Snowman

SNOWMAN

Real Name: Klaus Kristin

Class: Human / yeti hybrid

Occupation: Professional criminal, skier

Group Affiliation: None

Known Relatives: Katrina Kristin (mother, deceased), unnamed aunt, unnamed father, unnamed uncle

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Himalayas

First Appearance: Batman I #337 (July, 1981)

Powers: Snowman possessed superhuman strength and durability and thrived in cold climates. Snowman could generate intense cold and freeze opponents.

History: (Batman I #337) - In 1954 Katrina Kristin was part of a U.N. expedition to the Himalayas. She was separated from her party during a snowstorm and ended up taking shelter in a cave. She was nursed back to health by the cave’s inhabitant. She couldn’t see him in the darkness, but felt attracted to him, and they slept together. In the morning light she realized she’s spent the night with a Yeti. The experience drove her mad, and she died giving birth to her child Klaus Kristin. Klaus’ only sign of his Yeti heritage was that he was born an albino, but as the years passed he gained cold generating powers and needed to live in cold climates to survive. He became a championship skier, but needed to steal in order to survive by traveling to cold climates throughout the year. He came to Gotham City, invited as a guest of honor at one of Bruce Wayne’s society parties. As Snowman he robbed the Sax sporting good store. He encountered two burglars who were also intent on robbing the store, freezing one of them to death and driving the other mad. Bruce Wayne, as Batman, was called in on the case. He was suspicious of Klaus, because at his party Klaus’ shoes were covered in slush despite there being no snow outside. Klaus boasted about his extravagant lifestyle and skiing ability, but Bruce could tell he was a haunted man. Snowman hit a jewelry store, killing a guard while Batman was investigating Klaus’ hotel room. Batman found a diary and took it back to the Batcave, learning about Klaus’ unusual parentage. Batman gleaned that Klaus was headed for Austria’s Summit Peak ski resort from a clue in his room, and decided to follow him. Klaus found the diary back in his hotel room in Austria, and a note from Batman asking him to meet him that night. Klaus confronted him as Snowman, and Batman, knowing he was a tormented soul, only reluctantly engaged him in combat. During the fight Batman blinded Snowman with a flare, causing him to fall of the mountain, seemingly to his death. Batman wondered if Snowman had hoped his death would be the inevitable outcome of their encounter.

Comments: Created by Gerry Conway, Roy Thomas & Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez.