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Quote1 There's no hope for me, or you, or your city. Everyone's going to feel my loss. Quote2
Mister Freeze src

Mister Freeze (real name Victor Fries) was a scientist who, after a great accident, became unable to survive outside of subzero temperatures, and lost his beloved wife Nora. Now cold and angry, Freeze became the vengeful, freeze-ray-wielding enemy of the Batman who fought him on several occasions.

Childhood

He was the only child of two professors, and was under constant pressure to be successful. Due to this, he was never given the chance to enjoy himself, apart from Christmas, where he would spend his day at Old Gotham Square.[1]

Origins

Victor Fries DCAU 004

Before the "accident"

Doctor Victor Fries was a genius scientist for GothCorp under C.E.O. Ferris Boyle, and the loving husband to his beloved Nora. When Nora contracted a deadly disease, Fries developed a special freezing cell and planned to cryogenically hold her in stasis until a cure was found. Boyle interrupted the experiment after it went over budget, and the ensuing fight sent the desperate Fries into a cloud of volatile coolant chemicals. They soaked his body and rendered him unable to survive outside of a sub-zero environment, necessitating him to build a powerful cryo-suit to live in. He was also made cold and emotionless by his experience, feeling nothing but a seething hatred for those who had taken his wife from him, and he assumed killed her. He vowed revenge on Boyle and Gothcorp, and after building a laser-powered cold gun to exact vengeance with, "Mister Freeze" was born.[2]

Fighting for Nora

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"Revenge is a dish best served cold."

In his anger, Mister Freeze formed a gang and began attacking Boyle and GothCorp. The Batman investigated and fought Freeze, stopping him from killing Boyle and imprisoned him in a subzero-temperature cell in Arkham Asylum. But even though he provided the evidence that led to Boyle's arrest for his misdeeds, Batman was unable to offer little consolation to Freeze, who still believed his wife was lost.[2]

Some time later, businessman Grant Walker discovered Nora, still alive and cryogenically frozen. He broke Freeze out of Arkham, and used her as a bargaining chip to force Freeze to transform Walker into the frozen but nigh-immortal prison his own was. Upon completion, Freeze betrayed Walker and destroyed the "utopian" society he had been building. Freeze then secluded himself in a self-made ice block, floating to colder waters until he finally settled in the Arctic. He stayed there with Nora, continuing to look for a cure.[3]

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Reunited and desperate as ever

Unfortunately for Freeze and Nora, an exploration crew inadvertently crashed into Freeze's home. The containment was destroyed and the deadly disease to progressed into its fatal stages. After freezing the entire crew of the sub, Freeze headed to Gotham City with Nora, his surrogate son Koonak and his two polar bears Notchka and Shaka, to enlist the aid of Gregory Belson. Belson, a medical doctor, had known Fries prior to the accident. Though he was hesitant, Belson was eventually "persuaded" to aid Freeze, with Fries showing he would pay Belson well.

Together they found a way to cure Nora's disease, but it required an organ transplant. To make matters worse, Belson said the disease would probably kill Nora soon unless they performed the transplant now. With no deceased donors available, they were forced to pursue a live one. The "donor" they chose was Barbara Gordon, and they proceeded to kidnap her. However, Dick Grayson was present during the kidnapping, and though he failed to save Barbara, he was aware of Freeze's plot. Batman and Robin managed to interrupt the operation before it took take place; the battle that ensued caused Freeze's lair to explode. Batman, Robin, and Barbara were able to evacuate Nora and Koonak in time, but Freeze had fallen into the fiery blast and was assumed dead. In actuality, he and his polar bears survived and, for a time, wandered the Arctic.[4]

Cold Rampage

In Gotham, Nora was cured. She waited patiently for Victor to return, but he never made effort to contact her. In reality, the accident that had caused his "immortality" had actually deteriorated his body. Though his head was able to continue functioning, the rest of him withered away. He constructed an insect-like robotic carriage for his head, as well as a larger shell resembling his human form.

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Mister Freeze's new form

Resigned that he would never again be united with his beloved Nora, a new layer of ice froze over Freeze's heart. Having lost that which was most precious to him, he resolved to stamp out warmth wherever it glowed. A newer, more powerful, and chillingly sardonic Mr. Freeze lost his obsession over his wife and instead concentrated on bringing misery to the people of Gotham and its protector, Batman. However, Batman and Batgirl stopped the plan, and Freeze disappeared.[5]

Some time later, Mr. Freeze felt nostalgic for his childhood and journeyed to Old Gotham Square and froze the place solid. After Robin confronted him, he decided to surrender to the GCPD and was incarcerated at Arkham Asylum. He later received a gift, a framed photograph of a store at Old Gotham Square, which he placed next to a snowglobe in his cell.[1]

Final Days

The head of Fries laid dormant for forty years before his destiny was intertwined with a new businessman: Derek Powers. Looking for a way to cure Powers' condition, Dr. Stephanie Lake proposed a cunning solution: transfer his consciousness to a new body. In order to test it, however, she needed an adequate subject. As Fries's condition was irreversible, the idea of a normal life was more than enough for Fries to cooperate. The process seemed to work, and Fries was temporarily restored to good health. Eventually, though, his condition took a turn for the worse; as a result, Dr. Lake opted to terminate the experiment. Betrayed yet again, Mr. Freeze returned to exact revenge on those whom he felt wronged him. After a confrontation with Blight and the new Batman, Fries chose to accept the death he had thought about for forty years. Fries created a wall of ice between him and Batman, so Batman would be unable to save him. The building he was in collapsed, and Fries was assumed dead.[6]

Powers

  • Unique Physiology: Due to an accident in the lab, Fries' body has frozen over down to the core and manipulated his physiology.
    • Immortality: Life has frozen over for Mister Freeze and has halted his age indefinitely.[3]
    • Self-Sustenance: Victor can survive sub-zero temperatures and actually cannot survive without them.

Abilities

Weaknesses

  • Vulnerability to Heat: Fries cannot survive normal human temperatures and his body temp as dropped to inhuman levels. As such he must live within his suit forever or he will melt and die.
  • No Physical Body (Formerly)

Other Characteristics

Equipment

Weapons


Related

External Links

Footnotes


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