Killer Frost is the name of several characters appearing in

American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical literature originating in the United States, commonly between 24 and 64 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publ ...

s published by

DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...

. All three characters associated with the mantle are

metahuman In the DC Universe, a metahuman is a human with superpowers. The term is roughly synonymous with the terms '' mutant'', '' inhuman'' and '' mutate'' in the Marvel Universe and '' posthuman'' in the Wildstorm and Ultimate Marvel Universes. In ...

s possessing ice powers, and have some connection to the superhero

Firestorm A firestorm is a conflagration which attains such intensity that it creates and sustains its own wind system. It is most commonly a natural phenomenon, created during some of the largest bushfires and wildfires. Although the term has been used ...

. The first Killer Frost is Crystal Frost, a misandristic scientist who attempts to kill her former professor

Martin Stein Martin Stein is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is commonly associated with, and sometimes is, the superhero Firestorm. Stein has made several appearances in DC-related media. He is portrayed by ...

for rejecting her romantic advances. After Crystal's death, her friend Louise Lincoln takes up the mantle of Killer Frost to seek revenge against Firestorm. The

New 52 The New 52 was the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic books. Following the conclusion of the " Flashpoint" crossover storyline, DC cancelled all its existing titles and debuted 52 new ser ...

reboot introduced a new Killer Frost named Caitlin Snow, who eventually reforms and joins the

Justice League of America The Justice League, or Justice League of America (JLA), is a group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in '' The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). Writer Gardner Fox conceived t ...

as the superhero Frost. Various iterations of Killer Frost, primarily Crystal Frost and Louise Lincoln, have appeared in various animated projects and video games, primarily voiced by

Jennifer Hale Jennifer Hale is a Canadian voice actress. She is best known for her work in video game franchises such as ''Baldur's Gate'', ''Mass Effect'', '' Metal Gear Solid'', '' BioShock Infinite'', '' Metroid Prime'', '' Halo'', '' Overwatch'', and '' ...

. Additionally,

Danielle Panabaker Danielle Nicole Panabaker (born September 19, 1987) is an American actress. She began acting as a teenager and came to prominence for her roles in the The Walt Disney Company, Disney films ''Stuck in the Suburbs'' (2004), ''Sky High (2005 film), ...

portrayed Caitlin Snow, Killer Frost (later renamed Frost), and Khione in

The CW The CW Network, LLC (commonly referred to as The CW or simply CW) is an American commercial broadcast television network which is controlled by Nexstar Media Group through a 75% ownership interest. The network's name is derived from the firs ...

Arrowverse The Arrowverse is an American Superhero fiction, superhero media franchise and shared universe that is centered on various interconnected television series based on DC Comics superhero characters, primarily airing on The CW as well as web series ...

franchise, such as the television series ''

The Flash The Flash is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1 (cover date, cover-dated Jan ...

''.

Fictional character biographies

Crystal Frost

Crystal Frost was the first incarnation, first appearing in ''Firestorm'' #3 (June 1978). She is an aspiring scientist at

Hudson University ''Law & Order'' is a media franchise composed of a number of related American television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment. They were originally broadcast on NBC, and all of them deal with some aspect of the cri ...

who possesses unreciprocated feelings for her teacher

. After accidentally locking herself in a thermafrost chamber, Frost gains cryokinetic abilities and becomes a supervillain and enemy of

. Frost is later killed after absorbing excessive energy from Firestorm. Years later, she is resurrected as a

Black Lantern The Black Lantern Corps is a fictional organization of wikt:corporeal, corporeal revenants (resembling intelligent zombies or jiangshi) appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, related to the emotional spectrum. The group is composed of d ...

in ''

Blackest Night "Blackest Night" is a 2009–10 American comic book Fictional crossover, crossover storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous central miniseries, written by Geoff Johns and penciled by Ivan Reis, along with a number of tie-in i ...

''.

Louise Lincoln

Louise Lincoln is the second incarnation of Killer Frost; she first appeared in ''Firestorm'' (vol. 2) #21 (March 1984) and used the "Killer Frost" name in ''Firestorm'' (vol. 2) #34 (April 1985). Lincoln is a colleague and friend of Crystal Frost who succeeds her as Killer Frost following her death. In subsequent appearances, Lincoln joins the

Suicide Squad The Suicide Squad is an antihero/supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first version of the Suicide Squad debuted in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #25 (September 1959) and the second and modern version, cre ...

, sells her soul to Neron to enhance her powers, and briefly enters a relationship with

Effigy An effigy is a sculptural representation, often life-size, of a specific person or a prototypical figure. The term is mostly used for the makeshift dummies used for symbolic punishment in political protests and for the figures burned in certain ...

. She is among the villains who seek to claim

Lex Luthor Alexander "Lex" Joseph Luthor () is a supervillain in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the character first appeared in ''Action Comics'' #23 (published on February 22, 1940, with a cover d ...

's bounty on

Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...

and

Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...

in ''

Superman/Batman ''Superman/Batman'' is a monthly American comic book series published by DC Comics that features the publisher's two most popular superheroes: Superman and Batman. ''Superman/Batman'' premiered in August 2003, an update of the previous series, ' ...

''. Around this time, Lincoln is diagnosed with cancer and tricks

Jason Rusch Jason Thomas Rusch is a superhero in the DC Comics Universe, and the second character known as Firestorm. He first appeared in '' Firestorm'' (vol. 3) #1 (July 2004), and was created by Dan Jolley and ChrisCross. Publication history The Jason ...

, the new Firestorm, into curing her. With her health and powers restored, Killer Frost went on a rampage, only to be defeated when Jason undoes his actions. In ''

One Year Later "One Year Later" is a 2006 comic book storyline running through the books published by DC Comics. As the title suggests, it involves a narrative jump exactly one year into the future of the DC Universe following the events of the "Infinite Crisi ...

'', Frost allies with

Mr. Freeze Mr. Freeze is the name of two supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Dave Wood and artists Sheldon Moldoff and Bob Kane, the character initially debuted in ''Batman'' #121 (February 1959) as Mr. ...

. However, she reveals that she had been using Freeze as a pawn and had no interest in him. In ''

Salvation Run ''Salvation Run'' is a seven-issue 2007-2008 DC Comics limited series which was designed to tie into the company's major event series ''Final Crisis'' in 2008. Premise The series, which is based on a pitch from George R. R. Martin, follows a wor ...

'', Frost is among the villains sent to another planet. She later joins

Libra Libra generally refers to: * Libra (constellation), a constellation * Libra (astrology), an astrological sign based on the star constellation Libra may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Libra'' (novel), a 1988 novel by Don DeLillo Musi ...

Secret Society of Super Villains Secret Society of Super Villains (SSoSV) is a DC Comics title that debuted in May–June 1976. The series presented a group of DC's supervillains, mostly foes of the Justice League, Justice League of America. The series was cancelled with issue #1 ...

and is among the villains sent to retrieve the Get Out of Hell Free card from the

Secret Six The so-called Secret Six, or the Secret Committee of Six, were a group of men who secretly funded the 1859 raid on Harper's Ferry by abolitionist John Brown. Sometimes described as "wealthy," this was true of only two. The other four were in po ...

. During the '' Doomsday Clock'' event, Frost supports the "Superman Theory" and claims that the U.S. government gave

Captain Atom Captain Atom is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books, initially owned by Charlton Comics before being acquired in the 1980s by DC Comics. All possess some form of energy-manipulating abilities, usually relating to nuc ...

, Firehawk, Moonbow, and

Typhoon A typhoon is a tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere and which produces sustained hurricane-force winds of at least . This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, accounting for a ...

their powers.

Caitlin Snow

The third incarnation of Killer Frost is Caitlin Snow, introduced in ''

The New 52 The New 52 was the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire Line (comics), line of ongoing monthly superhero American comic books, comic books. Following the conclusion of the "Flashpoint (comics), Flashpoint" Fictional crossover, cros ...

'' continuity reboot. She is a scientist who gains powers after

H.I.V.E. The Hierarchy of International Vengeance and Extermination (H.I.V.E.) is a fictional terrorist organization appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The H.I.V.E. organization has appeared in ''Teen Titans (TV series), Teen Titan ...

agents attempt to kill her with a thermodynamic engine. In subsequent appearances, Snow seeks help from Firestorm and Martin Stein to cure her condition and joins the Suicide Squad and

Justice League The Justice League, or Justice League of America (JLA), is a group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). Writer Gardner Fox conceived the ...

Powers and abilities

All versions have shown the ability to absorb heat from external sources and transmute it into waves of cold. Using these powers, Killer Frost can create an ice-sheen across her entire body that grants her increased durability, cause intense blizzards that can instantly freeze the target and generate objects composed completely of ice, such as projectiles in the form of ice shards and defensive walls or shields. She can also instantly freeze animate matter through physical contact and is unable to touch a normal person without freezing them. However, if someone has a power or ability that negates the natural waves of freezing cold that come from her body, she can touch them without anything happening. Her weakness is the need to absorb external heat sources to generate ice: although heat-based weapons such as flamethrowers only make her stronger, she can be imprisoned in cold surroundings such as being locked in a refrigeration truck or buried under a mountain of snow. The Caitlin Snow version of Killer Frost is constantly plagued by a hunger for heat, which can only be sated by absorbing the heat from a living being, a process which inevitably kills the victim. However, in recent stories she seems to have finally gotten it under control by only absorbing a tiny amount of heat from every person she touches, sparing them and leaving them otherwise unharmed. The Caitlin Snow and Louise Lincoln versions of the character have, albeit inconsistently, demonstrated the ability to fly, either by riding Arctic winds or through an unknown manner of self-propulsion. While the exact limits of her abilities have yet to be established, how much power Frost can channel at once seems to depend on how much heat she has absorbed and stored in her body. For example, when she absorbed all the heat from Superman (whose body is supercharged by yellow solar energy) during a stand-off between the Justice League and the Suicide Squad, she was able to flash-freeze the entire League in a single blast. It also seems that using up all the heat energy she has stored can put Frost's life in danger. If she does not feed in time, she even risks dying of what she calls "starvation". The Caitlin Snow version also boasts a genius-level intellect, being S.T.A.R. Labs' youngest and brightest scientist prior to her transformation. She could solve complex equations easily, operate heavy energy generating machinery and appeared particularly skilled in the field of physics and research about energy. She once managed to create an ice prism with her powers that converted Superman's heat vision into a bright burst of sunlight to defeat Eclipso. Several adaptations of the villain have also depicted the Crystal Frost and Louise Lincoln incarnations as having basic skills in melee combat which they use in conjunction with their powers as well as impressive agility, being able to perform maneuvers such as leaps or cartwheels with ease.

Other versions

An alternate universe variant of Killer Frost appears in ''

DC Comics Bombshells ''DC Comics Bombshells'' refers to a line of figurines released by DC Collectibles depicting DC Comics superheroines in a retro 1940s look based on designs by Ant Lucia.Hugo Strange Hugo Strange is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. The character is one of Batman's first recurring villains, and was also one of the first to discover his secret iden ...

who is of French and German descent and gained her powers after her mother was killed and she was left to die in a well.

In other media

Television

* An unidentified incarnation of Killer Frost appears in the

DC Animated Universe The DC Animated Universe (DCAU, also referred to as the Timmverse or Diniverse by fans) is a Shared universe, shared fictional universe based on DC Comics properties and media franchise produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It began with ''Batman ...

series ''

'' and ''

Justice League Unlimited ''Justice League Unlimited'' (''JLU'') is an American superhero animated series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation with DC Comics in season 3 and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Universe, and ...

'', voiced by

though it is possible that this is the Louise Lincoln incarnation. This version is a homicidal member of

Gorilla Grodd Gorilla Grodd is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, the character first appeared in ''The Flash'' #106 (May 1959). He is an evil, super-intelligent gorilla who ...

Secret Society A secret society is an organization about which the activities, events, inner functioning, or membership are concealed. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence ag ...

. * The Louise Lincoln incarnation of Killer Frost appears in the teaser for the '' Batman: The Brave and the Bold'' episode "Darkseid Descending!", voiced again by Jennifer Hale. This version is

Ronnie Raymond Ronald Roy "Ronnie" Raymond is a character appearing in comics published by DC Comics. He is one of several characters called Firestorm and is normally fused together with Martin Stein or Jason Rusch. He first appeared in '' Firestorm the Nuclear ...

's vengeful ex-girlfriend. * The Crystal Frost incarnation of Killer Frost appears in ''

Young Justice Young Justice is a fictional DC Comics superhero team consisting of teenaged heroes. The team was formed in 1998 when DC's usual teen hero group, the Teen Titans, had become adults and changed their name to the Titans. Like the original ''Teen T ...

'', voiced by

Sarah Shahi Aahoo Jahansouzshahi ( Persian: آهو جهانسوز شاهی; born January 10, 1980), known professionally as Sarah Shahi, is an American actress. She played Carmen on ''The L Word'' in 2005, Kate Reed in the USA Network legal drama '' Fairly L ...

. * The Caitlin Snow incarnation of Killer Frost appears in the ''

Justice League Action ''Justice League Action'' is an American superhero animated television series based on the DC Comics superhero team Justice League. The series is produced by Jim Krieg, Butch Lukic, and Alan Burnett. The show debuted on Cartoon Network UK on N ...

'' episode "Freezer Burn", voiced by

Mena Suvari Mena Alexandra Suvari (; born February 13, 1979) is an American actress, producer, fashion designer and model. The accolades she has received include a Screen Actors Guild Awards, Screen Actors Guild Award, along with nominations for a Primetime ...

. This version gained her powers during a freak accident involving "thermafrost" and is a fan of

. * An unidentified incarnation of Killer Frost makes non-speaking cameo appearances in ''

Harley Quinn Harley Quinn (Dr. Harleen Frances Quinzel, PhD) is a fictional American character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm for ''Batman: The Animated Series'' as a henchwoman for the ...

''. This version's appearance resembles her counterpart from ''Batman: Assault on Arkham''.

Arrowverse

portrays Caitlin Snow in media set in the

. This version is an employee of S.T.A.R. Labs and

's fiancée before he is killed stopping a singularity over Central City. Due to

Barry Allen Bartholomew Henry "Barry" Allen is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the second character known as the Flash, following Flash (Jay Garrick), Jay Garrick. The character first appeared in ''Showcase (comic ...

altering the timeline while creating and undoing the " Flashpoint" timeline in the third season, Caitlin develops cryokinetic abilities and an alternate, villainous personality named Frost, both of which she attempts to hide. In the fifth season, Caitlin discovers that her powers originated from her father

Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the A ...

' attempts to cure their genetic propensity to

ALS Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or—in the United States—Lou Gehrig's disease (LGD), is a rare, terminal neurodegenerative disorder that results in the progressive loss of both upper and low ...

. In the seventh season, Caitlin and Frost are separated by Mirror Monarch's rays and decide to live separate lives as twin sisters. In the eighth season, Frost is killed in battle with

Deathstorm Beatriz Da Costa Reep Daggle Dagon Dan the Dyna-Mite Dan the Dyna-Mite is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Danny Dunbar was the star pupil of Thomas N. Thomas, a high school chemistry and phys ...

. Caitlin tries to resurrect her, but inadvertently creates a new individual named Khione. Caitlin also appears in the animated series '' Freedom Fighters: The Ray'', with Panabaker reprising the role.

Film

* The Louise Lincoln incarnation of Killer Frost appears in '' Superman/Batman: Public Enemies'', voiced again by an uncredited

. This version is a member of the " Cold Warriors". * The Louise Lincoln incarnation of Killer Frost appears in '' Batman: Assault on Arkham'', voiced again by Jennifer Hale. This version is a member of the

who is later killed by

Bane Bane may refer to: Fictional characters * Bane (DC Comics), an adversary of Batman * Bane (''Harry Potter''), a centaur in the ''Harry Potter'' series * Bane (''The Matrix''), a character in the ''Matrix'' film trilogy * Bane the Druid, a Gua ...

amidst a mass breakout. * The Crystal Frost incarnation of Killer Frost appears in '' Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay'', voiced by

Kristin Bauer van Straten Kristin Bauer van Straten ( Neubauer) is an American film and television actress, notable for her roles as vampire Pamela Swynford De Beaufort on the HBO television series ''True Blood'', Jerry's girlfriend Gillian ("man hands") on ''Seinfeld'' ...

. This version is a "tough girl" who killed her parents after her powers manifested when she was young.

Amanda Waller Amanda Belle Waller (née Blake), also known as "the Wall", is a fictional character featured in some American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in '' Legends'' #1 in 1986 and was created by John Ostrander, Len We ...

recruits Frost into the Suicide Squad and later kills her with a nano-bomb. * The Louise Lincoln incarnation of Killer Frost makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in ''

Injustice Injustice is a quality relating to unfairness or undeserved outcomes. The term may be applied in reference to a particular event or situation, or to a larger status quo. In Western philosophy and jurisprudence, injustice is very commonly—but ...

''.

Video games

* The Louise Lincoln incarnation of Killer Frost appears as a boss in ''

Justice League Heroes ''Justice League Heroes'' is a 2006 console video game for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox platforms. It was developed by Snowblind Studios, published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment in conjunction with DC Comics and was distributed in Europe ...

'', voiced by

Nika Futterman Nika Futterman (born October 25, 1969) is an American actress and singer. She is known for her voices in various animated series, including Mike in '' Mike, Lu & Og'', Asajj Ventress in '' Star Wars: The Clone Wars'', Stretch and Squeeze in ' ...

. * The Louise Lincoln incarnation of Killer Frost appears as a boss in ''

DC Universe Online ''DC Universe Online'' (''DCUO'') is a free-to-play massively multiplayer online game set in the fictional universe of DC Comics. Developed by Dimensional Ink Games and co-published by Daybreak Game Company and WB Games, the game was initiall ...

'', voiced by Christina Moore. * The Louise Lincoln incarnation of Killer Frost appears in '' Injustice: Gods Among Us'', voiced again by

. * The Louise Lincoln incarnation of Killer Frost appears as a character summon in '' Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure''. * The Crystal Frost incarnation of Killer Frost appears as a boss in '' Young Justice: Legacy'', voiced by

Vanessa Marshall Vanessa Marshall is an American voice actress who is most active in films, cartoons and video games. Career Prior to her career as a voice actor, Marshall attended Princeton University, majoring in English. She then attended graduate school at ...

''Lego''

* The Louise Lincoln incarnation of Killer Frost appears as an unlockable character in the portable version of '' Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes''. * The Caitlin Snow incarnation of Killer Frost appears as a downloadable character in '' Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham''. * The Caitlin Snow incarnation of Killer Frost appears in ''

Lego DC Super-Villains ''Lego DC Super-Villains'' is a Lego-themed action-adventure platform video game developed by Traveller's Tales. The fourth installment in the ''Lego Batman'' series of games, it is a spin-off that focuses entirely on villains of the DC Univers ...

'', voiced by Jennifer Hale. This version is a member of the

Legion of Doom The Legion of Doom is a group of supervillains who originated in '' Challenge of the Superfriends'', an animated series from Hanna-Barbera based on DC Comics' Justice League. The Legion of Doom has since been incorporated into the main DC Univers ...

Miscellaneous

* The Crystal Frost incarnation of Killer Frost appears in ''

Justice League Adventures While Batman and Superman had their own animated series and comic book follow-ups, the rest of the characters in the appeared in the following comics often. ''The Batman Adventures'' ''The Batman Adventures'' was created as a comic book tie-in ...

'' #12 as a member of the Cold Warriors. * The DCAU incarnation of Louise Lincoln / Killer Frost appears in issue #21 of the ''

'' tie-in comic book, in which she enters a relationship with

Heat Wave A heat wave or heatwave, sometimes described as extreme heat, is a period of abnormally hot weather generally considered to be at least ''five consecutive days''. A heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the area and ...

. * An unidentified incarnation of Killer Frost appears in ''

DC Super Friends The Imaginext System is a brand of role-playing, adventure toys designed for kids 3 or older made by Mattel, under the label of Fisher-Price. History At the time of its introduction at the 1998 Toy Fair,

'' #16 as a member of the "Ice Pack".''DC Super Friends'' #16 (August 2009) * The ''Injustice'' incarnation of Louise Lincoln / Killer Frost appears in the '' Injustice: Gods Among Us'' prequel comic. * Caitlin Snow / Frost appears in ''

DC Super Hero Girls ''DC Super Hero Girls'', also released as ''DC Superhero Girls'', is an American animated superhero web series produced by Warner Bros. Animation for Cartoon Network based on characters from DC Entertainment that launched in the third quarter ...

'' and its tie-in films, voiced by

Danica McKellar Danica McKellar (born January 3, 1975) is an American actress, mathematics writer, and education advocate. She is best known for playing Winnie Cooper in the television series ''The Wonder Years.'' McKellar has appeared in various television f ...

. This version is a hero, student at Super Hero High, and roommate of

Lady Shiva Lady Shiva (real name Sandra Woosan or more recently Sandra Wu-San) is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was co-created by Dennis O'Neil and Ric Estrada, and first appeared in ''Richard Dragon, Ku ...

Miss Martian Miss Martian (M'gann M'orzz; alias Megan Morse) is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. An extraterrestrial, she is a White Martian who usually appears in stories as a member of the Teen Titans. Created by write ...

, and Star Sapphire.

References

{{Justice League characters Groups of fictional characters Characters created by Al Milgrom Characters created by Dan Jurgens Characters created by Gerry Conway Comics characters introduced in 1978 Comics characters introduced in 1984 Comics characters introduced in 2013 DC Comics female superheroes DC Comics female supervillains DC Comics metahumans DC Comics scientists DC Comics television characters Fictional characters from Pittsburgh Fictional characters with elemental transmutation abilities Fictional characters with ice or cold abilities Fictional female doctors Fictional mass murderers Suicide Squad members Video game bosses Villains in animated television series