Kitty Pryde vs. Emma Frost

One of Cyclops’ lovers has once again become evil.  How sad.  That man likes a certain type of lady, I guess. With Cyclops out of the picture, today it’ll be Kitty Pryde who’s going to punch the crap out of Emma Frost.  As a quick reminder, notice the similarities between the famous panel from last article and today’s homage?

Seriously, superheroes spend more time in sewers than sanitation workers.  Sit back today and enjoy some of the good stuff (though there’s nothing bad in the entire run) from Astonishing X-Men #15-16, written by Joss Whedon and drawn by John Cassaday.

Some quick back story if you don’t mind: Emma Frost always had ties to the Hellfire Club, the billionaire socialite evil X-Men-antagonizing club that shows up every now and then to annoy whoever’s currently at the school.  Actually, their premiere, which the last article touched upon, also introduced Emma Frost for the first time.  And now the White Queen’s betrayed the X-Men to side with her Hellfire Club buddies once more (well, it’s actually way more complicated than that, but I don’t want to spoil the twist).  As the baddies target the X-Men one-by-one, Kitty Pryde meets Negasonic Teenage Warhead. I didn’t make that up.  That’s her actual supervillain name.

Shoving Kitty into the deep layers of the earth should take care of her for a while.  Not permanently, of course, as that would require something drastic like a gigantic planet-killing bullet.  Sadly, Emma Frost’s psychic attacks and creepy Hellfire buddies have successfully taken down the X-Men.  I know I’ve given you no context and zero scenes to appreciate him, but Victorian child Wolverine may be the best part of the entire arc.

Just like her mentor Wolverine’s solo raid on the Hellfire Club, Kitty’s ready for her own lone wolf vengeance.  And this isn’t scared 13 year-old Kitty Pryde anymore either.  She’s a trained ninja (Wolverine-certified), tech genius (computer savant), professional dancer (Step Up 3D: Breaking Emma’s Nose), and possesses over a decade of in-continuity butt kicking.

The quotes below reference Astonishing X-Men #2, where Emma shares her feelings with dear Kitty.

Now, Emma’s going to be punched in the face.

See?  Told you.  Kitty’s fan appeal comes from the same place Dick Grayson’s does.  We’ve seen Kitty grow up over the years from inexperienced kid to established hero to bonafide leader.  In the DC and Marvel comic universes badgered by the ever present status quo, it’s such a rare opportunity to see real, lasting growth in the characters we love.  And I get it — young, sexy Batman sells far more issues than old, decrepit Batman.  Though both will be equally curmudgeony.

Look, Emma Frost shines as a fantastic character, and I enjoy every moment she shows up.  But she deserves this.  So badly.

The White Queen stays down there for two more issues, thinking about what she’s done.  And just like all good superheroes, Kitty Pryde quickly puts aside her hatred and resentment of beaten Emma to once again embrace her as a teammate and a friend.

Okay, maybe not.  But don’t feel bad for Emma, she really did deserve this.