Appearing in "Now Strikes the Assassin!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Randall Chase
- Bartholomew Jones
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Bruno Stein
- Hellions
- Hellfire Club
Races and Species:
Locations:
Synopsis for "Now Strikes the Assassin!"
The White Queen's gaslighting of Angelica Jones has shifted from making her hate the X-Men and being prepared to harm others with her powers towards making the Black Queen her target. Her agents forge an assassination attempt that she blames on Selene. As Firestar continues to trust Ms. Frost above anything, she's driven to protect her. Angelica's bodyguard, Randall, doesn't like how she's being manipulated. While he's trying to think of how to even confront his telepathic employer, she decides he's outlived his usefullness and has him attacked and held prisoner by his fellow agents.
The next day, Frost tells Angelica that Randall was killed by a mole implanted by the Black Queen. This pushes Angelica over the edge and she offers to use her powers to protect Ms. Frost during the dance a few nights later at the Hellfire Club where Selene will be in attendance. The night of the dance, everything is set up and Angelica is steeling herself to meet her fate and calls her father one last time to tell her she loves him. Then Randall, having escaped his captors but getting fatally shot in the process, staggers his way to Angelica to tell her the truth about Emma Frost with his dying breath. Anguished, she tears off the bracelet Frost gave her.
When Frost receives the news that something has gone wrong, she abandons the dance and returns to the Academy's underground complex, where Firestar is wreaking havoc. Emma had spent years convincing Angelica that she had no control over her powers, making her dependent. Now that she sees clearly, Firestar shows she has all the control and defeats the White Queen and her agents. With her tormentor cornered, Firestar pays Emma back for all the smoke and mirrors with a trick of her own, momentarily making Emma think she's burned her face with the heat from her hand. With that, Firestar makes the White Queen promise to leave her alone and demolishes her undergound complex as a departing gift.
Angelica Jones then returns home to her father, who is grateful that she's giving him a second chance. She looks towards the future and mastering her powers on her own.
