Bobby Drake: Iceman Appreciation 2019

[Heroine Addict]

I want to pair Bobby with... Sunfire...

If I can't have him with Rictor, than this is EASILY, the neXt best thing!!

[NewMutant]

Iceman is now an part of the "Rise of the Phoenix" extension package for Marvel Ultimate Alliance on Nintendo Switch. AND he is in his fab red romper!!!!

He looks so cute here. Art by Nick Robles

Great art. Cute speedo or briefs.

[Journey]

That DLC just proves that the red outfit was the best suit Bobby ever had.

[Anduinel]

The fact that Marvel hasn't tapped Nick for cover work only proves they don't really care about the happiness of the readership.

[NewMutant]

That DLC just proves that the red outfit was the best suit Bobby ever had.

Agreed. I wish they continued to use it in the HoX era, but the speedo is sorta fun.

[starduck]

How about Red Speedos?

[scourge]

That DLC just proves that the red outfit was the best suit Bobby ever had.

Or that it was the outfit appearing in the comics when they started work on Bobby for the game?

[Wiccan]

Or that it was the outfit appearing in the comics when they started work on Bobby for the game?

I'm pretty sure most characters don't have the costume they were wearing in the comics at the time though. The devs just liked it.

[Havok83]

Or that it was the outfit appearing in the comics when they started work on Bobby for the game?

Doubtful considering Cyclops, Storm, Magneto and many others launched with very dated costumes. This game wasnt about reflecting current Marvel

[PetPigeon]

The fact that Marvel hasn't tapped Nick for cover work only proves they don't really care about the happiness of the readership.

But you can be sure to count on more bubble faced Dodson covers

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Iceman #1 Dec 1984
"The Fuse!"
Upon returning home for his father's retirement party, X-Men and Defenders team member,
Bobby Drake Iceman stumbles across his cousin Mary. Swooping her up
and giving her a grand ride on his Ice Slide, Bobby reveals how he is feeling uneasy about his visit.

While attending the party Bobby gets in an argument about his choices of being a super-hero over accountant.
Storming off with his head down in thought he bumps into a very attractive young lady for the second time in that day.

While hitting it off outside of her next door house, two villains reveal
themselves and seem confused about who they are there to apprehend.

After a brutal bout which leaves the house in rubble, the villains teleport away leaving Bobby to explain to police
what exactly happened...... Will Bobby get out of there unscathed? Will he find the girl who stole his heart again?

Written by J.M. DeMatteis. Art by Al Kupperburg and Mike Gustovich.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

X-Factor #48 Dec 1989
Judgement War Part 5 of 7 "Common Ground!"
Continued from last issue... The Rejects and Chosen have come to meet on the common ground for one of their many prisoner exchanges.
The Rejects have come bearing Marvel Girl whom they have had subdued since her Madelyne Pryor personality has taken full control.
When they bring her before Lord Rask, they ask to exchange Jean for both Archangel and the warrior Agrom.
Rask, needing Archangel for his arena battle against Iceman refuses the winged mutant but agrees to turn over the Reject known as Agrom.
When they order MG released, they are surprised to find that the woman has great power and once more subdue her.
Rask, having never seen MG before, begins to wonder where she might have come from.

While in the Chosen's city, a scientist goes to check on Princess Seera so that she can accept Rask's offer of alliance.
She awakens and uses her jamming powers to knock him out and makes a break for it, jamming the minds of all opposition.
When her once loyal robot Zee-Zee attempts to raise the alarm, Seera flees, unable to bring herself to destroy her life long minder.
While outside the city, Cyclops and a team of the Beginagains approach an entrance into the city
when Dykon notices that yet another one of the Celestials has arrived on the planet's surface outside
the Chosen's city and they all begin to believe that the final judgement of their world is coming soon.

Having jammed the guard who holds the prisons, Seera steals the keys
and uses them to access the room where Archangel is being held prisoner.
She tells Archangel that his friend Iceman and young Christopher are also in the city, and they also free Agrom and try to escape.
However, Lord Rask comes upon them and he easily subdues Agrom. When Archangel tries to fly away with Seera,
Rask uses his powers to destroy Zee-Zee causing Seera to slow Warren up enough for them both to be captured.
As they are being taken away, Rask suggests to Lord Palik that an example must be
made with Seera otherwise they will undermine the very foundations of their society.
He suggests that Seera should be put in the middle of the arena battle between Archangel and Iceman
and that should the Iceman win she will be put to death. If Archangel wins then she will live.

Palik agrees to the terms and comes to realize that Rask is attempting to buy his way to the
highest position among the Chosen and begins contemplating a plan to stop this from happening.

When Agrom is returned to the Rejects there is a giant party among their numbers.
Beast uses this as a means to escape when his guard becomes drunk from the celebration and knocks him out.
Stealing the key, he breaks out of his cell and tries to make an escape when he is stopped by Agrom.
When Agrom hears that the Beast is a friend of Archangel, he lets Beast go
and tells Zharkah that Beast isn't a Chosen spy but a visitor from another world.
While back in the city of the Chosen, the scientists all wonder where young Christopher has come from and after scanning the boy
and Marvel Girl's DNA they begin to wonder if Archangel's assertions that he was among people from another world may be true.
They allow the Madelyne Pryor possessed MG to approach her child, but they are shocked when
young Christopher displays his mutant powers and rejects his "mother's" attempt at affection.
While outside, Iceman and Lev prepare for the battle, knowing that the Chosen's
opinions on Duelers would change should Bobby win the bout against Iceman.

The two then take note that there are now more Celestials standing over the city now.

At the Reject's camp, Beast finally explains the truth about his origins to Zharkah and she accepts the tale with Agrom substantiating it
and she agrees to help him in freeing his friends that within the Chosen's city and bring their decadent civilization crashing down.
While out in deep space, Ship manages to break free from the tractor-beam that has kept it locked in space.

As it witnesses many more Celestials are descending down on the alien world, the sentient ship decides that it must
go down to the planet itself and try to save X-Factor from the possibility of destruction at the hands of its own creators.

Story by Louise Simonson. Art by Paul Smith and Al Milgrom.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

X-Factor #49 Dec 1989
Judgement War Part 6 of 7 "Power Struggle!"
Continued from last issue... Lord Rask offers Princess Seera one final chance at accepting his offer of an alliance.
However the defiant princess refuses and attempts to use her jamming powers on him,
but the power dampeners that she is hooked into cause feedback that puts her in a catatonic state
and Rask orders her to be placed in the arena to determine if she lives or dies,
depending on the outcome of the battle between Archangel and Iceman.
As more Celestials begin to descend to the planets surface, the people of the Chosen enter the arena uneasily for the coming bout.
After Lev collects bets among the Duelers, she goes to see Iceman before the big fight, and wishes him luck in the battle,

telling him that his victory will have an impact on the Chosen's opinions on Duelers. He surprises Lev by giving her a kiss.

While deep below the city in the sewers, Beast leads a group of Rejects on a mission to not only save his friends who are among the Chosen,
but to also shut down their power supply so that the Rejects can invade their city and bring their decadent society crashing down.
When they go to the surface with the intention of jumping some of the Chosen and stealing their clothing, Beast is surprised to find
that the people they jump are none other than Cyclops and the band of Beginagains that have rallied with him on the same cause.

While elsewhere in the city, Lord Palik has Archangel brought before him.
Not wishing Warren to win the arena battle for it would give Lord Rask the financial wealth to take over the Chosen,
he uses his powers to partially blind Archangel hoping that this will give Iceman the edge he needs to kill Warren in the arena.

Unknown to both, a size changing Dueler had been spying on the situation the whole time,
planted by Lev to insure that Archangel wasn't enhanced before the battle.

He tells Lev this and that Iceman and Archangel both come from another world.
This comes too late as Iceman goes into the arena to face Archangel.
As Warren tries to get Iceman to remember who he is, Lev wonders what to do about the situation.

Meanwhile, back on Earth, Apocalypse is monitoring the world from his secret hideout in the Himalayan mountains and has taken note of the fact that
the world's super-villains have taken up unforeseen alliances and battling irregular foes and begins to suspect that some force is using them as pawns.

Back on the alien world, with the gathered Rejects and Beginagains agreeing to work together they split up into two groups:
Beast and the Rejects will go to disrupt the arena and collect Iceman and Archangel,
while Scott and the Beginagains cut the power in the city and rescue Marvel Girl and Christopher.
While in space above the planet, X-Factor's ship watches as the last of the Celestials descend on the planet below
and it decides that now is the time to travel down to the planet and try what it can to protect it's friends from destruction.

While in the Arena, the battle rages on while Seera tries to talk sense into Lord Rask and Palik,
Archangel's attempts to convince Iceman of who he really is fails to work.
Just then, the ground begins to quake and the group of Beginagains and Rejects led by Beast burst through the ground and join the battle.
This interruption causes all the bets to go forfeit and end up going to the science council, financially ruining Lord Rask.
He goes down to the arena and attempts to kill Seera to at least get that satisfaction, but instead gets knocked off the platform by Lev.
Removing the power restraints from Seera, Lev convinces the princess to use her jamming powers to restore Iceman's memories.

Unsure if she can do it, Seera surprises herself when she proves able to do so.
With Bobby's memories restored, the battle ends and the combined members of X-Factor, the Rejects
and Beginagains turn their attention to Lord Rask who is just then ordering the Chosen guards to destroy them all.

While back on Earth, Apocalypse's findings link all the super-villain activity to one man
who appears to be a servant but is really the mastermind behind the while ordeal.
Realizing that his true nature has been divined by Apocalypse, this man appears
before the eternal mutant and offers him a position in his Acts of Vengeance conspiracy.

Story by Louise Simonson. Art by Paul Smith and Al Milgrom.