How Batman: The Animated Series changed Mr. Freeze for the better

Mr. Freeze is widely considered to be one of Batman's greatest, and most tragic villains. The character was originally one of the more gimmicky antagonists in DC Comics, but it all turned around for him in the 1990s when he was revamped for Batman: The Animated Series. That revamp involved giving Victor Fries a tragic origin story that instantly made him a much deeper character, and earned him (and the show) recognition that he never had before.

It's such an iconic origin that many would think the character of Mr. Freeze was a consistent cast member when it came to the show's core roster of iconic villains. But one would be wrong. Come with me into a world where vengeance is a dish best served cold, and discover how little screen time Mr. Freeze received during his tenure on Batman: The Animated Series and how he still became one of its greatest ever characters.

The early years of Mr. Freeze

Mr Freeze was first introduced in the pages of Batman No. 121 in 1959, and he was created by writer David Wood and artist Sheldon Moldoff. However, in his first appearance, the character wasn't called Mr. Freeze; no, he was known as Mr. Zero, and his origins in that first issue are, shall we say, very typical of the time. Batman during this time period was losing steam with audiences, and the editors at DC Comics threw whatever ideas at the wall to see what stuck, including the introduction of a variety of gimmicky villains. Mr. Zero was your basic petty crook with a gimmick, which in this case was having a freeze gun, plus his very gaudy green and purple costume.

His origins in his first appearance are very basic compared to what most audiences are accustomed to these days, but some elements have remained to this day. Mr. Zero was exposed to the chemicals in his freeze gun, and as a result could no longer breathe in normal temperatures. Thus, he constructed a subzero temperature controlled suit that would enable him to remain alive while in the outside world. He then set about committing crimes for his own gain, particualry diamonds which he referred to as "ice", until Batman and Robin stopped him in his tracks. At the end of the first appearance, the Dynamic Duo managed to cure Mr. Zero of his affliction and promised to set him on the path to redemption for his crimes.

While the story, villain origins and costume were very basic and of the time, it ended in a very unique way where the villain was cured of his ice related affliction, with the promise that the character of Mr. Zero would indeed be redeemed in future stories.

However, Mr. Zero disappeared from the Batman comics for years, with his future left uncertain for just as long. Then, during the era of the classic Adam West-led 1966 Batman TV show, the character would return, this time in live-action, with a new look, and the new name of Mr. Freeze. George Sanders played the role for two frightful episodes in the first season that introduced the character to a whole new audience.

The show proved so popular that Mr. Freeze returned to the Batman comics in Detective Comics No. 373 in 1968, which stuck closer to how the character looked in the TV show. Though the character did return for four more episodes of Batman (this time played by Otto Preminger and Eli Wallach, respectively), not much changed for him in the comics when he was reintroduced, and he remained in creative limbo for decades after.

As mentioned previously, Mr. Freeze was created as just another gimmicky villain for Batman and Robin to fight and defeat, and his origins weren't given enough detail nor the character enough development to make the audience care about him. His real name wasn't even given until Batman: The Animated Series came along.

Speaking of which...

Batman: The Animated Series' new origins for Mr. Freeze

When Batman: The Animated Series came along in 1992, it was time to reinvent a number of The Dark Knight's classic villains, and that included the Iceman. Mr. Freeze was given a new origin in the episode "Heart of Ice" in the series, which was written by the legendary writer Paul Dini, and the episode was so incredible that it won a Daytime Emmy Award.

Victor Fries was a scientist working for the GothCorp company under the leadership of Ferris Boyle. He had a particular interest in cryogenics, and that interest became a necessity when his beloved wife Nora, became ill with a sickness that no doctor could cure. Determined not to lose her, Fries used GothCorp equipment to freeze Nora in a state of cryo-stasis so that one day a cure could be found for her. Unfortunately, Boyle uncovered what Fries was doing, and felt that the experiment was now property of GothCorp due to Fries' use of his equipment and funds. Fries fought back, but was kicked by Boyle into a nearby collection of chemicals, upon which Fries was doused and presumed dead.

As Mr. Freeze, he would come back to haunt GothCorp and in particular, Ferris Boyle, in a cryo suit of his design, and demanded that he be given his wife back. During this time Batman intervened, and upon the discovery of Fries' origins, he stopped Fries from killing Boyle, and had Boyle arrested for his crimes as well. Freeze was sent to jail, with Batman feeling nothing but pity for the man cursed to forever remain in a cold world alone.

"Heart of Ice" has become a classic, because not only were the writing and animation top notch, but the creators of the series took a minor, forogtten Batman villain with a generic and incomplete backstory and crafted a tale of tragedy that could rival the works of Shakespeare, if I were to be so bold.

A major impression in very few episodes

As hard as it might be to believe given how synonymous he is with the show, this version of Mr. Freeze didn't appear all that often in Batman: The Animated Series or the DC Animated Universe as a whole. I noticed this during a rewatch of BTAS, as the character just wasn't in the show a whole lot, at least, compared to some of the other villains such as the Joker, Two-Face, and The Penguin. Yes, Mr. Freeze only appeared in two episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, one episode of sequel series The New Batman Adventures, one episode of second sequel series Batman: Beyond, and and he also starred in his own spinoff movie of the original series called Batman and Mr. Freeze: SubZero.

The episodes in question were his first appearance in "Heart of Ice", before returning much later into the series in "Deep Freeze". In terms of continuity, the film SubZero came next (although it was released after his subsequent appearance due to a delay) in which he was still on a mission to find a cure for his wife, with Batman, Robin, and Batgirl standing in his way. I don't want to go too in depth with the movie, because I feel it's an underrated gem within the pantheon of Batman movies, live-action or not, and I think you should go and give it a watch.

His return in sequel series The New Batman Adventures episode "Cold Comfort" revealed that, due to his condition, his entire body ceased to exist, leaving only his head intact (although he used a mechanical spider-like form to move around, which slotted neatly into his suit). Like all of the characters in this series, he was redesigned with a more streamlined look and sharper features, but it is part of the same continuity.

The character's final appearance in the DCAU comes in the Batman Beyond episode titled "Meltdown". This series is set in the future where a new Batman, Terry McGinnis, is under the tutelage of an elderly Bruce Wayne, continuing the legacy of fighting crime to keep Gotham safe. Freeze is one of the few Batman villains that are still alive due to his condition resulting in him aging much, much slower. He is still just a head in this episode, but scientists promise him a new body free of his former icy prison. They succeeded, at first, but after his new body fails and the scientists betray him, he reverts back to his Mr. Freeze persona, intent on seeking revenge against those who wronged him. Terry as Batman intervenes, but after the complex they're fighting in begins to collapse, Freeze allows himself to die, and he seemingly does die, because this was the last time Freeze made an appearance in the DCAU.

While the DCAU Mr. Freeze made some appearances in the comics expanding the lore of the DCAU and BTAS, he was never seen in animation again after his supposed death in that Batman Beyond episode, a fitting end to a tragic character in my eyes.

Mr. Freeze's rewritten origins in Batman: The Animated Series have continued to compel audiences for decades after it was introduced, and it became so popular that is now recognized as the official origin of the character in the comics, shows, and movies (including the infamous 1997 movie Batman and Robin which did not do his storyline justice).

Thanks to this reinvention, he evolved from a gimmicky villain-of-the-week in the Silver Age of comics to one of the most iconic antagonists in Batman's rogues gallery. The credit for this lies solely with the Batman: The Animated Series creative team for bringing this vision to life, and the fact that he appeared in so little of the episodes in the show is a testament to how important his presence is when he does come on screen to chill us all to our bones.