Emma Frostis one of the few Marvel characters who routinely change her look;being the femme fetale that she is,Emma’s outfits are more than just clothes; it’s part of her act.Frost dresses in the way she does, not just to be self-expressive, but to lure her allies and enemies, especially men, into believing that she’s nothing less than the psychic, business-mogul, secret-society-leading mastermind she truly is.
While Frost is justifiably argued to be nothing more than eye candy for the male gaze, in her case that’s exactly the point.She is a defiant self-made womanwho, after rejecting her father’s fortune due to his appalling abuse toward her older brother, saw men capitalizing on the unfair advantages society had given them.
Emma emphasizes her sexuality, primarily through her clothing,both for the power of her own expression and to gain leverage over those she’ll inevitably take advantage of.Emma’s many outfits are powerfully unique, so here are Emma Frost’s top ten outfits in X-Men history.
10Black Queen (Dark Avengers / Uncanny X-Men: Utopia)
Designed By: Simone Bianchi & Marc Silvestri
Shedding her usual all-white look, Emma Frost momentarily took over the “Black Queen” moniker when she took leadership over theDark X-Men during theDark Reignstoryline. As with the rest of the unlikely members of this new X-Men team, Emma, for the first time, fully brandishes the X mark on her costume, embracing her new X-Men persona.While the all-black look is definitely intimidating, which fully represents the tone of her team, the awkward all-consuming leathery black sheen somewhat swallows the hero who is known for making herself be seen.
Emma Frost’s X-Men from this era were nothing more than a dangerous militiaand a cheap knockoff of the original team, both aspects reflected in Frost’s clothing. This outfit is tacky and out of character for Emma’s usual dress, fully expressing the point of where she was mentally at the time.
9Hellfire Gala (2021)
Designed By: Russell Dauterman
Marvel’s first soirée into their now annual Met Gala-inspired event that sees heroes and villains alike show up dressed to the nines,the Hellfire Gala is Marvel’s most talked about event, allowing artists to fully flex their creative skills. In the event’s first year, Emma debuted a startlingly bare look, only made somewhat PG-13 by the unnoticeably tight bodysuit and the long flowy strands of diamond-encrusted strands that make up her “dress.” Truly,only Emma Frost doesn’t need a dress or jewelry to be the most dazzling star of the event.
What makes this bodysuit/dress combo so interesting is that it is designed to show off Emma, but not in the same way her normal clothing choices do.Her first Hellfire Gala outfit specifically highlights her most illustrious mutant ability,unapologetically showing off the part of herself that the world frequently tries to hide away.
8Immortal X-Men
Designed By: Joshua “Sway” Swaby
Certainly one of Emma’s most exposing looks, this stunningly minimal costume debuted shortly after 2023’s Hellfire Gala and the destructionof the mutant nation Krakoa. While this isn’t the full look that Emma takes on in the comics during this period,it strongly represents her emotional state at the time.With her Hellions gone, her school destroyed, Krakoa obliterated, and Charles Xavier and Magneto labeled traitors, Emma had everything she worked toward stripped from her in mere hours. Admittedly leaning much closer to skimpy than classy, this look is ultimately less representative of who she has grown to be.
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This outfit shows Emma at a point where she felt like her very being had been stripped of purpose; she may have survived, but her will did not. Unfortunately, this has somewhat remained the case, although she has learned to hide it well.
7Phoenix Five (Avengers vs. X-Men)
Designed By: John Romita Jr.
One of Emma Frost’s most powerful outfits to date, this fit came about during theAvengers vs. X-Menevent, which saw Emma, alongside, Magik, Colossus, Namor, and Cyclops, absorb thepower of the Phoenix Forceafter it was split apart by Tony Stark. Fully abandoning the idea of “frost,” Emma became enveloped in an ethereal cosmic flame, carrying herself with the force of a mortal turned demigod. Outside the Phoenix-shaped one-piece she wears, the absolute best part of the entire look is the long wispy arm coverings that wave off of her like the wings of the Phoenix.
Fully abandoning the idea of “frost,” Emma became enveloped in an ethereal cosmic flame
With this costume,the reader was made to see Emma Frost as a powerful force of nature and not just a pretty face and figure.Even better is that this outfit doesn’t over impose itself on Emma’s wardrobe’s traditional markers, such as the thigh-high boots and long gloves.
6Black Queen (All New X-Men)
Designed By: Stephane Roux
Returning to another of Emma Frost’s “Black Queen” outfits,this outfit better represents the classic feel that Emma’s costumes are known forwhile still fully abandoning her normally all-white aesthetic for an appropriately needed all-black one. No longer being overwhelmed by the massive cloak, Emma fully stands on business in this outfit, retaining her dominant leadership of the X-Men. While subtle, one of the more interesting aspects of this outfit is the armor plating incorporated into her boots; this was a time of war, internally and externally, for theX-Men and Emma Frostcame prepared.
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Her ideologies regarding human/mutant relations have always been muddy, but at this point,she had openly adopted Cyclops’s extremist behavior.Emma Frost was tired of the Avengers’ and the Inhumans’ constant failures to help protect mutantkind, and she fully intended to show them their place.
5White Queen (Sins of Sinister)
Designed By: Stanley “Artgrem” Lau
Fully embracing the elegance of the “White Queen,’Emma serves a powerful combination of the specific aesthetics and tropes that most of her outfits pick and choose from.This is a version of Emma Frost that wants to be seen. Her overtly exposing looks are often used as a ploy to make her opponents believe that she’s weak. However, in this outfit, Emma demands the attention because she knows she deserves it.Emma Frost is the White Queenand fully intends to show off how strong her rule will be.
This specific cover art outfit was immediately followed by theSins of Sinisterevent. While her in-comic costume looked quite a bit different, this look better acknowledges the full scope of who Emma is and who she became in Sinister’s reality. Emma Frost doesn’t need a crown to still be a queen.
4Sinister Frost (Immoral X-Men)
Designed By: Mark Brooks
An event that overtook every major X-Men title,Sins of Sinistersaw theMarvel Universe taken over by Mr. Sinisterafter he used Moira MacTaggert to make a playground with the fate of the X-Men.This inspired look is practically Sinister’s complete costumebut with the signature all-white flair that Emma’s traditional outfits are known for.
The full-metal armor, the flowing shredded cape, and the levitating crown of ice are absolutely perfect attributes that represent who Emma Frost really is; a powerful, near-indestructible, cold and calculated queen.
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However, this is one of the few costumes that overpower her traditional aesthetics to employ that of another. Ultimately, like everyone else in this twisted reality,Emma had no true free will of her ownand was considered just another one of Sinister’s play-toys.
3Wedding Dress (Fall of X)
Designed By: Lucas Werneck
While their wedding was technically a farce for the public, done so in the wake of tragedy for mutantkind,Emma’s marriage with Tony Starkwas secretly one of the happiest moments of her life. Adopting traditional elements of her normal outfits, including the wide neck covering, the subtle X, and the corset underneath, her wedding dress flows witha crystalline elegance that deserves nothing less than to be worn by Emma Frost.Symbolically powerful, the dress’s high-rise slit that allows her leg to pop out and show off her mutant powers is an especially powerful gesture given mutantkind’s recent tragedies.
As mentioned previously on this list,Emma’s outfits are often representations of who she is or what she is going throughat any given moment. In a sense, while she uses her clothing to deceive others,her outfits ultimately betray what she is trying to hide.
2Hellfire Gala (2022)
Designed By: Meghan Hetrick
Emma Frost’s second Hellfire Gala look, this dressemploys strikingly new qualities to her look that aren’t often seen in her other outfits. The staggering geometric patterns cut into the chest and the cape of the dress resemble simple diamond shapes, a subtle play into her powers rather than her previousHellfire Gala outfitthat was made entirely of real diamonds. While a simple element,the gold accents are a beautiful pop of color to her outfitthat highlights the geometric patterns of her dressthat Emma will hopefully incorporate into her future costumes.
By this Hellfire Gala, Krakoa had already been established as a self-sustaining nation that had made massive enhancements in the medical and pharmaceutical industries; Emma Frost’s Hellfire Gala dress exudes the economically powerful status that the country she had helped build had just earned.
1Hellfire Gala (2023)
Designed By: Kris Anka
Emma’s absolute best outfit in her 45 years of comic appearances, isher newest Hellfire Gala fit. The new look, while a simple change, is a multi-layered outfit that changes the overall tone of the entire outfit as she strips down each layer throughout the event. Fully incorporating the staple elements of her previous costumes while bringing back the thickly furred neckline, which is usually adorned to her cloaks,this look both honors and accentuates every element that has become synonymous with Emma’s outfits.This powerful pantsuit combo truly shows off the strong-willed business mogul that Emma Frost truly is.
As each layer is removed, a new aspect of her character is revealed. While wearing the long coat, it looks as if she were the White Queen once again. While sporting the blazer underneath,Emma Frostlooks more appropriate to her corporate and political status at the time.
X-Men
The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.
