Kelly opened up to Marvel.com about her formative years as a comics fan, what set her on the path to professional writing, of course, all things Rogue, plus much more.

Marvel.com: How did you first get into comics as a fan? Was it Super Heroes right away or was there a gateway?

Kelly Thompson: I had two gateways actually. I read Archie comics as a little kid and I think that’s important because it taught me from an early age how to read comics, which is definitely a learned skill that can be a roadblock for readers who come to comics later in my experience. The other gateway was a cartoon…

Marvel.com: Heck yeah! So what role did X-Men: The Animated Series play in your youth?

Thompson: Like so many fans of a certain age the X-Men animated series was what got me into the whole wide world of monthly comics—and into Super Hero comics specifically. One look at that cartoon and I was in love; X-Men comics were not far behind.

Marvel.com: So why did X-Men as a concept speak to you, both in general and specifically as a teenage girl growing up?

Thompson: I always was—and still am—very interested in misfits and found families—making your own family—and I think the X-Men embody that more than almost any other comic. And I think that’s an especially relatable concept for teens looking for their place in the world.

Marvel.com: You’ve got a long personal history with the character of Rogue, whom you’re currently writing in MR. AND MRS. X. What forged your early connection with her?

Thompson: When I saw Rogue in a mini-dress punching a Sentinel in the face while flying through a mall [in the pilot episode of the animated series], I was in love. And that love affair only got more intense once I started reading the comic. There was so much I loved about her, but in retrospect, a woman that feels untouchable and utterly alone is very relatable for a teenage girl. Dramatic perhaps, but relatable.

Marvel.com: Backing up a little, what did you want to be when you grew up as a kid?

Thompson: I wanted to be a writer since I can remember. When I was six or seven I wrote these stories about mermaid sisters and then, not satisfied with just writing them, I made them into actual books with little die-cut covers. So I think from an early age it was not just about writing, but publishing—sharing those stories.

Marvel.com: Do you know where did your interest in writing began?

Thompson: I honestly don’t, it was just always there. But I’ve been so grateful for that. I don’t remember a time when I didn’t want to create and a lot of people search their whole lives for something they can love like that—a lot of them never find it.