Instead of spending much time worrying about it right away, I decided to go ahead and read the comments and see what other people came up with. I gather it was supposed to be Yera. The problem is, I think she fails to meet the demands of #3 (not just deceiving her future husband, but specifically spying on him). I dug around and found a copy of the story where Yera's masquerade was revealed. "Legion of Super-Heroes #305." Page 7. Here's dialogue from the flashback scene where we see how she was recruited by Imskian rebels to take Violet's place offworld with the Legion.

FIRST CONSPIRATOR (YALO MULDRON): Consider it an acting job, Yera . . . but with a higher meaning.

SECOND CONSPIRATOR: We've explained our cause to you, and we don't want anyone to get hurt. Shrinking Violet would have helped us herself, but she's sick.

FIRST CONSPIRATOR: All you have to do is take her place in the Legion.

YERA: I shall do it, Yalo Muldron. But I shall not spy on them for you.

FIRST CONSPIRATOR: No need. Just keep them from realizing that Violet's with us.

YERA: It will be my most challenging role . . . and when I have played it, no drama guilds will dare bar Durlans -- saying our only talent is our shape-changing. For I shall be Shrinking Violet, among those who know her well.

So Yera specifically refused to spy, and the conspirators said they were fine with that. They weren't asking her to uncover Legion secrets and transmit them back to Imsk in a cleverly encrypted format or any such cloak-and-dagger activities. They just wanted her to serve as a decoy, a celebrity double if you will, to obscure the fact that Salu Digby was still on Imsk all this time.

Salu was actually their helpless prisoner, but the conspirators didn't tell Yera that -- and she was so gullible that she didn't see anything suspicious about some malcontent rebel leaders telling her: "It's a pity you can't meet the Legionnaire who recently joined us, so that she could reassure you that she really WANTS you to impersonate her for the next few months! But she's feeling awfully sick this week, so just take our word for it that she won't mind a bit!"

I don’t suppose Lyja’s in it, is she?"

Judging by those costumes, no.

Also, it was published in 1999, well past the Lyja days.

And there's a website called FFplaze, which summarizes F4 issues, and doesn't say that Lyja or Alicia were in it.

I think the kiss is kind of implied in “romantically involved”.

You'd think, but this being Rogue, the notable part is that these three characters actually kissed her. She and Joseph were never really romantically involved. He just created a power negator and kissed her on the forehead.

However, he was clearly into her - so I guess that could count as romantically involved. It's where I am confused. I guess I'll just give BOTH answers cool points!

It’s tough, as that is exactly what I was thinking for the theme, but should “romantically involved with” count as a right answer?

I think the kiss is kind of implied in "romantically involved".

X-Factor #70. I remembered it because it's the first Mignola cover I ever saw.

I thought of Yera on 2, but then decided you were really thinking of Lyja, so I wasn’t certain until number 5. Very well done, Mr. Cronin.

Gracias. When I figured it would be Yera, and I began to write the clues, the whole similarity to Lyja thing struck me, so I went the whole "point out how amusing the similarities are" route.

I had a snarky comment about the X-covers & the X-books' general quality in the mid-90s, but in the spirit of the Snark-Free Corner, I shall restrain myself.

Cover Theme: Men who Rogue has kissed.

It's tough, as that is exactly what I was thinking for the theme, but should "romantically involved with" count as a right answer?

I don't suppose Lyja's in it, is she?

Yera is probably the answer.

They also showed up in one or more of the Access books.
And I want to say there was a FF/Superman?

Maybe not the right place to bring it up, but has the FF ever been in a DC/Marvel crossover? Not counting Amalgam Age.

I guess the html is blocked. Here's the link:
http://comicdb.dreamers.com/xmen174.jpg