Ice (comics)
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- For the first Icemaiden, see Icemaiden
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Ice (Tora Olafsdotter) is a fictional superheroine published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Justice League International #12 (April 1988), and was created by Keith Giffen, J. M. DeMatteis and Kevin Maguire.
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[edit] Publication history
Ice is a separate character from Icemaiden. The two are often confused due to their similar appearance, group affiliation and powers, as well as the fact that they were originally the same character. When Icemaiden first appeared, she had blue skin, pointy ears and the name Sigrid Nansen. When the character joined Justice League International, the comic book creators believed that her real name had never been given but were mistaken (it was revealed in the Global Guardians entry in Who's Who in the DC Universe).
Years later, after Ice was killed, the "original" Ice Maiden (Sigrid Nansen) joined the Justice League. Also a backstory was created that she was the first Icemaiden and had quit the Global Guardians when Tora appeared.
[edit] Character biography
[edit] Global Guardians
The princess of an isolated tribe of magic-wielding Norsemen, Tora Olafsdotter has the natural ability to create and manipulate ice. She joined the Global Guardians as Norway's member (replacing Icemaiden Sigrid Nansen) after they promised to protect her people, but after the Guardians' UN funding was withdrawn in the wake of the Justice League's reformation as the Justice League International, her friend Green Flame (later Fire) talked her into walking up to a JLI embassy and asking for a job. Remarkably, in the wake of Black Canary's resignation and the abduction of several members, the short-handed JLI took them on.
[edit] Justice League
The comic's writers later admitted having brought her into the League with the intention of killing her off within a year, but were surprised by how popular she quickly became, and decided to keep her. Ice's personality was an amusing mix of girl-next-door wholesomeness and innocent-abroad naiveté, which served as an excellent contrast to the impulsive, even libidinous traits of her friend and teammate Fire. As a kind of duo, her friend and she had changed their names from Green Flame and Icemaiden to Fire and Ice.
Ice served with the Justice League International for years (remaining with the American branch even after a European branch was opened), occasionally dated Green Lantern Guy Gardner and even pursued a brief romance with Superman after he joined the team. Unfortunately, her original editorial fate caught up with her and she was killed while mind-controlled by the Overmaster. Mark Waid, who wrote those issues, has admitted that that was a mistake on his part. [1]
Before her untimely death, Ice displayed amplified ice-generating powers as well as new ones (flight and limited super-strength) as a result of a battle with her brother.
[edit] Resurrections
Ice's sprit has been resurrected on several occasions.
In Showcase '96 #7, Fire and Cruiser are involved in an accident which leaves them cold, tired and snowbound. They swap their life stories, and as she begins to drift into unconsciousness, which would be fatal following her concussion, Fire sees a vision of her late friend Ice, who helps her decide to live. It is not revealed if Ice was a ghost or a figment of Fire's imagination, but Fire awoke to a warm burning fire, and she and Cruiser had traded sitting positions.
Ice's spirit once again appears in JLA Annual #2. She and several other deceased JLA members are resurrected by Felix Faust. In the end, she sacrifices herself again to save the JLA from his dark magic, and recites the same final words she spoke when killed by the Overmaster.
The spirit of Ice recently made an appearance in I Can't Believe It's Not The Justice League, in which she was (possibly mistakenly) damned to Hell or a dimension similar to Hell. After Fire and Guy Gardner negotiate her release, Fire looks behind to see that Ice is following while they leave, which violates Hell's Orpheus clause, causing Ice's spirit to vanish. Together Guy Gardner and Fire mourned the again-lost Ice, even though they had never been entirely certain that this manifestation was really her. It is implied that Ice vanished to Valhalla.
[edit] Powers and Abilities
- In addition to being an above-average hand-to-hand combatant, Ice can, at will, project in various forms quantities of ice and snow through her hands just enough to down an opponent.
- Before her apparent demise, she was powered-up mysteriously (later revealed to be the result of the Overmaster). She was able to generate larger amounts of ice and snow, and gained super-strength and the ability to fly.
[edit] Appearances in other media
Ice appeared in the 1997 live action made-for-TV movie pilot Justice League of America. She was played by Kimberly Oja. In this version she was a meteorologist who gained her powers from exposure to the villain's weather-control machine. She also began a relationship with the Atom.
Ice and Fire have both made several appearances in the Justice League Unlimited animated series, though only Fire had speaking roles. Fire and Ice are often seen together, as is the case in the comics. Hawkgirl even hinted sardonically that the two were lesbian, when the Flash expressed his affection for Fire. Ice's costume is a leotard with a mountain insignia on the chest. She sports short, white hair.
