Before Absolute Batman, Batman: The Animated Series Paved the Way for an All-New Mr. Freeze

Mr. Freeze is one of Batman’s most iconic and enduring rogues. He’s made a number of appearances in all kinds of media, from the beloved Arkham games to the terrible and beloved classic Batman and Robin movie, Mr. Freeze has made plenty of appearances as the ice-themed supervillain dedicated to saving his comatose wife. The newest issue of Absolute Batman promises to reinvent the villain in a new, terrifying way, with his new design resembling a vampiric ghoul of some kind. As exciting as it is to see this new take on the fan-favorite villain, it actually isn’t the first time that Mr. Freeze has undergone a dramatic shift in character.

When he first appeared in Batman Volume 1 issue #121, Mr. Freeze was very, very different from the love-driven monster we know today. In fact, he wasn’t even called Mr. Freeze, he went by Mr. Zero, an entirely separate cold pun. Instead of being a misguided man who wants to save his wife, he was a scientist who invented a cold gun and accidentally sprayed himself with the freezing solution, making it impossible for him to live outside of cold temperatures. Naturally, he went on to use this cold gun to commit crimes before being stopped by Batman and Robin. By the end of the issue Batman had actually accidentally cured Mr. Zero of his cold-affliction by spraying him with steam, which reset his body’s temperature needs. But by the next time he showed up he still needed his cryo-suit, so either it was temporary or he spilled more coolant on himself. Both are equally likely.

Look at his original costume. The yellowish-green spandex and red gloves and trunks are a far cry from the sleek blue and white we’re used to seeing on him. After this initial appearance he went quiet for several years, only to reappear out of nowhere, having renamed himself Mr. Freeze after the 1966’s Batman tv show interpretation of the character. He would make a handful more appearances over the years, but was nothing more than a run of the mill villain of the week. But all that changed with the advent of Batman: The Animated Series and its critically acclaimed episode “Heart of Ice.”

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How Did The Show Reinvent Mr. Freeze?

The animated series changed everything about Mr. Freeze from the ground up. They preserved the core of his loose character, being that he was a man who could only survive in freezing conditions and wielded a cold gun, but also interjected so much more into him to turn him from a throwaway gag character to one of Batman’s most tragic villains. Instead of a criminal who accidentally cursed himself to need the cold, the new Mr. Freeze, named Victor Fries, was a tragic man whose wife was terminally ill. He used GothCorp technology to cryogenically freeze Nora until he found a cure, but his experiment was uncovered by the CEO, who cruelly attempted to shut down the machines that kept her frozen, uncaring that doing so would kill her. The two scuffled, leading to Victor being thrown into the freezing chemicals and developing his need to stay frozen.

Updating Mr. Freeze’s origin this way revolutionized how people saw his character. He was immediately elevated from forgettable gag to top tier villain, and the comic books reflected this. In his first appearance after Crisis on Infinite Earths reset the continuity, Mr. Freeze resembled his cartoon counterpart in design and backstory. This became the new standard for the villain going forward in his many clashes with Batman. There were a few deviances, such as when Victor sold his soul to the demon Neron for cryokinesis and the ability to survive in normal temperatures, but ultimately, every version of Mr. Freeze in comics and other media always reverts to the one forged in Batman: The Animated Series.

It is hard to understate the importance of the revamp of Mr. Freeze, as it made him into one of Batman’s most intriguing characters. The majority of Batman’s rogues are at their best when they are treated as misguided but tragic characters, who are just as much victims of circumstance and others as they are villains themselves. Mr. Freeze is the poster child for these villains, and just as they are stronger when they are sympathetic, Batman is at his best when he is trying to help them as much as he is trying to stop them. Mr. Freeze is an amazing tragic villain, just as Batman is the ultimate compassionate superhero.