WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Marauders #20 by Gerry Duggan, Stefano Caselli, Edgar Delgado, Chris Sotomayor, and VC's Cory Petit, on sale now
Since the formation of Krakoa, Kate Pryde has been working more and more with her former enemy Emma Frost. Ahead of the upcoming Hellfire Gala, the pair have truly set themselves apart from the rest of the Quiet Council. And it seems that Emma really wanted to share with Kate just how much this bond means to her. It turns out the most distinct piece of Kate Pryde's Hellfire Gala look is a present from Emma -- and one that carries serious emotional significance for both women.
As a present for Kate Pryde, Emma Frost adds a distinct diamond X pendant to Kate's Hellfire Gala outfit. While most of the look is designed by mutant fashion guru Jumbo Carnation, Emma had the diamond made custom for Kate by arranging for the fairly sourced diamond to be crafted in a unique X cut thanks to the reality-warping powers of Proteus. While diamonds are far more tied with Emma, the bullet at the center of the piece makes it very clearly for Kate -- with the piece meant as a reminder for Kate (and anyone else who's aware) of how much she's sacrificed for the people in any given room with her. This is a deep-cut reference to the history between the two characters, which has been one of the most emotionally complex and rewarding relationships in X-Men history.
Shadowcat's first encounter with the X-Men coming during a fight with Emma and the Hellfire Club in Uncanny X-Men #131 by Chris Claremont and John Byrne. Kate Pryde's relationship with Emma has been complicated ever since, with the (then villainous) telepath even manipulating events so that Kate would be briefly moved from the Xavier Institute to her own Hellfire Academy. Emma was a frequent foe of the X-Men during this time, and even briefly stole Storm's body in Uncanny X-Men #151 & #152 by Chris Claremont and Jim Sherman as part of that scheme. For a long time, Shadowcat saw Emma Frost as the epitome of evil -- even telling Emma that to her face in Astonishing X-Men #2 by Joss Whedon and John Cassiday. Throughout Astonishing X-Men, the pair were forced into close proximity on multiple occasions.
Both operating as members of the Xavier Institute faculty and the X-Men in the time during a tumultuous time for mutants (including the Decimation caused by House of M), Emma admitted she'd specifically asked for Pryde's involvement on the team to serve as something of a check on Emma's darker impulses -- something Shadowcat was more than willing to commit to, even threatening to kill the telepath during her attempts to free Cassandra Nova. In Giant-Size Astonishing X-Men, Kate seemingly sacrificed herself to phase a massive bullet fired from Breakworld at the Earth -- telepathically communicating with Emma the whole time. It was a brief moment of empathy between the two women, with Emma giving Shadowcat some sense of companionship as she seemingly fused with the bullet and was briefly lost in space.
The whole experience left Emma shaken and emotionally shattered, and Emma was one of the X-Men most pleased with Shadowcat's eventual return to Earth. The pair has forged a much more respectful and admiring relationship in Marauders, with the pair working alongside each other as the Red and White Queens of the Hellfire Trading Corporation. It was Emma who even named Kate the Red Queen, elevating her to the Quiet Council. Leaving behind "Kitty" and officially taking on the public name of Kate Pryde as a sign of her maturity, the former enemies have grown increasingly close in recent months. The diamond bullet pendant from Emma carries a deep significance as a result, cementing how her relationship with Kate Pryde may have begun as enemies, but is now stronger than any diamond -- or bullet, for that matter.