Contributed by Ronald Byrd
Mystique’s modern career began as an opponent of the first Ms. Marvel, but she later formed the second Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, which she led with the counsel of Destiny (Irene Adler). Eventually Mystique (Raven Darkholme) arranged a pardon for the Brotherhood, which was redefined as the government super-team Freedom Force; the group clashed with the X-Men and the Avengers in both incarnations. Following Destiny’s death at the hands of the cyborg Reavers, Mystique’s activities became more erratic, leading her to both lead Freedom Force back into crime and to ally herself with the X-Men and X-Factor, but she is at present active in the field of mutant terrorism once more.
Despite an unseemly amount of sidestepping around the matter, there is virtually no doubt that Mystique and Destiny were lovers; the two are seen dancing romantically in Marvel Fanfare #40 (with Mystique, suggestively, in the form of a man of about the same physical age as Destiny), and on one occasion the ancient power known as the Shadow King refers to Destiny as Mystique’s “leman,” an archaic term for “lover” (The word’s antiquity is probably what enabled writer Chris Claremont to slip it in). Mystique’s mourning for Destiny bears far more similarity to that for the loss of a mate than that of even the closest friend, and both women raised Rogue, formerly of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and now a veteran X-Man, from childhood as loving parents (The fact that Rogue is thus eligible to join COLAGE, Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere) has, needless to add, not been addressed.). The two were spouses; that is how Chris Claremont created them; don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
It is known that Mystique and Destiny first met while the former was posing as a private detective; Destiny appears to be significantly older than Mystique, but given the latter’s shapechanging ability, that is hardly conclusive. As seen in the miniseries X-Men: True Friends, Mystique and Destiny’s relationship dates back to at least the 1930s, where Mystique exists in the masculine identity of “Mr. Raven” (see The Unofficial Wolverine Chronology for more details). Although one might assume that Mystique takes on male form in order to more freely show affection for Destiny in the presence of others, it is possible that, despite having given birth to at least two children (the X-Man Nightcrawler and the mutant-hating Graydon Creed), Mystique is in fact a man who simply assumes female form as the ultimate in transvestism; the notion of a man shapechanging into a woman to the extent that he is capable of bearing children is, after all, really no more outrageous than the notion of a woman shapechanging into a man in the first place. Either way, Mystique is clearly bisexual, although her liaisons with men were evidently only means to unspecified ends (She was apparently attempting to specifically conceive mutant children for some reason.) and lacked the emotional content of her relationship with Destiny.
Mystique also has a history with the sorceress Margali Szardos, who raised Nightcrawler from infancy, but there is no reason to believe their relationship was a romantic one; various minor details of Mystique’s activities over the decades (including service as a government operative many years prior to modern times) have been revealed over the last several years, but the full tale of her past, both with Destiny and alone, has yet to be told.
Mystique has the ability to change her form into that of any other person. Destiny had the mutant power to foresee the future, with the potential to perceive several alternate timelines; at last report she apparently existed on some level of the Astral Plane, where her capabilities are unknown. Both had access to various weapons and other paraphenalia as both terrorists and government agents.
The pair are arguably outed in Uncanny X-Men #265. Marvel’s Destiny entry notes that the pair are lovers.
© and ® Marvel Comics. Used without permission.
In my opinion, Mystique isn’t technically a lesbian. I feel that whenever she made love to Destiny, she turns into a MAN. I believe that this was Destiny’s wish; and I believe that Mystique feels that same way because I wouldn’t make any sense to have a Woman to Woman sexual intercourse. Thus, in the case with Destiny, Mystique prefers to be a MAN in their public romantic outings and in their bedroom making love. From their shared histories when they are apart, both Destiny and Mystique have been in a romantic relationship with Men in the past. While Mystique x Destiny might be considered lesbians, in truth, it was essentially a heterosexual relationship because Mystique was essentially a Man whenever they had their private time together.
“And we all know that all Lesbians want secretly to be man and any Love-Tool they may use comfirms this”
Really, why have to give the Love from Mystique and Destiny a Gender. It could be very well be so, that Mystique was in the Bedroom a Male.. it could not be so..
Who cares? The Love they had was not for a Man or a Woman, but for a Person.
Maybe my personal Believe that Love not always needs a Gender speaks into my Opinion here.
(I personal was in Love with Man and Woman, and I fall in Love because what Humans they are and not what Gender. I know that not all Humans feel that way, and that is ok. But to have to press everything how they believe the World is spinning is just wrong.
And if I am wrong, so be it^^)
Perhaps one consideration to take into account is whether or not writer Chris Claremont made concessions with aspects of Destiny and Mystique because of censorship policies of the Comics Code Authority which didn’t revise its prohibition against depicting, at least overtly, any type of non-heterosexual relationship or sexuality. The CCA made its final policy revisions in 1989, in which it finally allowed, and seemed to even encourage, positive/ non-biased portrayals of LGBT characters. Thankfully, the organization is now defunct.
I appreciate your posting your thoughts here, and I agree with you that more people today reject to be labeled by whom they love, the totality of the person, rather than the person’s genitals/ sexual characteristics.
Joe