There were plenty of storylines in the Ultimate Marvel Universe that went largely unfulfilled, and that left some characters largely reduced to supporting roles next to more prominent heroes. Especially on big teams like the X-Men, not every mutant can get the spotlight.

Although he was teased as a potentially important player in the Ultimate Universe after his introduction in Mark Millar and Adam Kubert's Ultimate X-Men #1, Ultimate Iceman never quite lived up to the promise and potential of his earlier appearances,

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Ultimate Marvel Iceman

For decades, the X-Men have been a big team with far too many characters and intertwining stories to regularly put a spotlight on all of the franchise's heroes. Much of the purpose in developing the Ultimate Marvel universe was to clear out this kind of convoluted continuity and start from a clean slate that offered an opportunity to give characters another chance. While Iceman has always had a large presence in X-Men comics thanks to his status as a founding member of the team, he seemed destined for even greater things in the Ultimate Marvel Universe.

The first mission the team goes on involves tracking Bobby Drake down with Cerebro and rescuing him from an attack of Sentinels. When the X-Men defeat the Sentinels Iceman narrowly saves helpless civilians who would have been crushed by the falling robot if not for Iceman freezing the multi-story behemoth in place mid-fall. For his efforts, the bystanders awarded him with a beer bottle to the head. This scene set up what the X-Men are all about, and it introduced the idea that the young Bobby Drake's character was as astonished at his power as anyone else.

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It does not take some huge event to explore Iceman's character arc in this world. He is a typical teenage kid with untapped potential within him he seldom recognizes. While the Marvel Universe version of the character seemed to rediscover his own potential on a regular basis for years, even as he grew into taking the responsibilities of adulthood and being a senior X-Man seriously.

However, Ultimate Iceman maintained an ambivalence that made him the relatable adolescent on the team. In part this was great for the character as a supportive and balancing personality, and it made his stunning showings of raw power feel understated. But his potential needed to be tapped at some point, and, instead, it feels as though he was completely forgotten.

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The biggest plot point to focus on him throughout the 1610's history was his injury at Proteus' hand, his temporary retirement from the team while his parents sought legal action and his triumphant return in Ultimate War. Still. even that plotline fizzled out and was dwarfed at the time by far larger stories like Colossus' own struggles with the team and Magneto's return. In the later years of the Ultimate Universe, Iceman largely maintained this supporting role, even as this world's Kitty Pryde grew from adolescence into a revolutionary leader.

Much like Bobby's powers, Ultimate Iceman's potential as a character was consistently hinted at without ever fully fleshing out, even in a world where he could have a new history.

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