Forward.
Hi. My name is Mice. Not because I’m into rodents, but because
it stands for two of my favorite X-Characters. The M is for M. The
ice is for Iceman. I’ve been fascinated wtih Bobby Drake for
most of my life, it started with “Spider-Man and His Amazing
Friends”. When I got on the internet and began to write fan fiction
so long ago, I proclaimed myself the Messiah of Drake. Now, I come
to show why I deserve that title. This biography of odds and ends
is everything I know of Robert Drake.
--Neva "Mice" Huddleston, Keeper of the Flame and Self-Proclaimed
Messiah of Drake
Chapter 1: A Popsicle is Born
Robert Drake was born to Willaim Robert Drake and Madeline Beatrice
Bass. William, affectionately called "Willie" by Madeline,
who in turn is constantly called "Maddy", is Irish-Catholic
and Maddy is Jewish. Robert's middle name has been speculated to be
William because of his father's name, or it might even be George (see
below), but it has never been mentioned in anything I have read.
William and Maddy were engaged in 1942. This makes Bobby's age very
much speculation. I know we cannot always go by what Marvel says,
but that date was stated in 1984! And I refuse, repeat, refuse to
believe that Bobby is older than 29, let alone over forty!! However,
if we look at evidence from the early days, we can surely find something
that can allude to Bobby's correct age. Hank McCoy was the oldest
out of the original five and has recently turned 30. Bobby was the
youngest joining Xaviers at the tender age of 16. Scott Summers was
around 18 when he signed on the X-Men bandwagon, so that would put
Bobby's age at 26. If anyone else has a better hypothesis, lay it
on me.
The main center of debate about Mr. Drake is not his sexuality,
rather his eye color. Though Marvel has officially stated that Bobby's
eye color is brown, one of these occurrences was in the short lived
book, Professor X and the X-Men. They had short biographies in the
back of each one. However, I have never taken anything that particular
book has said at face value. It also states that Bobby was 15 upon
joining Xaviers, which is false. The evidence that is tougher to argue
with, though, is The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe H-J.
It also states brown. But in the early days of the X-Men (the sixties),
Bobby is consistently shown with blue eyes. That, and it would just
go with the whole Iceman image. So, in a nutshell, this is the physical
stats on Bobby:
Height: 5'8 Eye Color: Blue
Weight: 145lb. Hair Color: Brown
Yes, it may come as a surprise to some, but Bobby is a shrimp.
Bobby Drake was an only child, but did have other relatives besides
his mother and father. His cousins are Mary and Joel, and that's where
the Drake Family Tree seems to end, except for William's deceased
kid brother, George, who Bobby takes after in the looks department.
Bobby has never met him because he died before his parents even got
married. George died in WWII on a Japanese suicide mission, which
could suggest why William wasn't exactly warm to Opal Tanaka, Bobby's
old flame.
Bobby's home town is Long Island, more specifically, Port Jefferson.
To some who may know me and seen me ramble on about Port Washington
... well, I forget where I got that from, because before me I have
two definite sources that say Jefferson. And until I can find my proof,
it is canon.
Chapter 2: An X-Man is Born
Bobby first came in contact with the X-Men while he was on a date
with Judy Harmon, a classmate. The went to go see "West Side
Story". And just as the young Robert was getting ready to profess
his feelings to his lady love, a bully by the name of Rocky Beasley
(no relation to Mrs. Beasley from "A Family Affair" from
what I can tell) and friends (Bullwinkle et al) pounced on him and
whisked the lovely, squealing Miss Judy away. Being the chivalrous
boy he was, Bobby came to her rescue by using his mutant powers. And
after Moose and Squirrel got away, what thanks did Judy in the Sky
give Bobby? "You're ... TOO DANGEROUS!!" and ran away like
a sissy girl. Note: This would never happen to Magneto.
Bobby ran home to his mom and dad (Maddy is shown to be overly plump
as opposed to the twiggy thing she was in the Iceman mini-series and
to the lovely blonde we see nowadays), who warn him about how much
people are going to understand that Bobby was doing the right thing.
That's right, Billy-Bob, turn off Hee-Haw and get out yer shotgun,
it's LYNCH MOB TIME! Complete with noose!! Bobby got his frozen buns
in prison and Cyclops busted him out. As with everybody who meets
Scott the first time, Bobby tried to kick his ass, but come on, solar
powered eyes to generating small bits of frost? The Snowman got melted.
I have to mention here that the funniest part of this story, to me
at least, is the guy in the lynch mob that is wearing a baseball cap
that says, "E". Sheesh, not a Yankees fan??
Okay, the lynch mob sees Cyclops and begins to chase him, too. Insert
Benny Hill chase music. They get those two mutie scum bastards and
tie em up and get them ready to hang when their memories are suddenly
wiped. Who did it? By the gleam of the shiny head, it was Xavier.
He invites Bobby to the school, he accepts, they schmooze, he waxes
his head, and all is good and that is how Bobby Drake came to be the
2nd. X-Men.
Until Lobdell screwed all of that up with a Jean Grey story about
she was the first X-Man.
Chapter 3: My So-Called Powers
Marvel Handbook Says: Iceman posses the mutant ability to
lower his eternal and internal body temperature, projecting intense
coldness from his body. Like any normal human, the nerve centers for
regulating the iceman's body temperature are found in the part of
the brain called the hypothalamus to allow his body temperature to
be lowered by an unknown internal mechanism. This ability converts
the latent thermal energies in and around his body into an unknown
form of energy that is efficiently dissipated. A related mutation
has also rendered his bodily tissues unaffected by sub-zero temperatures.
This Iceman can consciously, immediately lower his body temperature
from its normal 98.6 degrees F to that of -105.7 degrees F within
the span of a few tenths of a second.
Mice Says: Bobby can spew out some really cold stuff and lower
his body heat, making him a lucky duck when the air conditioning blows
out. He can go out in Antarctica in a pair of happy face boxers and
not get the sniffles.
Marvel Handbook Says: As his body temperature falls, the surrounding
moisture in the air that is in contact with him is similarly lowered.
Just as condensed moisture forms frost, this moisture forms an icy
covering which encompasses his entire body. It also obscures his facial
features. When the Iceman first began to completely lower his body
temperature, this covering took on a more snowlike appearance. But,
as he learned to increase the severity of his cold, this covering
assumed the consistency of crystalline ice that it has today. This
ice constantly cracks with any movement of his body, and immediately
reforms. (Unless his temperature is critically regulated, the Iceman
cannot move without making a creaking sound.) Through practice, the
Iceman has learned to control the intensity of his cold, and he can
selectively lower the temperature of isolated parts of his body.
Mice Says: Be careful when you wear a t-shirt around this
guy! Things could get a little nippley!! He also makes a lot of sound
when he walks. Note that this is constantly ignored in the books today,
otherwise people would be shouting every three seconds, "Don't
move a muscle, Drake!!" Bobby was also a dead ringer for Frosty
the Snow Man before he got smooth to the groove, a move which made
him look a lot like the Silver Surfer.
Marvel Handbook Says: The Iceman can use his mutant ability
to freeze any local air moisture into super-hard ice. This ice can
be formed into any object of his choosing. The only limitations are
his own imagination, his skills as a sculptor (he usually employs
his hands to form shapes out of ice), and the ambient air temperature
which determines how long his ice sculpture will stay icy. In the
past, he has formed ice-ladders, ice-slides, ice-shields, and ice-bats.
Mice Says: Bobby freezes the air to make stuff. Like snowballs
and slush puppies and slurpies. Mmmmm.
Marvel Handbook Says: The Iceman is able to form a rising
column of ice beneath his feet able to lift him off the ground. The
tensile strength of the column is determined by its thickness, and
its steadiness by how well it has been braced. A well-raced and regular
column, 6" in diameter at its base, is able to support his weight
without toppling for about 85" in a 20mph wind. By forming long
ice-ramps connected either to his ice-column or an existing structure
like a building or a bridge, the Iceman is able to travel above the
ground by sliding down the ramp that he creates only a few feet in
front of him. Unless he creates periodic supports, the ramp will crack
beneath him, unable to support their combined weight.
Mice Says: Compensating for something, Bobby? Wink wink, nudge
nudge?
Marvel Handbook Says: The Iceman has an almost unlimited supply
of moisture at all times since it is always present in the surrounding
air or environment. Even desert air has sufficient moisture content
for him to make practical use of, although the process takes somewhat
longer. However, the mental effort needed to employ his mutant power
can eventually fatigue him and render his freezing ability temporarily
dysfunctional.
Mice Says: If Bobby were to actually try for his potential,
it would exhaust him.
Marvel Handbook Says: Like any trained athlete, the Iceman's
ability to perform is directly related to his daily physical health
and current mental state. Under normal conditions, he can usually
form ice for a period of three hours.
Mice Says: KINKY!!
Marvel Handbook Says: Besides his mutant abilities to lower
his body temperature and form ice from the moisture in the air, the
Iceman is fairly athletic, although he only possesses average strength
for someone of his stature.
Mice Says: Marvel doesn't think much of Bobby's prowess, do
they? Now, if Maddy's last name was Summers, well, he'd just be a
Herculean, gun-toting, time-traveling, omnipotent force o’nature,
now wouldn't he??!
To sum it all up: Bobby freezes stuff and does it all in his
underwear.
Chapter 4: Icekateer Rocall!
Believe it or not, Bobby Drake has gotten around in the Marvel Universe!
Here's a list of all of the teams he's been on:
X-Men
The Champions
The New Defenders
X-Factor
X-Men (Gold Team)
And, Bobby has also been in those books. However, Iceman was also
featured in the animated series, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends
with Spider-Man, Firestar, Aunt May, and Miss Lion. His voice was
provided by the simply amazing Frank Welker, who has also lent his
voice to such characters as Bronx from Gargoyles, Abu in Aladdin,
Runt from the Animaniacs, Santa's Little Helper on The Simpsons,
was special effects voice for seaQuest, was Azrael on the Smurfs,
and was multiple voices on Q*Bert, Pac-Man, and Inspector
Gadget. Though, his most famous role was probably that of Freddie
Jones on that pop culture classic, Scooby-Doo.
Videos of Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends can be bought
in many stores, or even rented at local video stores. I have a fair
collection of them myself and there is even a one-shot comic from
the series!
Chapter 5: So, Bobby, What Did You Do When You Left the X-Men?
I would go into this. I really would, but there's really nothing
to get into. Quite honestly, aside from the whole Loki thing (which
I haven't read yet), most of Bobby's character development happened
only recently!
Chapter 6: Bobby in Love
Judy Harmon: This was the girl who was with Bobby the night
he joined the X-Men. She broke up with him because he saved her life.
Okay, she broke up with him because she couldn't get past the mutant
power thing. Five bucks and a pizza says that she married some guy
with an atrocious back hair problem and keeps thinking, "I could
have gotten past the ice thing..."
Polaris/Lorna Dane: These two were an item for a while (!),
that is, until Havoc came along and swept Lorna off her green toe-nailed
feet.
Darkstar: She appeared in The Champions, but nothing was ever
really made about it.
Cloud: Bobby was introduced to this girl in The New Defenders,
except Cloud wasn't always a girl and had a relationship once with
Moondragon, the bald Sinead O'Connor chick that everybody on the team
hated. Hoo, boy, bet Bobby was in therapy for a long while with this
one!!
Marge/Mirage: When Bobby went home for his father's retirement
party, he met and fell in love with the girl next door. Oops, turns
out she's an alien! The Daughter of Oblivion. And in an Oedipus twist
of fate, she dumped Bobby for her father.
Tabitha/Boom-Boom/Boomer/Meltdown/Meltboom: No, nothing happened
between these two, besides an intense crush on Tab's part.
Lev: She was a fiery beauty from another universe and he had
amnesia and couldn't figure out that she was with the bad guys. This
was in X-Factor.
Infectia: Josephine was only interested in Bobby for a kiss
that would render him feral. What was the point in this? I really
don't remember, but it was an excellent story line showcasing Bobby's
famous hormones.
Opal Tanaka: I never liked her. Never. She was the
daughter of some mafia big-wig in Japan or something. I honestly don't
remember, nor do I ever want to find out. She dumped Bobby and that's
all I can recall. I'm telling you, I hated Opal!
Chapter 6: Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda
Rogue: I have always suspected that he had a thing for her,
especially after their road trip. He even criticized Gambit to her
face. Ooh, Rogue was not happy about that one.
Jubilee: And I have always suspected that Jubes has had a
crush on Bobby. The way she always gives him a special mention and
attention, but that could be my brain doing over time ...
Emma Frost: ::whistles::
Cecilia Reyes: I heard a few things, but didn't really read
the issues.
Chapter 7: Funky Cold Medina
Recently, Bobby's characterization has been dealt with through his
relationship with his father. Honestly, I cannot complain because
I personally enjoyed it, though it had a few retcons in it. Bobby
stated that he has always tried to accept everybody for who they are,
but if you pick up X-Men Rarities, which I loved, and read the "New"
X-Men story, you'll see Bobby ragging on Banshee, Piotr, and Nightcrawler,
and seriously insulting Warpath and even goes as far as to
tell him that he doesn't belong.
But moving right along to the story ... at least as how I see it.
The first paragraph is canon, and then I take liberties, but it makes
a lot of sense:
Willaim Drake had a brother named George. George was his little brother
and was the pride and joy of his family; everybody loved him. George
was the apple in his father's eye. William, however, was not. His
father told him he'd never amount to anything. George went into the
Navy, and accepted a mission in Japan in WWII, in which his plane
was shot down and he died.
Bobby's and William's problems stem from that. When Bobby first began
to devolop his powers, William felt that his son would be a target
for hatred, and from that hatred, could possibly die at a young age
like his brother. Bobby didn't understand that for the longest time,
and mistook his father's fear for hatred. William is no more a bigot
than I am Elizabeth Hurley. (Note: I am not Elizabeth Hurley.) His
"bigotry" stems from his fear of losing his family. He wants
Bobby to be normal so nothing would provoke an early death like his
brother. From William's fear begat Bobby's insecurity. His father
always pushed him to be normal, but the problem with that was that
Bobby wasn't normal. And Bobby, wanting to please his father, kept
trying to be that normal ideal. When the whole stack of normal cards
came tumbling down, Bobby desperately tried to rebuild it, but it
kept falling down. Pretty soon, Bobby got fed up with trying all the
time and gave it up, but once something has been ingrained in your
brain since childhood, it's hard to give it up. This has affected
Bobby's powers by trying to be as normal as he can while in his underwear
freezing stuff. And although Bobby is a pretty imaginative person,
it's hard to get that side of him out because it wasn't considered
normal.
Chapter 8: So Why Do You Like Him So Much, Mice?
When I first got a good look ad Bobby Drake and his character, I
realized how much of me was in there. That's my soul in there. Ever
the comedian, trying to make light of every situation before it gets
too heavy, never really successful in the romance department, never
seeming to achieve my highest potential ... Bobby Drake is the everyman
of the X-Men. His father isn't a space pirate, he was never a cosmic
entity, he didn't come from a mega-billionare family, he was never
worshipped as a goddess (at least I hope not!), he never had his brain
transplanted into an Asian assasin, he wasn't an orphan, and he doesn't
have a huge cloud of mystery surrounding him. Face it, he is the most
normal X-Guy. And this is what turns me on. In the fine line between
normal and abnormal, he's the fine line. Bobby's struggling not to
go either way. And in that struggle, he's a rich tapestry of stories.
That, and I think he's downright adorable!!
Neva Huddleston has been writing fan fiction for
roughly three years, and has been trying to write "the ultimate
Bobby Drake story" for just as long. She is best known for never
finishing The Age of the Animaniacs, an installment in her Mice Tails
series which is often mispelled. Neva has an extensive collection
of comic books that have any mention of Bobby Drake and her favorite
issues are X-Men # 38, and Uncanny X-Men #319 and #340.
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