It's well known that a difficult family environment can shape a person's character. Emma Frost grew up withdrawn and silent, rarely reaching out to others and making few friends. Having an uninvolved father is bad enough, but Emma's mother was often worse, struggling with alcohol, drug addiction, and infidelity. Surrounded by dysfunction, Emma's life felt oppressive and isolating.
"It seems the famed White Queen and Silver Fox haven't had it easy," Zod remarked, studying the sisters' profiles on his monitor. They were a striking pair: Emma with her platinum blonde hair and her sister, Kara, with rich brown locks.
"Boss, should I arrange for them to be brought in? They may awaken latent mutant genes," said the Black Queen.
Zod paused, considering. "Only if they wish to leave their current lives. I don't see value in disrupting their peace unless they seek something more."
Though the sisters were beautiful, Zod wasn't interested solely for that reason. Besides, without mutants in this world, he wondered if Magneto, Northstar, or others would ever come into existence here. In this universe, Mystique would likely have aged normally, a far cry from her eternally youthful, shape-shifting self.
Emma spent her days playing the charming socialite, only to shed her façade in the solitude of her room each night. Unknown to her, Zod had managed to acquire a small blood sample, which the Black Queen swiftly analyzed.
"She does carry the X-gene," reported the Black Queen. "It's unclear whether it aligns with the mutation we know, but it's there."
Kara, too, carried the X-gene, though both remained unawakened. That night, as Emma lay in bed, exhausted by the constant need to mask herself, a voice pierced the silence.
"Emma Grace Frost," the voice intoned, and a shadowed figure appeared. Emma sat up in alarm, instantly wary of this strange visitor.
"Don't be afraid, Emma," the figure said with an unsettling calm. "I am, admittedly, no saint, but I come with an opportunity."
His directness disarmed her, catching her off guard.
"I'm here because you possess a potential that aligns with ours. Don't you want to understand the purpose of life? To truly live?"
Emma shrank back at first, unsure of what to make of this cryptic figure.
"It seems I've intruded, given that you're content to live like this for the rest of your life," he said, fading as though to leave.
"Wait!" Emma called out, echoed by her sister Kara in the adjoining room.
"What can you offer me?" Emma asked, her fear momentarily forgotten. She was surprised by her own boldness, but the stranger's question had struck a nerve. Her current life felt hollow and stagnant, and she longed for something different.
"The chance to be free of all this," he replied.
"And what's the price?" Emma asked, instinctively cautious. She knew from a young age that nothing in life was free.
"Freedom and loyalty," the shadow replied. "You'll join us and be unable to betray us. The penalty for betrayal is death. But given your current existence, it's hardly different from death already."
Emma hesitated, torn by the price of freedom and loyalty. Freedom was held in high regard in her culture, yet here she was, shackled in a different way.
"You can take time to think about it," he continued. "But if you refuse, I won't return."
To his surprise, Emma responded quickly. "I accept. Can you take me with you now?"
"Are you certain? Once you choose, there's no turning back," the shadow asked one last time.
"Yes," Emma replied, her resolve hardening. She felt no reason to remain tethered to her current life.
Without another word, she vanished from her room. Kara, however, decided to think it over, feeling unprepared to make such a choice.
"Welcome, Emma Grace Frost," came the voice of her new mentor, his armor cloaked in darkness, a simple but imposing cape adding to his stature.
"Who… are you?" she asked, noting several shadowy figures around her, their features obscured.
"You may call me Black King. Follow me," Zod instructed.
Emma, feeling a mix of fear and excitement, hurried after him through unfamiliar corridors until they reached a laboratory.
"What are you going to do to me?" she asked, growing anxious as she took in the sterile environment.
"I told you, Emma. You have potential, and it's time to unlock it," Zod replied calmly, guiding her to an operating table and gently but firmly securing her there.
Emma's initial panic was quelled as Zod's calming influence lulled her into a deep sleep.
Zod began by extracting and cataloging her X-gene before commencing the awakening process. As the gene activated, Emma's entire body transformed, crystallizing into a flawless, diamond-like structure. Awakening from her trance, she felt an urge to reach out telepathically and was immediately met with a powerful mental resistance. Zod's forceful rebuke left her clutching her head, wincing in pain.
Emma's mutation gifted her with telepathy — the ability to read and manipulate thoughts, modify memories, induce unconsciousness, and even connect multiple minds. In her diamond form, she became invulnerable, able to withstand tremendous physical attacks without fatigue, food, or water, and even resist psychic intrusions. However, she could not use her telepathy in this hardened state.
As she adjusted to her new form, Zod watched with quiet satisfaction, knowing he had just awakened one of the most formidable telepaths in existence.