Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Astonishing Iceman #2
With the tragic events of the Hellfire Gala having devastated the X-Men, one of the team’s remaining Omega-level mutant – founding member Iceman – has stepped up to the plate to remind the Marvel Universe that he is one of its most powerful inhabitants, capable of taking on the greatest threats it has to offer.
Astonishing Iceman #2 – by Steve Orlando, Vincenzo Carratù, Java Tartaglia, and VC’s Travis Lanham – finds Bobby Drake drawn back to his old stomping grounds, when a group of Orchis agents known as the Elements of Doom attack his childhood home in Long Island.
Like any good X-Men founder, Iceman works to protect a citizenry that hates and fears him, making short work of his opponents.
Bobby Drake Is Marvel’s Most Underrated Omega-Level Mutant
Confronted by the Elements of Doom in Astonishing Iceman #2, Iceman dispatches most of his attackers with ease – except for the goonish gasbag known as Helium, a halogenic hatemonger as impossible to freeze as his namesake. However, Iceman’s abilities are limited only by his creativity; Bobby gains the upper hand by freezing the air around Helium, and uses his own body to transport Helium into orbit, where the villain is left floating, more than proving just how dangerous this original X-Men member can be. While Orchis leader Nimrod may recognize Bobby Drake’s true power, the rest of the organization apparently didn’t get the memo.
Jean Isn’t The Only Founding Member Of The X-Men With Omega-Level Powers
Iceman has served with the X-Men for as long as they’ve existed, but he hasn’t always been treated with the respect he deserves. Now that Jean is gone, it is clear that Iceman is the most powerful living mutant left on Earth. During Nimrod’s attack on the Hellfire Gala, readers learn just how the ultimate mutant hunter classifies his prey; Jean Grey is designated Omega-One, a designation earned by her status as the X-Men’s most powerful hero, while, her fellow founder Iceman is considered by Nimrod to be Omega-Two. Bobby’s defeat of Helium – among countless other examples of his strength – more than makes the case for this designation.
Bobby Drake suffered his own seeming demise at Nimrod’s hands during the Hellfire Gala; currently stuck in his Iceman form, he is still dependent on the powers of his lover Romeo to keep his consciousness in one piece. Even so, he still manages to single-handedly transport an incredibly dangerous foe into the atmosphere under his own power. His status as an Omega-level mutant means that the upper limit of his abilities has yet to be defined, meaning his actions against Helium are just the tip of the iceberg. Once Iceman is back at full power, the enemies of Marvel Comics’ X-Men will be put on ice.
Astonishing Iceman #2 is available now from Marvel Comics.
