The latest issue of S.W.O.R.D. reveals another mutant powerhouse who has romantic feelings for the original leader of the X-Men.
WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for S.W.O.R.D. #4 by Al Ewing, Valerio Schiti, Marte Gracia, VC’s Ariana Maher, and Tom Muller, available now.
Joanna Cargill, or Frenzy, was once one of the X-Men’s most vicious enemies, and her transition to joining the team as an effort at redemption has made her no less fierce. But she has had a weak spot for the X-Men’s leader, Scott Summers/Cyclops, ever since the two of them experienced life as a romantic couple in an alternate reality.
And as the she and the other space-based mutant of S.W.O.R.D. deal with the King in Black crossover in S.W.O.R.D. #4, Frenzy shows that she still carries intense feelings for Scott and believes she always will, even though they have gone unrequited for years.
Created by Bob Layton and Keith Pollard, Frenzy first appeared in X-Factor #4 in 1986. With invulnerable skin and immense superhuman strength, Frenzy was a dangerous threat during her years as a supervillain. She first operated as a mercenary before becoming one of the founding members of the Alliance of Evil, which served Apocalypse. After that, she was a long-standing member of the Acolytes and worked closely with Magneto while he ruled over Genosha. When Exodus disbanded the Acolytes while mutants were an endangered species following House of M Frenzy eventually became a citizen of Utopia. Her shift towards heroism and fascination with Cyclops began soon after as a result of the “Age of X” event.
“Age of X” was a 2011 crossover between various X-Men titles. It took place in an alternate reality where, following an event in which Jean Grey’s Phoenix power killed thousands of people, the United States became an anti-mutant dystopia, with Sentinels and government forces hunting down any and all mutants. Even non-mutant heroes like the Avengers were mostly bigots tasked with hunting mutants. Magneto led the remaining mutants in a desperate battle for survival from in Fortress X, a citadel that served as that reality’s equivalent to Utopia. Human forces tried to breach the fortress daily, but the X-Men’s counterparts held them off.
When Legacy (Rogue’s counterpart) sees this timeline’s being arrested close to the outside of the fortress she finds her camera with a photograph showing a world of white. When Legacy, Gambit and Magneto free Kitty and Charles Xavier from the fortress’ brig, the rescued mutants explain that their world isn’t real. The current reality had been created by Legion, Xavier’s son, after a new personality took over his body when Dr. Nemesis was attempting to treat his mental illness.
At the end of the event, reality is restored to normal, though many of the mutants involved still remember their experiences in the other world. In the Age of X reality Frenzy and Basilisk (Cyclops’ counterpart) were married and when they first see each other back in the real world, they instinctively kiss. Emma Frost interrupts them, after which Scott’s memories return and he sheepishly apologizes.
Frenzy would later talk to Scott about her lingering feelings but he rejected her. Regardless, her experiences in the Age of X were shown to have an important influence on her and she chose not to have her memories of the timeline erased as most others did. The experience was a significant motivating factor in her decision to join the X-Men.
S.W.O.R.D. #4 shows that despite them remaining unrequited, Frenzy still has strong feelings for Cyclops. While she was battling Kid Cable (who had been possessed by Knull) he threatened to make her kill everyone she loved. Frenzy replied that “I’ve only ever loved one person. And if he’d felt the same, you’d be my stepson,” of course referring to Cable’s father, Cyclops. Unfortunately for Frenzy, Scott is unavailable, having reignited his longtime relationship with Jean Grey.
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