mr. freeze

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. For those of us in the northern hemisphere, today is the first day of winter. Let’s celebrate by listing the Top 5 Ice-Powered Characters in comic books.

5: Ice (DC)

The first of several DC Comics characters on this list, Ice is the successor to the Ice Maiden. Tora Olafsdotter is the product of Norwegian experiments with Ice Maiden, hoping to replicate her powers. Tora’s arrival in the human world led the original Ice Maiden feeling superfluous. Ice Maiden returned to Norway, while Tora took up the name Ice and joined the Justice League International. She’s had an off-again, on-again relationship with Guy Gardner and developed a friendship with a heroine named Fire.

4: Captain Cold (DC)

Leonard Snart, Captain Cold, started life as a gag villain, but over time, Cold has become an impressive DC Universe villain. Snart grew up in an abusive household and turned to a life of crime. He developed a cold gun. The gun has extraordinary power. It can create temperatures to absolute zero. He can freeze objects (and people), create ice patches and icicles, and create a “cold zones” which can slow down anyone, including the Flash.

Snart is one of the founding members of the Rogues. He’s joined the Ice Pack (a group of cold-powered supervillains) and the Secret Society of Super Villains.

3: Killer Frost (DC)

There have been two women who bore the Killer Frost moniker. Crystal Frost was a scientist working in the Arctic when an accident gave her the ability to generate extreme cold. She became a supervillain, but her powers were slowly killing her. In an attempt to save herself, she consumed the heat of Firestorm and died.

Following Crystal’s death, her friend Dr. Louise Lincoln became Killer Frost. She recreated the accident that gave Crystal her powers and sought revenge on Firestorm. Able to transmute heat to cold and create gusts of wind and structures made of ice, Killer Frost has teamed up with villains like Captain Cold (who we saw in our previous entry) and Mr. Freeze, who happens to be our next entry.

2: Mr. Freeze (DC)

Dr. Victor Fries (originally a mad scientist Mr. Zero) is another DC villain who began life as a joke villain. The 1990’s Batman: The Animated Series recreated him as a sympathetic villain in its Emmy-winning episode “Heart of Ice.” Mr. Freeze has a sad story behind his frozen smile. His wife Nora fell terminally ill. Dr. Fries dedicated himself to cryogenic research to save her. The head of the corporation funding Fries’s work shuts down his project, and Victor fights them to save his wife. A fight ensues, which results in Victor turning into Mr. Freeze.

Freeze can only survive in sub-zero temperatures. To survive, Victor built himself a cryo-suit. He also developed an ice gun (powered by diamonds) and pursued a life of crime. Freeze’s gun can freeze objects and people, while his suit gives him increased strength and durability. Combined with his intellect, Mr. Freeze is a formidable foe.

1: Iceman (Marvel)

Iceman Bobby Drake started as the youngest member of the original X-Men. Most fans ignored him; he was the Spider-Man of that early X-Men team, cracking jokes and acting as the conduit for younger X-Men readers to view the team through.

Fast forward a couple of decades, and Bobby made his weekend appearance on Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends. I know it’s hokey, but I still enjoy watching this Saturday Morning cartoon on Disney+. Little did I, or any of those early readers of X-Men, know that Bobby may be one of the most powerful mutants. Iceman is an Omega-level mutant. As a frame of reference, Magneto is also an Omega-level mutant. Yikes!

Iceman can become ice in an organic form. By doing this, he can change his size and size, becoming an enormous ice man. He can also add spikes of ice on his knuckles or other body part, becoming a living weapon.

Hello, Winter! Let us know who you would add or remove in the comments. And wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. We’re kicking off spooky season a little late with a Top 5. The Top 5 Batman Villains to be exact. I struggled with whether to include The Joker and call it the Top 5 Batman Villains Not Named The Joker. But I decided to keep the Joker and add a sixth, honorable mention villain. The best of both worlds? This sixth villain is someone who wouldn’t have made the list. Eek! Batman has so many great villains. Let’s get started.

6: The Riddler

Yep. The Riddler almost didn’t make the list. This doesn’t mean that he’s a poor villain. It doesn’t mean that any of the villains you don’t see on this list are poor villains. I may have to make a Top 5 Underrated Batman Villains at some point. Let me know yours in the comments. Batman has a stacked rogues gallery.

Back to the Riddler. The Riddler began as a joke villain. TV executives even modeled the vibe of the 1960s Batman series starring Adam West from a Batman comic book cover that featured the Riddler. He’s been reimagined so many times that the Riddler has become a formidable foe. He got a little drip from the Batman: The Animated Series. He’s still one of my favorite villains from that cartoon series. “The War of Jokes and Riddles” is a must read if you’d like to see the Riddler portrayed as Joker’s equal. But the Riddler’s best story may come from Batman: Earth One, Volume Two.

Batman: Earth One shows a newer Batman navigating Gotham’s underbelly. The Riddler from Volume Two does a lot of Riddler schtick. He asks riddles of Batman and states that if Batman doesn’t solve the riddle in time, he’ll detonate a bomb killing hundreds. Batman solves the riddle in time because he’s Batman. But the Riddler detonates the bomb anyway. This isn’t your typical Riddler.

5: Two-Face

Two-Face has always been a layered Batman villain. He started as one of Bruce Wayne’s good friends and lost touch with reality after a criminal threw acid on the left side of his face. He’s another great villain from the Batman: The Animated Series. His two-part origin story in that series was fantastic and worth a watch. Aaron Eckhart’s portrayal of Harvey Dent was one of the most underrated elements of 2008’s The Dark Knight. But I’d have to go with the source material and 1990’s “The Eye of the Beholder.”

“The Eye of the Beholder” may sound familiar to fans of Batman: TAS. Commissioner Gordon and Harvey Dent form an alliance with Batman to rid Gotham of crime. Little do Gordon and Batman know, Harvey suppresses a second personality. “The Eye of the Beholder” does a great job of diving into Dent’s psychology and is well worth the read.

4: Mr. Freeze

Like the Riddler, Mr. Freeze began as a gag character. He used the name Mr. Zero at first and the 1960s TV show portrayed him like he appeared in the comics. Wild! It took Batman: The Animated Series to reimagine into the Mr. Freeze we know today. Mr. Freeze differs from most Batman villains. He isn’t crazy. He just wants to save his cryogenically frozen wife and will do so by any means. Tim Hill had a great Mr. Freeze story that took a different turn for the villain; he was a victim of Batman’s abuse. But I’d go back to the Batman: TAS classic episode “Heart of Ice” as a go-to Mr. Freeze story.

“Heart of Ice” earned a well-deserved Emmy. It’s the story that transformed Mr. Freeze from a gag villain into the tragic one we know today.

3: Bane

Bane not only matches Batman in brawn, but he can also go toe-to-toe with Batman on an intellectual level. That makes Bane’s inclusion in 1997’s shlocky Batman & Robin even more reprehensible. Tom Hardy’s turn as the villain in 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises gets closer to who the villain is. In the comics, Bane grew up in a prison, atoning for the crimes his father had committed. While in prison, he honed his body and mind. Tim Hill’s run on the Batman featured Bane as the main villain, but I’d go with the classic Batman: Knightfall story as starting point for Bane.

Batman: Knightfall features the moment that Bane “broke the bat.” He raises Batman up and breaks him over one knee, leaving Batman a paraplegic. This story will sound familiar to anyone who’s seen The Dark Knight Rises. This story element appears prominently in the film.

2: Ra’s Al Ghul

Ra’s Al Ghul translates to “Head of the Demon.” He’s another Batman villain who differs from most of the rest in that he believes his actions are just. Ra’s wants to save the planet and attain a perfect environmental balance by eliminating most of humanity. Marvel’s Thanos would borrow more than a little of this mentality. The Lazarus Pits he uses keeps him virtually immortal. Yet again, Batman: The Animated Series does a great job showcasing Ra’s Al Ghul’s origin. But I would turn again to the source material.

Ra’s Al Ghul first appeared in Batman #232 “Daughter of the Demon” and the story plays out almost exactly as Batman: TAS. So, never mind. I guess you could watch the show instead.

1: The Joker

I spoiled this one. I can’t see a world without the Joker as Batman’s ultimate villain. The Joker may be the greatest villain in all of comics. He needs no introduction. There have been numerous actors who have given powerful performances as the Joker. Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Hamill embodied the Joker in one way or another. I’ll always have a soft spot for Jack Nickolson’s Joker, even if he did venture from the characters a bit. John DiMaggio took the Joker to a gritty place with his vocal performances. But Heath Ledger’s Joker still takes the cake.

The Joker has too many great comic book stories to mention here. I could do a Top 5 of these stories. I’ll rattle off a few: “A Death in the Family,” “The Laughing Fish,” “Joker’s Five-Way Revenge,” “Batman: The Man Who Laughs,” and of course, “The Killing Joke.” The Clown Prince of Crime reigns supreme for a reason.

Did we get the list right? Let us know in the comments. And wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

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Top 5 Ice-Powered Comic Book Characters