DC Introduces a Powerful New Justice League Villain

The DC Comics universe is headed to some interesting territory in the coming months, especially with the coming dawn of Future State. In the meantime, there still are some epic stories coming down the pipeline this month — including Endless Winter, which properly kicks off with this week’s Justice League: Endless Winter #1. The issue covered a pretty wide swath of the DC universe, setting up a new conflict for the Justice League — including an incredibly formidable villain. Spoilers for Justice League: Endless Winter #1, from Andy Lanning, Ron Marz, Howard Porter, Hi-Fi, and Andworld Design, below!

The issue follows the Justice League on an international excursion, beginning with tracking down a group of villains to the Mathali Island. All of this is juxtaposed against Sebastian Stagg, who is using the technology of Stagg Industries to mine the arctic land previously occupied by the Fortress of Solitude. The Justice League is later called to that arctic dig site, where a slew of icy figures began to rise from the Arctic. The League briefly fought them off, but they discovered that the true origin of the ice beasts was lurking underneath — the Frost King, a villain with an aesthetic that’s equal parts Lobo, KISS, and a giant orc.

The Frost King summons his horde on the Justice League, engaging in an epic battle with them, which culminates in him threatening to get revenge on the world and disappearing in a frosty blast. Once the Justice League – who were safe in a bubble constructed by John Stewart – come to, they realize that the Frost King appeared to absorb the residual Kryptonian energy that the Fortress of Solitude left behind. As a result, the Frost King’s exit blanketed the world in a tundra of ice.

As the issue’s final sequence confirms, the Frost King appears to have a preexisting conflict with some of the earlier heroes of the DC universe — Hippolyta, Swamp Thing, Viking Prince, and Black Adam. That definitely adds a whole new wrinkle to the Frost King making his presence felt in the present day — and definitely sets up an interesting conflict in the weeks ahead.

“We felt like heroes would band together in every era, and we wanted to show off what we eventually came to call the Justice League Viking,” co-writer Ron Marz previously said of the event. “We had to sort out which characters would logically be around in the 10th century, and then figure out how those relationships work. The short version is, not everybody gets along.”

Endless Winter will continue next week in The Flash #767 and Superman: Endless Winter Special #1.