Biography: Turning Point

The turning point in Bobby's attitude toward himself and his powers began with Uncanny X-Men #292, when Mikhail Rasputin used his powers to change Bobby from Iceman to a puddle of water, then to solid ice.

Bobby: What'd you DO to me?
Mikhail: Nothing -- other than help you achieve the full potential of your mutant abilities! Imagine the possibilities of a body constructed completely of ice instead of the external casing of ice which you have been content to wear as a manifestation of your powers. This is the legacy of your genetic birthright, Iceman! Yet you are too involved in petty personal matters to explore your destiny.

Mikhail offered Bobby a glimpse at the potential of his ice powers. And after that incident, Bobby began to question his approach toward the development of his powers -- and toward his life in general -- and began to experiment a bit. For example, in Uncanny X-Men #300, he creates a massive ice "log" to slam the Acolyte Frenzy through a wall.

Frenzy: ...What? Ww-- wha? What are you doing?
Bobby: Adapting. Y'see, the last time I was beaten this severely was by Mikhail Rasputin who showed me there was a lot more to my ice power than I realized.
Bobby: I haven't had the opportunity -- or the reason -- to be aggressively creative. Until now. So, who's next?

Bobby's perceived "slackerness" truly didn't begin to bother him until after Uncanny X-Men #314, when Emma Frost (the White Queen) possessed his body.The "body swap" took place in Uncanny X-Men #311, when Bobby used his own body to protect the then-comatose Emma from a Shi'ar power surge in the MedLab. Emma's mind was somehow transferred to Bobby's body in the process, and when she regained consciousness in Uncanny X-Men #314, she escaped the mansion and returned to her business Frost Enterprises to learn the fate of her students, the Hellions. During this time, Emma used Bobby's powers in ways he'd never dreamed, from melting under doors and then reforming to "swimming" three miles down the Hudson River in five seconds by converting her body to water.

Emma: Amazing. For years, I'd always dismissed Iceman as the class clown, but the truth is, his powers are almost without limit!!!

After the Phalanx Covenant crossover, Bobby confronted Emma (in Uncanny X-Men #318) about what she had been able to do with his powers.

Bobby: Achem... I... I was hoping we could talk ... about what happened.
Emma: Exactly which "what" would that be?
Bobby: You want me to say it out loud? Fine. When you took over my body, when you violated... my mind, you did things with my ice powers, that I never... ... things I haven't figured out yet on my own. I just felt that after everything that happened you owed me--
Emma: I owe you nothing, X-Man. It's not my fault you're a pathetic little loser who never bothered to push himself. Remember. I was inside your head... we both know the reason you've been afraid to develop your powers over the years, don't --
Bobby: Stop playing games with me, Frost!! I want to know exactly how you did what you did!
Emma: Or WHAT?! You're going to hurt me? Don't push me. You're a FOOL, Drake. (Softly) I like that in a man.
Bobby: (changes to solid Ice form) ARRRHH! What are... you... doing?
Emma: I'm giving you what you asked for! You want power -- you want to be dangerous... to be in control! You want the respect you'll only get when you stop being the ineffectual clown that you are. Say it, Drake! Say it's what you want...
Bobby: Yes... I want ALL those things.
Emma: Fine. Then learn how to do them. On your own. I showed you a glimpse of your full potential. It's up to you to do something with that information. Whether that drives you forward or drives you crazy makes absolutely no difference to me.

Over the next several issues, Bobby alternately joked and angsted about his issues with self-confidence, and during this time grows closer to Rogue, who had personal issues of her own. The two began to talk in X-Men #38, and she accompanied him to dinner with his parents (and backed him in a confrontation with his bigoted father) in Uncanny X-Men #319.Bobby then began to take things more seriously after that, exploring his powers to some degree and just altogether calming down a bit. During the Onslaught debacle, for example, he adjusted his vision to see body temperatures when Onslaught had blocked out telepathic and visual perception of his approach. Later, he went undercover as Drake Roberts to work for Graydon Creed's presidential campaign, a task that required a level of sobriety and seriousness Bobby was normally not associated with.

Elements of this biography borrowed from the Black Queen's homepage.

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