her son into a martyr.
Mystique then sought to save her son from being betrayed by his backers but failed miserably. Graydon died (assassinated by her future self) and his death ushered in a new wave of anti-mutant violence. Ultimately, Sabretooth acted on his orders to kill the members of X-Factor as "Operation Zero Tolerance" was activated. Even though she could have left her teammates to die, Mystique attacked Sabretooth, an act of intervention that distracted Sabretooth long enough to keep him from finishing off the already injured team. Mystique then fled the scene after arranging for the members of X-Factor to receive emergency medical treatment for the wounds Sabretooth inflicted them.
Mystique went into hiding, taking the identity of senator's wife Mallory Brickman, using her husband's influence to set the FBI on Sabretooth. She prevented Rogue from giving up her mutant powers and she continued her investigation of the U.S. Government over her son's death, leading to her aiding the Toad and his most recent incarnation of the "Brotherhood of Evil Mutants" on a mission to raid a government base. The mission failed thanks to Machine Man, who fought the Brotherhood and forced the team to flee.
=== Vampyrism ===
Mystique fled to Europe, at which point her life changed dramatically; there she Raven encountered a Romanian Count Decebal Vladislav Ardelean but thought nothing of it when she had given her name. While taking the form of a blond-haired woman during a trip to the beach, Mystique was confronted by a famous photographer who told the mutant that he wanted to make her the next big fashion model.
Amused, Mystique accepted and quickly became the fashion industry's newest top model, Ronnie Lake. Raven/Ronnie ran in the mysterious Count again at one of her shows. Using her money, Mystique moved back to New York and into an expensive penthouse apartment. Eventually she invited the Count Ardelean in for nightly dates, slowly seducing her; their nights usually ended with sex. Ronnie often woke up light-headed since she invited her beau into the apartment. What Raven did not know was that her new lover was a vampyr and had been feeding on her blood every couple of nights. On the eighth night since she had been seeing him, Mystique was naked in her true form. She was surprised to find Decebal behind her and even more surprised by the fact that he knew her true identity. The fact he was not repulsed by her appearance and that she was a mutant was a surprise, but she was intrigued when he asked her to be his "bride." And was offered power through a ritual that would change, which Ronnie accepted, then went through with the vampyization.
== Personality ==
=== Romantic relationships ===
* Destiny
* Wolverine (serious relationship)
* Christian Wagner (married)
* Azazel (one-night stand)
* Sabretooth (serious relationship, both as Leni Zauber and as Mystique)
* Forge (serious relationship)
* Senator Ralph Brickman (married, as Mallory Brickman)
== Attributes ==
=== Powers ===
* Mutant Powers
** Metamorph: Mystique can psionically alter instantly the formation of her biological cells. As a result, she can cause herself to look and sound like an exact duplicate of any human, humanoid, or semi-humanoid being of any 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, smell to overlap the original being, and vocal cords to match voices to the point of corresponding voice prints.
*** Metamorphic Adaptation: After her first enhancement Mystique showed the ability to adapt her body depending on her situation at the time. She was able to camouflage her body to match her surroundings so well as to be invisible, shift her organs into her lower extremities, and mimic the textures of glass or metals (when she took on the form of Magneto and his helmet). She could conceal items in shapeshifted pouches inside her body and clearly stated that she was always naked and simply made her skin look and feel like other materials to fool others.
** Accelerated Healing: Mystique's nature allows her to repair wounds, regrow limbs, and regenerate herself from minor to near death injuries in a short span of time, much faster than an ordinary human. She is capable of retaining a mimicked form even when drugged or knocked unconscious.
** Toxin & Disease Resistance: She is capable of quickly developing resistance and immunity to toxins and diseases.
** Decelerated Aging: Raven's metamorphic powers have staved off the degenerative effects of aging. She has always had this ability even before her enhancement; she is over one hundred years old.
** Psychic Defense: Mystique's nature also provides her with a natural defense against telepathic intrusion.
** Enhanced Memory: Mystique has stated she knows the location of 'every security camera in every major airport of the United States and half the ones in Canada'.
* Vampirism
** Transmutation: On top of her original shapeshifting capabilities, she is now able change herself into mist, dust, or actual animals while still maintaining her mind.
** Reproduction: The enzymes in her saliva are capable of converting her prey into vampires with 3 days.
=== Abilities ===
* Master Martial Artist: Mystique is a highly skilled combatant. Her skills rival those of Black Widow and Captain America.
* Trained Actress
* Expert Marksman
* Multilingual: Mystique has stated that she knows at least eleven languages; besides her presumably native German and English, she has demonstrated fluency in Spanish, Portuguese, French, Farsi,, Japanese, Korean, Swedish, and Czech.
* Covert Operative: Strategist in terrorist and commando operations.
=== Weaknesses ===
* Vampiric Associated
** Garlic
** Wood
*** Oak
** Silver
** Religious Iconography
* Appearance Limitation: Originally, it was clearly stated that Mystique's powers were limited to appearances only; 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, and she still cannot duplicate the powers of the person she imitates: for example, when she turned herself into a duplicate of Nightcrawler, she did not gain the ability to teleport. However, she can use her powers to mimic the powers of others; such as assuming the form of Sabretooth, and then using her powers to enhance her senses, strength, speed, agility, and of course naturally heal at an accelerated rate.
* Before becoming Dracula's bride, Mystique could not stand her own appearance, and therefore never wanted to look at her reflection in a mirror. It was the combination of power and no longer seeing her reflection that convinced her to surrender to Dracula.
* Unchangeable Body Mass: While she can make herself look exactly like a person who is physically bigger than herself, she will not weigh as much as the real person does. As such, she will be considerably weaker than the true person she copies, as evidenced by her form of an impostor Sabretooth, where her powers were less effective than the genuine Sabretooth. Also, the longer she takes a form of someone with greater mass, the greater a strain on her body which could reach a "breaking point" where she is forced to turn back into her normal self. Since her enhancement, Mystique has stated that her body mass now changes when she does, although the truth as with everything concerning Raven Darkhölme, remains shrouded.
== Paraphernalia ==
=== Equipment ===
She has used experimental weaponry and devices, including a power-drainer that disabled Iron Man. Nanotech capable of fooling Cerebro and related tech.
=== Weapons ===
Conventional firearms and an energy beam pistol. Various skull-shaped explosives usually carried on her belt. In early appearances Mystique demonstrated the ability to alter the shape of items stored as skulls on her belt
=== Transportation ===
Seen in Wolverines, Mystique's vessel the Changeling was a highly advanced stealth ship capable of cloaking and flying at very high speed. The ship had sophisticated weapons and surveillance systems, with an on-board analysis computer and power-suppressing containment cells. The ship was destroyed and it is currently unknown if it has been replaced.
* Mystique has stated that she wasn't born in the last century and that she is "over 100 years old". She is known to have been with her wife Destiny by 1895 and having stated that "solitude was my natural state for a hundred years",, it is therefore implied she was born before 1800. In 1921 she met Logan in Kansas City, and they all later worked together in Scotland, shortly before World War II. (However, in an early appearance in Uncanny X-Men #170, Mystique dreams that she is in the year 1783, which is specified as being 170 years before her birth. As the comic was published in 1983, this would make her 30 years old at the time of the story. This has since been retconned.)
* Her powers manifested when she was twelve years old.
* She never wears true clothing. Due to the nature of her powers she can simply create clothes from or over her skin, thus eliminating the need for regular clothing or those made from unstable molecules. Because of this she is always naked as she admitted to Shortpack.
* Contrary to what is shown in most other incarnations of her in film and television, the comics version of Mystique is not Magneto's second-in-command. In fact, before Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 4) the two only had a handful of encounters together and barely even knew each other. One depiction of her being an associate of Magneto was the X-Men arcade game by Konami, where she turns herself into Magneto to prevent the players from rescuing Professor X and has all his powers, but is defeated fairly quickly. She turns back into her normal self as Professor X is freed and the players go to the final boss, the real Magneto.
* Veteran X-Men writer Chris Claremont has stated in interviews that he originally intended for Mystique and Destiny to be Nightcrawler's biological parents (Mystique having morphed into a man for the conception), but Marvel nixed the idea for being too controversial, due to it being a point in time where writers were prevented from having a gay or bisexual character.
* Doctor Nemesis wrote that he was uncertain of Mystique's limitations, and wondered whether she might someday mimic others' X-Gene, or alter her own.
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