Warning! Spoilers ahead for Devil's Reign: X-Men #3
While New York's corrupt mayor Wilson Fisk has declared war on New York's superheroes in Marvel's Devil's Reign, the Kingpin should have reconsidered going after the X-Men's Emma Frost. Although Fisk and Frost share a dark history together, Kingpin didn't nearly have as much leverage against her as he thought. Now, Emma Frost has ensured that there's no way Fisk can survive Devil's Reign and come out on top (even if he does defeat and arrest all of the city's heroes).
In previous issues of Devil's Reign: X-Men, Wilson Fisk attempted to take down the X-Men and have them removed from New York, having already outlawed superhero activity and sending his Thunderbolts to arrest several heroes. However, Emma Frost and the X-Men's diplomatic immunity as Krakoans became a major obstacle, motivating Fisk to dig into the past when the powerful telepath was in his employ. Despite Fisk ordering the hit himself years ago, the Kingpin placed the murder of a young girl in foster care named Isabelle at the feet of Emma, the last person to see the girl alive after she'd witnessed a brutal murder by Kingpin's other agent Elektra Natchios. In truth, Isabelle was still alive and being cared for in the UK, having been sent there and given a happy life with horses by Frost as revealed in the new Devil's Reign: X-Men #3 by Gerry Duggan and Phil Noto. Thanks to Frost's own impressive abilities and Isabelle's willingness to come forward, Emma was able to escape incarceration while also hurting Fisk's public reputation.
However, Emma Frost is an incredibly vindictive and dangerous woman. Kingpin crossing her was never something she was going to take lightly, and this issue proves that Wilson Fisk has seemingly dug his own grave. Entering his room while Fisk and his new wife Mary were asleep, Emma makes quite the impressive threat, promising to kill Fisk regardless of whether or not he emerges the victor of Devil's Reign. With her powers, she could be anyone and could strike at any time. Clearly, Kingpin's decision to go against Emma Frost was not worth it by any means.
An issue like this more than proves why Emma Frost is so dangerous as one of the X-Men leaders. While Frost may be a telepath like Charles Xavier, she's willing to be darker and go further to get what she wants. Emma's time working for Fisk made the Kingpin think he had power over her when he couldn't have been more wrong. There's rarely ever a moment when Frost isn't in control, always thinking ten steps ahead of her rivals (it certainly helps that she can read minds).
While it will be interesting to see how Fisk's war ends with Devil's Reign, this new issue proves that the aftermath will be far more intriguing following Emma's threat in this new issue. Whether he wins or loses, Kingpin's days seem to be numbered thanks to one of the most powerful mutants of all time. If this issue didn't make it abundantly obvious, the X-Men's Emma Frost is not one to be underestimated.
