When comic book fans hear the phrase 'Ice Queen,' they either think of any of the Killer Frosts or Marvel's White Queen. Created in 1980, Emma Frost has done it all; she's been a ruthless hero, a compassionate villain, both at the same time, or neither. Cold, calculating, and cunning - Emma Frost is one of the most dangerous women in the Marvel Universe.
When we reach January of next year, Emma will have been around for forty years to the day. Marvel's bound to commemorate her in some way, so think of this article as a means to get up to date with the Queen of Crystal Heart.
10 Mental Cheating (Cruel)
Frost possesses many amazing skills abilities that set her apart from the rest; she's a diligent businesswoman, an excellent teacher, and a licensed sex therapist. However, telepathy is Emma's most dangerous power. Case in point, Emma's an Omega Level telepath that can mentally affect others on a global scale! Mutants like Jean Grey and Professor X consistently struggle against her might.
Frost is very fond of erasing memories and mentally coercing others to do her bidding. However, she crossed thousands of X-Men fans when she physically cheated with Scott Summers, aka Cyclops! In the wake of Jean Grey's death, Forst used her powers to comfort and then sleep with the grieving Summers. This mental affair still occasionally pops up in modern X-Men stories.
9 Body Swapping With Storm (Cruel)
Emma Frost is perhaps most defined by her tendency to straddle the line between being a heroine and villain. One minute she's the Co-Headmistress of the Xavier Institute, the next she's going to war with the Inhumans! But around the time Emma first debuted, things were much more clear cut.
Very early in his publication history, Emma Frost sought to dismantle the X-Men from the inside. To this end, she swapped bodies with Ororo Munroe - better known as Storm. Frost nearly succeeded in pitting the X-Men against one another. However, the real Storm broke free of Emma's influence and saved her team.
8 Making Some Vomit For 48 Hours (Cruel)
Even when the White Queen fights on the side of good, she's still a scary woman! Most heroes try to knock out foes or dispatch them in some other humane fashion. Others, like the Punisher and Deadpool, are fond of ultraviolence - preferring to pay evil unto evil. Emma Frost takes thing up a notch by actually reveling in the chaos she spreads!
Thanks to her immense psychic power, Frost can force a foe to live out their worst nightmares. For kicks and giggles, she once made an enemy vomit for forty-eight hours whenever they'd hear the word 'parsley.' Due to the potency of Emma's psychic suggestions, this person could dehydrate if they watched the wrong episode of Hell's Kitchen!
7 Messing With Wolverine's Head (Cruel)
Wolverine might not be an Omega level mutant, but he's still one of the toughest X-Men there is. Centuries of experience fighting in major World Wars have honed his combat abilities. The Weapon X Program infused him with Adamantium, rendering him virtually indestructible. And Wolvie's got one of the best Healing Factors in the game.
But above all of that, Wolverine's tenacity and grit define him as a character. Even in the Marvel Universe, most people avoid butting heads with the 'best there is.' Not Emma Frost; not only does she love arguing with the Canucklehead but she enjoys mentally undermining him. Case in point, Frost once used her powers to make Wolverine think he was a child again. Man, this girl is cold - ahem.
6 Going All 'Dark Phoenix' On Us (Cruel)
The Phoenix Five might sound like a Psychedelic Rock band from the 1970s, but the actually couldn't be further from the truth. In the Marvel Universe, the term refers to five mutants that inherited the power of the Phoenix Force. The group consisted of Colossus, Magik, Namor the Sub-Mariner, Cyclops, and good ol' icy Emma Frost.
When one member of the team fell, the others would absorb their power and grow stronger. Thanks to the efforts of the X-Men and the Avengers Frost and Summers were eventually the last two standing. At the crucial moment, at the height of her power, Emma suggested burning the world to ash with Cyclops. She got pushy, to put it mildly, and nearly caused an incendiary psychic holocaust!
5 Adopting The Stepford Cuckoos (Heroic)
What is the measure of a clone? With the ways that science and technology are advancing, we may have to answer that question in our own lifetimes. Since comic books are rooted in pulp fiction and sci-fi, they've already beaten us to the punch by a few decades. Clones are prevalent in the world of comics, and they're major characters.
The Stepford Cuckoos are a set of Emma Frost clones created by the Weapon Plus Program. For a time, these girls didn't have a home or any family other than each other. However, Frost took them under her wing and surprisingly showered them with love and affection.
4 Giving Up The Massachusets Academy (Heroic)
Emma's compassion doesn't just extend to her biological children. Despite her standoffish demeanor, Frost genuinely cares for all of mutantkind. As the head of Frost International, Emma used her expansive funds to help mutants all around the country. Not satisfied with the efforts of the Xavier Institute, Frost eventually opened her a school of her own - the Massachusetts Academy.
Mutants of all walks of life were welcome to visit and even enroll. For a time, Frost was content with her lot in life. However, trouble arose and shook up her status quo. Frost found herself unfit to lead the Massachusetts Academy and donated it to the Xavier Institue, despite her personal qualms.
3 Teaching At Xavier's School (Heroic)
Frost's act of kindness didn't go unnoticed and unrewarded. Despite their differences, the Xavier Institute needed another teacher who could guide young mutants with psychic powers. Frost deliberated for a time, then eventually accepted the offer to teach at her former foe's school. To the surprise of many veteran X-Men, Emma proved herself to be an excellent mentor!
The White Queen wasn't an easy instructor by any stretch of the imagination. However, she fully devoted herself to the job and became fiercely protective of her students. Frost also wouldn't hesitate to mind wipe anyone fool enough to threaten her protegees.
2 Ending A Riot With A Thought (Heroic)
Anti-mutant sentiments are par for the course in the Marvel Universe. You'd think the world at large would become more accepting of mutantkind as a whole. But Marvel writers intentionally make progress a 'one step forward, one step back' affair. Even Omega level mutants like Emma Frost aren't immune to discrimination.
In one story, Frost and a group of other mutants find themselves in the middle of a hate rally. Slurs get slung, threats get made, and things look to get messy soon. With a thought, Frost could've lobotomized her would-be attackers. However, she neutralized them with happy thoughts and positive vibes - placing their minds in euphoric states.
1 Avenging The Loss Of Genosha (Heroic)
A causal comic fan might think that Magento is the greatest threat to the X-Men. In reality, Max Eisenhardt seeks to build a better world for his mutant brothers, sisters, and children. He sees things very differently from Charles Xavier. However, the two respect each other immensely and tend to fight alongside one another.
The same can't be said for Sebastian Shaw. That guy is genuinely messed up in the head. When some mutants rubbed him the wrong way, he destroyed the island of Genosha. Emma Frost was the sole survivor, leading her to harbor immense guilt for a time. Eventually, she caught up to Shaw and totally eradicated his mind to avenge the fallen.