Iceman: Bio, Origin & History

Real Name: Robert “Bobby” Drake

First Appearance: X-Men #1 (September, 1963)

Powers: Iceman has the ability to cause water molecules to freeze. Through this he can grow and shrink himself, create ice slides to travel on, kill his enemies from the inside out, regrow lost limbs, and is near immortal. Iceman has been classified as an Omega-Level Mutant.

Affiliation: X-Men, X-Factor

Did You Know? Iceman was one of the first mainstream superheroes to come out as gay. 

A Little History

The origin of Iceman is pretty straightforward. 

First appearing in X-Men #1, Iceman is the creation of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Alongside Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, and Angel, Iceman was one of the original five X-Men.

Bobby Drake is the son of William Drake and Beatrice Bass-Drake. Like most other mutants, his powers manifested in his teenage years. While on a date with a girl named Judy Harmon, the school’s bully, Rocky Beasely, presented himself. Rather than simply mocking Bobby or causing teenage mischief, Rocky sought to interrupt the date and attempt to steal Judy away from Bobby. Understanding that Judy was in no position to protect herself, Bobby stood up to the bully. Little did he know, but at this exact moment his powers cane out. So as to stop Rocky, Bobby pointed his hand at him and just as he did Rocky, was covered in a giant piece of ice.

After the event, the townspeople caught wind of what happened. Fearful and angry over what they heard, they formed a mob and marched on Bobby. Left without any choice and trying to protect him, the sheriff arrested Bobby and placed him in jail. No sooner did Bobby land in jail did the wall of his jail cell explode. After the dust settled, Scott Summers stood in front of the afraid teenager and asked that he come with him. Although the idea may have seemed like a good one, Bobby rejected Scott’s offer. As a result, the two teenagers began to fight. Luckily, just as the battle intensified, Professor Xavier arrived and put a stop to it. Shortly after this, the Professor convinced Bobby’s parents to have attend his school for mutants.

And that’s it. The origin of Iceman. 

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