"Bow down to the White Queen" as Emma Frost gets her own X-Men solo comic that flashes back to her time as a villain

Emma Frost is a mainstay of the X-Men who has proved herself as a hero many times over. But there was a time before that when she was one of the X-Men's most powerful enemies as the White Queen of the Hellfire Club. Now, a new limited series puts Emma Frost in the spotlight, flashing back to her ascent to the position of White Queen, long before she was one of the X-Men.

Written by Amy Chu with art by Andrea DiVito, the five-issue Emma Frost: White Queen limited series "reminds readers how dangerous the world's most fabulous telepath once was" when she was "at the height of her supervillain notoriety." Interestingly enough, the era in which the Emma Frost series is set is actually prior to the manifestation of her ability to turn into diamond, which was triggered when she survived the destruction of Genosha in the lead up to her actually joining the X-Men.

"IN THE DARKEST DAYS OF THE HELLFIRE CLUB!" reads Marvel's official description of Emma Frost #1. "Before she became a mainstay of the heroic X-Men, Emma Frost had another role: WHITE QUEEN of the HELLFIRE CLUB! As she grapples for power with the rest of the Inner Circle, witness Emma’s ruthless ascent to the top! And when she discovers there is a mole within the Hellfire Club leaking secrets to their sworn enemies, the X-Men, Emma will stop at nothing to uncover the truth! Take a deep dive into Emma’s past, learn shocking secrets and be prepared to bow down to the White Queen!"

Amy Chu previously wrote the acclaimed series Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death, which put one of DC's biggest femme fatale anti-heroes in the spotlight, so the idea of her taking on Emma Frost seems like a great fit.

"If there's one character I've always wanted to write after Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death, it's Emma Frost, especially BAD Emma Frost," Chu says in a statement. "This is going to be a whole new Emma-focused story set in the classic days before she joins the X-Men. We're going around the world to expose the inner workings of the Hellfire Club in a way you've never seen before and introducing some new baddies. I can't believe Marvel is letting me do this, it's so exciting!"

"I can't think of a character more deserving of her own series than Emma Frost," adds artist Andrea DiVito. "Her complexity alone is fuel for infinite stories, and this is about the White Queen in her raw form, set during the time where she took her first steps towards true power. It's a privilege to illustrate these events, it doesn't get any more Emma than this!"

Emma Frost #1 goes on sale June 18 with a cover by David Nakayama, seen above.

Stay up to date on all the new X-Men comics Marvel has planned for release.