If you’re in the northern hemisphere then it’s probably a bit chilly out. So it seems like the time to talk about one of the chillest heroes out there, Ice! Often mentioned alongside her teammate Fire, she’s got her own distinct story. What is it? Let’s find out!
Tora Olafsdotter belonged to a long line of Nordic magic users and her powers stemmed from there. Though this was changed so that she was the first in her family to develop these ice powers. Her parents hid her from her grandfather, the leader of their people, who they knew would take advantage if her abilities to ensure his rule.
Living in seclusion and her parents teaching her to control her powers through remaining calm and in control of her emotions. (This sounds familiar…) Eventually her grandfather would find her and her family. The man she’d only ever heard of proved to be even more vicious than she’d pictured. He had his men begin to beat up her father demanding she come with him. The stress and anger of the situation caused Tora to lash out with her powers freezing everyone in front of her, including her father. This trauma left her forgetting this moment for years.
She’d eventually leave her homeland and find a world of people with powers. Tora would join the super team, the Global Guardians and here she would meet life long friend Beatriz DaCosta, Fire. The two would become a crime fighting duo of their own as Fire and Ice with the two personalities being like their namesake’s and powers.
When the Global Guardians have their funding cut by the U.N. Tora and Beatriz would go on to join Justice League International. Here is where Tora would spend many years with a group of friends she’d come to see as a family. She’d even start to date fellow teammate, Guy Gardner, Green Lantern.
Unfortunately, the villain, Overmaster, would mind control Tora into working for him and attacking her friends. When she is able to break free of the control, she’d be killed for it. The very sweet, kind, and shy hero was gone and her friends were devastated. Death doesn’t really hold to heroes so she’d come back but it was by the villain Faust so she sacrifices herself to stop his nefarious plans.
Tora eventually comes back for real when a crime lord wants to use her resurrection as a fake summoning of a goddess. She’s rescued by the Birds of Prey and instead of the shy quiet woman she once was, she is now prone to anger and ready to unleash her powers to full effect. She reunites with Beatriz to talk old times but she isn’t quite ready to be together with Guy again.
Her newfound anger also uncovers her memories of how her father died. The anger she experiences gets so great at one point she turns into living ice until she can calm herself by remembering her father and how he taught her to control her emotions. In the New 52, Ice is still part of the Justice League International.
There you have it! Ice has made appearances in several of the animated DC series. Hopefully she’ll make an appearance in a live action show. Even better if she gets to show up with Fire. See you next time!
Suggested Reading
Justice League International #12
Justice League Internation Vol. 1 & 2
Justice League: Generation Lost
Birds of Prey #106 & #107
Dr. Bustos
drbustos@comicattack.net
