Let’s put Mr. Freeze’s historical past into its full context. He debuted in 1959’s “Batman” subject #121 within the backup story, “The Ice Crimes of Mr. Zero” (by Sheldon Moldoff and Dave Wooden). Sure, in his preliminary look, he was known as Mr. Zero.
On this nine-page story, Mr. Zero is already a legal and he regales his origin to his henchmen with flashbacks; he was a scientist who invented a “freezing gun” however was by chance dosed within the chemical answer he used. Consequently, he is unable to breathe exterior sub-zero temperatures, therefore why he wears a swimsuit to maintain his physique temperature low. Along with his disfigurement in a single hand and his new invention within the different, he did what anybody in Gotham Metropolis would do — turn into a supervillain.
Mr. Zero was supposed as a one-off villain. Moldoff’s story even ends along with his frozen situation being cured; Batman unleashes steam to thaw out himself and Robin from Zero’s iceblocks, and when it hits the villain, it restores his well being. The ultimate panel of the story is Mr. Zero smiling at this luck whereas Batman declares, “Let’s examine if the regulation can straighten out your distorted thoughts.”
Why wasn’t Mr. Zero forgotten by historical past? The Sixties “Batman” tv present, starring Adam West because the Caped Crusader. The sequence’ fourth two-part episode, “Immediate Freeze/Rats Like Cheese,” loosely tailored “The Ice Crimes of Mr. Zero.” Nonetheless, it reinvented the villain, giving him an ice-colored swimsuit (quite than the flamboyant pink-and-yellow costume of Mr. Zero), blue-tinted pores and skin, and a brand new title: Mr. Freeze.
Mr. Freeze appeared in three episodes (performed first by George Sanders, then by Otto Preminger, and at last by Eli Wallach). Then, in 1968, Mr. Zero returned to the comics in “Detective Comics” #373 (by Gardner Fox), now bearing the title and look of his TV counterpart.
