I know Absolute Zero is kind of a heroic version of Mr. Freeze, of course, but I’m curious if there are any heroic characters in Marvel or DC comics that have that whole “hero trapped in a suit” situation. I know Iron Man has to wear the chest harness at all times in his original comics, but that’s not the same situation.
The reason I ask is back in the day I played a video game called Freedom Force (I think) that had a group of heroes who were obvious expys for various real heroes. One of them was an alien with powerful psychic abilities whose fashion sense, combat powers, and way of speaking were all 100% Doctor Strange, for example. Another one was “Man-Bot”, who was accidentally infused with “Energy X” and basically constantly exploding, so they built him a containment suit that allowed him to channel and use the Energy X welling up from his body in various ways. Generally he’s an expy of Iron Man (his suit even looks a lot like Tony’s built-in-a-cave prototype armor), but the backstory is a lot more Absolute Zero than that.
Man-Bot has so much in common with AZ that I have to wonder if there’s a common source that I’m not aware of that influenced both of them.
(Honestly I’d probably count any characters who have to live in a special chamber or a suit for survival reasons, if the ‘expulsion of dangerous energy’ aspect isn’t well represented.)
Ah, Man-Bot, there’s some nostalgia. Such a good game, Freedom Force. I can see the box from where I’m sitting. Yes, box. Where would I keep the manual without it?
The first published character that springs to mind is the Golden Age Human Bomb but he’s not really all that close, since his suit (and particularly gloves) are for the safety of others, not himself. Wildfire from the Legion of Superheroes is (or has been) suit-dependent but losing it doesn’t kill him, it just leaves him mostly helpless to affect the world around him. Marvel’s Vance Astro was dependent on a containment suit to survive for a long while, although I think that’s no longer the case and it wasn’t really related to his psychokinetic powers.
There are probably others eluding my failing memory. I can’t think of anyone who really seems like a direct inspiration for AZ, at least not more so than Mr. Freeze.
Additionally, much of Robotman of the Doom Patrol’s characterisation (at least in the Silver Age stories that I’ve read) involved him angsting about being just a human brain stuck in a robot body, which is a similar but not identical situation. (And it lacks the “dangerous energy” aspect.)
For that matter, speaking of the Doom Patrol, I guess Negative Man (who apparently goes by “Positive Man” now, according to the linked wiki page) might count? His body houses a “negative energy spirit,” which he can release to go do stuff, and he always has to wear bandages over his whole face and body. (Think the classic Invisible Man look.) I’m not sure if the bandages are ever explained, but I have a vague feeling that they might be to contain the negative energy?
(Also, random though: Negative Man and The Wraith should do a team-up — “Bandage Buddies!”)
Negative Man’s bandages are (or were - “Positive Man” is way past my readings) actually lead-impregnated or somesuch - he’s dangerously radioactive to normal people around him without them on, although it doesn’t hurt him any. Might have been an implication that he’s scarred underneath, I forget. One might ask why he never graduates to a hazard suit or something instead of the bandage look, maybe it somehow interferes with his second self (which has nebulously impressive speedster/energy manipulation powers but has to return within 60 seconds and his physical body is helpless till it comes back).
Robotman (both the Doom Patrol one and the Golden Age original) are both good examples of “trapped by my powers” for sure, but it’s closer to common “am I still human” cyborg tropes than AZ or Freeze’s disability. The Golden Age one was re-imagined in the New Golden Age story to have pretty much lost all humanity after WW2, but that never manifested in the original comics. Cliff just mopes a lot.
Don’t forget the Bandage People (George and Marion) from the Vertigo version of Doom Patrol. You can do a team book crossover.
Cripes, I need to re-read that series. I’d almost forgotten they were the ones who recruited Coagula to the Patrol after witnessing her wrecking Codpiece in his first outing. That’ll teach the JLA to turn her down.
