The 5th installment of Russel Dauterman’s “X-Men Costumes throughout the years” series stars Emma Frost and is the variant cover for Frank #3.
This cover shows Emma Frost in virtually every single costume she’s ever worn to the arena, and then some. There are 22 costumes, and I can’t think of any notable exceptions.
Perhaps the two biggest omissions are her AOA outfit and the long green suit she wore during the Phalange Convention, but neither really fit the mood of this white queen dream, so I understand why they were excluded.
My opinion of Emma Frost is that she is the modernist’s answer to rejuvenating the X-line. She’s the only notable new-ish member who has a comparable level of popularity today as all of the other mainstays do, like Jean and Storm and Psylocke and Kitty.
By new-ish I mean someone who joined the team in the past two decades or so. When you look at that timeline, there’s a whole slew of new characters like Pixie and Armor who – while popular in their ways – are nowhere near the almost household-name level that Emma is.
It’s not really fair to compare the levels of popularity, though, because Emma has been around far longer than any of the new characters introduced in the 2000s. She was a villainous member of the fire Club for the 80’s, and then a headmistress of Generation X for the 90’s, so the comic world has already been super-saturated with Emma Frost for years on end by the time she was a full-fledged X-Man.
But I still think it’s a commendable act for Emma to have lasted as long as she has among the X-Men and still come across as fresh. No one lasts in the X-Men lineup the way the mainstays do, so you’re gonna get a team with a Rogue and a Cyclops and a Gambit for sure, but the others who have been ready to the x-line since the end of the 90’s usually come and go like the wind.
I mean when was the last time Wraith did anything of interest?
I think it’s a credit to the development of Emma’s character that she has lasted as long as she has in the x-franchise, and just as a team member, but as a main character too. She’s often placed in the middle of whatever main plot point is happening and is never really regulated to the sidelines. I could never imagine the x-office trying to sideline Emma, though – I’m sure it’s baked into her contract to forbid that from happening.
A lot of the x-characters are already well-developed, but Emma was able to give the team something that it lacked, and that’s really what is most interesting about her for me. None of the core group really has the same ice cream exterior and sarcastic wit that she carries with her 24/7. She’s got a haughty attitude, and she flaunts it, whereas everyone else keeps it pretty heroic and humble. Throwing her into the mix really gave the intra-team dynamics some great inherent potential. And you’re DEFINITELY not gonna get that from a Pixie or an Armor.
I think without a doubt Emma is one of the greatest X-Men of all time, even considering that her actual time on the team is pretty short-lived compared to so many of the others. But enough of that, let’s get into the ranking!
Here are 22 Emma Frost costumes ranked from my least favorite to my most favorite.
22. Gen X Bodysuit
This costume is probably Emma at her most basic, and basic is not a word often used to describe Emma Frost.
The white suit was something that Emma wore as her second Generation X costume. For pretty much the entire Generation X series, the students all wore similar-ish costumes that were like red suits, but this was the first time that Emma followed suit and also suited up in a suit.
This is what is shown towards the end of the series when she meets a group of her former competitors who came looking to settle some past differences with her. One of them was Bianca La Neige a former business tycoon whom Emma shame, but it didn’t last long and who knows where she is now.
More prominently, this was also the era when disagreed off her own sister, Adrienne Frost. Emma needed her help financially, and Adrienne agreed, but in the process she tried usurping Emma’s role as the Headmistress of the school and as White Queen of the Club.
Adrienne was the breaking point for Emma, and after the revelation of Adrienne’s true nature caused the loss of Synch, Emma decided to put an end to her sister’s actions. Thus ended the story of Generation X, with some of its characters achieving great feats, while others met less fortunate fates, such as Skin, or surprising transformations, such as Jubilee becoming a vampire mother.
Even though Emma was did not behave well during this time, I don’t really think the costume did much for her. Seeing her in a full length bodysuit is fine, and it can be considered a nice change of pace from her usual scantily clad attire, but nothing about this bodysuit in particular is all that exciting to me.
The gauntlets and the boots and the belt make it super-hero, which actually kind of veers on being a little too kitschy for Emma Frost, but at the end of the day it really is just a solid white suit with a zipper, and I mean there’s nothing about that to write home about.
It kind of reminds me of the wetsuit that Psylocke wore for a little while on Utopia, mostly just because of the zipper though.
But that’s the problem with Emma wearing something like this – it’s just too generic for someone like her. Say what you will about Emma’s usual attire, whether you like it skimpy or not, but the one thing that it objectively always is that it’s distinct.
You can’t say that everything Emma wears is reminiscent of what other people wear. In fact, it would probably be the other way around: seeing someone in a white outfit would probably make us think like “oh, that outfit reminds me of Emma Frost.” Emma is a comic book icon, she’s a trendsetter, so putting her in something as basic as this does her wardrobe a disservice.
I mean it’s still nice. There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s just a little bit too blasé. Like all I really get from it are shades of other skin tight suits by the likes of Colleen Wing or Dagger or even Monet to a certain extent.
Luckily this costume hasn’t made the rounds for her yet on Krakoa, and hopefully it never does.
21. Bracelet With Feathers
Since moving to Krakoa, Emma hasn’t really worn one single steadfast garment to call her costume. Whereas pretty much everyone else has been seen making the rounds in their superhero outfits of yore, Emma has opted to go with a rotating wardrobe of lots of different new garments, rarely to be seen wearing the same thing twice.
And I mean it feels very Emma Frost to do that.
While performing one of his many actions on Sebastian Shaw, he was actually annoyed at how the X-Office portrayed Sebastian as ineffective during Marauders.
Emma was seen wearing this during the early days of the Marauders series while she was enacting one of her many manipulations over Sebastian Shaw. I really hated how the X-Office painted Sebastian was somewhat incompetent during Marauders. He’s supposed to be like a mastermind and have a super-intimidating presence, but he keeps getting one-upped by Emma & Kitty to the point that it’s making him seem like a joke.
At least Kitty was temporarily separated, which was a major setback for Emma’s plans and gave her that supervillain character to match.
But it’s just that Kitty’s absence only lasted until her return, so while it was nice to see one of her plans finally come to fruition, we knew it was only a temporary success for the x-girls. It all seemed a bit shallow and Shaw has been a laughing matter for Emma ever since.
I like to see Emma stand out, but I hope Sebastian manages to keep up with her as well, otherwise the environment doesn’t seem level and isn’t as interesting as it could be.
This arm feathered ensemble is only slightly better than the Gen X suit because it is, in effect, also a white suit. It gets bonus points for the feathering on the arm, but I’m sorry to say that seeing it only on one side makes the garment look unfinished.
Something about the way the feathers just kind of hang off her real limp-like makes the costume look like an incomplete thought – like she grabbed it off of Jumbo Carnation’s rack even though he protested that it wasn’t done yet.
Sometimes they are too flashy, to the point where it looks like a magical protection is forming on Emma’s arm, similar to what Illyana did in the 80’s when deploying her soul blade. And when the feathers don’t look smooth, then they stand out in a way that might be considered unusual.
But now, after seeing the full rotation of this outfit, I think what made it look so great on that cover was the fact that we could only see half of it. After the full thing was revealed and in plain sight that I was just kinda like….oh. A bit underwhelming.
Some birds of the same plumage are meant to fly together, but for me, this one was meant to fly alone.
20. Ultimate Emma
Oh man, the poor Ultimate universe just couldn’t do anything right when it came to costuming. At least not for me. I guess that’s what happens for trying to get away from being too superheroic and trying to be smarter You end up with costumes that are too specific to be iconic.
Emma’s first costume in the ultimate universe is what is featured here, and it makes her look like a bit of a boxy scientist from the future.
In this world, Emma Frost was a government employee who attempted to create her own mutant team based on role modeling and mutant marketability. She was a student of Professor X, but while he wanted a mutant militia isolated from the world, Emma’s vision for the future of mutants was much more peaceful and inclusive, and she believed that the main mutant superhero team should adopt those traits and values rather than be seen as such.
He put some people together, like the Dazzler punk rock of this world, but the team didn’t last long because, although they looked great in market research, in practice they didn’t measure up in the field.
As for this outfit, I don’t really dislike it at all. As I said, it gives off an air of scientist , and I think the long white trench coat is quite nice.
I wouldn’t say this outfit is particularly beautiful in any sense of the word, but it doesn’t bother me, and I think it’s always good to show a little versatility in one’s closet, especially when you’re known for having a different style.
It’s not really something the 616 Emma would use , but in a way that’s what also makes it even more interesting to me.
I wouldn’t say this outfit is particularly beautiful in any sense of the word, but it doesn’t bother me, and I think it’s always good to show a little versatility in one’s closet, especially when you’re known for having a different style.
19. X-Men Black
The Dark X-Men emerged when Norman Osbourne was appointed leader of all things superhero-related. The Skrulls had undergone a recent change after a quiet situation, and SHIELD was officially out of the picture. Therefore, the government gave Osbourne the freedom to act at his discretion, which led to significant changes in several teams, including the X-Men.
Emma was one of the members of Norman’s Dark Illuminati, a secret calculator of villains and ex-villains, and thanks to that association they created the Dark X-Men team, which was actually not THAT dark if we take into account who was part of the Dark Avengers. I mean, Namor and Capa have been playing heroes for years, so it’s not like this team was corrupt, but with Emma leading the team it seemed as if she had abandoned Cyclops and the group and jumped right into Norman Osborne’s scheme.
The Dark X-Men didn’t do anything remarkable during their brief tenure. They captured a few rebel X-Men and played nice to get media attention, but overall it was a pretty quite common and Emma was never very motivated to begin with.
He ended up walking away from Norman when he discovered he was keeping Beast and Xavier isolated, and the whole story arc ended with Namor, Cloak and D… teaming up with Emma to return to Utopia and oppose Osborne’s Dark Avengers. I’m a big fan of Cloak and D… so even though this story arc wasn’t anything special in the end, I really enjoyed it because anything that puts these two irrelevant characters front and center is fine with me.
In terms of Emma’s outfit, I mean, White Queen no more – she was channeling all that Selene Black Queen energy and decided to dress the part.
I don’t like seeing Emma in a Black Queen costume because – woman, hold your line – but I don’t think this costume looks bad on her either. I like the design overall, although it looks like she took off the old oversized Gen X belt and put it back on.
The hood has a collar that I could probably do without, not that it’s cold in there, so it seems like an odd embellishment, but as far as the pants and top go, I think they’re both nice and do a good job of representing their new role in this outfit.
Still, I really don’t think black is Emma’s color, so unfortunately I couldn’t score this outfit any higher.
18. Fishscale Emma
This fish scale costume is the one Emma wore to celebrate Kate’s revival. For the life of me, I swear I thought I’d seen it on at least one other notable occasion, but in preparing this rating I did a pretty thorough sweep of the line, and I’m pretty sure this was the only time she wore it.
There’s really not much to say about Emma’s characterization during this “period” of her life, since it’s technically still her current life period, but what can be said is that this is what she was wearing when both Kate and Emma devised their way to approach Sebastian because of what he had done with Kate at the beginning.
I liked this outfit, but just like the feather arm thing, there’s something about it that I find unfinished and disappointing. It’s elegant, and that’s what I like about it, but the more I look at it, the more I think it lacks a little more punch.
Maybe it needs more presence around the neck, like a shoulder statement piece, or maybe that little cowl at the back needs to extend more. Whatever it is, it looks like a woman or a prom queen getting ready for a dance number, and it’s missing an element of elegance that makes Emma’s outfits so snooty
I mean, it’s pretty overall, and I like seeing her with those scales that I think are reminiscent of diamond shards, maybe? However, in my opinion, it’s weird as a renaissance costume, and would be better suited as a night out number in the main green lagoon setting.
17. Xenogenesis
Ohh man. The Xenogenesis series. What a weird moment in time.
This is undoubtedly the most sentimental of all Emma’s costumes, and I’ll let you decide for yourselves whether that’s good or bad.
The Xenogenesis miniseries took the Astonishing X-Men team to Africa to investigate events in a small village. The X-Men hope to discover here the rebirth of the mutant species, but it turns out to be their old British adversary, allowing for some meaningful dialogue.
Emma’s characterization during this series has been totally spot on. She’s as determined, and outgoing as you’d expect, but some of these panels with her can be quite daunting.
I know it’s a stylized choice on purpose, but I literally laughed out loud half in amusement and half in cringe when I saw some of the art depictions of Emma.
I’m not criticizing the artist’s personal tastes or anything, but I think this style of design is a VERY specific taste, and I’m all for country designs, cheesecake and all that stuff, but I was really surprised at how MUCH Emma was covered in cake.
There was an exaggerated depiction of voluptuous figures. While this may be his style, this time it reached a level that reminded me of the Animaniacs cartoons, taking it to a cartoonish extreme that, at the time, was a departure from what I look for in X-Men comics.
I’m not, like, criticizing the artist’s personal tastes or anything, but I think this style of design is a VERY Specific taste, and like I’m totally into camp and cheesecake and all that stuff, but I was just very taken by surprise with how HEAVILY the cake was caked onto Emma.
I mean, the overall outfit is very nice: a short dress with a detail that shows a little more, tall platform boots and that sleek, sleek hair. I don’t have a lot of fashion references, but am I looking like a retro 60’s style or something similar?
I think it’s hilarious and would love to see it drawn by a different artist just to see what their version would be, but the way he was drawn in this series with his clothes permanently peeking out all the time made it a little too sensationalistic to enjoy the overall effect of the costume.
We saw her use her personality very recently in an edition of prowlers, where she opted for a more subtle strategy rather than immediately resorting to telepathy, so it’s not unusual for Emma to act this way.
Admittedly, this series is adventurous with art and takes Emma – who is already an adventurous character – and portrays her in an even more adventurous way. But man, I can’t overlook some signs here, and I’m not a girl, but some of them made me blush!
I loved the character work in Xenogenesis, and I think the series has its merits, but I can’t say I remember it fondly for its art, and specifically not for Emma’s art.
16. Club H.. Gala Costume #1
The Club Gala was the big event of the summer of 2021, and the preparations were a success with all kinds of announcements about the stylish outfits the mutants would be wearing.
Emma’s announcement showed that she would be wearing three outfits for the event, and I remember being visibly surprised every time I saw Emma’s outfits because all three looked really gorgeous to me, and I still think about it.
The first of her outfits for the evening was this huge, all-encompassing white fur jacket, with a glorious crystal hat adorning her head, and Cinderella-style crystal heels that can’t be too comfortable.
This was one of the most ostentatious outfits at the Gala, but I think it was done in an elegant way without being too difficult. Emma’s outfit exemplifies the difference between standing out for the sake of standing out and standing out simply for the sake of looking pretty. There were many outfits at Gala H… that I thought were just there to provoke a reaction, but this is one of the ones that I think is worth it, because it’s simply gorgeous.
There’s a part of me that wants to scream, “But he eats it! It doesn’t shape it,” but that’s what I like. I like that it’s nothing more than a big ball of hair taking up space. Part of being a hostess and having a presence, and in this outfit Emma certainly has a presence, even just standing there.
It’s a little unfair to compare this outfit to his field activity outfits in a ranking like this, because there’s nothing practical about this one that could give him an edge in a sticky situation, but I guess at the end of the day, none of his costumes are really characterized as practical in those contexts, so I guess it’s kind of similar to Stevens.
Emma didn’t do much with this outfit during the Gala. She pretty much only wore it to welcome everyone and to start the show by introducing Rhapsody and the telepathic sextet. I can’t blame her for wanting to change right away either, because it must have been really hot in all that attire.
The crystal crown of fashion, and Emma certainly wore it well that night.
15. Rapid Response Team
The schism between Cyclops and Wolverine divided the X-Men into two conflicting philosophical worlds: Wolverine wanted to go back to basics, so he opened the Jean Grey School and invited mutants to study and learn, while Cyclops maintained his military mentality and wanted mutants to be prepared to overcome difficulties.
Emma decided to stay with Cyclops during this time and was named a member of his Response Team, an elite group dedicated to managing situations that could affect mutantkind. This team was tasked with tackling major challenges, such as those posed by the likes of Mr. Mysterious and the Unity.
The split between Cyclops and Wolverine divided the X-Men into two distinct philosophical streams. Wolverine wanted to return to first principles, so he opened the Jean Grey School and invited mutants to study and learn. For his part, Cyclops maintained a strategic mentality, focused on mutants being prepared to overcome difficulties.
As for this suit, it is one of his best white suits in my opinion. I prefer how it’s embellished compared to the others. This one seems to have a little more personality and says Emma! much more than the other one.
I also prefer Emma’s accessories with her outfit compared to her other outfits. The X-shaped belt looks subtle and seems like an extension of the garment itself here, whereas the X-shaped belt on her Generation X outfit really stood out in a way that didn’t quite harmonize with the rest of the outfit.
There are many nice subtleties in this suit that make it more unique than the others, such as its sleeve finishes being slightly larger than the arm, and even the choker with the X symbol is a nice touch.
He didn’t wear this suit for very long, as the Avengers vs. X-Men storyline began shortly after. However, I wouldn’t mind seeing this suit return for a few seasons. It still seems to have certain interesting aspects to it, even if it’s just another suit.
14. Headmistress Emma
Emma has been a teacher for much of her adult life, and this was one of the costumes she wore when she first started teaching at Xavier’s school after the dissolution of Generation X.
However, before she was at Xavier’s school, she was briefly teaching on Genosha during Magneto’s rule, and this was exactly the costume she wore when Genosha dealt with a crisis brought on by Cassandra Nova.
After the incident, it was the first time we saw Emma’s secondary mutation manifest: her diamond skin, which appeared just in time to protect her from being one of the 16 million mutants affected by the Sentinels.
I love watching Emma in class. As much as I love her attitude, I think she is only fully realized when she is teaching. It’s really what she’s meant for.
At her core, Emma wants mutant children to succeed and thrive, and that is her true motivation as a whole. The children are what drives her to fight for mutant rights, partly as an apology for what happened when the Hellions were in her care, but also because it’s what she believes in most.
I think this was Emma’s defining moment in x-comics. She had always been a fan favorite, but until now she was a fairly minor character, and I think her performance here propelled her to the success she now knows.
In terms of the outfit, I think it’s great. It’s practical without being too revealing, and I think the trench coat adds a really fun Gambit-like element to Emma that we hadn’t really seen yet in her costuming.
She didn’t always wear the trench coat with it though, and whenever she didn’t I actually felt that the costume looked less complete than when she did, but overall I thought this was an easy return into the x-fold costume for her to wear that was still very Emma without being too in-your-face Emma.
13. Gala Suit H… #2
Emma’s second outfit for the Hellfire Gala is the one she wore for most of the event. She wore it while conversing and sharing a drink with all the non-Krakoan guests, such as Captain America and the Shi’ar, and it is also the one she wore when talking to Sage about the developing situation with the Terra Verde ambassadors.
When I ranked my initial reactions to the H… Gala outfits at the time they were first unveiled, I put Emma at the top spot because I thought it was perfect that she had 3 gorgeous outfits for one event.
But if I have to be honest, the design of this second set didn’t excite me too much. I found it a bit bland in comparison to the other two. It’s basically a little suit with some white trim, and to me that didn’t really sell the garment the way other gala outfits were sold.
But when I saw it on the page, and especially on that cover of the Marauders issue, I totally changed my mind. I thought it looked very pretty and even elegant, just by the fact that it had long sleeves.
The hat has always looked a little iffy to me, but maybe it represented her psionic signature, so I get it. The only thing I still don’t like is the shoes, because it looks like she put some white sheaths over the diamond shoes from the first look, and it looks a little sloppy to me, something Emma Frost isn’t known for.
I think overall this look was much more of a hit than the mistake I had originally thought it might have ended up being, and I think it was the right choice to get through most of the gala while we were having fun.
12. Giant-Size Emma
This outfit is another in Emma’s rotation of Krakoan costumes, and she wore it most notably during the Giant Size X-Men: Jean Grey & Emma Frost issue, when she and Jean entered Storm’s mind to perform a discreet mental transformation on her.
This was a really great issue and I think one of the best in the Giant-Size series. It was fun to see Emma and Jean teaming up after everything that has happened between them. Even though these two will probably never become friends – and maybe they shouldn’t – I enjoy seeing them interact in a cordial and respectful way, even if there is an underlying tension that is always present.
As for the suit, I think it has an air of elegance and sophistication that most of his other suits don’t have. It looks high-end, and I think that’s mostly due to the way he’s embellished it with the gloves and jacket. It’s very elegant.
Even the way her hair is styled here with like that subtle pushback over one of her ears just brings this whole look together into feeling like it’s a more trendy outfit than Emma is accustomed to wearing, and for that reason I enjoy it a lot.
11. Emma, The Freedom Seeker
This was the look Emma wore during the time of the Mutant Revolution. She and Cyclops had been released from their correctional institutions after the unraveling of the Phoenix Five, and now headed a discreet team of X-Men who stayed out of the reach of the law while trying to support, attract and train new mutants.
This team was in stark contrast to Wolverine’s team, as he was still running the Jean Grey School, and it was fun to see how Wolverine was now the straight-laced headmaster of the more, um, officialschool, and how Cyclops was now the renegade of the books running the makeshift New Xavier school.
Emma and Cyclops, both affected in their mutant abilities after their dance with Phoenix, were hired by Emma for the school to help her regain control of her telepathy.
Emma and Cyclops had also just separated at the time, so it was fun to watch them work together even though the dust had barely settled on their new normal.
To say that this was a darker period in Emma’s career would be an understatement. Her demeanor became more distant than ever, and the jovial, carefree spirit that normally characterizes her seemed to be missing. I believe that her situation had an impact on her, leading her to be a less lively person than usual, which manifested itself in her preference for dark clothing.
I don’t like seeing Emma in black, but given her character’s turn in this era and the situation she was in, I understand her turning to the dark side.
Everyone else was wearing black costumes too, and while Emma isn’t one to follow the crowd, I think it was a good move on her part to stick with the color scheme because it gave them all a much more severe presence when they were all together.
I also really like the costume design. It’s very Lady Mastermind in the impractical way it’s uncovered in the middle with that huge open stripe, but then again, who reads comics for their realism?
It’s actually ironic that I think this outfit reminds me of Lady Mastermind, because Emma once told Regan to her face that her outfit makes her look low class, so I mean, if Emma’s dressing that way now, then has she changed her tune on Lady Mastermind’s wardrobe, or is she just acknowledging that her x-team has fallen down a few rungs on the social ladder?
I think my favorite parts of this outfit are the black trench coat with the soccer shoulder pads and the exaggerated belt buckle. And while I approve of this whole ensemble being black, I can’t help but wonder how it would have looked if she had worn white, and I have a hard time fully reconciling this outfit with the great pantheon of Emma’s outfits simply because of the color choice.
Picky, I know, but hey that’s what these rankings are all about.
10. New X-Men Emma
Kicking off my top 10 is Emma’s other New X-Men outfit. When she wasn’t wearing her Teaching outfit, she was usually wearing this one, or some combination of them both.
As I talked about earlier, Emma’s run in New X-Men really helped to cement her as a main player in the X-Men’s world, and it’s why I think she is the only “modern” new member who has joined the X-Men to really have achieved the same level of popularity as the other more legacy characters.
Probably the most remarkable thing about Emma during this time was the emotional connection she developed with Cyclops, which led to the dissolution of her relationship with Jean Grey
I wanna say it started off innocently enough, with Emma acting as a sort of psychic therapist for him – giving him room to vent and say things that he couldn’t say to Jean directly – but was any of it really innocent? Emma seguía siendo muy comprensiva durante este tiempo, y estoy bastante seguro de que estaba tratando de ganarse la confianza de Scott desde el inicio de sus sesiones.
This was definitely a power flexing towards Jean, as Emma just wanted to embarrass her.
Just as Selene was Emma’s opponent in the Club, Emma was Jean’s opponent in the X-Men. She was like Jean’s shadow, and had an attitude and style that Jean could never have.
At least, if it was any consolation to Jean, Emma’s union with Scott actually turned into genuine love, so the whole affair and separation was not in vain.
I think the successful way Emma oriented Cyclops has really helped to shape his character and give him more depth, moving him away from the old Boy Scout personality he was always associated with.
Emma helped to give him a brand new edge that Jean never really would have been able to, and even though I think Cyclops & Jean are the penultimate couple in X-Men comics, I actually think he’s a lot more fun and enjoyable and tolerable a character when he’s with Emma.
As for this outfit, it’s certainly one of Emma’s most loaded. I love a bit of cheesecake as much as the next guy, but I’m not worried about it going too far, and this one borders on overkill for me.
There really isn’t much fabric to speak of, which is both my criticism and also, in a weirder way, her grace.
While I’m not sure how it’s all kept in there, the overall outfit seems very simple, which is a plus for her. There aren’t a bunch of bangles and bracelets dangling all over the place, it’s very clean and smooth-lined.
It’s really pretty simple when you boil it all down, and sometimes simple is just what works best.
My favorite aspect of this outfit is the shoes, and bless Emma Frost for daring to go all out with the towering platforms, from Baby Spice. I have to applaud the CONFIDENCE Emma shows in wearing them. Not only does she show bravery, but she’s also willing to take risks, and that’s the kind of courage we look for in our heroes.
She is a girl, not to be bothered with this attire, and she knows it very well.
9. Phoenix 5 Emma
Now this is a glorious costume.
Emma was one of the five host phoenixes when the light returned to Earth in search of Hope, but the light was deflected by Iron Man.
Along with the other Phoenix 5, Emma began to rebuild Earth according to her vision of perfection and peace. For Emma, this involved disabling any technology that could endanger mutants, such as the Sentinels.
Over time, a disagreement arose between the Heroes and the Five Bearers due to the rise of power in the world. In the midst of this tension, Cyclops imbibed all of the Primordial Energy, taking on the role of the Bringer of Darkness. Fortunately, Hope and the Crimson Sorceress took his place, and with their cooperation, the Primordial Energy was dispelled, restoring tranquility to the world.
This misunderstanding put an end to the relationship between Emma and Cyclops, as Emma acknowledged having had a connection with Namor, similar to the one Cyclops had previously experienced with her. It is known that psychic links tend to repeat themselves.
I was totally shocked when the Phoenix 5 became a thing. To me it was so unexpected, and I thought the phoenix returning to Earth was going to get Hope back or revive Jean or something predictable like that, so kudos to Marvel for coming up with a twist I wasn’t expecting.
As for Emma’s Phoenix Form, I think she looks like an Amazon princess. She definitely has aspects of Wonder Woman and Hippolyta, especially in the way she seems to wear those Greek-style strappy boots, and I think she looks very beautiful without being too much.
When I think of the Jean version of this suit, the white suit from the crown phoenix immediately comes to mind. It has similar color tones to Emma’s, but I think putting them side by side really helps to show how different these two women are in their personal tastes.
And even though this is I think the first time we’ve ever seen Emma really dabble in gold, I think she pulls it off extremely well. It’s usually always white and diamonds with her, but this white and gold mix looks just as fantastic on her and I dare say she should dabble in warmer colors more often!
8. House of X
When the Krakoa projects began to take shape, Emma was one of the first people approached by Xavier and Magneto to join the idea and become part of their quiet council.
They proposed that Hellfire Corporation join as the exclusive distributor of the prestigious Krakoana, and she would become the official face of their legitimate business worldwide.
Emma also played an important role in facilitating a solution so that Sabretooth would not have to return to the human prison system after the incident occurred. After the Fantastic Four Arrested him, Cyclops attempted to mediate his release to no avail. Ultimately, Sabretooth opted to accept the charges filed.
It took Emma Frost arriving in court well-dressed to the human judicial system under the guise of Krakoan diplomatic for the court to agree to turn Sabretooth over to her so they could mete out their own mutant justice.
Since then, Sabretooth was destined to spend the rest of his days in confinement. However, with a new Sabretooth miniseries on the way, I’m excited about the idea of a possible release.
Of all the new outfits Emma has sported in Krakoa, this one is probably my favorite. I think it nicely combines some classic Emma shapes with a contemporary, but mostly retro look.
The big fur cape is a gesture to her role as the White Queen in the Club, but what strikes me most is the white dress she’s wearing. There’s something about it that feels very sixties to me, which is funny, because it was in the sixties when the X-Men debuted and when Jean Grey started wearing her green Marvel Girl dress, which she’s since worn again in Krakoa, and if I put these two side by side, I can’t help but wonder if Emma is surpassing Jean Jean wearing a dress with a similar shape but a more interesting cut.
Although I trust that Emma won’t be interested in Scott again, I’m not uncomfortable with the idea of a friendly collabo between Emma and Jean. I find it entertaining to see how they enjoy their differences in a positive way, and now in Krakoa they get along as colleagues who can work together and share, but without needing to be best friends. I like that they keep that respectful distance between them.
So I can’t help but wonder if Emma saw Jean in that dress and thought, I’ll do you one better” and had this sleek white dress made. I love Jean’s dress, but Emma’s gives the look a refreshing new twist, and I wouldn’t go crazy if Emma decided to turn it into her usual look.
Hellfire nº 3
The last outfit Emma wore during the Gala was also the best of the three, in my opinion. This is the one that really struck me when she first met, and I thought it was stunning.
This was the costume she wore when she connected the minds of all the guests at the end of the gala and gave way to the big surprise that the X-Men had terraformed Mars.
He also met with some diplomatic emissaries, such as the British ambassadors, who told him they were going to close ties with Krakoa, and two people from an unnamed city in a hidden society from whom he asked for something called Kara Kutuca, which I’m pretty sure we still don’t know anything about.
I love the sparkling fringe that covers her in diamonds, and since it’s diamond on diamond, the whole looks like a great outfit.
However, I don’t think it works as well when it’s not in its diamond shape, and when she wears it normal it doesn’t look good at all. I also don’t like the white gloves and white anklets in this look. I think it would have looked better if it was 100% diamond, without those little touches of color.
For me, the best part is the hairstyle. I think it reflects the draping of the fringe very well, so the whole thing looks very sleek and looks like a million million dollars.
6. New Tian Emma
The New Tian was a difficult time for the X-Men. Marvel was trying to move away from mutants to make way for mania, so the X-Men comics line was pretty much sliced and the stories we were getting from them weren’t very good.
There was an X-Men vs. Inhumans storyline where the complicated Inhuman mists were infecting the mutant M-Pox population, it was basically a hereditary virus, ending the mutant species.
Emma continues to be seen as the protagonist of the series after attempting to settle a score with the Inhumans over the loss of Cyclops, prompting the Inhumans and X-Men to team up to deal with the situation.
All of this brought Emma back into more of a villain role in the X-Men world, and she became the secret leader of a new sovereign nation for mutants called New Tian, which was pretty much all of California with Utopia as its capital
On the surface, Xorn was the ruler of New Tian, but behind the scenes Emma had him under surveillance and had formed a sort of closed circle consisting of herself, Bastion, Miss Sinestro and a reverse-personality Havok.
Their intention was to increase the mutant population, so they developed Mothervine. However, upon learning that the virus was influential, Emma ratted out her group and joined the X-Men to prevent it from spreading.
One of the most personal things Emma did during this time was to try to erase the personality of the younger, time-displaced Cyclops by implanting her own memories of the older Cyclops into her mind.
This event would have made the young Cyclops more like the Cyclops Emma had fallen in love with. Although Emma had put the Cyclops thing behind her, deep down she had a special fondness for him. Therefore, she sought to influence this boy’s mind to resemble her former love.
Of course, Jean intervened and it didn’t work out for Emma, but this little moment only served to show how sentimental Emma was at the time.
While New Tian didn’t last long and wasn’t my favorite story in the X-Men books, I really liked the outfit Emma wore as the secret ruler of the nation. It was a mix of her White Queen of the Club persona with the more common X-Men attire she had been wearing for the past decade.
I liked her top. Even though she wasn’t formally associated with the X-Men at the time, it felt like a little gesture from her to them like yo, I know you guys think I’m bad again, but I’ve actually changed!
I just thought Emma looked very strong in this outfit, and even though she was a little out of it, it was nice to see her acting without at least for a little while, while trying to achieve a specific goal.
5. Generation X Teacher
Emma was taken in by the X-Men after Fitzroy and the Sentinels, and while she was somewhat reserved at first, she really had nowhere else to be.
After his consciousness exerted a brief influence on Iceman, pushing his powers to the maximum, the Phalanx captured much of the X-Men and followed the new generation of mutants, with Emma and Banshee being the only ones who could offer support.
The Phalanx was successfully defeated and this gave birth to Xavier’s new school at Emma’s converted Massachusettes academy where Generation X was formed.
Her and BanshGeneration X was an awesome new title that breathed a breath of fresh air into the X-line at the time, and was Emma’s first adventure as a hero, even though she was really only in the game for the sake of the students and wasn’t actively looking to become a girl.
He really didn’t have the same star power that he has now in those Generation X days, but he was still as quick with quips as he is today, and in my opinion, Generation X was a period of his life.
The outfit she wore in the first part of Generation X looked fantastic to me. She had a teacher’s air about her.
Her friendship with Banshee often goes unnoticed, but back then their friendship and opposing teaching styles were the highlight of the series, and it’s a shame that these two are not shown as closer than they actually are.
I mention their hair a lot because it really gives them a special touch, and I think the short cut is no exception. I think it complements Emma’s personality very well, it’s like the cut reflects her responses to Banshee whenever she asked for explanations or whatever.
This is probably one of Emma’s most appropriate outfits, as it’s not TOO revealing, which is probably a good thing considering she was serving as co-leader of a teen group at the time.
I just think this outfit looks great on Emma for this time of her life, and I think she looks beautiful and can still pull it off even while she’s grading papers.
4. San Francisco
After the Messiah Complex storyline, in which every mutant on Earth competed for baby Hope, the X-Men needed a change of scenery from their Westchester residence, so they moved to San Francisco, declaring it a safe haven for all mutants.
It was the era of Manifest Destiny for the X-Men, and it was all about restoring goodwill after the elimination of the Xavier Institute.
Emma was already a central figure in the X-books by this time, and many of the panels from this era were her and Cyclops talking about their mutant issues.
During this time, Namor decided to join the X-Men on the condition that Emma would take care of Sebastian Shaw. Although this promise was not kept, Namor was convinced that it was. In reality, Shaw was in custody.
Some of the most notable stories from this era include the Reign in which Emma participated as Norman Osborne; which the X-Men collaborated to keep San Francisco safe from the Skrulls; the formation of the Brotherhood; Selene’s Necrosha event and, of course, one of the most significant; the meeting between the X-Men and the Avengers.
Emma was a central character in almost all of these stories in one way or another, and it really seemed like Emma had become the best-selling figure in the X-Men line.
I would say this costume is one of her favorite outfits. I think when people think of contemporary Emma Frost, this suit is the one that comes to mind. I think it’s quintessential Emma and it fulfills everything she loves in an outfit: it’s white, moderately functional and gorgeous.
I can’t help but enjoy this costume. I like the corset she wears and the cape she wears with the X insignia as the brand logo. The truth is that there’s not much to talk about, but as I’ve said before, sometimes simplicity is the key, and in Emma’s case simple is usually best: she already has so many things to do that she doesn’t need more.
I think this is a great costume, and it’s a great segue into my number three selection…
3. Astonishing X-Men Emma
So this costume is basically exactly the same as the San Francisco costume, but this one came first and is just a little cleaner in my opinion.
I’ve already mentioned that simplicity works best with Emma, and this costume is a bit simpler than the other, as it merely swaps out the corset for her outfit. The change is simple, but cleans up the costume by eliminating unnecessary embellishments that serve no purpose.
In this costume she debuted in the Astonishing X-Men series. Emma was everywhere in the X-Men line at this point, as she was co-principal with Cyclops at the school with her own team of Hellons, and was helping Havok with his team of X-Men, and even became an avatar of Phoenix when he returned to earth looking for Jean Grey – but all those things aside, the Astonishing book is where Emma was realized as a character during this time in my opinion.
The team was very well written, and one of the highlights of the series was undoubtedly the relationship between Emma and Kitty. Emma was a constant nightmare for Kitty, as these two didn’t get along at all, but Emma knew that Kitty would keep her honest, so she couldn’t be trusted.
They have a complicated history with each other, so working together on this team was definitely a choice, but these are the kind of team dynamics that make a book super fun to read, so I appreciated the team building.
The Astonishing team participated in several important events with the prevention of a mutant cure. They also facilitated the release, a Shi’ar sentient entity, who had been held in the Hall for a long period of time.
Probably Emma’s biggest story during this Amazing Era was when her mind was influenced by Cassandra Nova’s consciousness, making them believe that she had the same tendencies again and was part of a new Club, but it turned out that Emma’s psychic insecurity towards the X-Men and the Club members was real.
This outfit was present in most of Emma’s contemporary stories, and is probably the one she has frequented the most in the last 15 years. I think it’s a great representation of who Emma is as a character, as she shows off what she has, but with class and elegance.
Normally you have to choose between this one and the San Francisco one to know which outfit you would wear to the event, but since they are pretty much the same, it doesn’t matter which one you choose, because either way you will look fabulous before you go out.
One of the defining, core moments of Emma’s character history is whenever she was the teacher.
The Hellions were basically created as an opposition team to become the adversaries of the New Mutants. As the name implies, the Hellions were the troubled kids under Emma’s tutelage at the Club, while the New Mutants were the good superheroes studying at Xavier.
Some of the best issues of the original New Mutants series are when these two teams cross paths, because what made them interesting was that they were all the same age and essentially contemporaneous with each other.
Emma used to constantly look for new members for her group and tried to get Kitty Pryde and Firestar to join. However, most perceived the Club for what it really was and preferred to stay away from it. Magma was one of the few who transferred from the New Mutants to join, although she was probably under Empath’s influence at the time, so it is uncertain whether it was a genuine decision.
As important as it was for Emma to be a teacher, she was hurt by her failure to teach these boys to work as a team, which became evident later when Fitzroy took the Sentinels to the Club and almost all of her Hellions died on the spot.
This was the critical juncture for Emma’s character, who went into a coma for a while. However, the absence of the Hellions turned out to be a positive change for her, as, waking up and remembering what happened, she decided to move on and consider a new perspective towards superheroes.
Nothing weighs more heavily on Emma’s conscience than the fact that the Hellions were affected by what happened.
As for the outfits she wore during her tenure as Hellions Director, they varied from the usual range of full costumes. At that time she was still the White Queen of the Club, so the outfits she chose conformed to the typical dress code of the club.
However, one thing that was constant during this time, and my favorite part of the wardrobe, was her pointy-shouldered blanket. They are. AMAZING.
If you’re a villain seeking success in this world, take heed: if your shoulders aren’t cut sharp enough to stand out, then, honey, you may not be showing your full potential! How could we have understood Emma’s cunning without those shoulders suggesting it? Shoulders tell a story, and that story is of a woman with character and determination.
One of my favorite villainesses in the world is Xayide from the never-ending story II, and I thought her shoulders were always pretty impressive, but now I think Emma has really given her a run for her money with these ones.
Another aspect of the cape that I like is the circular brooch she wears. It’s big, ostentatious, and it’s the only jewelry she wears, so why not place it in a prime spot?
The only thing I don’t like about this costume is the multi-tiered boots. Is this supposed to look good? Because I really don’t think so. Maybe it was the Club’s attempt to look more superhero-y, but to me it looks a little messy and like he couldn’t decide which boot length to wear today, so he decided to wear both.
Maybe it’s supposed to add a bit of camp and silliness to Emma’s outfit, but given the height and sharpness of the shoulders, I think we have enough camp to deal with and a single length boot will be just fine.
1. The White Queen
As if there could be any doubt about which costume would be number one. Emma Frost’s White Queen costume is iconic. This is how the character was first introduced in Uncanny X-Men #129, and it’s pretty much what she’s been known for throughout her character’s existence, even though she was no longer directly tied to the Club for 20 years or so.
There have been many contemporary references to her time spent as White Queen, and it’s a role she’ll never escape as long as her character lives, but that’s not necessarily a negative.
Emma is the epitome of someone who has left behind a dark past to become a force for good. Although in her time as White Queen she was involved in questionable actions, sadly leading to the loss of her horse Butterrum, Emma managed to overcome those difficult episodes. Although it took her time to win back people’s trust, she eventually found a way to redeem herself and do a lot of good.
What I like most about Emma today is that she hasn’t lost the spunk she had when she was the White Queen. She’s a little softer, sure, but she still has an impenetrable tenderness that surfaces in times of stress or boredom, or simply when someone dislikes her. That’s the most appealing thing about Emma Frost as a character, and that’s why she’s one of the most popular characters around.
Emma was relentless when it came to moving up in the Club, and she looked great while doing so, Emma had an interesting exchange with one of the maids in a Classic X-Men back-up story, in which she explained that those clothes were what gave her power over the men.
I mean it’s still racism, it’s just that she leverages racism to achieve her own ends, which is very enterprising of her.
This way of using her presence as a form of personal protection has remained constant over the years and is reflected in her current style in Krakoa. Recently, she was shown adjusting her attire to catch the attention of some. Emma understands that her appearance can be a form of influence and knows how to use it effectively in different contexts.
I think what she means is that she is the one who chooses how and when to use her material and that, when she does, it is always to achieve her own goals, rather than being driven by pressure from others to achieve theirs.
I love the White Queen’s clothes, because I like the Club’s dress code theme, it’s like they’re stuck in the 18th century. I like that the Club is a superpower with old school values, because in general I’m not really down with that, so it helps add another dimension of villainy to them.
I also think she looks great in what she’s wearing, like those long boots, with the opera gloves and the big furry hood, which aren’t action-appropriate, but Emma wasn’t fighting any fights that weren’t taking place on the astral plane, so she didn’t need to dress like a woman.
Hers was always a refined strategy that she could implement behind the scenes or from far away, so with that in mind, why not just wear whatever she felt like wearing?
And that’s it for my Emma costume reviews! Please let me know what you think of my ranking in the comments, and if you agree or disagree, and what you think some of Emma’s best or worst costumes have been.
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