WARNING! Spoilers for Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter #4OfBatman’smany iconic foes, perhaps the most sympathetic isMr. Freeze. Though a villain in his own right, alongside the likes of the Joker and the Penguin, his backstory fromBatman: The Animated Serieshas elevated him to be more than a mere two-bit crook. Now, Mr. Freeze has turned his back on his most defining tragedy and subverted his usual motivations with a frightening redesign.
Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter#4 by Jay Kristoff and Tirso Cons returns to the high fantasy world of the original Elseworlds series, following aviking variant of Deathstrokeas he takes on the role of mercenary. In this issue, Mr. Freeze - known here simply as Viktor - makes his debut in this reimagined universe, but he’s a far cry from his original iteration. Upon discovering that his beloved Lady Nora has slept with King Maxwell Lord behind his back,Viktor exacts vengeance by freezing the entire kingdom with his magic.
This curse doesn’t only freeze the land - it freezes the people dwelling within it as well, which includes Nora.Mr. Freeze inflicting harm upon Nora by including her in his revenge goes against everything he stands for in most continuities, making this the darkest take on him yet.
Mr. Freeze Subverts His Fan-Favorite Origin in a Dark Medieval Universe
This Gotham Villain’s New Look Shows How Far He’s Gone
InBatman: the Animated Series, Mr. Freeze gets a major revamp, complete with a sympathetic new origin story that has gone on to define his character. The 14th episode of the show’s first season,entitled “Heart of Ice”, introduces Mr. Freeze as the more grounded Victor Fries. Victor’s wife, Nora, has fallen ill with a mysterious disease, sohe freezes her in stasis to keep her alive as he seeks out a cure.This tragic origin has since become a staple of Mr. Freeze’s lore and made him afan-favorite Batman villain. Now, though, Mr. Freeze has flipped this origin on its head.
Mr. Freeze’s redesign as an occult magus suits this dark turn for his character, hinting at the horrific sorcery he’s capable of when provoked.
WhileMr. Freeze has moved on from Norabefore, this departure from his key motivation isn’t quite the same. Mr. Freeze moving on is never out of resentment towards Nora, but rather a relinquishing of his unhealthy obsession with her. Here, however, it seemsViktor has no regard for Nora’s safety as he bestows his grim curse upon the kingdom. His redesign as an occult magus suits this dark turn for his character, hinting at the horrific sorcery he’s capable of when provoked. Mr. Freeze has gone from a Batman villain with a heart beneath his ice-cold exterior to a vicious wizard whose broken heart devastates the DC Universe.
Mr. Freeze Causes the Endless Winter in theDark Knights of SteelUniverse
Batman’s Enemy Is Deadlier Than Ever Before After Losing Nora
The icy curse that terrorizes the land Deathstroke wanders has been persistent throughout this Elseworlds tale, and it’s only now been given a proper explanation. The further Deathstroke travels, the harsher the winter becomes, and it seems there’s no end to this story’s titular Allwinter curse.
DC’s Daring New Continuity Turns Gotham’s Villains into Bruce Wayne’s Closest Allies
Batman has always been defined by his villains, but they take on a major new role in the Absolute Universe, as some villains are his best friends.
The deceased subjects of the former kingdom have become zombies, including Nora, so it’s clear that this version ofMr. Freezeis too far gone for salvation. The only way to end the Allwinter may be for Deathstroke to defeat him, otherwise thisBatmanvillain’s estrangement from hisBatman: The Animated Seriesportrayal could have even more deadly consequences.
Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter#4is available now from DC Comics.
Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter
The snow falls thick, blood runs black, and color itself is only a distant memory. The legendary assassin Deathstroke stalks a frozen wasteland, killing for coin among a nation of ever-warring jarls. But when our murderer for hire finds himself cast in the role of reluctant guardian, will he fight to end the icy curse destroying his land or be consumed by the sins of his own dark past? The red-hot Dark Knights of Steel epic expands into bone-chilling new territories with new surprises in store!
