Once a respected and brilliant cryogenicist, Dr. Victor Fries turned to a life of crime after his wife, Nora Fries, whom Victor had cryogenically froze to develop enough time to create a cure for her rare illness, was stolen away from him by his corrupt CEO, Ferris Boyle. In the confusion, Fries was drenched in the cryogenic chemicals that he had created to freeze Nora, which changed his metabolism. The result was Mr. Freeze, a cold-blooded villain who was motivated by the desire to save and cure his wife and kill anyone who would stand in his way.