"I'm sure Mystique didn't steal Iron Man's stuff," Spider-Man reported.
Director Nick Fury thought to himself that it seemed like things were about to get complicated again. Christmas was approaching, and he couldn't relax during the holiday season. What's more, after Christmas, there was the World Summit and the Stark Industries Expo, both of which were to be held in New York. What a hassle.
Two major events that couldn't afford to go wrong were being targeted by two different groups. Magneto's Brotherhood was eyeing the Summit, and Iron Man's rival company, Hammer Industries, had set its sights on the Stark Industries Expo. If Director Fury knew about this, he would definitely be furious.
This would be Ada's first Christmas since joining S.H.I.E.L.D., and the Director had still given her time off. Since Ada worked on cleanup missions, she could spend Christmas at home.
Xavier's School was also on break, so it was the perfect time for everyone to go to the theater and watch Frozen.
Liu A'dou and his wife also took Elsa to the theater, and it was packed. Fortunately, A'dou had prepared sunglasses, so Elsa wasn't swarmed by people.
Before the movie started, the three of them sat together, with Liu A'dou in the middle.
Before the movie began, many people in the theater were discussing mutants. It seemed that using mutants as the topic of the film had proven to be a very successful promotional strategy. At the very least, it was a profitable one.
"I just want to see if the mutant lead in the movie looks as beautiful as in the pictures," one person said, clearly there to see the actress.
"I've never seen a mutant before. I didn't expect there to be mutants acting in a movie. I want to see if they're as powerful as the rumors say. Are they powerful enough to make the government scared?" another person remarked, eager to see how mutants were portrayed.
"Don't you know Spider-Man? I've seen him. Mutants are just a little stronger than us, with some weird abilities. You say Spider-Man can crawl walls, but there are people who can do that too—just need some equipment. So I don't think mutants are as scary as the media makes them out to be."
His friend nodded, adding, "I think the politicians just want to use the threat of mutants to gain political leverage. That's why they exaggerate mutant abilities. Now mutants have to come out and make a movie to clear their names. I bet the investors in this movie are probably mutants themselves." The man was clearly a sharp thinker.
Liu A'dou listened carefully, thinking that there were indeed many smart people among humans.
The lights dimmed, and the movie began. The beautiful music played as the camera zoomed in on a panoramic shot of a small country's castle. The real footage was breathtaking, showing an incredible level of sincerity from the filmmakers right from the opening.
The people wearing traditional outfits from the small country were all local volunteers. The king had mobilized them to participate in the filming, and they brought their own costumes.
The opening shot showed the idyllic beauty of a hidden paradise, with the people's faces glowing with contentment as they lived in peace and joy. The camera then moved to the castle, where an introduction to the royal family was made through classical photographs—the king and queen, and their two lovely young daughters.
As the story progressed, the audience slowly came to understand this beautiful, harmonious royal family. However, the eldest princess, Elsa, was a mutant. Her parents believed she had been cursed by the God of Magic, but despite that, they took great care of her. They simply instructed her to hide her abilities from others. So Elsa lived her life cautiously, afraid that her difference might be discovered.
The opening scene immediately elicited sympathy for Elsa's family. The powers she was born with were a curse she couldn't escape, and her family bore the heavy burden of protecting her while facing enormous pressure. In this family, perhaps only her sister Anna was truly happy. But as Anna was repeatedly rejected by Elsa, she too became pitiful.
It wasn't just mutants who resonated with Elsa, but also the family members of mutants. To protect their families, they too struggled. After the king and queen died, many people cried because the two princesses lost their shield, and from then on, the young princesses would have to face the world alone.
Anna and Elsa were separated by a door. Anna crouched in the shadow of the hallway, out of the sunlight, sobbing softly, while Elsa, alone in her dim bedroom, cried with frost covering the room. This scene moved everyone in the theater.
The actors' performances were so natural, and it made the audience sympathize with Elsa. At least Anna had sunlight in the hallway, but Elsa's room was filled with only coldness.
It was heart-wrenching, and even the adults in the theater couldn't help but feel a lump in their throats.
Then the two princesses grew up. Anna remained cheerful and lively, while Elsa became more mature and composed. The elder princess kept her powers hidden while protecting her sister, ensuring she grew up unharmed, enduring countless hardships. Now, at the age of sixteen, Elsa was finally crowned queen, and the entire nation celebrated.
But the audience could see Elsa's unease, for she had to remove her protective gloves, risking exposure of her abilities as she held the scepter.
With the worried eyes of the audience upon her, Elsa finally succeeded without incident and became queen. But the audience knew this was far from over. At the ball, Elsa was concerned that her sister was getting involved with a bad man, and she was scolded by Anna before having her gloves removed.
In an instant, ice spread across the dance floor. Everyone realized the princess was a mutant, and they shrank back in fear. Even the innocent sister stepped back, frightened.
"How could you be so reckless?" an audience member complained, blaming Anna for not listening to her sister.
"Yeah, the sister was only trying to help," another person added.
The audience saw Elsa, once feared, now terrified herself, running toward the sea. This scene, with all its realistic superpowers, was incredibly shocking. The sea was frozen, the northern lights danced across the sky, and the castle lights flickered. Everything was just the perfect backdrop for showcasing her powers.
"The mutants are so powerful," the audience had a moment of fear. What would they do if all mutants were this strong? But their worries didn't last long, as it was the climax of the film.
Elsa's lonely figure on the mountain ridge made the audience realize that even the strongest mutants are still human and can feel sadness.
Then, the soothing music played, and the audience heard the movie's theme song, witnessing the entire process of Elsa's liberation. The princess shed her disguise and declared herself the queen of the Ice Kingdom.
She built an ice castle atop the mountain, and this scene was the most spectacular of the entire film. It was a shot that could rewrite the history of cinema, a perfect moment. The director used 120 cameras to present the most breathtaking visuals. Elsa danced as she transformed along with the castle. In the end, she donned a sky-blue ice gown, discarded her crown, and left her past behind.
"Ahhh?!?" The audience widened their eyes, mouths agape, in astonished admiration. It was unbelievable. The beauty, the shock, it was stunning.
"How could this be?" How could such an unscientific thing happen?
"Oh!!!" In one theater, Spider-Man expressed his admiration. He could tell that Elsa was indeed a powerful mutant with such an ability. It was incredibly impressive. And the movie had been a real pleasure to watch. That's why he came to see it a second time. Watching the reactions of the audience around him, Spider-Man knew Elsa was definitely rising as a new star.
The story continued, and Anna finally realized her mistake and set off to find Elsa.
However, Elsa didn't want to return to her past repressive life, nor did she want to face the scornful eyes of the people. Unbeknownst to Anna, a malicious usurper followed behind her and attacked Elsa. In the end, Elsa accidentally harmed her sister, causing Anna's blood to slowly freeze, leaving her with only three days to live.
The audience had already completely fallen into the tragic fate of the two sisters. They were unable to pull away. They worried for the sisters, praying for their safety.
In the end, Anna was frozen, but at the last moment, she saved Elsa. Elsa finally understood that there were still people who cared about her. Her long-frozen heart finally thawed, and her powers grew stronger, finally allowing her to control them freely. She used a kiss to save her sister and unsealed the kingdom.
Silence... Wait, this isn't right. Why is the sister kissing the sister?? Where's the prince? But... it doesn't seem so bad.
The sisters lived happily ever after in their kingdom, and the credits rolled.
However, the audience didn't want to leave. They wanted to hear the theme song again. The scenic beauty of the small country and some behind-the-scenes footage could still be viewed. They absolutely had to see it all, not knowing that there were still more surprises in store.
Finally, the credits ended, and the music stopped, but just as everyone was about to stand up, they suddenly realized that the lights in the theater hadn't come on. Was there an after-credits scene? The audience sat back down to watch in suspense.
Sure enough, the screen flickered, and the scene showed a tavern. Liu A'dou made a cameo as an old, weathered traveler from a distant land. From the bartender, he learned of the queen's story, and he smiled slightly: "I've seen the noblest of mutants, and I've also seen the most despicable of humans."
The film was over.
The audience sat stunned, not knowing what to do. The noblest of mutants and the most despicable humans? Was this real? The final line of the movie elevated it to another level. The applause was deafening. It wasn't just a fairytale story; it told the story of mutants and humans. Especially that final line in the after-credits scene, which left many people speechless and made those who held prejudices against mutants reflect on whether they were the despicable ones.
The first movie to openly discuss the mutant issue achieved unprecedented success. The movie's song, the final line, and the scene of Elsa's coronation as the Ice Queen became landmark moments in film history.
"The noblest of mutants, the most despicable of humans" became the talk of the town, widely discussed in the media.
Elsa was now famous. Why do I say "now" instead of "was"? Because Ada was already famous. The video of Ada saving people had been in the top ten on video streaming sites, just below the viral videos of Superman's brief appearance and Iron Man's stunning moves. The video was titled "Ordinary Female Police Officer No Less Than Superheroes."
Now, Elsa was even more famous. The movie's opening Christmas weekend grossed 90 million dollars, and it was already competing with many Hollywood blockbusters. What no one knew was that, within the entire team, only a few people were actual filmmakers, the rest were amateur mutants. But it was the mutants' abilities that turned fantasy into reality. What used to rely solely on special effects now looked so real on the screen.
Especially the theme song, combined with Elsa's figure as the Ice Queen, made everyone feel like they were in a dream, living in a fairytale world. The small European country had even started offering Ice Palace tours, making tickets almost impossible to get. Countless children begged their parents to take them to the castle, but when parents saw the ticket prices, they wailed in despair. It was almost like robbery. But strangely enough, people were willing to be robbed.
Visitors to the Ice Palace took breathtaking photos that became viral on social networks.
Countless people were asking where Elsa, the Ice Queen, was. They longed to meet Elsa, to see the beautiful and strong Ice Queen face-to-face. And so, from then on, Elsa was recognized as the Ice Queen. It had started as a self-proclaimed title in the movie, but now it was universally accepted.
Of course, the movie's meaning and the script's origins were widely discussed, but the director only revealed that the screenwriter was a young Chinese-American. He declined to disclose further details.
The movie was a hit. The next day, ticket sales reached an impressive 97% occupancy, almost sold out. Box office earnings surpassed the opening day, grossing 120 million dollars, and the ice and snow craze continued to spread. Soon, the entire world would feel the charm of Elsa, the Ice Queen, unstoppable.