Emma Frost is an unapologetic mutant with a long history in Marvel Comics. She was once seen as an enemy to the X-Men, but she has since begun working on their side. Much like Magneto, Emma Frost has only ever cared about her fellow mutants. More importantly, she’s always been trying to invest in the next generation of mutants, worrying for their future in a way that few others can. While some fans still love to consider her a villain, she’s an important member of the X-Men, having done many important things for the team and mutants as a whole.
Videos by ComicBook.com
As a long-standing character in Marvel, Emma Frost has toyed with many names over the years. She’s been the White Queen, Ice Princess, Ice Queen, and even the Phoenix. She’s best known for her cut-throat take on life, not to mention her mutants. Emma is an Omega Level Telepath, and some of her most impressive feats stem from this fact. Some of her worst moments, too, if we’re being honest. Notably, Emma Frost also has a secondary mutant, a diamond form that makes her nigh invulnerable. These are far from Emma Frost’s only tools, as her cunning and tactical mind are just as dangerous, if not more so, than her mutations. With these gifts and talents, Emma Frost has relentlessly fought for the future.
1) She Dropped Everything to Teach Generation X
Even fans who love to hate on Emma Frost have to admit that she’s a committed teacher. She has, on more than one occasion, dropped everything to teach the next generation of mutants. One of the brightest examples of this happened during Generation X. Here, Emma Frost stopped acting like a supervillain and came down to Earth to become a mentor.
That may not sound like a big deal to some, but it was a huge move for Emma Frost. She had been making waves and changing the game, but she refocused instead on teaching. She stepped up to teach Jubilee, Monet, and Paige, helping them reach their full potential as superheroes. This easily led to a series that fans fell in love with, creating a slew of iconic and memorable moments. It’s one of those moments that really brought the characters (especially Emma) into a new light.
2) Guiding Kate Pryde and the Mauraders
Emma Frost has pretty much always wanted to be a mentor to Kate Pryde. Yes, she absolutely took that too far at least once (and Storm has understandably not forgotten that), but there is something admirable in how determined she is to help heroes meet their full potential. Even after Kate Pryde has arguably grown up, Emma is still invested in helping her take the next step forward.
That became clear during the Krakoa era, as Emma Frost guided (and sometimes pushed) Kate Pryde into a unique leadership role. Kate found herself in charge of The Marauders, an organization designed to rescue trapped mutants and hit back against mutant enemies from the waters. Yeah, Kate went full pirate mode in this series, and Emma Frost supported her the entire way.
This series really focused on Emma and Kate’s relationship, allowing the two to find a new path forward. It likewise addresses their history and different worldviews, bringing everything into the light. It’s a noteworthy point because it reminded readers of why Emma Frost was so dedicated to supporting Kate Pryde in the first place.
3) Founding the Massachusetts Academy
As mentioned above, Emma Frost has always been more concerned about the future generations of mutants. Sure, she could have stopped what she was doing and joined in at Xavier’s Institute, but she wanted to do things a little differently. So she founded the Massachusetts Academy, a prestigious private school. It looked expensive and exclusive, and it certainly cost a fair penny to run (and attend).
How is this school any different than Xavier’s? Well, Emma’s biggest goal was to help students access their powers and become stronger. While Xavier’s was also doing this, the motivation is different. Xavier was training the next generation of heroes, while Emma was teaching her students how to fight and survive. Two very different takes on the matter.
Sadly, Massachusetts Academy was struck by tragedy, not all that dissimilar to many times Xavier’s Institute was targeted. This moment helped Emma Frost see the light, leading to her working more often alongside the X-Men.
4) A Leader of Krakoa
As with many parts of Krakoa, there was good and bad. It was an amazing time for all of mutantkind, but it had a darker underbelly that came to light. One thing that’s a little in between is the Krakoa Quiet Council, which naturally included Emma Frost. The council, interestingly enough, had villains and heroes at the table, with the shared goal of keeping Krakoa alive and well.
In addition to having a seat at the Krakoa Quiet Council, Emma Frost was placed in charge of International Trade Relations for Krakoa. In other words, Xavier trusted her to handle all ongoing negotiations with other countries, and that’s huge. Emma used this role to support Kate Pryde’s Marauders move, to add context to how this all came into being. This also meant she had to deal with the likes of Shaw, which was almost certainly not a highlight for the telepath. No good deed goes unpunished, right?
5) Lending Financial Support to Utopia
Say what you will about Emma Frost’s business practices, she’s put a lot of that money to good use. Funding and founding the Massachusetts Academy was only one example of this, as she also stepped in to bankroll Utopia. As a reminder, Utopia is pretty much what it sounded like, an ideal place that was meant to be sacred and safe for the mutants. While we all know it didn’t work out (in the long run), funding that venture could not have been cheap.
It’s important to understand that this wasn’t a casual investment on Emma’s part. She wasn’t funneling some of her money into Utopia. She had to liquidate most of her assets and holdings in order to obtain enough money to make this work. That’s how important Utopia was to all of mutantkind and to Emma Frost.
6) Putting Aside Her Differences to Help Jean Grey
Let’s be real for a moment, Jean Grey and Emma Frost were never destined to be the best of friends. Even when they’re not actively behaving like enemies, there’s too much history for them to bridge that gap. It doesn’t help that, historically, these two have fought over Scott. It’s odd to think that either would fight over a man, but here we are. Thankfully, when that context is removed, they can almost get along.
For example, the two were able to sit down and work things out, with Emma setting aside her problems to help a younger version of Jean Grey. Admittedly, it probably didn’t hurt that they were coming from two very different points in time (literally). In this weird mixture of timelines and events, Emma was the one who helped Jean Grey get control over her telepathic abilities.
7) From the Ashes: Guiding a New Generation of Mutants
The fall of Krakoa was devastating for all mutants, Emma Frost included. She, along with many leaders within the mutant community, picked herself off the ground and kept on going. Naturally, when she saw Kate Pryde resist the pull to lead the next generation of mutants, she didn’t hesitate to step in and force her way into the situation. Admittedly, her introduction was far from ideal, but as per usual, her heart was in the right place.
Let’s take a step back. It all began with Kate Pryde accidentally stumbling across a group of young mutants, saving one here and there and hoping they’d figure things out on their own. Emma Frost saw what was happening and stepped in to take care of the kids, though she started by grabbing their minds and walking them out of the room. On the bright side, it got Kate moving, eventually putting the two on the same page: these kids needed instructors if they wanted to survive what the world had to offer them.
This whole story takes place in Exceptional X-Men, which is an ongoing series. The two heroes are desperately trying to help the next generation of mutants understand their strengths and weaknesses. Kate’s been a more reluctant teacher the whole time, while Emma has been much quicker to embrace the role (it’s her natural state of being). When Mister Sinister ended up part of the mix, neither hero hesitated before jumping into the fight to save the children they had taken charge of. It likely won’t be the last time Kate or Emma head into battle for the sake of this group. It certainly won’t be the last time Emma Frost steps up to protect the next generation of characters. It’s become a bit of a running theme for her, in case you haven’t noticed.
Most Viewed
-
Image courtesy of Marvel Studios. -
Toei Animation
