- "Ah possess all Ms. Marvel's mem'ries. Ah know how you fight, how you think. That made it easy to catch you off guard. Most importantly, Ah possess her power!"
- ―Rogue
Memory transference is a super-power. It represents the ability to acquire the memories of another being through various means, either through tactile contact, or through psionic transfer via telepathy. An example of pneumatic absorption was presented in the 1957 sci-fi/horror film Attack of the Crab Monsters, wherein giant mutated crabs would eat the brains of their victims, and acquire their memories.
A similar process is found within the Star Trek franchise. Members of the Vulcan race can displace the embodiment of their mental essence, or katra, into the mind of another being, thereby granting that individual temporary access to all of the Vulcan's knowledge and memories. The Federation Starfleet officer known as Spock once did this after being exposed to lethal doses of radiation. Before dying, he transferred his Katra into the mind of Doctor Leonard McCoy. Fortunately for McCoy, his colleagues were able to transfer the memories back into the body of a reborn Spock. (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan) (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock)
The Marvel Comics superhero known as Rogue possesses this as a mutant ability. Through physical contact, she can absorb the abilities, memories and even aspects of one's personality from a target. In most situations, Rogue has no control over this ability. One of the most devastating uses of her power came when she was a young super-villain and a member of Mystique's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. While fighting Carol Danvers, aka Ms. Marvel, Rogue permanently stripped her of her memories, powers and personality. (Avengers Annual 10) She spent years coming to grips with this, and would often demonstrate character traits that were originally attributed to Carol. (Uncanny X-Men 182)
Memory transference plays a large role in the CW Network television series iZombie. The main character from the show, Olivia Moore, is a zombie who maintains her existence and sentience through the act of eating brains. By consuming the brain matter of a deceased person, she gains temporary access to certain insights into an individual's life, including memories, knowledge, and aspects of their personality.
Characters who possess memory transference[]
| Name | Source |
|---|---|
| Carl Blake | Marvel Universe |
| Olivia Moore | iZombie |
| Rogue | Marvel Universe |
| Spock | Star Trek |
Races that possess memory transference[]
| Name | Source |
|---|---|
| Vulcans | Star Trek |
Items that possess memory transference[]
| Name | Source |
|---|---|
| Memory Machine | DC Universe |
Notes[]
- Memory absorption redirects to this page.