Captain Cold

CAPTAIN COLD

Real Name: Leonard Snart

Class: Human technology-user

Occupation: Professional criminal, former bounty hunter

Group Affiliation: Flash’s Rogues Gallery, formerly Secret Society of Super-Villains, Suicide Squad, Junior Injustice Society

Known Relatives: Lisa Snart (Golden Glider, sister, deceased), unnamed father, unnamed grandfather (deceased), unnamed mother (deceased)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Central City, Missouri

First Appearance: Showcase #8 (May-June, 1957)

Powers: Captain Cold’s cold gun could freeze existing moisture in the air at an amazing rate, creating giant ice barriers and ice slicks. At its highest setting the gun could reduce the temperature of its target to absolute zero (minus 459.67 degrees Fahrenheit). At this temperature human targets were frozen in a sheath of ice and instantly placed in suspended animation. Inanimate objects targeted by the gun became perilously brittle. When he used the absolute zero setting he created a cold field that slowed down anything in the general vicinity.

History: (Flash II #182 (fb)) - Len Snart and his sister Lisa were constantly abused by their drunken father, and they rarely saw their mother. After his mother died Len moved out of his father’s house and fell in with some small-time criminals. Flash II apprehended Len and his friends while they were robbing a store. While in jail Len did research on possible ways to slow the Flash down, the most promising of which was using absolute zero to affect kinetic motion.

(Showcase #8) - After being released from prison Len stole an unpublished scientific paper about particle acceleration that theorized that the power of a cyclotron could affect Flash’s great speed. He used the paper to construct a special gun of his own design, then broke into a laboratory and exposed the gun to a cyclotron’s radiation. When confronted by a lab guard, he fired his gun and found that he could freeze people in their tracks. He soon began his career of Captain Cold, “the man who mastered absolute zero.” Captain Cold fought Flash many times over the years, either by himself or as a member of Flash’s Rogues Gallery.

(Justice League of America I #5) - Getaway Master helped his criminal compatriots Captain Cold, King Clock, Professor Menace, Electric Man and Puppet Master escape prison using a shrink ray. After shrinking his crew they escaped prison on a matchbook tied to a helium balloon. They planned to destroy the Justice League of America, and issued a challenge to the heroes. Professor Menace built robots of himself King Clock and Captain Cold that were rigged to explode after being touched and fought Green Arrow, Flash and Wonder Woman of the JLofA. The heroes escaped Clock's quicksand clock trap, but as the heroes approached Arrow realized they were robots and detonated them with arrows from a distance. Getaway Master, Electric Man and Puppet Master attacked Aquaman, Martian Manhunter and Green Lantern with deadly weather attacks, but failed to kill the heroes. The heroes approached the Master's ship, which was protected by an explosive force field, but Green Arrow activated the field from a distance to save his teammates. The League thought Green Arrow was a traitor, but he exonerated himself by explaining the villains’ traps and capturing the lot of them.

(Flash I #243, 244) - Captain Cold and the Rogues Gallery mourned the death of the Top. They listened to a tape he made shortly before his death, detailing a plan of vengeance on Central City. The Top had planted bombs in five locations he robbed in the past week, and it was up to the Rogues Gallery to break into those places and retrieve the explosives. The Captain failed to recover a top-bomb from the Jewlery Mart, getting apprehended by Flash II. Thankfully Flash II learned of the Top's plot and deactivated all of the the top-bombs in Central City.

(Secret Society of Super-Villains #1-5) -

(Flash II #215 (fb)) - Cold, Boomerang and Weather Wizard tried to steal gold bars, but were foiled by Flash and the reincarnated and reformed Top.

(Flash I #314) - Captain Cold broke Golden Glider out of jail. Together they ambushed Heat Wave in his apartment and beat him as punishment for deserting the Rogues Gallery.

(Flash I #325) - Captain Cold and the Rogues stole Reverse-Flash's body from Central City Morgue. Outraged at Reverse-Flash for being the only Flash villain to die at the hero's hands, they blew up his corpse.

(Flash I #338, 339) - Deeming Flash II to be out of control the Rogues kidnapped Dufus. P. Ratchet from the mental institution and outfitted him with a battle-suit provided by the Monitor. They tricked this Big Sir into believing that Flash II was his mortal enemy.

(Blue Devil #30) -

(Manhunter I #1) -

(Flash II #27) - After Flash died, Captain Cold decided to reform. He and Golden Glider formed Golden Snowball Recoveries, and became bounty hunters. They even worked alongside Flash III on a few missions.

(Flash II #182 (fb)) - Cold and Glider broke up Golden Snowball and returned to a life of crime after Glider had an ugly incident with her father.

(Underworld Unleashed #1) - Abra Kadabra offered Captain Cold and the other Rogues a chance to become the most infamous villains of all time. They could not resist the offer, but in reality they were being duped into sacrificing their lives to unleash the demon Neron on Earth. Flash III would later force Neron to return Captain Cold and the other Rogues to life. Despite his brief stay in Hell, Captain Cold couldn’t resist resuming his criminal career.

(Flash II #134) - Cold caused a riot in downtown Keystone, but he was swiftly brought to justice by Flash I and Sentinel.

(Rogues #1) - On a tip from the Trickster, Captain Cold and the Rogues went to the kingdom of Zhutan to steal the Sun Disk of Meshta, an artifact that could supposedly keep their souls safe from Neron. In truth Trickster only brought them to Zhutan so they could directly confront Neron. The Rogues defeated Neron with some help from Trickster’s son Billy Hong, and Neron promised to never again go after the Rogue’s souls.

(JLA #18) - Julian September unhinged the universe’s laws of probability with his engine of chance, briefly warping history so that everything worked in his favor. He became President and Cold was one of seven villains that independently came up with the plan to kidnap him. Cold fought with the other villains, and they were all foiled by the JLA.

(Flash II #140) - Cold and the Rogues attended Linda Park's funeral and paid their respects after she was apparently killed by the Black Flash. They later held Keystone hostage, threatening to open a canister of anthrax into the water supply, but were defeated by Flash Jay Garrick and Jesse Quick.

(Flash II #164-169) -

(Young Justice: Sins of Youth #2) - Under orders from the Agenda Private Cold and the Junior Injustice Society led coordinated attacks on Gotham, Metropolis and Happy Harbor. They were opposed by Young Justice, the JLA and JSA, but were teleported to the Agenda’s Alaska hq when the heroes turned their attentions there. The heroes defeated the Junior Injustice Society and dismantled the Agenda’s Alaskan operation. In order to be reunited with his familiar Teekel, whom Young Justice had captive, Klarion returned Cold and all the other de-aged superheroes and supervillains to their proper age.

(Flash II #170, 174) - Cold attended the Keystone Combines hockey play-offs. One game was interrupted by Tar Pit, so Cold briefly teamed with Flash II to defeat him. Cold then ran off with the play-off trophy.

(JSA Secret Files #2) - Nevada; Cold went to Roulette's House to attend one of her gladiatorial contests. He was among the crowd of villains that watched Firebrand III and a Checkmate agent forced to fight to the death.

(JSA #28) - Roulette's House Nevada; Cold and the Rogues were among the crowd of villains that watched members of the JSA forced to fight each other.

(Flash II #177) - Cold was contacted by Mirror Master II, who offered him a position in the New Rogues. Cold said he had other business to attend to first, but would consider it in the future.

(Flash II #182) - Cold found out that the Chillblaine that killed his sister had faked his own death. Furthermore he learned that Chillblaine was currently employed by drug czar Jack “Candyman” Monteleone as an enforcer. Cold threatened to make Candyman’s life miserable unless he got a one-on-one confrontation with Chillblaine, and Candyman accepted the conditions. Cold froze Chillblaine and tossed him off a roof, killing him.

(Flash II #183) - Cold attended one of the Network’s sales of black-market merchandise.

(Flash II #184) - When the Thinker took over the minds of most of Keystone City, Cold was one of the few people to avoid that fate.

(Flash II #185, 186, 188) - In order to undermine Blacksmith as leader of the New Rogues Cold helped officers Chyre and Morillo free Cyborg and the Keystone police department from one of Mirror Master II’s traps. After the Rogues defeat only Weather Wizard, Mirror Master II and Trickster escaped imprisonment, and Cold told them he would be taking over leadership of the Rogues.

(Flash II #195) - Cold and the Rogues watched a news broadcast of Flash promising to take down every at-large Rogue, and they got a good laugh out of that.

(Superman / Batman #3) - Cold was among the supervillains who attempted to collect the billion dollar bounty President Luthor placed on Superman’s head but failed.

(Flash II #201-206) - Thanks to the Spectre Cold and the rest of the world forgot that Wally West was the Flash. Cold became a regular at the Motor Car, a late-night diner, where he became friends with graveyard shift worker Wally West. Captain Cold was displeased to learn someone was stealing his M.O., freezing KCPD officers to death and blaming the crimes on Cold. Flash returned to the scene and confronted the real killer, Mr. Element, but was defeated. Cold saved him, but when Flash tried to bring him into police custody Cold attacked him and fled. He later went to the Motor Car to meet Wally, but saw him talking to his wife Linda, who he’d told Len he’d been having troubles with. Len left the couple to sort out their problems. Flash defeated Element, but Captain Cold appeared and froze Flash so he could settle his business with Mr. Element. He disapproved of being framed for Element’s crimes, and killed Element, stabbing him through the chest with an icicle.

(Flash II #207) - Cold and the Rogues had a sit-down with Dr. Alchemy. Alchemy agreed to help the Rogues in future predicaments, mainly because Captain Cold killed the man who was masquerading as Alchemy’s old persona Mr. Element.

(Flash II #210) - The Top asked Cold for a spot on the Rogues. Cold thought Top had become far too unstable, so he turned him down.

(Flash II #212, 213) - Cold played a game of cards with Trickster II and Weather Wizard. He caught Mirror Master II doing cocaine and gave him a sound beating, Cold demanded that his Rogues stay sharp and focused at all times.

(Flash II #214) - Cold learned about the brutal murder of Elongated Man’s wife Sue Dibny from Mirror Master II while in the middle of robbing a bank vault with the Rogues. Cold left the bank, not having the stomach for a crime at the moment.

(Identity Crisis #6, Flash II #216) - Cold and the Rogues learned of Captain Boomerang’s death and that he left behind a son, Owen Mercer. Cold told the Rogues they took care of their own, and planned to meet Owen.

(Flash II #217) - Cold and the Rogues held a funeral for Captain Boomerang in Avernus. Cold gave the eulogy and warned some of the newer Rogues they were breaking the rules by committing senseless violence, but that if they backed Cold he would back them. Afterwards Cold, the Rogues and Owen Mercer went on a crime spree using Boomerang’s weapons as a tribute to their fallen comrade. Cold offered Owen a spot on the Rogues out of respect to his father. Owen told Cold he’d join them if they retrieved Boomerang’s body from the F.B.I.

(Flash II #218) - Cold stopped Heat Wave from apprehending Murmur. Cold had no love for the new breed of Rogues like Murmur, but he warned Heat Wave never to show his traitorous face in Keystone again.

(Flash II #219, Flash II #1/2) - Cold sent Trickster on a mission to find the location of Captain Boomerang’s body, and had Turtle brought to Rogues hq. The Rogues found a note from the Top who wrote that he was assembling his own Rogues to challenge Captain Cold’s team. Trickster found out that James Jesse and the F.B.I. had possession of Boomerang’s remains.

(Flash II #220-225) - Cold and the Rogues broke into F.B.I. hq and slaughtered a number of guards, but didn’t find Captain Boomerang’s body there. When they returned to their own hq they were confronted by Trickster and his group of reformed Rogues. The two groups battled across Central City, and Flash showed up to battle the villains. Top interrupted the battle to undo the mental programming he’d used to turn some of the Rogues to the side of good. He turned Trickster and Heat Wave back to the side of evil, and then challenged Captain Cold’s leadership of the Rogues, and presented his own group of mind-controlled Rogues consisting of Double Down, Girder, Murmur, Plunder and Tar Pit. Cold disliked the idea of Rogues battling among themselves, so he froze Top and shattered him into pieces, killing him. Trickster led the Rogues to Captain Boomerang’s body while Cold kept Flash occupied by summoning Gorilla Grodd and Dr. Alchemy to his aid. Flash defeated them, but then Zoom told the Rogues he was ready for a private battle against Flash and quickly left them unconscious. Mirror Master helped the Rogues escape. After burying Captain Boomerang in Avernus he decided to have the Rogues hook up with the Society. They offered huge benefits including monetary gain, and he hoped the Rogues would learn to trust each other again while working en masse. He forgave Trickster and Heat Wave for their time as heroes and told them they were invited too.

(Catwoman III #48, 49) - Strange called a meeting of his East End crew for a progress report. Captain Cold chased two costumed villains out of town who were trying to horn in on their action, Angle Man said he was working angles, and Smart Bomb, Hammer and Sickle forced local car thieves to pay tribute. Cheetah had been defeated by Batman, and arrested by the GCPD. Smart Bomb was visibly surprised when Strange told him Catwoman was also part of their syndicate. Angle Man didn't trust Catwoman, and had followed her to her meeting with Todd Russel, hearing her say she was taking Strange down. He confronted her, telling her he knew what she was up to. She said Strange would never believe a nobody like him over a professional like her, but he produced a tape recording of her conversation with Smart Bomb. He said he was sick of no one taking him seriously, and could deal with Strange speaking condescendingly to him, but not Catwoman. He produced a gun, and shot her in the stomach. Angle called Strange, who brought along Smart Bomb and Hammer, and Strange gave him permission to finish off Catwoman, so he stabbed her in the head with an angle. Hammer disposed of the body, but "Catwoman" was actually Todd using his Clayface shapeshifting power. Captain Cold said senseless murder wasn't how he did things in Central City, so he was out. Strange told him the days of robbing a bank and having a laugh were over; things had gotten darker, and more serious. He told Hammer to convince him to stay put with force, but Cold froze his legs. He told Hammer how easy it would be to cripple him, but reiterated that wasn't how he rolled. Catwoman got the drop on the remaining gang, and threatened Strange, telling him to get out of town, and never come back, and he complied.

(52 / WWIII Part One: A Call to Arms #1) - <Week 50, Day 1> Black Adam declared war on humanity after the death of his family, starting WWIII. Captain Cold didn't care if the world burned, and took advantage of the chaos to go on a crime spree.

Comments: Created by Carmine Infantino & John Broome

Captain Cold received profiles in Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #4, Who’s Who In The DC Universe #13 and Flash Secret Files #3. He received a profile in Flash Secret Files #1 under the Rogues Gallery entry. He received a profile in Who’s Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #20 under the Secret Society of Super-Villains entry. Captain Cold (as Private Cold) received a profile in Sins of Youth Secret Files #1 under the Junior Injustice Society entry

Flash II #196 showed a statue of Captain Cold in the Flash Museum.

Flash II #190 had a flashback of Cold and the Rogues playing cards.

Identity Crisis #4 showed the JLA looking through photos of a number of ex-Suicide Squad members, including Captain Cold.

Captain Cold and the Secret Society of Super-Villains had a flashback cameo in JLA #115 and 119.

Captain Cold had a cameo in Catwoman III #58, Titans II #22.