Cavan Scott & Ruari Coleman bring Iron & Frost to the Age of Revelation. While Emma Frost and Tony Stark had a complicated past, including her noted disdain despite their shared history, their relationship evolved significantly after the fall of Krakoa. Tony saved Emma from Orchis, and she, in turn, helped him through a dark time. A subsequent political marriage, although fake, led to the development of genuine feelings, as seen in the ending of Invincible Iron Man, where a couple had finally found true affection.
It was an interesting choice to make a callback to that relationship for this event, but given that it is recent history, it made sense to explore. Iron & Frost shows the fates of Emma Frost and Tony Stark in the Age of Revelation, beginning with an earlier setting where the Avengers and Emma are fighting Revelation’s Seraphim, including Marrow, Phaser, and Unuscione. The action sequences are effective, featuring an intense fight between the groups as they vie for control of a young mutant with significant powers.
During the battle, Emma is mortally wounded, and her heart is pierced as Tony Stark screams in anguish. It’s at this point of near death that Emma sees with startling clarity that Tony does, in fact, love her, after years of assuming it was just a fling to him. To save herself, Emma turns her body into a living diamond, where she is unaging, unburdened by her injury, but also left unable to feel. The Avengers’ mansion collapses into the Earth, burying Emma beneath it, and Revelation’s soldiers are beaten back.
Emma digs herself out of the rubble and reflects on the time that has gone by. The X-Virus has wiped out much of humanity and turned the survivors into mutants. She tries to find the X-Men, but is unable to, and so returns to the sight of her injury and where Eris, the young mutant she and the Avengers were trying to save, was last seen. It is there that she finds the massive hole in the ground where the mansion once stood, and it is still standing, underground. To her surprise, the Hellfire Club has taken residence there, with Eris now grown up and going by the name Landslide. And what’s more, her old lover and ex-husband, Tony Stark, is alive, and not just alive, but changed significantly.
Ruari Coleman draws the issue, with Roberto and Yen Nitro inking and colouring the issue. The art is a little stiff in some places, namely for the initial pages, but it settles in and looks quite good and expressive overall. It’s a well-drawn and well-composed issue, with solid character designs (Coleman’s design for Emma is significantly better than her current costume), and the emotions are conveyed effectively.
Iron & Frost is overall an effective issue. The concept is strong, and the execution was even stronger. Emma Frost is no helpless damsel, saving herself when the chips are down. And the romance with Tony Stark feels palpable and worthy of exploration. The ending is an enticing surprise and leaves the door open for some truly interesting character exploration here.
We’ve seen Emma hide the truth of her feelings from Tony, while Tony himself is more open with his feelings. Now the characters are put in a situation where romance seems like the furthest thing from their minds, but the circumstances also feel ripe for that possibility. Compellingly so. Ruari Coleman’s art is strong, and Cavan Scott effectively characterizes both Emma and Tony, while also crafting an exciting action sequence.
Iron & Frost feels linked to the Age of Revelation event in a compelling way and is, overall, a very strong start to the series.
‘Iron & Frost’ #1 Emma Frost & Tony Stark’s Tragic Love in the Age of Revelation
Iron & Frost feels linked to the Age of Revelation event in a compelling way and is, overall, a very strong start to the series.
