Warning! Spoilers ahead for Absolute Batman #7!A classicBatmanfoe has made their first appearance in the Absolute Universe, and they’re far more horrifying than they’ve ever been.Absolute Batmanhas seenBruce go up against some pretty heavy odds, but is he prepared for a monstrous take on one of the most underrated foes in Batman lore?
InAbsolute Batman #7by Scott Snyder and Marcos Martín, Batman is investigating thedeath of Matches Malone, which leads him to a cryo-tech company called V-Core. After arriving at V-Core, Bruce meets Victor Fries, Jr. Fries reveals that V-Core was founded to preserve dying people until they could be healed.
Fries also reveals that he was a success story and that his parents previously froze him. However, there were ancient microorganisms that transformed Fries while frozen.Batman doesn’t even have time to react as the Absolute Universe’s ‘Mr. Freeze’ transforms into a nightmarish, Nosferatu-like monsterwith an icy grip.
Absolute Batman Meets His Universe’s Mr. Freeze
The Ice Turned the Batman Foe into a Terrifying Monster
The Absolute Universe is onewhere Darkseid energy hascorrupted everything. Adversity is the dominating principle and villains here are stronger and more efficient, while heroes lack many of the things that make things easier for their Prime Universe counterparts. In Absolute Batman’s case, he lacks the funds or Wayne Enterprises, and has had to operate on a smaller budget. But he’s made good use of what he does have and has started to uncover a vast criminal conspiracy centering around the private prison project known as ‘Ark M’,all leading back to the Absolute Universe’s take on the Joker.
Mr. Freeze is a huge part of Batman lore, no doubt, but he’s not the scariest of the bunch (at least, compared to more frightening or disturbing rogues, like Joker, Man-Bat, or Mad Hatter). This version of Freeze, on the other hand, is incredibly disturbing. It’s positively unsettling the way Victor talks about the ice, as if it’s some kind of Lovecraftian entity, which it may very well be considering what Freeze’s stay in the ice has done to him. But aside from Freeze’s looks, he seems more dangerous than ever,as he appears to spread his ‘gift’ to Batman.
Mr. Freeze is a Genuine Threat in the Absolute Universe
Can Batman Overcome Whatever This Monster is About to Throw at Him?
This is by far the greatest challenge Absolute Batman has faced yet. A villain with actual powers who’s connected to some strange, ancient organism that is potentially able to spread it to other people? That’s a far cry from the usual frozen antics of the Prime Mr. Freeze. What’s worse is that this Batman doesn’t have all the resources as the Prime Bruce Wayne does, so he’s going to be facing a seriously uphill battle. Hopefully,Absolute Batmanhas something up his sleeve that can help him stop this incredibly powerful (and monstrous) version of Mr. Freeze.
