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8 Emma Frost: The White Queen __________________________________________________________________ SCOTT It’s not real… it’s just thoughts… EMMA Well, you have to agree I look rather good in these old rags of yours, dear. But I can think myself into something a little more up-to-date if you like. 38 Psychically probed by Jean in the ensuing confrontation, Emma explains how she established herself as Sebastian Shaw’s right-hand in their mutual takeover of the Hellfire Club: EMMA …I became exactly what Sebastian wanted… the Ice Queen, the dominatrix from hell… and I watched how he did business. I learned how simple and predictable the desires of men can be. 39 But Emma is moved to confess to Wolverine just a few pages later: EMMA …why did I allow myself to become so stupid and so vulnerable, Logan? Why did I have to fall in love with Scott bloody Summers? 40 This dialogue captures Frost’s struggle to experience authentic relationships with her fellow X-Men, a motif which the comic has repeatedly explored over the last 15 years. Frost’s career as a manipulator is an inescapable part of her characterization. But what is the intention behind all of this manipulation, this relentless and empowering performance of what others wish to see? What does Emma Frost want? Frost has trapped herself between the roles of object and subject, by her very effectiveness, surpassing all established norms and establishing new superlatives in her performance of both her gender and sex. Frost’s entire existence is a performance - and one which her superpowers make infinitely more effective. But the parameters of her gender performance are ultimately determined by established gender roles in society. To paraphrase Foucault: there is no performance which can take place outside of society. Or, as Susan Bordo puts it: ‘women may indeed contribute to the perpetuation of female subordination… by embracing, taking pleasure in, and even feeling empowered by the cultural objectification and sexualisation of the female body.’ 41 Frost’s freedom, Bordo might argue, depends on others’ oppression, a lesson which Emma herself learns in Boller’s origin story. This may be why the covers of each
<strong>Richard</strong> Reynolds 9 __________________________________________________________________ of the 18-parts of Emma Frost show Emma not as she appears at that stage of the story, but as the ultimate product of her evolving performance: the White Queen, the Dominatrix from Hell. Likewise, the diamond skin she gains in Morrison’s text both protects her from harm, but simultaneously renders her as a supremely valuable and desirable object. Immediately after Frost’s confession of her love for Scott Summers, she becomes the victim of a mysterious assassin, and for a time appears to have been destroyed. Her diamond form is smashed into thousands of glittering fragments. In her writings on gender performativity, Judith Butler asserts that it is meaningless to separate the performer from the performance. 42 But the attack that shatters Frost’s crystal form could be said to do precisely this. The ‘cultural fictions’ which Frost’s performances draw on are no more than precious artefacts when separated from their controlling intelligence. But both Morrison and all the other key chroniclers of Emma Frost’s development are male, and thus perhaps ready to see gender performance as something separable from personal identity. It would be both fascinating and enlightening to see what women writers and artists might accomplish with Emma Frost as their protagonist. Notes 1 Chris Claremont’s first credit as writer on Ms Marvel is for issue #3, dated March 1977. The earliest scripts were written by Gerry Conway. Claremont proceeded to introduce major changes in Ms Marvel’s characterization. Storm first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men # 1, dated May 1975. This issue was plotted by Len Wein, but Claremont began writing the series from the next issue, # 94, and Storm’s development as a major character is regarded as his work. Jean Grey first transforms into Phoenix in X-Men # 101, October 1976, also written by Claremont. 2 Supergirl first appeared as a definitive character in Action Comics #252 (May 1959). Power Girl first appeared in All Star Comics #58 (January/February 1976) 3 The Scarlet Witch first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #4 (March 1964). Jean Grey, Marvel Girl first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #1 (September 1963). The Invisible Woman first appeared in Fantastic Four # 1 (November 1961). The Wasp first appeared in Tales to Astonish #44 (June 1963). 4 Claremont and Byrne commenced their run as written and artist on the All-New All-Different X-Men with issue # 108 (December 1977) and continued to work together on the title until issue # 143 (March 1981). From issue # 114 the title
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