Comic Books

X-Men Monday #319 – Cavan Scott Talks ‘Iron & Frost’

Plus, an eXclusive look at ‘Iron & Frost’ #2 and #3!

November 3, 2025

Welcome, X-Fans, to another uncanny edition of X-Men Monday at AIPT!

Ah, Emma Frost and Tony Stark… and their “marriage.” When Mark Waid and Javier Rodriguez’s History of the Marvel Universe teased that Iron Man would wed the White Queen — way back in 2019 — X-Fans couldn’t even comprehend such a scenario. While I always believed it was just a case of one Marvel editorial office tossing an idea onto the page another editorial office wasn’t expected to act on, as I’m something of a rapscallion, I did enjoy asking questions about it again and again in this column.

I never expected the former X-Office to pick up that divisive little idea years later. Nor did I expect it to work so well. And I especially didn’t expect there to be new comics focused on Emma and Tony’s marriage so long after the conclusion of the Fall of X. But X years later, in the Age of Revelation, we have Iron & Frost from writer Cavan Scott and artist Ruairí Coleman. And just like Emma and Tony’s short union, it’s been delightful so far.

Also delightful? Cavan — who agreed to discuss the mini-series’ first issue and tease what comes next. Let’s see what he has to say.

Courtesy of Marvel Comics

AIPT: Welcome to X-Men Monday, Cavan! As this is your first time stopping by the column, could you share your first X-Men eXperience as a fan?

Cavan Scott: Thanks for having me! And that’s a good question! I think it was the Marvel UK version of Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars back in the ’80s, that first issue where the Beyonder rounds up all the heroes and villains. That entire run was my entry point into the wider Marvel Universe, especially when it morphed into Secret Wars II. The weekly comic reprinted all the tie-ins in order, so you got a different corner of the Marvel Universe every seven days — with Alpha Flight as the back-up strip. I have such happy memories of picking up that comic every week. To mix my franchises, it was my first step into a wider world.

Courtesy of Marvel Comics

Plus, I got the Wolverine Secret Wars action figure for Christmas! Happy days!

AIPT: Iron & Frost is an interesting and unexpected concept for an Age of Revelation tie-in series. How did the opportunity to play in the event sandbox come about? Was this a series you pitched?

Cavan: No, it was an invite. I’d worked with Editor Danny Khazem on Star Wars: The High Republic and later on Union Jack The Ripper as part of the Blood Hunt event. He came to me with the basic concept for the book — that Emma had been mortally wounded and needed to remain in diamond form to survive (as well as what needed to happen in the final moments, which I can’t talk about here as it would ruin the ending!) I pitched the idea of [SPOILER WARNING] the Iron King in our first call, and we went for that!

Courtesy of Marvel Comics

AIPT: This series plays with the semi-recent Emma Frost/Tony Stark relationship that was established in Fall of X. X-Fan Zedd Frost says Emma and Tony have a long, complicated relationship, but Zedd always thought their time together in the Fall of X was healing for both. What do you think works about them as a couple?

Cavan: I think it’s the fact that they come from different worlds, first and foremost, but they have more in common than either admits. Sure, there’s the glitz and glamour of their lives — they’re beautiful people who love a good gala — but it’s more than that. They’ve both put on personas all their lives, and I’m not just talking about Iron Man and the White Queen. Both Tony Stark and Emma Frost are personas they’ve constructed, largely as a survival tactic. Even their ‘marriage’ was a construct, but both were surprised that there was an actual spark there. A connection.

Courtesy of Marvel Comics

AIPT: Iron & Frost#1 states that Emma’s been living in her diamond form for six years, knowing that if she changes back, she’ll die instantly. I imagine that’s quite fertile material for you as a writer — and nicely mirrors the tragedy that transformed Tony into Iron Man. How, in your opinion, has that changed Emma since that incident at Avengers Mansion?

Cavan: The challenge is that diamond Emma struggles with emotions, which is pretty central to a storyline with a romantic connection at its heart (pun intended!) Even though that’s happened to her, Emma knows what she’s lost and that is what she’s searching for. Not so much a new heart, but the ability to connect. That intensifies when she sees the connections others have made in the time she’s been diamond — and what Tony has lost, too!

Courtesy of Marvel Comics

AIPT: Not only do we have a White Queen made of diamond, but an Iron King made of metal. What can you tease about the mutated Tony Stark we’ll get to know in Iron & Frost#2?

Cavan: He’s not the (Iron) man he was. Tony has become a living computer in many ways, his brain mutating along with his body into a form of AI, absolutely devoid of emotion and controlled by logic. There is no passion there, just cold, ruthless technology. If anything, seeing Tony like this proves to Emma that maybe she feels more than she thought — in just about every way possible.

Courtesy of Marvel Comics

AIPT: X-Fan Jason wants to know what happened to Firestar after War Machine encased her in cryo-dampening foam. Any chance we’ll see more of Angelica in Iron & Frost?

Cavan: Time will tell… it always does!

Courtesy of Marvel Comics

AIPT: X-Fan Michael says Eris (now Landslide) is such a delight. What made you choose to introduce her into this story and have her play such a pivotal role in Tony and Emma’s story?

Cavan: I needed someone who has been affected by the X-Virus on a very grounded level, not someone who already lives an Avengers / X-Man type life. That’s the plot-driven, head-based answer.

Courtesy of Marvel Comics

The heart-based answer is: this was my chance to create a new mutant, something that may never come around again, so I just HAD to! At the end of the day, I’ve been a fan of this universe in one way or another for 50-odd years. The last few years have given me the opportunity to write some of my favorite characters: Gwenpool, Union Jack, She-Hulk… Spider-Man, for Pete’s sake. 10-year-old Cav can’t believe his luck, so the chance to add something new, no matter how small, to the wider Marvel tapestry is just such an honor!

AIPT: As the Stepford Cuckoos are a big part of Emma’s life, X-Fan #1 Bonecat fan is curious to learn whether updates about their status X years later might appear in Iron & Frost.

Cavan: Not this time, I’m afraid, #1 Bonecat Fan! There was already a lot to get into three issues, but now you’ve got me wondering what’s happened to them in this era. Where do you think they are, #1 Bonecat Fan?

Courtesy of Marvel Comics

AIPT: X-Fan Michael asks how different it is writing in the world of the Avengers and X-Men in comparison to the Star Wars universe?

Cavan: They’re so similar. The deep history. The interconnected characters. The passionate fanbase that lives and breathes these universes every single day. I feel a great responsibility whenever I get the chance to work on large, beloved franchises like this — and quite a lot of pressure too! I take nothing about it for granted and, most of the time, my imposter syndrome is off the chart! There is usually a moment when I freeze and say: What am I doing here? Marvel / Star Wars has made a TERRIBLE mistake, and any minute now they’ll find out and take away my geek card, telling me to never darken their doors again.

So, in those moments, you have to take a breath and tell yourself that you’ve got this, that there’s a reason they’ve come to you. I’ve got 25 years of experience writing for these kinds of franchises, and that feeling never goes away. EVER!

Courtesy of Marvel Comics

But I think it’s good. It keeps you on your toes — and also reminds you to tell the best story you can tell within the parameters you’ve been given. No good will come of second-guessing yourself, so you write a story you’d like to read to the best of your ability.

You also have to remember that you’ll never be able to write a story that everyone will like. Life isn’t like that, nor should it be. Some people will love it, some people will hate it. The majority of folk will be somewhere in the middle! Again, you just need to buckle down and do the work, otherwise, you’ll send yourself into a spiral of self-doubt!

AIPT: Finally, how has it been collaborating with artist Ruairí Coleman on Iron & Frost?

Courtesy of Marvel Comics

Cavan: Oh. My. Heavens. Ruairí has been a complete and utter joy and the PERFECT collaborator. From beginning to end, he’s made suggestions that have made the story better. We reveal a relationship between two of the characters in Iron & Frost #2 that was 100% Ruairí’s idea. It came up in the character design stage and helped everything fall into place, adding an emotional level that wouldn’t have been there before.

An absolute creative powerhouse — and his art? I mean, look at it. I would jump at the chance of working with Ruairí again.

AIPT: And we’ll reveal a bit more art from Ruairí in a second — but first, Cavan, thanks for stopping by X-Men Monday!

X-Fans, Iron & Frost #2 goes on sale November 12, 2025, and below, we can eXclusively reveal the issue’s preview, written by Cavan Scott, illustrated and inked by Ruairí Coleman, colored by Yen Nitro, and lettered by VC’s Joe Sabino.

Courtesy of Marvel Comics

But wait, there’s more, courtesy of our friends at Marvel! Here’s an eXclusive look at artist Mark Bagley’s variant cover for Iron & Frost #3…

Courtesy of Marvel Comics

And here’s an eXclusive look at artist Greg Land’s variant cover for Iron & Frost #3.

Courtesy of Marvel Comics

For more X-Men: Age of Revelation information, be sure to check out the rest of our recent event coverage:

And, in case you missed it, X-Men Monday dropped a special Halloween edition, featuring an interview with Marvel Zombies: Red Band writers Ethan S. Parker and Griffin Sheridan about their mini-series and Jean Grey’s role in it.

Until next time, X-Fans, stay eXceptional!