From Panel to Play: Mystique

CP43Mystique

Who would you be if you had the power to be anyone? Well, if your name is Mystique, you become one of the foremost spies and covert agents the world has ever seen. In this installment of From Panel to Play, we’ll see how the blue-skinned shapeshifter made the transition to the tabletop in Marvel: Crisis Protocol.

Mystique is one of the most enigmatic mutants alive. As a metamorph she can shapeshift to appear like any other person, copying their voice and body with such precision that she can duplicate the fingerprints and pores of a subject, as well as reproducing the clothing they wear. In her natural state, she has blue skin and eerily yellow eyes, which has made her the target of fearful mobs in the past.

No one knows her precise age, her origins, or even her real name. She claims to have lived for over a hundred years, acting as a consummate spy and assassin. Under the name Raven Darkholme she spent some years as Deputy Director of DARPA in the United States, but she has also acted as the leader of an incarnation of the Brotherhood of Mutants.

Mystique’s miniature captures the character in a moment of poise and calm. Her pistol at the ready, the mutant metamorph is in her true form as she stalks forward toward her objective. A fun detail on her miniature is the damaged plaque of Xavier’s school for gifted youngsters, no doubt blown down in whatever explosive entrance Mystique made as she broke into 1407 Graymalkin Lane.

It’s no secret that Mystique is a skilled spy and covert operative. Translating the shapeshifter to the tabletop presented some unique challenges and opportunities.

Mystique’s rules have a bent toward spycraft and stealth. Along with a fairly standard Pistol attack, she has a unique Espionage attack. It’s easy for her to get the drop on people when she’s wearing the skin of their trusted allies, after all. This Physical attack hits at Strength 6 and imposes the Stun special condition before dealing damage!

When it comes to her superpowers, Mystique’s theme of covert ops really shines through. One of her more… shall we say, showy powers is Expert Sabotage. Mystique has a talent for infiltrating a secure facility and reducing it to rubble, and this rule shows it off to great effect. As an action, she can spend 3 Power and choose a nearby piece of terrain. The chosen terrain explodes in a massive detonation, causing 2 damage to enemy characters too close to it and removing the terrain from the battlefield.

Perhaps the most interesting of her powers is the ability to shapeshift, however. Shapeshifting is an innate power that prevents enemies from reactive powers or team tactics cards against Mystique. Since she can look just like members of the enemy’s team, she can move among them with little fear of reprisal, sneak into her objectives, and secure them before anyone can realize that there are two Scott Summers in the neighborhood.

That’s all for now, but rest assured that Mystique has even more tricks up her shapeshifting sleeves, not the least of which is her own Leadership ability for the Brotherhood. Don’t miss the next installment of From Panel to Play, where we look at how all your favorite characters make the transition to the tabletop in Marvel: Crisis Protocol.

Until then, Atomic Mass Transmissions, signing off.