This scene takes place at the climax of a story in which Scott Summers suspects Emma Frost of keeping secrets from him. He’s confronted her, demanding to know the truth, and Emma has been her usual evasive self. She’s tried every trick in the book to divert his attention, confuse and confound him… but through sheer force of will, Cyclops appears to have backed her into a corner…
Panel One.
The mindscape. A blank white background in this panel. Scott (or his mental projection) stands, naked, but undaunted staring straight at us. We see him from the waist up since I’ve no desire to see Cyclops’ one eye. He isn’t wearing his visor or his ruby quartz glasses since he doesn’t need them here. He looks stern, demanding.
Scott: Tell me the truth, Emma. For once in your life… please… tell me the truth.
Panel Two.
Wider shot. Scott is in the foreground, facing away from us, staring across at Emma Frost. She is wearing her sexiest, most outrageous outfit… all part of her diversionary tactics. But those tactics appear to have failed, and now Emma appears defeated. She turns away from Scott, shamefaced, as though she can’t look him in the eye. Behind them, the mindscape change to an image of Magneto, rising triumphant above the fallen bodies of various X-Men, Avengers et al.
Emma: All right, darling, if… if you insist…
Emma: Erik will turn on us. It’s happened before, it’ll happen again.
Emma: He won’t be able to help himself…
Emma: The truth, Scott…?
Panel Three.
Close on Emma, turning to face Scott, the shame replaced by a wicked smile, fire in her eyes.
Emma: That helmet only ever protected him from Charles.
Panel Four.
Scott is shocked, frozen to the spot. He suspected Emma of something… but nothing like this. She strides towards him now, confident, still smiling… The mindscape is a jumbled mass of Ditko-chaos, reflecting Scott’s reaction.
Emma: You see, darling, I get so terribly, terribly bored…
Panel Five.
Emma leans in and kisses Scott on the cheek…
Emma: But you shouldn’t worry your pretty little head about things like that…
The next page would show Cyclops waking up in bed beside Emma having completely forgotten everything that has just happened. But we, the readers, will now know the truth…
So..how does the helmet only protect him from Xavier? Not a criticism, I just want to know what you've got cookinign that brain of youre, Rol. What about Juggernaught?
ReplyDeleteA great script. Like my own (and I'm sure others too), it plays on the relationship between Scott and Emma.
I'm guessing it's probably not in a literal sense. Magneto isn't going to be wearing his helmet all the time, and I'm guessing Emma is referring to having ways of either catching him without or getting him to remove his protection. At least long enough to do her thing.
ReplyDeleteIt seems a little strange to me that if Frost can tell him without him remembering then why wouldn't she do it all along instead of wasting time being coy?
ReplyDeleteI like how this page would go visually but I'm not sure I dig the actual content. Maybe it's because I really want Frost to be completely rehabilitated, and not ever go back villain.
@MK - I bet Emma could get Magneto out of his helmet. I bet she could also get his helmet ou----[alright, that's too far, Ryan !]
MK - that's more what I had in mind, but also the fact that Magneto doesn't see Emma as such a threat as Charles, his arrogance is his downfall.
ReplyDeleteBen - Emma would have no desire to go rooting round in Juggy's mind - what could she possibly see there of interest (except maybe an X-rated She-Hulk).
Ryan - Evil Emma likes the game. It's all in her boredom line - she'd happily give Scott his confrontation, go through the motions, let him have his big moment of discovery... only to pull the rug out from under him. Toying. But yes, that only works if you dig Emma as unreformable. If you want her to remain on the side of the angels, this script won't be for you.
(Oh, and I took bets on who would make the helmet gag... my money wasn't on you.)
I really liked the idea that Magneto would be so worried about Xavier that he never really realized that it didn't block out the telepathy of other people.
ReplyDelete