Superhero Origins: Ice Man

Superhero Origins: Ice Man

He’s easily the coolest member of the X-Men. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we will explore the comic book origins of Bobby Drake, otherwise known as Ice Man.

As with most comic book characters, there are often re-imaginings and different versions to a character’s past. We have chosen to primarily follow the storyline that unfolded in 1963’s Uncanny X-Men #1, which was expanded upon in 2009’s X-men Origins Iceman #1.

In his debut appearance, Ice Man was first introduced to audiences when reporting to Professor Xavier alongside his team of superheroes. One of the original members of the X-Men, he was first shown already appearing in only his ice form while riding a pole of ice.

Proud of his ability to freeze objects, Ice Man demonstrated his skills to Beast, who in turn was angered causing an argument. With this broken up by Angel, the team prepared for their next lesson by the Professor. During this training, Ice Man pleaded with Xavier to stop taking it easy on him, just because he was the youngest of the team at only sixteen years old.

Feeling treated like a child, Ice man showed his youth by using a carrot and buttons to make himself look like a snow man. With Beast trying to catch Ice Man unaware, he threw a bowling ball at him, which Ice Man deflected back at his opponent using his ice creating ability.

Next going up against Cyclops, Ice Man created an ice cube shield, which failed to protect him from his colleagues heat beam. With training coming to an end for the day, the Professor asked them to get back into their ordinary outfits and prepare to meet Jean Grey, their newest recruit. It was at this point that ice Man returned to ordinary form as Bobby Drake.

Shortly afterward, Xavier sent Ice Man and the team on a mission to stop Magneto who had begun an attack of an army base, aiming to use their missiles against mankind. Using his ice powers, Bobby froze the missiles in mid air, before protecting the team from an explosion by forming an igloo.

Following this Ice Man remained a member of the X-Men team, putting the chill on countless evil’s and threats to humanity. By 1986, he and the original team re-united to form X-Factor, before getting a massive power upgrade the following year in Thor #377. In that comic, Loki captured him and boosted his power levels in order to use him as the fuel for his ice cannon, before being saved by Thor.

By 2009, the character was finally given an origin story. Here, it showed a young Bobby Drake discovering his powers when he inadvertently froze his family pool. While Bobby felt like a freak, his parents were very understanding, telling him that he was a mutant and that he would have to learn to be careful with his powers.

Soon, Bobby realized the scope of his powers, as he was able to use the moisture in the air to generate ice, while freezing his body.

After a run in with a bully, in which Bobby lost control, he ended up freezing the hot head. Discovered, this scared his love interest, while the truth surfacing caused Bobby’s parents to realize that they could no longer protect their son from the public.

While Bobby packed up his belongings in preparation to flee, the police arrived and took him away. This resulted in Bobby being locked up while an angry mob demanded blood.

Due to being in imminent danger, Bobby was soon broken out of jail by Cyclops and Professor Xavier.

Recognizing Xavier from being on TV as a mutant expert, he agreed to come and live at his school for Gifted Youngers, before becoming part of his special team. At the same time, Xavier used his power to erase the public, and his parent’s knowledge of the event, including Bobby’s powers.

Since his debut back in the early 1960s, Ice Man has appeared in various comic books, cartoon series. Eventually, he was portrayed by Shawn Ashmore in the live action X-Men franchise, which showcased his life as a student before falling into a relationship with both Rogue and Kitty Pryde, while joining the fight against Magneto’s brotherhood.

Are you a fan of this chill mutant Superhero? For more frosty top 10s, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.