Iceman #1 (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

There are very few instances of the mutant known as Iceman working independently of the X-Men and it's numerous offshoots. The frigid protagonist was a member of both the short lived Champions as well as the New Defenders. Anyone alive in the early 80s might remember Iceman's secret identity of Bobby Drake being roommates with Peter Parker on NBC's Saturday morning toon Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends. But that wasn't considered comic book canon, was it? If you count a pair of 1983 comic book inserts that appeared in Dallas and Denver newspapers and co-starring a third member of the team, Firestar, as official; then yes, it's canon!

Iceman #1 marks Drake's return to the East Coast after years away from the Xavier School in Upper New York due to his time with the Champions and New Defenders in California and Colorado subsequently. Bobby Drake has come home to Port Jefferson, Long Island, to celebrate his father's retirement. Apprehensive about his return, Drake's misgivings are founded when in his frosty form as Iceman, he encounters bigotry from the local police department after a misunderstanding.

Unknown to Drake, a pair of thugs from another universe or dimension have also arrived in Port Jefferson searching for a person who is a source of unimaginable power. Readers are fooled into believing that the Laurel and Hardy appearing duo known as Idiot and White Light are actually looking for Iceman, when in reality, it's the daughter of the Drake's next door neighbor, a young girl named Marge Smith who caught Bobby's eye.

This 4-issue miniseries from 1984-85 would be Iceman's lone solo book until the new millennium where the character has been the focus of 3 limited series in less than 25 years time. J. M. Dematteis, who penned the first half dozen issues to star the New Defenders, crafted Iceman's starring role debut. Pencils were by Alan Kupperberg with inks provided by Michael Gustovich. Cover by Mike Zeck.

Issue #1 would be high on melodrama as Bobby Drake is extremely apprehensive about returning to visit his family, who except for mom and dad, are unaware he's a superhero. Only the last 4 pages does any action finally occur with Iceman taking on Idiot and White Light inside of the Smith family home before the fisticuffs results in the buildings collapse and Bobby being outed as mutant superhero in front of his entire family!

Completing this review completes Task #49 (Involves Ice or Snow) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.