Did Batman’s Villain Mr. Freeze Ever Get A HAPPY Ending?

Fans of Batman know that the supervillain Mr. Freeze occupies a different spot in the Dark Knight’s Rogues Gallery. While other villains commit crimes out of a psychotic need for revenge, or simple greed, Dr. Victor Fries’ life of crime started because he wanted to cure his wife Nora from a blood disease. Realizing Nora would die without a cure, Fries froze her in a cryogenic sleep to buy the time he needed. Unfortunately, an accident later mutated Fries into a man who constantly needed to remain in subzero temperatures to survive – turning him into ‘Mr. Freeze.’

While this origin is an updated one for the popular Batman: The Animated Series, it remains the most widespread and generally accepted depiction of Mr. Freeze, as it gives the villain some pathos and a sympathetic motivation. Remarkably, the animated series actually allowed Nora Fries to be cured (using Freeze’s technology and Wayne Enterprises’ resources) at the end of the animated film Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero. While a healthy Nora is glimpsed only briefly before the closing credits, the comic book continuation of Batman: The Animated Series gave Nora her own story – and showed how she truly felt about her husband.

In the aftermath of Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero, Mr. Freeze is presumed dead but still living in the Arctic (although he happily sees his wife cured via a television broadcast). Later episodes of the series, however, had Freeze degenerate considerably. His head had to be removed and he acquired a new robotic body that he used on later criminal activities.

Meanwhile, the comic Batman Adventures #15 reveals Nora tried to move on with her life by marrying a doctor, Francis D’Anjou. When Francis is attacked by an unseen assailant using Freeze’s technology, Mr. Freeze is suspected as the culprit. That is, until Nightwing discovers that a jealous D’Anjou set up the attack to make Nora hate Freeze. Realizing the truth of her feelings, Nora flies to the Arctic where she discovers her Mr. Freeze alive, and tells him that she still loves him. The two have a brief (but satisfying) reunion… but this is a tragic tale, not a happy one. When Gotham’s caped crusader comes after Freeze, Victor decides to fight Batman himself. In the process, Victor’s head is detached from his body, and he falls into the Arctic Ocean.

Nora’s story, however, is not over. After returning to Gotham and talking to Koonak – a boy Victor had taken care of while he was in the Arctic – Nora realizes that Victor’s good nature is still alive. She flies back to the Arctic and begins looking for him in the wasteland, promising she won’t give up on him, either.

It’s a bittersweet but uplifting ending – showing that Victor’s love for his wife wasn’t misplaced, and that she’s just as devoted to him as he was to her for all the years she was frozen. And it’s possible that Nora succeeded and she and Victor were reunited – temporarily – since the Batman Beyond episode “Meltdown” reveals Mr. Freeze’s disembodied head is in a Wayne-Powers vault.

Other comic books have given Nora a very different fate – with some storylines having her transform into a supervillain named Lazara. Most recently, the Harley Quinn adult animated series had an episode where Freeze used a cure from Poison Ivy and his own blood to revive Nora – only to die himself. This devastates Nora, but she doesn’t have any scenes beyond her brief awakening. Other comics, television shows, and movies will undoubtedly offer different versions of Nora, but it’s still nice to know that in at least one comic book universe, she really was the incredible person Mr. Freeze was willing to sacrifice everything for – and someone who would sacrifice everything for him.

About The Author

Michael Jung
(700 Articles Published)

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Michael Jung is a mild-mannered freelance writer-for-hire, actor, and professional storyteller with a keen interest in pop culture, education, nonprofit organizations, and unusual side hustles. His work has been featured in Screen Rant, ASU Now, Sell Books Fast, Study.com, and Free Arts among others. A graduate of Arizona State University with a PhD in 20^th Century American Literature, Michael has written novels, short stories, stage plays, screenplays, and how-to manuals.

Michael’s background in storytelling draws him to find the most fascinating aspects of any topic and transform them into a narrative that informs and entertains the reader. Thanks to a life spent immersed in comic books and movies, Michael is always ready to infuse his articles with offbeat bits of trivia for an extra layer of fun. In his spare time, you can find him entertaining kids as Spider-Man or Darth Vader at birthday parties or scaring the heck out of them at haunted houses.

Visit Michael Jung’s website for information on how to hire him, follow him on Twitter Michael50834213, or contact him directly: michael(at)michaeljungwriter(dot)com.

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