Mystique: Declan Shalvey Sets the X-Men Villain Up for an Espionage Thriller (Exclusive)

Mystique is about to solidify herself as one of the most ruthless villains in the Marvel Universe. Raven Darkholme tried to play nice on the X-Men’s sovereign island nation of Krakoa, but she eventually was one of the many factors that brought down the end of that era. Removed from her wife (Destiny) and children (Rogue and Nightcrawler), and with Krakoa no more, Mystique is embarking on a tale of action and espionage in a new series from writer/artist Declan Shalvey. Mystique will travel to various corners of the Marvel Universe with Nick Fury hot on her trail, and one of the series’ biggest mysteries will be what has driven Mystique to take such violent actions.

ComicBook spoke to Declan Shalvey about the five-issue Mystique limited series to find out where readers will find her when the first issue drops on October 16th. Shalvey also discussed the similarities and differences between Mystique and Nick Fury, how his creator-owned spy series Old Dog helped prepare him to tackle this type of story, coming up with Mystique’s new costume, and more. We can also exclusively reveal the first look at Mystique #1, as well as the cover and solicitation for Mystique #3.

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Getting inside Mystique’s mind

ComicBook: What is Mystique’s state of mind as her solo series begins? Is she acting out over the fall of Krakoa, or is there another reason for the chaos she seemingly appears to be responsible for?

Declan Shalvey: This is tricky to answer as I’m trying to put the MYSTery back into MYSTique, so here goes…

The fall of Krakoa has definitely had an effect on Mystique. There is definitely a strategy behind what she’s doing. From the outside, it seems chaotic, but it’s all part of a larger plan. I don’t want to give away her motivations here, but she definitely has reconsidered her properties with how mutantdom currently sits in the Marvel Universe, making her far more ruthless.

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Mystique vs. Nick Fury

Nick Fury is the perfect counter to Mystique, with both of them having an espionage background. What was it like to bounce these iconic characters off each other?

It’s fun, while they both have this espionage background and deep connections to the history of the Marvel Universe, they’re completely different characters, opposites even. Mystique lives in the grey, but Nick is a more principled, by-the-books agent. If Nick is going to catch Mystique, he’s going to get in the mud with her, but how dirty is he willing to get?

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How Old Dog prepared Shalvey for Mystique

How has working on your creator-owned series Old Dog helped you when it came to crafting the Mystique story?

Sure, I feel like I developed a storytelling language on Old Dog with that espionage story and have been able to transfer it over to Mystique quite seamlessly. I think it’s why the book starts so strong with #1. It’s worked out in a strange way, as Old Dog was initially created as part of a desire to do a Marvel-style espionage book and now after creating that book, I’m back at Marvel doing the very thing I wanted to do in the first place! Funny how things work out. I also feel like I’m slightly building on the serial I did for Civil War ll: Choosing Sides… that was a Nick Fury Jr story that I wrote/drew, so it’s nice to pick up where I left off with that character a few years ago.

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Mystique’s new costume

Did you have a hand in coming up with Mystique’s new look for the series?

Yes, the new costume was part of my pitch, for her own new book I wanted a visual signifier. Her original costume is classic and iconic, and has been with her for so long because of that. As a result, it’s hard to nail down where she was as a character across the many Marvel titles over the many years. I wanted this series to stand out within her overall history going forward. Plus, it’s a bit of a visual nod to the spy outfit she had in the early 2000s, adjusted to line up more with today’s fashions.

Mystique’s impact on the Marvel Universe

To wrap up, how will this Mystique series impact her status in the Marvel Universe moving forward?

By the end of this book, I want the reader to know less about her, not more. It’s my goal with this series to dust off any anti-hero element and make Mystique a villain again, to make her dangerous.

MYSTIQUE #3 (OF 5)

DECLAN SHALVEY (W) • DECLAN SHALVEY (A/C)

A strategic stop in Madripoor turns into an international incident as Mystique prepares her endgame against S.H.I.E.L.D.! But what is the mother of mutant terrorism after in Lowtown? And what have her enemies sent to deal with her?