Blizzard (comics)

Blizzard is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Each Blizzard is a supervillain in the Marvel Universe and a member of Iron Man's rogues gallery. The second Blizzard (Donnie Gill) also appeared as a member of the Thunderbolts, a team of superheroes made up of reformed supervillains.

Publication history

Created by Stan Lee and Don Heck, the first Blizzard (Gregor Shapanka) appeared as Jack Frost in Tales of Suspense #45 (September 1963), and as Blizzard beginning in Iron Man #86 (May 1976). He was killed off in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #20 (November 1986). The second Blizzard (Donnie Gill, created by David Michelinie and Bob Layton) first appeared in Iron Man #223 (October 1987). The third incarnation, Randy Macklin, appeared in the Marvel Holiday Special (January 1994) and was created by Steven Grant and Pat Broderick.

Fictional character biographies

Gregor Shapanka

Gregor Shapanka (also known as Jack Frost) is a Hungarian scientist obsessed with immortality, and decides that the study of cryonics is the first step towards his goal. Shapanka takes a job at Stark Industries to fund his research, and attempts to steal from Tony Stark. After being caught and fired, he creates a suit with cold-generating devices and is dubbed "Jack Frost" by the newspapers. He tries to raid Stark Industries, but is defeated by Iron Man.^[1]

Several years later Shapanka returns, using the alias "Blizzard". He again tries to steal from Stark Industries, and is again defeated by Iron Man.^[2] Shortly thereafter, Shapanka reconstructs his cold suit in prison; however, when Electro uses his electrical powers to break out of the adjoining cell Shapanka is caught in the blast and the suit is fused to his body. Electro and the Blizzard then join forces to take over the Daily Bugle, but are stopped by Spider-Man and Daredevil.^[3] Several months later, criminal mastermind Justin Hammer hires Blizzard to join an army of supervillains and battle Iron Man (who defeats Blizzard twice in a matter of days).^[4] Shapanka then briefly resumes his identity as Jack Frost, and battles the Hulk.^[5] Blizzard mistakes a villainous version of Iron Man from 2020 for the contemporary Iron Man and tries to ambush him. The future Iron Man, however, is on an urgent mission and kills the Blizzard instantly with a repulsor blast.^[6]

Donald Gill

Blizzard
Blizzard, art by Rick Leonardi.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Iron Man #223 (October 1987)
Created by	David Michelinie Bob Layton
In-story information
Alter ego	Donald "Donnie" Gill
Species	Inhuman
Team affiliations	Thunderbolts Masters of Evil Hammer Industries
Abilities	Cold manipulation Water manipulation

Donald "Donnie" Gill, born in Delaware, was a professional criminal hired by Justin Hammer (who gave him a cryogenic suit resembling the original Blizzard). Since Blizzard was vaporized by Iron Man 2020, Donnie adopted the name. His first mission involved working with two other super-villains—the Beetle and Blacklash—to capture Force, who had betrayed Hammer. However, Blizzard was clumsy and annoyed his teammates with his amateurish mistakes (such as creating an ice wall blocking the path to their objective). After encasing Blacklash in ice, the trio fled as reinforcements arrived to protect Force.^[7]

The trio again tried to capture Force, who was protected by Iron Man. Although Blizzard fought better, when Force entered the fight he neutralized the villains' powers. Blizzard, Beetle, and Blacklash split up, fled and rested until their powers returned. Force found Blizzard, whose powers were ineffective against him so Blizzard fought him with bare hands. Force repelled him, blasting him through a wall. Blizzard doggedly tried to blast Force again (despite warnings), and was electrocuted. The Beetle and Blacklash abandoned Blizzard; Chemistro blamed them for their failures, and they were arrested.

Before Blizzard could be jailed, he was rescued by Rhino for Hammer. His loyalty to Hammer increased, although Iron Man tried to mentor him. Hammer negotiated with Iron Man for Blizzard, forcing the latter to help him take down the Ghost.^[8] Iron Man agreed, but Blizzard refused to believe that Hammer betrayed him. After hearing a recording, Blizzard was crushed; he surrendered to Iron Man, and was saved by Chemistro and Melter.

After solo missions against the Avengers and the New Warriors, attending the AIM Weapons Expo with several other super-villains and joining the largest group of the Masters of Evil, Blizzard worked with a smaller team (including villains Constrictor, Crossfire and daughters of Tarantula and Batroc the Leaper). Their mission failed after interference from Agent X and his allies.

Blizzard attacked She-Hulk in a bar; instead of defeating him, she invited him for a drink. Drunk, he contemplated his lack of recognition. Before collapsing in a stupor, Blizzard noted that he liked She-Hulk. After reverting to her Jennifer Walters persona she collapsed, vomiting, on top of him.^[9]

With the Avengers disbanded, the Beetle (now known as Mach-IV) decided to form a new group of Thunderbolts. Like the original Thunderbolts, they were former villains seeking redemption for their crimes as superheroes. Gill was one of the first members invited to join by Mach-IV, and he agreed.^[10] However, he lacked confidence despite his desire to help people. As a Thunderbolt Blizzard fought several enemies, including Fathom Five,^[11] the Wrecking Crew^[12] and the Purple Man.^[13]

Blizzard and fellow Thunderbolt Speed Demon became close friends. When Speed Demon tried to commit crimes with the Shocker, Blizzard convinced him to use his former Whizzer outfit and a tracking device. Angry with Blizzard, Speed Demon tied him upside-down and naked on a bridge.^[14] Although doubting his status as a superhero and feeling hopeless, Blizzard gained strength from the others (especially Songbird, who insulted him and dismissed him from the group when she became its leader).

Baron Zemo, forming a group to fight Songbird's Thunderbolts, recruited Blizzard (who spent his days in bars after his firing by Songbird). His new teammate, the Fixer, enhanced Blizzard's abilities. He battled the Thunderbolts; the groups were soon assimilated, and Blizzard helped them against the U-Foes during Civil War.^[15] Against Overmind, Blizzard proved himself to his teammates by shielding them (and Songbird).

In the final battle against the Grandmaster, Blizzard's suit was destroyed after the Wellspring energy was released^[16] and he was pardoned for his past crimes.^[17] Blizzard later appeared as an inmate at the Raft.^[18]

Blizzard later aligns himself with Iron Man, Zeke Stane, Whirlwind, and Living Laser against the Mandarin but is defeated by the Mandarin's forces.^[19]

During the Infinity storyline, Blizzard was seen with Whirlwind robbing banks when they are approached by Spymaster. Blizzard and Whirlwind are recruited by Spymaster to join him and his villain allies (consisting of Constrictor, Firebrand IV, Titanium Man, Unicorn, and Whiplash IV) in a plot to attack the almost-defenseless Stark Tower. During the briefing, Blizzard suddenly collapses.^[20] When Blizzard regains consciousness, he discovers that his skin has turned white and he can generate ice on his own. Blizzard had been exposed to the Terrigen Mists unleashed upon the face of the entire Earth by Black Bolt. Being unknowingly an Inhuman descendant, Blizzard experienced Terrigenesis which causes the manifestation of his latent powers. Blizzard thought that this was his opportunity to "be part of something bigger" and decided to leave Spymaster's team. However, he and Whirlwind were brutally attacked by Spymaster and Titanium Man when they tried to leave.^[21] Blizzard and Whirlwind were forced into taking part of the assault to Stark Tower. After Spymaster used teleporter discs to teleport some Iron Man Armors to the buyers, he escaped and left Blizzard and the rest of his accomplices to be discovered by the heroes which were using the tower as a base. They managed to defeat the heroes, and they were offered to be taken to Spymaster by Titanium Man. When they arrived to a spaceship where Spymaster was, they were ambushed by him and Titanium Man who revealed himself as Captain Atlas of the Kree (who were the masterminds behind the heist).^[22] Blizzard and the other villains managed to escape custody and started fighting Spymaster, Titanium Man and the army of Iron Men (controlled by Spymaster). The actual Iron Man arrived to the spaceship, after having tracked down the armors, and helped Blizzard and his allies defeat the enemies. During the fight, Blizzard used the powers he discovered of being like a human battery to overcharge the armors and deactivate them, but he fainted and fell off the spaceship's cargo door. A suit Iron Man was controlling rescued him, but in order to let his friends escape, Blizzard froze himself and the suit. Blizzard was taken to S.H.I.E.L.D. custody and was left under the simulation he had been delivered to the Inhumans in order to prove himself as the changed man Blizzard thought he was....until S.H.I.E.L.D. could know what to do with him.^[23]

Randy Macklin

Randy Macklin, an ex-criminal, fails to find work following his release from prison and uses a spare Blizzard costume he was safeguarding for his friend Donnie Gill. Macklin, however, is quickly defeated by Iron Man, who offers him a legitimate job at Stark Enterprises.^[24]

Powers and abilities

All the Blizzards have similar powers, derived from their costumes. Micro-circuited cryogenic units make it possible to emit freezing rays, which lower the temperature of the surrounding air (or objects) and release ice as a projectile.

Donnie Gill's costume is upgraded by supervillains Beetle and the Fixer. This enables even greater manipulation of cold where Gill can encase people in snow and ice, create an ice barricade or generate "ice sleds" for transport.

Other versions

House of M: Masters of Evil

In the House of M reality, the Donnie Gill version of Blizzard appears as a member of Hood's Masters of Evil.^[25]

Power Pack

The Donnie Gill version of Blizzard appears in Iron Man & Power Pack Issue #2 with Speed Demon. He kidnaps Irena Crumb (daughter of millionaire Arnold Crumb) from her school and takes her to an abandoned warehouse across town, where he tortures her. Speed Demon runs in, telling him that Power Pack has found them; Power Pack bursts in, and the three fight. Blizzard sneaks up on Mass Master (who is trying to save Irena) and freezes him. He vaporizes, and Blizzard tries to freeze him again. He freezes the ground, causing Speed Demon to slip and smash into him (almost knocking him out). The Pack ties him up, and Lightspeed takes his mask so she can rescue Irena from Speed Demon. Later, Blizzard and Speed Demon are arrested.^[26]

In other media

Television

• The Gregor Shapanka version of Blizzard appears as "Jack Frost" in the Iron Man segment of The Marvel Super Heroes.

• The Gregor Shapanka version of Blizzard appears in Iron Man voiced by Chuck McCann (although Neil Ross voiced him in "The Beast Within"). He is shown as a servant of the Mandarin.

• The Donnie Gill version of Blizzard appears in the animated series Iron Man: Armored Adventures (voiced by David Orth) in the episodes "Cold War", "Best Served Cold", "Invincible Iron Man: Reborn", "Titanium vs Iron" and "Hostile Takeover". This version is a cryogenics scientist and former employee of Obadiah Stane. After an accident that got him disfigured, he vows revenge on Obadiah Stane (who he blames for his disfigurement). Unlike other versions he relies on a special suit of cryonic armor for his powers.

• The Donnie Gill version of Blizzard appears in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes episodes "The Breakout" Pt. 1, "The Man Who Stole Tomorrow", and "Assault on 42", and is voiced by Troy Baker.

• The Donnie Gill version of Blizzard appears in the Ultimate Spider-Man episode "Flight of the Iron Spider."

• Donnie Gill appears in the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. episode "Seeds", portrayed by Dylan Minnette.^[27] This version is a cadet at S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy. He and his friend Seth Dormer build a weather device in order to impress Ian Quinn for whom Seth's father works as a lawyer at Quinn Worldwide. He and Seth fake their ice attacks to throw off S.H.I.E.L.D. When Leo Fitz stumbles onto Donnie's plan, Seth ended up knocking him out. While preparing the device to demonstrate to Ian Quinn, Seth learns from Donnie that he is nervous about the device where they haven't tested it yet and convinces Donnie to turn on the device which doesn't seem to work at first. Afterwards, Seth and Donnie discover that the device has worked as it creates a blizzard-type super-storm. Donnie and Seth finds themselves in the eye of the storm where they try to disarm the device. Lightning strikes the device, electrocuting Seth and destroying the device completely. When Phil Coulson's team arrives in their jet, the team brings both Donnie and the unconscious Seth inside. Jemma Simmons attempts to restart Seth's heart but he is already dead. After a brief talk with Leo Fitz, Donnie is transferred to the Sandbox where the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents there can keep an eye on him. Unbeknownst to S.H.I.E.L.D., Donnie is shown to have developed freezing abilities as a side-effect of his experiments.

Video games

• The Gregor Shapanka version of Blizzard appears as a boss in The Invincible Iron Man.

• The Donnie Gill version of Blizzard is featured as a boss in the Facebook game Marvel: Avengers Alliance.

• Blizzard is scheduled to appear in Marvel Heroes.^{[citation needed]}

References

External links

• Bliizard (Gregor Shapanka) Marvel Wiki
• Bliizard (Gregor Shapanka) at Comic Vine
• Blizzard (Donnie Gill) at the Marvel Universe wiki
• Blizzard (Donnie Gill) on Marvel Database, a Marvel Comics wiki
• Blizzard (Donnie Gill) at the Comic Book DB
• Blizzard (Donnie Gill) at Comic Vine
• Blizzard (Randall Macklin) at Marvel Wiki