HISTORY: ROBERT DRAKE WAS BORN WITH THE MUTANT ABILITY TO FREEZE MOISTURE IN THE AIR. THIS POWER FIRST CAME TO HIS ATTENTION DURING HIS TEENAGE YEARS, AND HIS PARENTS CONVINCED HIM TO KEEP IT A "FAMILY SECRET" FOR FEAR OF HARASSMENT FROM WHAT, AT THAT TIME, WAS A VOCAL -- AND DANGEROUS -- "ANTI-MUTANT" ELEMENT OF SOCIETY, THOSE FEARS WERE NOT UNFOUNDED AS, SHORTLY THEREAFTER, ROBERT AND HIS GIRLFRIEND, JUDY HARMON, WERE SET UPON BY A GANG OF THUGS. ROBERT USED HIS POWERS TO DEFEND HIMSELF AND JUDY, AND BEFORE LONG, A LYNCH MOB HAD FORMED. FORCING THEMSELVES INTO THE DRAKE HOME, THE MOB PROCEEDED TO ATTACK THE DRAKE FAMILY, BUT ROBERT WAS ONLY ABLE TO FEND THEM OFF FOR A SHORT TIME. THE STRUGGLE ENDED WHEN THE SHERIFF INTERVENED, AND TOOK ROBERT INTO CUSTODY FOR "HIS OWN PROTECTION."
         THIS PUBLIC INCIDENT CAME TO THE ATTENTION OF PROFESSOR CHARLES XAVIER, AND HE IMMEDIATELY DISPATCHED HAVOK (A.K.A. ALEX SUMMERS) TO CONTACT DRAKE AND OFFER HIM A PLACE AT HIS SCHOOL FOR THE GIFTED YOUNGSTERS. HAVOK DID SO, PEACEFULLY AND WITHOUT ESCALATING THE SITUATION INTO FURTHER VIOLENCE. WITH THE CONSENT OF THE DRAKE FAMILY, ROBERT BEGAN THE NEXT CHAPTER OF HIS LIFE, SERVING AS A LOYAL MEMBER OF THE X-MEN UNTIL THE RIFT CAUSED WHEN MAGNETO STEPPED IN AS TEAM LEADER. IT SHOULD BE NOTED, HOWEVER, THAT HE HAD TAKEN A BRIEF HIATUS FROM THE X-MEN SEVERAL YEARS BEFORE, TO JOIN WARREN WORTHINGTON'S TEAM, THE CHAMPIONS.
         AS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE GOVERNMENT'S TEAM, X-FACTOR, DRAKE WAGED A SUCCESSFUL PUBLIC BATTLE AGAINST MUTANT OPPRESSION. HIS CONGENIAL, "BOY NEXT DOOR" DEMEANOR MADE HIM ONE OF THE TEAM'S MOST POPULAR MEMBERS -- ESPECIALLY AMONG TEENAGERS. HE PUT A HUMAN FACE ON THE "MUTANT THREAT," MAKING WHAT WOULD THEN HAPPEN ALL THE MORE TRAGIC.
         THE ASGARDIAN BEING KNOWN AS LOKE ABDUCTED DRAKE, TRAPPING HIM IN A DEVICE WHICH AMPLIFIED HIS POWERS A THOUSAND-FOLD, INTENDING TO CHANNEL THOSE POWERS INTO A "CONDENSER" WITH WHICH HE WOULD BOOST THE POWER OF THE OF THE MYTHICAL FROST GIANTS. AS A RESULT OF THIS TAMPERING, ICE-MAN LOST CONTROL OF HIS POWERS AND IS PERMANANTLY LOCKED IN HIS FORM OF ORGANIC ICE. WHILE ALL ATTEMPTS AT NEGATING OR REVERSING THE PROCESS HAVE FAILED, AND HUMAN PHYSICAL CONTACT IS OUT OF THE QUESTION, DRAKE MAINTAINS AS OPTIMISTIC ATTITUDE -- AT LEAST ON THE SURFACE.

POWERS:
ICE-MAN IS A MUTANT WITH THE ABILITY TO DRAMATICALLY LOWER HIS EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL BODY TEMPERATURE. PROJECTING INTENSE COLDNESS FROM HIS BODY. HE CAN ALSO CREATE "ICE SLIDES" AS A MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION. AS A SIDE EFFECT OF HIS ENCOUNTER WITH LOKI, HIS ICE FORM HAS BECOME HIS NATURAL STATE, AND ANYTHING HE TOUCHES WILL FREEZE AND, IF ORGANIC, DIE INSTANTLY.