| Killer Frost | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Caitlin Snow as Killer Frost inJustice League of America: Killer Frost Rebirth #1 (March 2017). Art byMirka Andolfo | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | (Frost)Firestorm #3 (June 1978) (Lincoln)Firestorm (vol. 2) #21 (March 1984) (as Louise Lincoln) Firestorm (vol. 2) #34 (April 1985) (as Killer Frost) (Snow)Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #19 (June 2013) (as Caitlin Snow) Justice League of America (vol. 3) #7.2 (November 2013) (as Killer Frost) |
| Created by | (Frost and Lincoln) Gerry Conway Al Milgrom (Snow) Dan Jurgens |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Crystal Frost Dr. Louise Lincoln Caitlin Snow |
| Species | Metahuman |
| Team affiliations | (Frost) Hudson University Black Lantern Corps (Lincoln) Suicide Squad Injustice League Secret Society of Super Villains (Snow) S.T.A.R. Labs Legion of Doom Suicide Squad Justice League |
| Notable aliases | (Snow) Frost |
| Abilities | (All)
|
Killer Frost is the name of several characters appearing inAmerican comic books published byDC Comics. All three characters associated with the mantle aremetahumans possessing ice powers, and have some connection to the superheroFirestorm.
The first Killer Frost isCrystal Frost, a misandristic scientist who attempts to kill her former professorMartin Stein for rejecting her romantic advances. After Crystal's death, her friendLouise Lincoln takes up the mantle of Killer Frost to seek revenge against Firestorm. TheNew 52 reboot introduced a new Killer Frost namedCaitlin Snow, who eventually reforms and joins theJustice League of America as the superheroFrost.
Various iterations of Killer Frost, primarily Crystal Frost and Louise Lincoln, have appeared in various animated projects and video games, primarily voiced byJennifer Hale. Additionally,Danielle Panabaker portrayedCaitlin Snow, Killer Frost (later renamed Frost), and Khione inThe CW'sArrowverse franchise, such as the television seriesThe Flash.[1]
Crystal Frost is the first incarnation of Killer Frost, first appearing inFirestorm #3 (June 1978).[2] While Frost was studying to be a scientist inHudson University, she fell in love with her teacherMartin Stein. While working on a project in theArctic, Frost was upset to learn that Stein did not reciprocate her feelings; Stein told a fellow researcher that Frost was a withdrawn student and that Stein had merely tried to draw her out of her shell, which Crystal misinterpreted. Frost accidentally locked herself in a thermafrost chamber but survived, being transformed in a way in which she was able to absorb heat and project cold and ice. Calling herself "Killer Frost", she began her murderous crusade against men and battlesFirestorm on multiple occasions.[3]
Frost's friend Louise Lincoln later informs her that her body is deteriorating, which will soon kill her. Firestorm is overwhelmed in battle with Killer Frost before Martin Stein convinces him to let Frost absorb his energy, which she believes will sustain her. Frost is unable to handle Firestorm's power, which creates a miniature explosion that kills her.[4]
During theBlackest Night event, Frost is temporarily resurrected as a member of theBlack Lantern Corps.[5]
Dr. Louise Lincoln is the second incarnation; she first appeared inFirestorm (vol. 2) #21 (March 1984) and became Killer Frost inFirestorm (vol. 2) #34 (April 1985).[6] Lincoln was a colleague and friend to Crystal Frost. After her friend's death, Lincoln decided to repeat the experiment as a last respect to her friend, with Lincoln herself as the second Killer Frost. Just as ruthless as her predecessor, she began a vendetta against Firestorm, whom she blamed for her friend's death.[4] She briefly served as a member of theSuicide Squad and sold her soul toNeron for more power.
Lincoln is later diagnosed with cancer and tricksJason Rusch, the new Firestorm, into curing her. With her health and powers restored, Killer Frost goes on a rampage, only to be defeated when Jason reverses his alterations to her body, returning her cancer.[7][8]
InDC Universe #0, Killer Frost appears as a member ofLibra's Secret Society of Super Villains. She is later seen as one of the villains sent to retrieve the Get Out of Hell Free card from theSecret Six, and ultimately helped deal the killing blow to the crazed supervillain Junior and the troubled vigilanteTarantula.[9]
In September 2011,The New 52 rebooted DC's continuity; Killer Frost is reintroduced in September 2013, as the "Villains Month" part of theForever Evil – she was featured in the one-shotJustice League of America (vol. 3) #7.2, also titledKiller Frost #1.[10] She can also be seen on the cover ofForever Evil #1, which hints at her involvement in that series. Killer Frost is revealed to beDr. Caitlin Snow, a scientist who was sent to a S.T.A.R. Labs outpost in theArctic to work on a thermodynamic engine whose creator had committed suicide. Snow soon discovered the place had been infiltrated byH.I.V.E. agents. When they tried to kill her inside the engine, Snow frantically ripped off the coolant system, merging her body with ice. Transformed into a heat vampire, she killed the H.I.V.E. agents out of revenge. She then wandered out into the cold until she came across a Norwegian camp and took their heat. Hijacking a helicopter, she made it back to her hometownPittsburgh. She even created a suit that helped her retain heat for longer. She later encountered the superhero Firestorm and discovered that his powers could temporarily heal her mutation. She tried recreating the Firestorm matrix several times, only to fail with each attempt. When Firestorm and the Justice League were declared dead by theCrime Syndicate, she lost hope for a cure to her condition.[11]
InDC Rebirth, Caitlin Snow is taken toBelle Reve Penitentiary, where she is introduced to theSuicide Squad and offered a place on the team byAmanda Waller. She accepts and joins the team. She helps the Suicide Squad in their fight against theJustice League, but subsequently assists them againstMaxwell Lord when he is possessed byEclipso, whose attempt to tap into her "darkest desire" only unlocks her desire to make a difference. She then has to save all the Suicide Squad and the Justice League by absorbing the energy out ofSuperman and using it against Lord. Afterwards, Waller is forced to release Snow intoBatman's custody.[12] She then joined the new Justice League of America made up of Batman, theAtom,Lobo,Black Canary,Vixen, and theRay.
All versions have shown the ability to absorb heat from external sources and transmute it into waves of cold. Using these powers, Killer Frost can create an ice-sheen across her entire body that grants her increased durability, cause intense blizzards that can instantly freeze the target and generate objects composed completely of ice, such as projectiles in the form of ice shards and defensive walls or shields. She can also instantly freeze animate matter through physical contact and is unable to touch a normal person without freezing them. However, if someone has a power or ability that negates the natural waves of freezing cold that come from her body, she can touch them without anything happening.
Her weakness is the need to absorb external heat sources to generate ice: although heat-based weapons such as flamethrowers only make her stronger, she can be imprisoned in cold surroundings such as being locked in a refrigeration truck or buried under a mountain of snow. The Caitlin Snow version of Killer Frost is constantly plagued by a hunger for heat, which can only be sated by absorbing the heat from a living being, a process which inevitably kills the victim. However, in recent stories she seems to have finally gotten it under control by only absorbing a tiny amount of heat from every person she touches, sparing them and leaving them otherwise unharmed. The Caitlin Snow and Louise Lincoln versions of the character have, albeit inconsistently, demonstrated the ability to fly, either by riding Arctic winds or through an unknown manner of self-propulsion.
While the exact limits of her abilities have yet to be established, how much power Frost can channel at once seems to depend on how much heat she has absorbed and stored in her body. For example, when she absorbed all the heat from Superman (whose body is supercharged by yellow solar energy) during a stand-off between the Justice League and the Suicide Squad, she was able to flash-freeze the entire League in a single blast.
It also seems that using up all the heat energy she has stored can put Frost's life in danger. If she does not feed in time, she even risks dying of what she calls "starvation".
The Caitlin Snow version also boasts a genius-level intellect, being S.T.A.R. Labs' youngest and brightest scientist prior to her transformation. She could solve complex equations easily, operate heavy energy generating machinery and appeared particularly skilled in the field of physics and research about energy. She once managed to create an ice prism with her powers that converted Superman's heat vision into a bright burst of sunlight to defeat Eclipso.
Several adaptations of the villain have also depicted the Crystal Frost and Louise Lincoln incarnations as having basic skills in melee combat which they use in conjunction with their powers as well as impressive agility, being able to perform maneuvers such as leaps or cartwheels with ease.
An alternate universe variant of Killer Frost appears inDC Comics Bombshells.[13] This version isLouise L'inconnue, a servant ofHugo Strange who is of French and German descent and gained her powers after her mother was killed and she was left to die in a well.[14]
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Danielle Panabaker portrays Caitlin Snow in media set in theArrowverse. This version is an employee ofS.T.A.R. Labs andRonnie Raymond's fiancée before he is killed stopping a singularity over Central City.
Due toBarry Allen altering the timeline while creating and undoing the "Flashpoint" timeline in thethird season, Caitlin develops cryokinetic abilities and an alternate, villainous personality named Frost, both of which she attempts to hide.[17][18][19][20][21] In thefifth season, Caitlin discovers that her powers originated from her fatherThomas' attempts to cure their genetic propensity toALS.
In theseventh season, Caitlin and Frost are separated byMirror Monarch's rays and decide to live separate lives as twin sisters. In theeighth season, Frost is killed in battle withDeathstorm. Caitlin tries to resurrect her, but inadvertently creates a new individual namedKhione.[22]
Caitlin also appears in the animated seriesFreedom Fighters: The Ray, with Panabaker reprising the role.[15]
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