Heart of Ice
A tragic origin reshapes a frozen villain.
"Heart of Ice" is the fourteenth episode of the first season of Batman: The Animated Series, first aired on September 7, 1992. Written by Paul Dini and directed by Bruce Timm, it marks the series debut of Mr. Freeze and completely overhauls the character from a minor gimmick-based villain into a nuanced tragic figure. The episode won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in an Animated Program.
Quick Facts
- Series
- Batman: The Animated Series
- Season
- 1
- Episode
- 14
- Air date
- 7 September 1992
- Writer
- Paul Dini
- Director
- Bruce Timm
- Based on
- Batman, Bob Kane (credited) and Bill Finger (uncredited)
- Guests
- Michael Ansara as Dr. Victor Fries
- Mr. Freeze
- Mari Devon as Summer Gleeson
- Mark Hamill as Ferris Boyle
Facts from the source article.
Plot
Batman investigates a series of heists at GothCorp offices, all committed by Mr. Freeze, a figure in a powerful suit armed with a freezing gun. Freeze is constructing a massive ice cannon and needs one final piece from GothCorp. Batman intercepts him but is partially frozen; Freeze escapes, leaving behind a henchman whose legs are accidentally frozen. Batman saves the man rather than pursue. Later, as Bruce Wayne, Batman visits GothCorp CEO Ferris Boyle, who claims the only possible suspect is a deceased former employee. That night, Batman infiltrates GothCorp security and finds a tape of the accident involving cryogenics scientist Victor Fries. The tape shows Fries placing his terminally ill wife Nora in cryogenic stasis. Boyle arrives, orders the experiment ended, and in a scuffle kicks Fries into cryonic chemicals. Freeze, revealed to be Fries, captures Batman and explains the accident left him unable to survive outside sub-zero conditions. Batman tries to dissuade Freeze from his destructive plan, but Freeze refuses.
Production
This episode is the first directed by Bruce Timm and written by Paul Dini for the series. During development, Timm, Dini, and Mitch Brian discussed revamping Mr. Freeze. Timm conceived the idea that Freeze is critically wounded when his cryogenics experiment fails, leaving him emotionally and physically cold. The team aimed to transform a disliked comic character into an impactful villain. Dini envisioned Freeze weeping in his cell, with tears freezing into snowflakes, but this scene was not included; both Timm and Dini later said they would add it if they could redo the episode. The scene was used in the 1997 film Batman & Robin. Timm initially considered Anthony Hopkins and Anthony Zerbe for the voice, but cast Michael Ansara. Ansara initially disagreed with Timm's desire for a robotic, emotionless delivery, but eventually found the right voice. Batman's line "My God!" was unusual for a cartoon due to censorship concerns; Timm noted on the DVD commentary that he found it strange the censors missed it. Toon Disney removed that line and Freeze's line "I'd kill for that." Bob Hastings, who voiced Commissioner Gordon, voiced the police officer in Freeze's introduction. Mark Hamill voiced Ferris Boyle and later became the voice of the Joker in the DC Animated Universe after Tim Curry dropped out.
Legacy
In February 2002, polls at The World's Finest website named "Heart of Ice" the best episode of Batman: The Animated Series, earning its own subsite with exclusive comments from Timm, Dini, and others. Wizard Magazine selected it as the best episode of the series in 2005. The episode is widely considered the series' finest, with fans praising its nearly flawless execution and the revamp of Mr. Freeze. The character's popularity led to his comic book origin being retconned to resemble this episode, introducing Nora Fries to the comics. The origin was also used in the 1997 film Batman & Robin. The episode was included as an extra feature on the two-disc and Blu-ray editions of Batman: Gotham Knight. Its plot and premise were integrated into Mr. Freeze's origin in the 2011 video game Batman: Arkham City, written by Paul Dini. The 2014 Batman: Arkham Origins DLC "Cold, Cold Heart" incorporated elements such as Ferris Boyle. In Injustice 2, Mr. Freeze alludes to the episode, mentioning his inability to feel and his determination to cure Nora.
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