That doesn’t take away from the fact Cassandra Nova upgraded Emma Frost’s stature within the X-Men very significantly.

Neither of those films referenced Nova, making the ability a natural part of Emma’s power set. Frost’s diamond skin made appearances in live action adaptations, X-Men Origins: Wolverine and X-Men: First Class. Cassandra hit the mark perfectly, conceiving a diamond-related ability for Frost, who is known for her impeccable fashion sense and opulence. Using a genocide as cover for inserting a sleeper agent on the mutant team only scratches the surface of the lengths Cassandra Nova will take to achieve her singular goal in life.ĭespite being a gift from an enemy, Emma Frost’s ability to transform into a diamond form has since become one of her defining characteristics. Her most powerful attribute, however, is her absolute hatred of Charles, which causes her to dedicate her considerable genius to enacting complex plots to torment and eradicate him and his X-Men. She possesses mutant abilities mirroring Xavier’s and many others, such as the power to copy and manipulate DNA, impressive telepathic shielding, and the creation of psionic armor.

Nova is what the Shiar refer to as a Mummundrai, an incorporeal parasite of emotional energy. Emma Frost gaining one of her most important and useful abilities was nothing but a minor portion of Cassandra Nova’s plot.Ĭassandra Nova is the evil twin of Charles Xavier, and was originally thought to have been killed in the womb by her brother. All of this with the purpose of embedding Emma into the X-Men so Cassandra can have an inside operative to activate when the time is right. Cassandra also promises Frost will retain absolutely no memory of her presence or plans, her mental capabilities being far more powerful than the former White Queen’s. Before causing the genocide at Genosha with a massive Sentinel attack, Nova approaches Frost to declare her plans to kill millions in minutes and guarantees Emma’s survival by promising to create a secondary mutation for Emma. Xavier’s mutants are unaware Nova has been pulling strings behind the scenes using Emma as her puppet and in Astonishing X-Men #13 Cassandra reveals just how long this has been in motion. Neither the X-Men, nor Emma herself, realized Cassandra Nova orchestrated her secondary mutation. Related: The X-MEN Reboot Secretly Redeems Emma Frost's Worst Mistake

Into The Dark by Emma H. Frost