Lightning cracks. A woman rushes to her appointment sheltered by an umbrella. A mugger demands the umbrella, but he is scared off when Mystique (the woman) changes her head to that of a gargantuan insect. Unmolested Mystique reaches her destination. Mr. Sinister welcomes her. He tells her that Professor X has left the X-Men and to reclaim Rogue all Mystique has to do is defeat them. Excited Mystique returns to the dark and stormy night.

The next day at an outdoor market, Blob, Pyro, and Avalanche start a ruckus to get the X-Men’s attention. Pyro even puts a flaming “X” symbol in the sky. The X-Men respond in full force: Cyclops, Rogue, Wolverine, and Storm. Pyro retreats. He has performed his task, but Avalanche and Blob pick a fight. While the others brawl Rogue is distracted by the familiar face of a spectator. The face spooks her so badly she screams and cannot fight.

In Rogue’s head she sees every person she has ever absorbed, but one face dominates. The face of the mysterious woman. If only Rogue could remember her name.

Rogue awakens in the mansion’s infirmary. Gambit and Cyclops are caring for her. Rogue admits that before Professor X left he was helping her with “flashes.” Xavier was suppressing memories that Rogue had absorbed. With the Professor gone, the flashes occurred more frequently.

Jean enters the infirmary with information on Rogue’s mystery woman. She has been following the X-Men “as if she wants us to see her.” Rogue has another flash. She ignores offers of help and insists she only needs some air. She goes out for a flight.

Rogue soars over Wolverine chopping wood; but instead of Logan, she sees the mystery woman. This throws Rogue into a fit. When Gambit tries to calm her, she strikes him. She flies back into the mansion and bumps into Cyclops. Again, Rogue sees the woman.

“Stop haunting me!” she screams.

Again in Rogue’s mind, the esoteric woman confronts her. “You took away my life,” the woman accuses. Rogue doesn’t even know her name.

Back in reality, Rogue has toppled Cyclops. “Where am I?” she asks, but the voice is that of the woman in her head. Rogue/the woman has another fit so Jean in forced to enter their mind. Rogue begins to fight herself physically, punching at her own body. In the process, she destroys three floors of the mansion. Cyclops asks Storm to follow her.

Storm trails Rogue to the Statue of Liberty. Rogue is calmer for the moment. She explains that only Professor X could help her and now he’s gone. Rogue’s peace is again disturbed by the other woman. This time the woman tells Rogue to meet her at the hospital “where you put me.” Storm follows Rogue to the hospital. She is greeted by Mystique disguised as Rogue. Mystique leads Storm into a trap and Blob knocks her unconscious. Mystique (as Storm) then tells he X-Men there is an emergency at Midway hospital.

Rogue wanders the hospital passing by the room of the comatose mystery woman. Two nurses discuss the strange case. They call her Sleeping Beauty. She has been unconscious with no change since she arrived years ago: no visitors, no information available.

Wolverine, Gambit, and Cyclops arrive at the hospital, but they are ambushed by the Brotherhood. Gambit smacks around Avalanche, and Cyclops blasts Pyro; but Wolverine can’t overcome Blob’s weight advantage. That is, until a rejuvenated Storm tosses the entire Brotherhood a few blocks with a tornado. Mystique escapes into the hospital.

In the building, Rogue sees her mystery woman walking around, but this time it is not her fractured psyche playing tricks on her. It’s Mystique. Rogue chases her into the real woman’s hospital room. As the woman lays comatose, Mystique reveals herself. Rogue is furious and demands to know Mystique’s intent. Mystique insists that she is trying to help Rogue with her flashes through confrontation. Mystique suggest Rogue touch her to better understand her connection to the mystery woman. Rogue complies.

Memories flood in, Rogue’s own suppressed memories. She remembers Cody –her first kiss and the first victim of her powers. She remembers her bigoted father disowning her and her running away. She recalls Mystique taking her in and training her in her powers.

On one of the Brotherhood’s missions (when the Brotherhood included Rogue), they were confronted by Ms. Marvel. Ms. Marvel got the upper hand, but Rogue grabbed her. Mystique told her not to let go, so Rogue clung on until she had absorbed her strength, her flight, her invulnerability, all of her. Then Blob removed Ms. Marvel’s mask and revealed Carol Danvers –mystery woman.

Then Rogue remembers the consequences. She saw Carol Danvers everywhere, reminding her that Rogue had stolen her life. Haunted Rogue ran away from home a second time. That is when Xavier called to her. Rogue joined the X-Men; but Xavier could not put Ms. Marvel’s mind back in her body, only suppress it in Rogue’s. He suppressed Carol Danvers so much Rogue forgot about her.

In the present, Rogue shouts at Mystique, “You used me. I was your weapon.” She changes shape into Carol Danvers (having temporarily absorbed Mystique’s abilities). After years of suppression, Danvers is the dominant personality. She shapeshifts into her Ms. Marvel costume, grabs Mystique, and flies out the hospital window. Storm tries to follow but is not quick enough.

Jean Grey connects to Cerebro and tries to calm Rogue/Danvers’s mind. Inside her head, Ms. Marvel pummels Rogue. Should Ms. Marvel win the confrontation, she would gain control over Rogue’s body and mind. She wants her life back. Rogue is overcome with grief and can scarcely fight. As Ms. Marvel is about to strike the killing blow, Jean traps her in a mental cage. Once again, Carol Danvers is suppressed.

Back in reality Rogue places Mystique on the ground and tells her foster mother to leave her alone. “I ain’t your daughter Mystique, not anymore.”

The next day Rogue visits the hospital. She tells the nurse that Sleeping Beauty’s real name is Carol Danvers.

“You knew her?” the nurse asks.

“We were close.”