Warning: Spoilers for X-Men: Hellfire Gala 2023 #1!
Summary
- The Mutant Massacre at the Hellfire Gala was a tragedy that Emma Frost predicted years ago, highlighting the flaws of gathering all mutants in one place.
- Emma Frost criticizes the idea of Krakoa as a mutant nation, referencing the failed mutant island of Genosha as an example of the dangers of congregating mutants.
- Emma Frost feels a sense of guilt and responsibility for the recent events as she played a role in Krakoa's early success, although she knew it would eventually lead to destruction.
The recent Mutant Massacre is the worst tragedy that the X-Men have suffered in recent memory — and Emma Frost predicted it years ago. The Mutant Massacre refers to the Orchis invasion of the 2023 Hellfire Gala; the mutant hate group crashed the party to kill everyone in sight. Countless mutant lives were lost in the chaos. Emma Frost was horrified to see it all unfold, but she did see this tragedy coming years ago.
Emma Frost first alludes to the destined nature of such a massacre in Powers of X #5 by Jonathan Hickman, R.B. Silva, Marte Gracia, and Clayton Cowles. With the idea of Krakoa still being brand-new, Magneto and Professor X try to convince Emma to involve herself and the Hellfire Trading Company in the new mutant nation. Enraged at the naïveté behind Krakoa, Emma Frost unloads on both Xavier and Magneto. What stands out the most, given recent events, is how she criticizes the idea of gathering all mutants on one island, which would "put a giant target on it. You should know better."
Emma Frost Always Knew Krakoa Was a "Giant Target"
Emma waves a shameful finger at Magneto in particular, recalling his failed efforts in turning the island of Genosha into a mutant-only nation. Genosha, a mutant island housing 16 million mutants, was destroyed entirely by Cassandra Nova and her Wild Sentinels, leaving few survivors. While Krakoa was always an idealistic concept for mutants, it was also a flawed concept, especially given the history of Genosha. Millions of mutants congregating together is a beautiful thing, but it puts a massive target on them, particularly from anyone looking to slay all the mutants in one place at the same time — just like at 2023's Hellfire Gala.
It seems as though Emma Frost's original prediction was right all along. Right now, though, rather than waving an "I told you so" finger at anyone who might listen, she's merely reaping the misfortunes that have come with agreeing to help Krakoa all those years ago. These s from Powers of X — one of the series that laid the foundations for the Krakoan era — recontextualizes Emma Frost's recent scenes with Ms. Marvel. Emma wiped everyone's memory of Ms. Marvel being either dead or a mutant, just to give Kamala a clean way to exit this life, so she doesn't have to carry the weight of being a mutant following the Hellfire Gala massacre.
Emma Frost Isn't Happy to Have Been Right
Marvel's world is shifting to the point that being a mutant is dangerous again. Emma knows this following Krakoa's massacre, and, by playing a part in Krakoa's early success, she indirectly paved the way to its fall. Emma Frost may have been right when she predicted this tragic event, but she obviously doesn't feel good about being right when it has ensured certain destruction for her people.
Check out Powers of X #5, available now from Marvel Comics.
