One thing that both heroes and villains in the world of comics share is a natural progression of backstories and histories that lead to their heroic or villainous futures. This includes the paths that lead to the various powers the heroes and villains gain throughout their lives, with the difference usually being about upbringing or the personality of the person gaining said abilities.
One set of abilities most people fear a villain to get is over ice. The cold, freezing nature of ice powers range from complex robberies to horrific losses of life. Here are the ten most powerful villains with ice powers.
10 Icicle
Many different people have taken on the mantle of Icicle in the world of DC Comics, but for the purpose of ice powers, the man in question is going to be the son of the original Icicle. The man with powers that allow him to control ice is Cameron Mahkent, the son of original Icicle Dr. Joar Mahkent, a villain of Alan Scott’s Green Lantern.
Cameron gained the power to control ice after years of exposure to his ice ray gun altered Joar’s genetic makeup, passing this power to his son. He became a frequent villain of the Global Guardians and beyond.
9 Minister Blizzard
Some villains are born with ice powers, while others need the aid of technology to garner the power over ice that they desire. One example of this is Minister Blizzard, a longtime foe of Wonder Woman who utilizes a weather machine and gun to control ice and freeze his enemies in place.
Originally known as Prime Minister Blizzard under order from Queen Snowina of Iceberg-Land during the Golden Age, the villain has evolved into an environmentalist and cultist who uses his machine to battle Wonder Woman and usher in new ice ages, even joining forces with foes like Circe and Giganta against Wonder Woman.
8 Blizzard
One longtime foe of the legendary Tony Stark is a unique case, in which he began using ice powers generated by a suit using cryogenics, later developed ice powers naturally in his body, and later lost those abilities and had to use his suit once more. That villain is Gregor Shapanka, aka Blizzard.
A Hungarian scientist who became obsessed with immortality, he began studying cryogenics and took a job at Stark Industries in a bid to fund his research. However, after he was caught stealing from Stark Technology’s secret vault, he was fired, leading to an obsession with Stark and the creation of the first Blizzard.
7 Snowman
The next villain with ice powers is a rare one, who has great power but only appeared a handful of times early in the comics. That villain is known as Snowman, a hybrid Yeti/human who became a foe of Batman. Becoming a professional athlete to blend in with humanity after being born to a Yeti father and a human mother, Klaus Kristin went to Gotham to commit a crime spree.
With the ability to control and manipulate ice and snow, Snowman battled Batman after his crime spree was caught in Gotham. In the early days, their battle was a bit unique, as it involved Batman in a skiing contest.
6 Ymir
One of the more legendary ice villains in Marvel Comics is also one of the first of the Frost Giants and was one of the ones responsible for the creation of the Asgardian gods. That villain was Ymir, a powerful and ancient Asgardian creature who can manipulate and control ice.
While trying to bring about eternal winter, he is stopped and imprisoned by Odin, the king of the Norse gods. He is later battled by not only Thor but Doctor Strange and the Avengers when the Sons of Satannish summon both him and the fire demon Surtur to the Earth.
5 Equinox
One of the next villains is unique because he has both pyrokinesis and cryokinesis powers, which is a rare combination of abilities. That villain is Equinox, aka Terry Sorenson. After a malfunction of his father’s equipment in a science lab, Terry was exposed to the energy expelled by the experiment and gained superhuman powers.
Thought to have a combination of Human Torch and Iceman’s powers, two heroes he fought early on, he also battled Spider-Man, Yellowjacket and the Wasp, who manage to cure him temporarily using technology in the Baxter Building while the Fantastic Four are away for a time.
4 Captain Cold
Some villains are born, while others are made. One example of an ice villain who was made is one of the Flash’s greatest villains and sometime hero, Leonard Snart, aka Captain Cold. The son of an abusive father, he and his sister turned to a life of crime, becoming Captain Cold and the Gilded Glider.
He later went on to form the Rogues, the most popular villains of the Flash who often competed and terrorized Central City. For a time they also became antiheroes and helped the Flash sometimes against larger threats, but his cold gun made him the most formidable of all the Rogues.
3 Mr. Freeze
The third most powerful villain of the ice villains is none other than Mr. Freeze, aka Victor Fries. What makes this villain unique is not only his tragic backstory but his combination of genetics and technology to control ice. A scientist who is constantly searching for a cure to his wife’s terminal condition, he has kept her in suspended animation while he looks for the cure.
After being exposed to a cryo-bath during an experiment gone wrong, his genetic makeup changed so that he can only survive in sub-zero temperatures. He created a cryo-suit and took to crime to fund his search for a cure, becoming a longtime Batman foe.
2 Laufey
The second most powerful villain to utilize ice powers is none other than the birth father of Loki, the god of mischief himself in Marvel Comics, Laufey, the King of the Frost Giants. The longtime foe of Odin of Asgard and the longtime ruler of the Frost Giants, Laufey is also the birth father of Loki, who abandoned the boy for being too weak as an infant.
A longtime foe not only of Odin, he has also battled both his son Loki and Loki’s adoptive brother and foe, Thor. He recently led the Frost Giants into battle for Malekith the Accursed during the War of the Realms event.
1 Killer Frost
The most powerful villain to control and utilize ice powers is also one of the most powerful heroes to control ice as well, and that is Killer Frost. While later years have shown Caitlin Snow to have a heroic side, joining Batman’s Justice League of America in the Rebirth era of DC Comics, she is notorious for beginning her powered career as a villain.
Transformed during the attack of a STAR Labs facility, she became a heat vampire, taking the body heat of others to sustain her and give her her abilities. Although heroic now, she is seeking redemption for the lives taken during her initial villainous career.