GothCorp

GothCorp is a fictional business organization in the DC Comics universe. It is owned and run by businessman Ferris Boyle. GothCorp was introduced in Batman: The Animated Series, but was later adapted into the comics.

Fictional history

GothCorp is one of the largest companies operating in Gotham City. Dr. Victor Fries was a brilliant scientist and cryonics expert working for GothCorp, but his wife Nora Fries contracts a terminal illness, while Fries works on a freeze ray. Fries' boss decides to tell the mob about the gun, leading Batman to create a team of specialists to help him do his job better. Fries decides to use the device on Nora, to put her in cryo-stasis.^[1]

His boss Ferris Boyle interrupts and tampers with the experiment, however, resulting in an explosion that kills Nora. Fries survives, but the chemicals in the freeze ray lower his body temperature to the point that he must wear a cryogenic suit in order to survive. He swears revenge on those responsible for the death of his wife (whom he talks to often), and becomes Mr. Freeze, the first supervillain Batman faces in this continuity. Batman's operatives find Freeze, who shoots one of them with his freeze gun. Batman eventually apprehends him.^[2]

In other media

Television

Batman: The Animated Series

• GothCorp first featured in Batman: The Animated Series episode "Heart of Ice". It billed itself as "The People Company", a title which was especially espoused by its CEO, Ferris Boyle, belying his true corrupt nature. One of GothCorp's employees, Victor Fries, pursued a project to develop cryogenic freezing technology. This was not only done for the company's sake: Fries hoped to preserve (and eventually cure) his terminally ill wife, Nora. Just as he was making progress, however, even having successfully put his wife in suspended animation, Boyle decided that the project was taking too much of the company's resources, and attempted to pull the plug. Determined to save his wife, Victor tried to stop him; in the ensuing struggle, the lab was destroyed. Victor was bathed in some of its chemicals, presumed dead. Victor later resurfaced as Mister Freeze, determined to have his revenge on Boyle. He launched a series of raids on GothCorp facilities, stealing several pieces of hardware that, put together, could be modified into what amounted to a gigantic freezing cannon. Batman was ultimately able to thwart his attempt, subdue Freeze, and save Boyle's life. However, his own investigation into the incident led him to the shocking facts of Boyle's betrayal, which he presented to the press. Though it is not shown what became of Boyle, it can be safely assumed that his reputation was irredeemably tarnished by the revelation. In the episode "Deep Freeze" One of the company's major shareholders was Grant Walker, who managed to save Nora before her untimely death. GothCorp carried on without Boyle. Bruce Wayne became a major shareholder. Later in "Holiday Knights" during New Year's Eve, The Joker killed a GothCorp researcher named Dr. John Erikson and stole his hypersonic project and hid it in the Gotham Square countdown bell. At the strike of midnight, thousands would be killed. Fortunately, Batman and Robin saved the New Year. In "Girl's Night Out " GothCorp Labs elected to restore Livewire to her normal human form. However, during transportation, she escaped and teamed up with Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. In "Judgment Day" The Judge began investigating his political backer, J. Caroll Corcoran, he discovered the councilman was being bribed by GothCorp and dispensed justice.

The Batman

• GothCorp also featured in The Batman in the episode "The Big Heat". GothCorp is one of the leading corporations based in Gotham City. It is not known for performing charitable public services and pursues the bottom line, profit, above all else. However, in a recent bid to improve its public relations, GothCorp bid on a contract to rebuild and expand the Children's Hospital. In order to get it, they secretly hired Firefly to attack competitors and their legal representatives. Batman was able to defeat Firefly and left him dangling near GothCorp. Implicated but never convicted, the damage was done. City Hall recast their vote on the Children's Hospital and revoked all current contracts with GothCorp.

Films

• GothCorp is referenced in the direct to animated film Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero. After Nora's tank is shattered, Mr. Freeze kidnaps Barbara Gordon, intending to harvest her organs to cure Nora. Mr. Freeze makes a deal with GothCorp Dr. Gregory Belson, a greedy former colleague, to help cure his wife in exchange for gold.

Video games

• GothCorp is referenced in Batman: Arkham City, the logo is featured on top of the GothCorp building. Mr. Freeze's interview tapes recount the tale of his wife Nora Fries who had a fatal illness and little time left to live. Freeze worked for weeks, literally without food or sleep for up to a week at times. Nora began trying to stop Victor's crusade until she agrees to be frozen, after which a tired Fries oversleeps. His experiment is discovered by his boss Ferris Boyle, who claims that everything in Victor's test, including Mrs. Nora Fries, was legally his, causing her husband to attack Boyle. Boyle knocks him into his cryogenic chemicals and leaves him to die, after which Victor becomes Mr. Freeze and plans to murder Boyle and reclaim his wife. While he failed to kill Boyle due to Batman's interference he thanks the Dark Knight for exposing Boyle and returning him his beloved Nora.
• GothCorp appears in the additional story mission "Cold, Cold Heart" of Batman: Arkham Origins. Taking inspiration from the "Heart of Ice" episode of Batman: The Animated Series, the story follows Mr. Freeze's first attack on Gotham City. Batman's investigation leads him to invade and explore the GothCorp building, where Freeze used to work and is keeping Ferris Boyle hostage; initially believing Boyle to be innocent, Batman ultimately discovers he is the one to blame for Mr. Freeze's origin, as described in Arkham City, having tricked Dr. Fries into producing cryogenic technology by making him believe he would be allowed to use it to cure his wife — Boyle's true intention was to weaponize and sell it. While Batman defeats Mr. Freeze and stops his plans, he also exposes Boyle's crimes and brings him to justice.

References