Mr. Freeze Just Got the Most Brutal Upgrade of All Time That Puts Joker’s Body Count to Shame

WARNING: Contains Potential Spoilers for Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter #6!Mr. Freeze has always been one of Batman's most iconic foes, but he's often overshadowed by the Joker’s chaotic reign of carnage, leaving him ranked lower on the villain scale than the Clown Prince of Crime. Now, however, the ice-cold Gotham rogue has revealed a chilling feat so brutal it officially surpasses the Joker’s body count, cementing his place in infamy.

Jay Kristoff, Tirso Cons, and Wes Abbott’s high-fantasy, Deathstroke-centric Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter series comes to its conclusion in issue #6, ending with an epic showdown between Long-Sword Slade Wilson and Sorcerer Victor Fries. Earlier issues revealed how Victor cursed the Kingdom with eternal winter after Deathstroke accidentally killed Nora with a shot solely meant for King Maxwell Lord.

This curse drained the land of its color and unleashed a legion of bloodthirsty, mindless thralls. However, issue #6 twists the established lore to reveal that Victor’s curse didn’t just freeze the land—it claimed the lives of an entire kingdom.

Sorry, Joker: But Mr. Freeze Killed an Entire Kingdom With One Spell

“I Slew a Kingdom to Spare my Nora Death.” — Mr. Freeze in Dark Knights of Steel #6 (2024)

Among the twists in issue #6, it is revealed that Nora isn’t truly dead but is instead in a state of stasis, encapsulated in a giant shard of ice that leaves her suspended between life and death. This revelation sheds light on the true purpose of Freeze’s eternal winter curse. As Slade remarks, “That’s what this is all about? You froze a kingdom to death just to keep her alive?” It becomes clear that Victor’s freezing of the Kingdom wasn’t merely an act of petty revenge—it was his desperate attempt to preserve his wife’s life.

As the exchange between Slade and Victor continues, Victor confesses, “I slew a kingdom to spare my Nora death.” This admission confirms that the sorcerer willingly killed an entire kingdom’s population. While the Joker’s body count in mainstream continuity reportedly reaches the thousands, an entire kingdom’s worth of lives far exceeds the Clown Prince of Crime’s tally. The gravity of this body count is amplified by the revelation that the eternal winter curse didn’t simply kill the Kingdom’s inhabitants—it transformed them into mindless, bloodthirsty thralls that now wander its frozen wasteland.

It’s also revealed that Slade’s own sons, Joey and Grant, were among those turned into thralls—a fate many would consider worse than death. This horrifying act cements Victor’s highest body count across any continuity, even making some of Joker’s most infamous atrocities pale in comparison. However, one key difference separates Freeze from the Joker: Victor’s carnage and devastation (in this case) were reversible. Alec “Swamp Thing” Holland ultimately broke the curse, restoring the Kingdom’s people to their original state. Without Alec’s intervention, however, this reversal wouldn’t have been possible and highlights just how far Victor was willing to go in his pursuit to save Nora.

Related It Seems Mr. Freeze's New Form Is Way Too Powerful for Batman To Handle Batman has plenty of iconic villains, and in this alternate universe, Mr. Freeze gets to shine as a foe so powerful not even Batman can beat him.

How Does Mr. Freeze's Classic Origin Story Compare to the Dark Knights of Steel Version?

Even on Earth-118, Victor Fries' Motivation Boils Down to His Love for His Wife

Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter wasn’t just packed with plot twists—it also offered an incredibly unique take on Mr. Freeze’s origin story. As most fans, both longtime and casual, know, Freeze’s most iconic origin in mainstream continuity centers around his wife, Nora. Traditionally, he is portrayed as a PhD scientist turned meta after a lab accident during his attempt to cryogenically preserve a terminally ill Nora. His career and crimes as a Gotham Rogue revolve around his quest to cure her, serving as his core motivator and a defining aspect of his character.

Dark Knights of Steel mirrors this classic origin story but adds a high fantasy twist. Instead of being a PhD scientist researching cryogenics to save his terminally ill wife, Victor is reimagined as a sorcerer with mastery over ice magic, which he uses to freeze Nora and keep her alive after she is struck in the chest by an arrow. Furthermore, instead of wreaking havoc in Gotham City, Freeze unleashes destruction on an entire Kingdom. Kristoff’s brilliance lies in how he preserves the essence of Freeze’s origin story while reimagining it in a completely new and epic way, blending familiar elements with the grandeur of high fantasy.

Related Batman Reveals Mr. Freeze's True Motivation (And Redemption) In DC Comics' new One Bad Day one-shot, Mr. Freeze reveals his true motivations and the potential for his redemption in Gotham's future.

Mr. Freeze Gets Subtle Yet Epic 'Power' Upgrade in Dark Knights of Steel

Victor Fries' Most Iconic Gimmick Becomes a True Superpower

Kristoff’s high fantasy twist on Mr. Freeze is particularly intriguing because it reimagines one of his defining "powers" in a subtle yet overpowered way. Across continuities, Freeze is best known for keeping his wife in a state between life and death—usually through technological means. In Dark Knights of Steel, this concept becomes a true power as Victor accomplishes this balance of life and death with magic. Additionally, Victor doesn’t just keep Nora in a state of undeath; he extends this power to an entire Kingdom by transforming its inhabitants into undead thralls who also exist in a liminal state between life and death.

Breaking this down further, Mr. Freeze’s character is fundamentally defined by his inability to fully restore Nora’s life, despite preventing her death. This theme carries into Dark Knights of Steel, where Victor himself admits, “I slew a kingdom to spare my Nora death. But it was beyond even my power to give her life.” In this context, Victor’s ability to suspend Nora—and now an entire Kingdom—in a state between life and death further highlights this as his signature “power.” Hence, this magical upgrade adds a fascinating and powerful twist to Victor’s iconic gimmick.

Related DC Upgrades 2 Classic Justice League Villains With Barbarian Redesigns That Will Change How You See Them Two classic Justice League villains have just undergone their most drastic redesigns in decades, kicking off a new era in how fans perceive them.

Mr. Freeze Gets His Most Drastic Redesign in Dark Knights of Steel Sequel

Main Cover by Tirso Cons of Mr. Freeze for Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter #6 (2024)

Lastly, Victor’s visual redesign in this comic is a major upgrade for the character, giving him a break from his oversized, astronaut-like cryosuit. Instead, Victor dons furs, robes, and a cloak that seamlessly fit the high fantasy setting, providing a stark departure from his usual attire. He also wears a coif adorned with a delicate snowflake at the front, paying tribute to his winter-based powers. Despite these significant changes, Mr. Freeze remains instantly recognizable as the villain fans know and love, thanks to his signature red-lensed goggles. With this striking redesign and a fresh twist on his classic lore, Dark Knights of Steel stands out as one of the coolest reimaginings of Mr. Freeze to date.

Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter #6 is available now from DC Comics!