‘The Gifted’ Reveals Shocking Frost Sisters Origin Story

Tonight’s episode of The Gifted revealed the shocking true origin of the Frost Sisters.

SPOILERS for The Gifted, “iMprint,” follow.

Tonight’s episode of The Gifted opens with to a flashback of the Frost Sisters being kept as prisoners at a laboratory that uses power-dampening collars to keep them under control. One of the scientists who work at the lab brings in another prisoner and forces the Frosts to use their telepathic abilities against their will to probe his mind for secrets.

In the present day, Polaris has become Reeva has been when it comes to sharing information on the Inner Circle’s mission. The Frost Sisters suggest it may be easier to keep Polaris on their side if they at least show her a piece of the larger picture. Reeva allows the Frosts to handle it.

Esme approaches Polaris and offers to show her plans and blueprints, but Polaris insists on going to the location herself. Esme agrees to go along with the idea. She brings Polaris to what at first appears to be a bank. Esme clarifies that its not a bank, but the headquarters of Creed Financial.

Esme explains that Creed Financial is funding all kinds of anti-mutant activities. She then goes on to explain that picking Creed as a target for the Inner Circle is personal for her and her sisters. She reveals that Creed funded the laboratory where she and her sisters were kept.

Not only that, but she reveals that she and her sisters are clones and that there used to be five of them. While Esme, Phoebe, and Sophie were forced to use their powers on that other prisoner, Celeste and Mindee were held back as leverage to make sure they kept in line.

Esme, Phoebe, and Sophie decide to make an escape, believing they can reach Celeste and Mindee before they’re killed. They were wrong. The three Frost Sisters manage to escape, but the other two are killed.

This origin fits with the Stepford Cuckoos from the comics. Originally the Five-in-One hivemind, two of them died early on, leaving only three now.

It is also worth noting that that the episode does not reveal who the Frost Sisters are clones of. In the comics, it is Emma Frost, a former member of the X-Men and the former White Queen of the Hellfire Club. ComicBook.com spoke to Frost Sisters actor Skyler Samuels about possible references to Emma Frost in the future.

“Like with Emma’s [Dumont, who plays Polaris] sort of nod to dad, we definitely have a nod to mom for the Frost Sisters,” Samuels said. “It’s unspoken but very evident.”

What do you think of the Frost Sisters’ origin story? Let us know in the comments!

The Gifted airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.