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Mystique
Mystique, Vol. 1: Dead Drop Gorgeous
Mystique - the sultry mutant shapeshifter, who has stood against the X-Men in battle after battle, is offered the chance at a new life when Professor X recruits her to complete a dangerous mission in Cuba. Can this former mutant-rights terrorist - who can disguise herself as anyone on the planet - be trusted? In this story of international intrigue and redemption, the sexy Mystique may surprise everyone, including herself.
Collecting: Mystique 1-6
Collecting: Mystique 1-6
144 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2004
2 people are currently reading
469 people want to read
About the author
Brian K. Vaughan
1,057 books14.2k followersBrian K. Vaughan is the writer and co-creator of comic-book series including SAGA, PAPER GIRLS, Y THE LAST MAN, RUNAWAYS, and most recently, BARRIER, a digital comic with artist Marcos Martin about immigration, available from their pay-what-you-want site www.PanelSyndicate.com
BKV's work has been recognized at the Eisner, Harvey, Hugo, Shuster, Eagle, and British Fantasy Awards. He sometimes writes for film and television in Los Angeles, where he lives with his family and their dogs Hamburger and Milkshake.
BKV's work has been recognized at the Eisner, Harvey, Hugo, Shuster, Eagle, and British Fantasy Awards. He sometimes writes for film and television in Los Angeles, where he lives with his family and their dogs Hamburger and Milkshake.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
July 8, 2021
The mighty hand and mind of Brian K Vaughan makes this Mystique working under cover for Xavier worth reading, although it set the standard so high initially that it was no surprise to see it not blow my mind as much as I first thought it wood. 7 out of 12.
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March 19, 2017
Kid mutants are being harmed in Cuba and rumours of Fidel acquiring Soviet Sentinels abound but the US Government has banned Xavier and his X-Men from going over there. Enter Mystique, a deadly shape-shifting black ops agent with no qualms about borders or doing what she needs to do to accomplish the mission!
On the face of it, this is a damn-near flawless book. The James Bond approach to Mystique was very clever and fit her like a glove: Xavier is M, Forge is Q, and Mystique is Bond. She makes for an excellent secret agent with her shape-shifting powers and combat skills, and I like that she’s an anti-hero with shades of grey to her character.
The story is nicely plotted, clear, and well-written with Brian K Vaughan coming up with inspired set-pieces showcasing some really imaginative uses for Mystique’s powers. The Xavier/Forge scenes were slow but otherwise I can’t fault the writing. And while I wouldn’t say Jorge Lucas’ art is very distinctive, it’s certainly very skilful without any real problems.
So why the mediocre rating? As shallow as it sounds, I just wasn’t that taken with the book. I think that reviews should be a reflection of the reviewer’s reading experience as much as a close to objective look at the good and bad parts of a book and I’ve gotta be honest: it never clicked for me and at best I was half-interested reading it. Maybe it was a little too neatly put-together as to feel contrived?
Anyhoo, Mystique Volume 1: Dead Drop Gorgeous isn’t a bad read and fans of the character, as well as fans of secret agent stories, will probably enjoy it well enough but it’s not the most enthralling book.
On the face of it, this is a damn-near flawless book. The James Bond approach to Mystique was very clever and fit her like a glove: Xavier is M, Forge is Q, and Mystique is Bond. She makes for an excellent secret agent with her shape-shifting powers and combat skills, and I like that she’s an anti-hero with shades of grey to her character.
The story is nicely plotted, clear, and well-written with Brian K Vaughan coming up with inspired set-pieces showcasing some really imaginative uses for Mystique’s powers. The Xavier/Forge scenes were slow but otherwise I can’t fault the writing. And while I wouldn’t say Jorge Lucas’ art is very distinctive, it’s certainly very skilful without any real problems.
So why the mediocre rating? As shallow as it sounds, I just wasn’t that taken with the book. I think that reviews should be a reflection of the reviewer’s reading experience as much as a close to objective look at the good and bad parts of a book and I’ve gotta be honest: it never clicked for me and at best I was half-interested reading it. Maybe it was a little too neatly put-together as to feel contrived?
Anyhoo, Mystique Volume 1: Dead Drop Gorgeous isn’t a bad read and fans of the character, as well as fans of secret agent stories, will probably enjoy it well enough but it’s not the most enthralling book.
November 17, 2014
This kicks off Mystique's solo ongoing series. This is, technically, Marvel's first solo ongoing with an LGBT lead, though that never comes up in the series, which is a little disappointing. Setting that aside, though, this book is just OK. There's some decent intrigue, some enjoyable action, some nice character stuff, some decent art. It's all fine. But it's nothing particularly special. It's just a perfectly serviceable, middle-of-the-pack book.
April 24, 2012
Mediocre art, fairly average story. The concept of Xavier hiring Mystique sounds a little far-fetched (and isn't ever really explained) but the story is solid enough. Definitely a letdown, in terms of Vaughan's work. (I don't remember reading anything by him that wasn't at least quite good.) But alright, overall.
March 19, 2012
Brian K. Vaughan, you can do no wrong.
August 1, 2018
Drop Dead Gorgeous (#1-6). The X-Corps-era of X-Men comics was a fun one, with its focus Professor X and the X-Men having a presence on the international stage. This book is very much a part of that era, with Mystique acting as Xavier's top spy, doing work across the world that the X-Men can't.
Mystique herself has always been an intriguing character in the X-Men mythos, but she's rarely been written that well when she's part of a large cluster of villains. Thus, it's a real pleasure to see her in a solo book. Vaughan presents a believable and consistent characterization of her, that nonetheless steps back from the most sociopathic takes over the years. Yes, she's violent and remorseless, but she cares about mutants and she has lines that she won't cross. Most of the delight of this volume is in seeing how she interacts with Xavier and the world.
There's a mission here too, with Sentinels in Cuba, blahblahblah. It's fine enough, and it's a good incident to get Raven moving. It also really picks up toward the end, when Raven starts to realize the human costs implicit in her mission. The last issue or two are particularly great.
The other fun thing about this volume is that Vaughan clearly sets up a premise that could run for a long series, and then before his first arc's even over, he twists that in a fun way. It's a pity that by that point we're already a quarter of the way through the whole series [4+/5].
Mystique herself has always been an intriguing character in the X-Men mythos, but she's rarely been written that well when she's part of a large cluster of villains. Thus, it's a real pleasure to see her in a solo book. Vaughan presents a believable and consistent characterization of her, that nonetheless steps back from the most sociopathic takes over the years. Yes, she's violent and remorseless, but she cares about mutants and she has lines that she won't cross. Most of the delight of this volume is in seeing how she interacts with Xavier and the world.
There's a mission here too, with Sentinels in Cuba, blahblahblah. It's fine enough, and it's a good incident to get Raven moving. It also really picks up toward the end, when Raven starts to realize the human costs implicit in her mission. The last issue or two are particularly great.
The other fun thing about this volume is that Vaughan clearly sets up a premise that could run for a long series, and then before his first arc's even over, he twists that in a fun way. It's a pity that by that point we're already a quarter of the way through the whole series [4+/5].
July 3, 2022
Professor Xavier's dream often requires help from the shadows, but when one of his secret agents is murdered on a mission, he is forced to ask Mystique to join his network of spies. Famed scribe Brian K. Vaughan (Y: The Last Man, Ex Machina, Runaways, Pride of Baghdad, Saga, and Paper Girls) gives one of the X-Men's most notorious villains her own title that is part X-Men and part James Bond. In addition to Professor X taking on the familiar M role, Forge joins the cast as Q, and a new character, the diminutive telepath Shortpack, is introduced as her "handler". In her first case, she must prevent the mutant international arms dealer Steinbeck from selling Russian Sentinel technology to the Cubans.
The story actually works when you only consider it standing on its own. If you attempt to read it within the context of the current X-men storyline, there are some character inconsistencies (specifically how she addresses the many moral choices she must make in this arc). The espionage element works as each of the characters attempts to outplay each other through leverage maneuvering and double-crossing. They even work in the unresolved romantic tension between her and Forge (who obviously provides the gadgets she needs for her mission).
I enjoyed reading a new take on familiar characters, and new genre tropes introduced to shake things up.
The story actually works when you only consider it standing on its own. If you attempt to read it within the context of the current X-men storyline, there are some character inconsistencies (specifically how she addresses the many moral choices she must make in this arc). The espionage element works as each of the characters attempts to outplay each other through leverage maneuvering and double-crossing. They even work in the unresolved romantic tension between her and Forge (who obviously provides the gadgets she needs for her mission).
I enjoyed reading a new take on familiar characters, and new genre tropes introduced to shake things up.
January 1, 2025
I never had much contact with Mystique in the comics, let alone a standalone series, but I read this run by Brian K. Vaughan was good and decided to give it a go. And yeah, it's good!
The most interesting part was, by far, seeing how Mystique creatively uses her shape-shifting powers (including a disturbing but super cool "form" haha) to escape her predicaments and complete the undercover mission she has been assigned by none other than Professor Charles Xavier (I have no idea when this series happens—or in which universe, I guess?—, but seeing Prof. X walking is *so* weird).
I'd like to give it five stars, but I expected a bit more from the story. I don't know, I guess I wanted an insane plot twist or a very "wow" moment to raise the plot from its very simple and straightforward nature (the "machine" scene was certainly good, but it didn't hit the emotional notes I was hoping for, at least not for me).
The most interesting part was, by far, seeing how Mystique creatively uses her shape-shifting powers (including a disturbing but super cool "form" haha) to escape her predicaments and complete the undercover mission she has been assigned by none other than Professor Charles Xavier (I have no idea when this series happens—or in which universe, I guess?—, but seeing Prof. X walking is *so* weird).
I'd like to give it five stars, but I expected a bit more from the story. I don't know, I guess I wanted an insane plot twist or a very "wow" moment to raise the plot from its very simple and straightforward nature (the "machine" scene was certainly good, but it didn't hit the emotional notes I was hoping for, at least not for me).
March 2, 2025
sorprendentemente no me disgustó la manera en q representaron cuba y su gobierno, tuve miedo cuando lo mencionaron porque creí que todo el arco se iba a ir a la basura por prejuicios gringos. me gustó bastante en general, el arte estuvo lindo, el guión también y es mi primera vez viendo a mystique protagonizar un cómic, me enganchó muchísimo su personaje y ni hablar de su diseño. q mujeron ! also, q risa q su autor favorito es oscar wilde. la amé (no me sorprende q xavier le mamara el webo a cuba, siempre pensé q era izquierdosito ese pelon)
March 27, 2022
I breezed through this first arc on Brian K Vaughn’s Mystique series. I didn’t even realize this was a thing, this came out during a time I wasn’t buying as much comics as I used to. I’m really impressed here with the added depth he gives to Mystique, such as she’s a Star Wars fan, who knew?
Also the things he does with her powers I’ve never seen before, it’s really inventive and cool, surprised more writers don’t use her like this. Can’t wait to see what comes next in this series.
Also the things he does with her powers I’ve never seen before, it’s really inventive and cool, surprised more writers don’t use her like this. Can’t wait to see what comes next in this series.
March 10, 2024
Una novela gráfica con elementos de espionaje que tanto se llevaban a principios de los 2000, todo envuelto en el aura de misterio y naturaleza traicionera de Raven Darkhölme, alias Mística, villana, terrorista mutante, antiheroína o superheroína si toca.
Una de las cosas que más me han fascinado es cómo se profundiza en la psique de Mística, las motivaciones que le llevan a hacer lo que hace y que, aunque sus motivaciones personales siempre van primero, a veces asoma algo de compasión.
Una de las cosas que más me han fascinado es cómo se profundiza en la psique de Mística, las motivaciones que le llevan a hacer lo que hace y que, aunque sus motivaciones personales siempre van primero, a veces asoma algo de compasión.
December 19, 2018
I read this book during a personally difficult time for me in 2018, when I needed a distraction. This book delivered the perfect distraction. It was my first villain centered comic, and the art and colors are stunning. The plot falls a little short, but I definitely enjoyed this one. Probably didn't rate at the time of reading due to distraction.
August 14, 2017
скучновато.и рисовка не блещет
October 26, 2017
Okay. This is just okay.
Nothing super-awesome or emotional. Just another story about Mystic and here mission on Cuba in the 90s (I suppose).
To read and forget.
Nothing super-awesome or emotional. Just another story about Mystic and here mission on Cuba in the 90s (I suppose).
To read and forget.
April 24, 2019
Good, but not enough character development.
July 10, 2020
I enjoyed this comic. I like msytique and like how she was written here. Also enjoyed the art
November 10, 2024
Doesn't have the nuance of Vaughan's newer stuff. I don't think I'll be continuing this one.
January 6, 2026
no esperaba absolutamente nada y logro sorprenderme, es muy entretenido jajaja pero parece una propaganda encontrá de cuba
February 22, 2021
somewhere between 3 and 4 stars.
Continuing the x-citing x-book read of 2017
When I started this whole undertaking, I was really excited to learn that Brian K. Vaughan wrote an x-men book and couldn’t wait to get to this series.
And while it is an intriguing start (and better written than a lot of other x-books from the same timeframe,) it feels more like a start than anything else. In truth, that’s okay with me – I support a story that is a slow burn and Vaughan seems to really have a handle on Mystique’s character here so I am definitely optimistic regarding the future of this title. I suppose what I am trying to say here is that so far, it really is a good x-book but doesn't feel as good as previous Vaughan writing that I have read to this point, so I am hoping that it swings more towards his other work.
(I hope there’s more Forge in the upcoming books as well. He’s always been one of my x-character favorites and he seems criminally underused.)
Edit: reread February 2021. I was knocked on my butt sick yesterday and wanted some comfort literature so I reread all four volumes of this series. And man, do I still love it. I even broke one of my (loose) rules and changed the rating from 3 to 4 stars on volume 1. I have to say that I like the nuance of Vaughan's writing a little more than McKeever's (which is interesting since I seemed to feel the opposite on first reading) this time around. Overall, I thought the series was really great (and luckily since my memory is crap, there were still a few surprises for me) although I will say that I felt that the ending was a little bit of a letdown. Still, this remains one of my absolute favorite X-men spinoff series and I wish more writers of Mystique would read it. (Don't get me started on how poorly she is often written after this series...) Oh, and where is shortpack? I can't remember him ever showing up anywhere else.
Continuing the x-citing x-book read of 2017
When I started this whole undertaking, I was really excited to learn that Brian K. Vaughan wrote an x-men book and couldn’t wait to get to this series.
And while it is an intriguing start (and better written than a lot of other x-books from the same timeframe,) it feels more like a start than anything else. In truth, that’s okay with me – I support a story that is a slow burn and Vaughan seems to really have a handle on Mystique’s character here so I am definitely optimistic regarding the future of this title. I suppose what I am trying to say here is that so far, it really is a good x-book but doesn't feel as good as previous Vaughan writing that I have read to this point, so I am hoping that it swings more towards his other work.
(I hope there’s more Forge in the upcoming books as well. He’s always been one of my x-character favorites and he seems criminally underused.)
Edit: reread February 2021. I was knocked on my butt sick yesterday and wanted some comfort literature so I reread all four volumes of this series. And man, do I still love it. I even broke one of my (loose) rules and changed the rating from 3 to 4 stars on volume 1. I have to say that I like the nuance of Vaughan's writing a little more than McKeever's (which is interesting since I seemed to feel the opposite on first reading) this time around. Overall, I thought the series was really great (and luckily since my memory is crap, there were still a few surprises for me) although I will say that I felt that the ending was a little bit of a letdown. Still, this remains one of my absolute favorite X-men spinoff series and I wish more writers of Mystique would read it. (Don't get me started on how poorly she is often written after this series...) Oh, and where is shortpack? I can't remember him ever showing up anywhere else.
July 22, 2011
This is everything I don't like about modern comics. The writing seems rushed and hacked, even for vaughan, the colors of the art glows but then the whole thing seems canned and stale after 5 issues, favorite characters are made 2d instead of being expanded and fleshed out, and the plot starts out with a bang and ends with a unsatisfying pfft. Sorry dear, i gave you a shot because of vaughans clever plotting from ex machina, but i will not be returning to this series again.
August 11, 2014
After reading some bad Marvel comics (I used the Marvel Unlimited $.99 for 1 month code, in case you were wondering), it was nice to read a story that, while still "comic book-y" was an enjoyable read. Brian K. Vaughan got his reputation as a comic book author for good reasons.
Fro comic books this could almost be a 4 star instead of 3, but really it was enjoyable but not something I'd tell others to go out and read.
Fro comic books this could almost be a 4 star instead of 3, but really it was enjoyable but not something I'd tell others to go out and read.
March 29, 2012
Really like it when you get a look at some of the "less scrupulous" characters to really see their motivations and how they react in situations. This was a great story for that, really seeing a bit deeper into Mystique. She becomes a spy and starts to work on things that the X-Men can't get involved with. Really like to see where this might go.
February 18, 2010
not bad, but i expect better from Brian K Vaughan
November 10, 2011
okay - some interesting twists to a full out shape shifter.
November 26, 2012
Decent addition to the X-Men series of graphic novels, although I wasn't blown away by the stories. The art was good for the most part.
July 24, 2014
You know you are reading a book written by someone from Cleveland when there is a random Shortpack Pittsburgh slam. BKV, forever the man!
September 4, 2016
Who knew Mystique was a deep, likeable character?
November 12, 2014
The story wasnt too original but i do like Mystiques attitude and style. You do get to see her caring side which is rare.
June 23, 2016
Fun to see her at her best.
Not just a bad guy anymore.
And she can fight.
Not missing the X-Men in this title.
Not just a bad guy anymore.
And she can fight.
Not missing the X-Men in this title.
July 14, 2015
Mystique is not a great person, but she is one of my favorite characters nonetheless. Vaughan is also one of my favorite writers in comics. So this was a win/win.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews