Pondering Emma Frost...

[neotoma]

All right Marvel fans, I have a question for you.

Emma Frost, though she's tough as nails and frighteningly pragmatic, fit into the role of femme fatale. She uses her looks as weapon against men, and to compete against women; that's not all she uses, obviously, as she is smart, cunning, and an excellent telepath, but it's the most obvious tool she has.

But how does she react to men who are not attracted to her at all? Does it throw a wobbly at her, to meet someone who just is blank towards her?

Comments

[likeadeuce.livejournal.com]

I hope so.

Oh, umm, that's not a constructive suggestion.

I think on one level she would be annoyed that she couldn't manipulate him. But on another level, I think she would be impressed that she couldn't manipulate him. It would depend on context, I suppose.

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

This story I'm working on [that might never see the light of day] has far more Emma than I was expecting. It's turning out to be a rather antagonistic relationship, because the OC *doesn't* notice Emma as a woman, but does notice her as a human being, one he doesn't like.

[likeadeuce.livejournal.com]

Interesting. . .

I actually think this reaction would be more common than it seems to be in the comics, but fanboy/writers can't seem to imagine anyone not being awesomed by Emma.

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

Ha! Emma is awesome as a character, but in real life she'd be someone I'd avoid. She's emotional poison.

[likeadeuce.livejournal.com]

I think Emma is awesome as a character when she's written by people who take her seriously and are interested in her, and right now that's basically Whedon, who's leaving.

*shrugs*

At this point, it's hard to imagine my interest in the character being revived, but those are famous last words in the universe of comics, I suppose.

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

I think she's been written interestingly in the New Xmen book, but she's a supporting character there. Her takedown of Carol Danvers (in the third trade) was *excellent*.

[likeadeuce.livejournal.com]

I haven't read that one consistently enough to have a good idea though my general impression is that she's more of a force-of-nature in the background of the kids' story. So she has some good moments but it's not about her; and Kyle & Yost's Xforce book is part of the trend of inexplicably writing her out of the decision-making process involving the Xmen.

Mike Carey has actually done a pretty good job, come to think of it, but she isn't likely to be in his new book.

[madripoor-rose.livejournal.com]

Hm. That's an interesting question. Maybe it's just my otp showing, but reading that I can't help but think of Astonishing, and that panel where she's watching Kitty and Piotr. "He's all right if you like the tall, square jawed, muscular, incredibly handsome type." And her incredibly snarky relationship with Kitty. Which okay, there's a history of Kitty thwarting her plots when she was evil.

I think it might give her a moment's pause, and then she'd find another way to manipulate them into whatever she needs.

Has she ever interacted in the comics with a canon gay male? Other than her brother Christian.

[likeadeuce.livejournal.com]

Has she ever interacted in the comics with a canon gay male? Other than her brother Christian.

She's interacted with Northstar, I'm pretty sure, but in a "he's crazy and back from the dead and they have to fight him" kind of way. And at least one of the New X-men students is gay, though since she's in a position of authority over him anyway that's not really an issue as far as control. Honestly, I'm not sure that a gay male, per se, would be the best example of someone unimpressed by Emma since (judging by fandom, anyway) there are plenty of gay men who would be blown away by her fabulousness.

I actually think Colossus is a pretty good example -- neither the straight main universe one, and the gay Ultimate version seems like the type to be affected by that kind of personality. (Though before Morrison, I honestly would have thought Scott was also that type, which is one of the reasons that their affair strikes me as pretty dubious; though I suppose you can throw in Scott's telepath-addiction as a counterweight).

[madripoor-rose.livejournal.com]

Hm. I guess I'm kind of stuck on 'Emma around a man not interested in her because of another woman; would have to compete with the other woman." Which is not exactly the question Neotoma asked, but that's what I came up with.

I also keep thinking about her comment when Scott and Logan are fighting. "The best body money can buy and I still come in second to a corpse."

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that line is another data point in "Emma uses her appearance as a stunningly attractive women to manipulate men". And gets annoyed when it doesn't work -- Scott and Logan were not paying her *ANY* attention right there, just having their own pissing contest about something that wasn't Emma.

Huh, she's fine if men fighting over her, but pissed if they fight over someone who isn't her? Emma's priorities are screwy...

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

Hmm, Piotr is the sort who wouldn't be interested in Emma, not even in the way Hank (knows she's poison, likes her anyway) or Logan (looks at every woman, even the ones he's not going to pursue) do. I think he annoys her because of that. But he's willing to follow orders, because she and Scott are team-leaders.

I think when Northstar was mentoring a squad (back when they had enough students) and he and Emma got into a dispute over Hellion. It was a fairly snarky discussion, but it was *Northstar*.

[madripoor-rose.livejournal.com]

I keep coming back to Emma around a man not interested in her because of another woman, that Emma would have to compete with the other woman.

I also think Emma has a certain amount of envy of Kitty. Not necessarily interested in Piotr, but because everything's come so easy for Kitty, compared to Emma's life.

I know it's not exactly the question you were asking, but that's what I came up with.

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

Yes, Emma would do that. Actually, that's what made her relationship with Jean so insane -- she was competing with Jean over Scott, and winning (but risking her life to do so; Jean was quite willing to attack back, and much more dangerous).

Hmmm, my OC hasn't had Emma's emotionally ruinous family, that's for sure. He had good parents and siblings, and is rather ordinary that way. But he's from a timeline where there have been mutants for 400 years, and society has changed to deal them; to him, the Xmen are stumbling around in the dark trying to deal with their abilities. And Emma is particularly troubling, because she uses her abilities with so little regards for other people's psychological integrities.