Mr. Freeze is a secondary antagonist in Batman: The Enemy Within. A scientist who desperately searched for a cure to his wife's terminal illness, Dr Victor Fries was rendered unable to survive in temperatures higher than sub-zero, after an accident in his lab. To get the funds he needed, Freeze joined the Pact and swore to use the funds to help find a cure for his wife.
Biography
Not much is known about Dr. Victor Fries' past before he joined the Pact. However, he was once a brilliant scientist and cryogenics expert working for GothCorp. However after his wife, Nora, was diagnosed with an unknown disease , he sacrificed both his personal and professional life to finding a cure. After placing her into a cryo-chamber to preserve her, he suffered an accident in his lab, during which he was dosed with chemicals.
Now unable to survive outside of a sub-zero temperature, Victor created a suit to sustain him and a gauntlet that froze anything it touched. Going underground, he operated as a criminal that the media dubbed "Mr. Freeze". During the five years after his accident, he became a member of the Pact, hoping to use the profits to help fund his research into his wife's disease. However, when one of the other members, Riddler, offered the others a cure to their ailments, Victor would agree, hoping to use it to cure Nora's condition. However, Victor was unaware that LOTUS would drive Nora insane after it cured her disease, as Riddler knew such information would entice the cold hearted scientist not to follow his plans. While Riddler fell out with the other members, Freeze would make plans to attack and steal biotech components from GothCorp to create equipment necessary to use against SANCTUS security for when they found the black-site.
Batman: The Enemy Within
The Pact
During the Pact's attacks on Gotham, Freeze lead an attack on his former employers, GothCorp. During his assault, he killed at least twenty personal with his cryo-gauntlet and caused the loss of limb of an unknown number. He also caused serious damage on the labs by freezing objects, leaving very little evidence to trace him and his men. Freeze, along with his gang, managed to get away with a number of biological materials, leaving no witnesses to identify him to the police.
Whilst checking on Nora, another member of the Pact, "John Doe", 'accidently' set off a EMP generator shutting down the equipment keeping her alive. Horrified by losing her, Freeze entered the room and forced Bruce Wayne to turn it off. After the billionaire did so, he returned to check on Nora and ensure her unit had not been badly damaged by the blast.
Freeze was later seen working on an unknown device during the final preparations to retrieve the Riddler's body from Amanda Waller and her agency. During this, Freeze was approached by Bruce Wayne, who offered to take Nora and give her to one of his subsidiaries, should he be captured or unable to save her. Depending on dialogue chosen, Freeze will either agree to side with his membership, believing himself to have misjudged Bruce, and votes for him to join the Pact. However, if Bruce is unable to persuade Freeze, he will decide not to vote for his membership.
Freeze would later take part in the heist, during which he froze the doors of the vehicle containing Riddler's corpse and tried to kill the guard, only for Bruce to step in. He also killed a number of agents by freezing them with his gauntlet and escaped with the others, leaving either Harley Quinn or Bane behind to be captured. If the latter is left to fight the agency, Freeze warns Quinn and Doe that he believes Bane will survive and will extract vengeance upon them. He was also present when Bruce unlocked the case containing Riddler's corpse and when Catwoman returned with a component they required.
Fractured Mask
Shortly after her arrival, Freeze introduced Bruce and Catwoman to each other, believing that this was their first meeting. If Harley was left behind, he also gives her the condition of Harley and tells her how she can access the diamonds promised. After she and Wayne had finished scanning Riddler's eyes, he and the other members returned to check on their progress. He was also present when the member left behind returned and Quinn took over the Pact.
Whilst they prepared to raid the black site, Freeze began creating a freezing bomb to take out the fire-failsafe at the blacksite to destroy evidence. After acquiring the necessary components with Bane, he tested it on a number of the Pact's men to see whether it was successful. Deciding they should be deployable, he began working on smaller versions which could be deployed from a launcher. Freeze later shared his findings with Bruce, believing that he would appreciate his findings. He also witnessed Bane's interrogation of a suspect, later freezing and shattering his body after he was killed.
When Harley narrowed down the mole to either Bruce or Catwoman, she asked him to prepare a cryogenic chamber to execute the person. Depending on who Bruce chooses to give up, the following will take place.
If Bruce chooses to give up Catwoman as the mole, he and the rest of the Pact prepare to execute her in his chamber. However, after she is able to subdue the men guarding her and knocks the device over, damaging it, Freeze interferes and freezes part of her arm. He then places her in one of Riddler's "murder boxes" whilst he, Bruce and the rest of the Pact make their move on the blacksite.
If Bruce chooses to take the blame, Freeze and the rest of the pact prepare to execute him in his chamber. After Bane places the billionaire into the chamber, he seals it and activates it on Harley's orders. He and the Pact then leave with Catwoman to raid the black site.
What Ails You
Depending on who was given up as the mole in the previous episode, the following will happen to Mr. Freeze.
If Bruce chose to give up Catwoman as the mole, he joins Freeze and the Pact as they attack the SANCTUS lab. Freeze is involved in fighting a number of guards and deals with some of the countermeasures in place, including a thermal burners with his ice grenade. Freeze can be prevented from killing others, should Bruce be able to intervene. When Bruce betrays the Pact to destroy Project LOTUS, Freeze attempts to extract the vials. He is able to retreive three and attempts to escape, only to be caught by Bruce. However, Harley also betrays him, knocking the vials out of his hands, stealing the remaining one and locking him in the airlock. Infected with LOTUS, Freeze is left behind to be captured by the Agency.
If Bruce chose to give himself up as the mole, Catwoman joins Freeze and the Pact as they attack the SANCTUS lab. At Harley's urging, Freeze murders a number of both Bohdi Spa and SANCTUS employees. When the Pact arrived in the lab, he sets up the machine to extract the virus whilst the others stand guard and argue. When Batman arrives, Freeze decides to help Bane battle the vigilante and the two eventually gain the upper hand. However, during an attempt to kill Batman, John attacks Freeze to prevent him from doing so. Batman also uses Freeze's glove to freeze Bane's arm. After the virus is extracted, Freeze attempts to escape with the vials, only to be stopped by Batman. Harley then betrays him by knocking the vials out of his hands, stealing the remaining one and locking him in the airlock. Infected with LOTUS, Freeze is left behind to be captured by the Agency.
After Waller and her agents arrived, Freeze was held in the airlock and was biometrically monitored. Having wanted to use Freeze as a study for the virus, Waller demanded her agents would not talk to him. However, at the behest of Iman Avesta, Bruce/Batman would talk to him to learn about Harley Quinn's whereabouts. In return for this information, Freeze asked him to lower the temperature in the airlock, in the hopes that doing so would help him survive the LOTUS infection.
Regardless of whether Bruce/Batman agrees, Freeze explained that Riddler had been infected with LOTUS and survived the infection, claiming his blood could be turned into something that could heal. He further explained that this was why the Agency had frozen Riddler's body and it had been the reason why the Pact had stolen it. He also revealed his plans to use the virus to cure Nora's disease and Bane's wish to kick his Venom addition. After revealing that Harley would be returning to the Old Five Points to retrieve samples of Riddler's blood, Freeze demanded the temperature to be lowered. Depending on the choice made, the following will happen.
If Bruce/Batman decides to comply, Freeze thanks him for doing so as the temperature drops to sub-zero temperatures. It is unknown whether Freeze survives, but likely that this would lead to the Agency being forced to give up their plans to monitor the effects of the LOTUS virus.
If Bruce/Batman decides not to comply, Freeze begs for him to reconsider before swearing revenge on the billionaire/vigilante. It's unknown whether Freeze survives, but likely that the Agency would use him as a test subject for the effects of the LOTUS virus.
Personality
Not much is known about Mr. Freeze's personality, but he seemed to care about his wife's safety over anything else. He would often act very calm and collected, even in times of jeopardy or stress. However, this demeanor would break whenever Nora was mentioned or under threat. Freeze seemed to have no regard for human life, even killing whenever the chance presented itself. He also preferred to work alone, but collaborate with others whenever it seemed to be the best cause of action. This would also lead to him giving information to Batman after being betrayed by Harley Quinn.
Equipment
Suit
Mr. Freeze's suit would allow him to survive in environments that would otherwise kill him. The amount of protection it provided is not specified, but it seems to be bulletproof and sustainable against some forms of attack or damage.
Glove
Freeze had developed the glove some time between his accident and joining the Pact. How it works is not specified, but it was powerful enough to engulf a person in ice, in some cases so seriously they would break upon impact. The glove also allowed Freeze to break through certain materials, including metal, as demonstrated when he destroyed both a thug's gun and the door to one of the Agency's vans.
Ice Grenade
Freeze used this weapon to bypass the thermal burner alarm at the SANCTUS lab if Bruce accompanies the Pact to retrieve the virus.
Shock Rod
In addition to his glove, Freeze carried a shock rod which he used as a melee weapon. This weapon was seen mostly if Batman had gone to stop the Pact at SANCTUS. Alternatively, it was also briefly used against Bruce, when he tried to stop Freeze from escaping with the virus vials.
Relationships
Bruce Wayne
When they first met, Victor had very little to no respect for Wayne, believing him to be a naïve socialite out for himself. However, if Bruce offers to house Nora and research a cure if he is arrested, Freeze begins to respect Wayne and votes him into the Pact. After the heist, Freeze would share research details with Bruce and willingly talk with him. If Bruce outs himself as the traitor, Freeze would prepare one of his devices to execute Wayne, showing very little to no concern over him.
Trivia
- Unlike other iterations of the character, Freeze uses a special glove that allows him to freeze objects rather than a traditional freeze gun or rifle.
- The lack of a dome for his suit draws similarities with the Otto Preminger and Eli Wallach versions seen in the 1960s TV series (where they utilized freeze collars), the Nathan Darrow version from Gotham (which had a variation of the freeze collar built onto the suit), and the Injustice 2 version (before the error was fixed). If one looks closely, this version's suit is shown to have a freeze collar-like device built onto the neck part of the suit.
- It is possible for Freeze to not encounter Wayne as Batman, though this depends on the player's decisions throughout the series.