History Recap / BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE14HeartOfIce

** The episode contains two references to ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack''. Batman returns a criminal partially frozen by Mr. Freeze to health using a similar device to the "Bacta Tank" that revives Luke. Later in the episode, Batman is frozen upside down on to the ceiling by Dr. Fries much like Luke Skywalker was.

* StealthInsult: As Boyle reveals his true [[{{Jerkass}} contempt for his employees]], Bruce remarks, "I feel ill". Boyle shows no sign of understanding that it's anything but Bruce commenting on his cold.

* MythologyGag: Alfred's line "With all the compartments on your belt, you'd think there'd be one for tissues" is a reference to the 1960s ''Series/{{Batman}} series with his Bat-Belt containing every possible tool to help him in various situations.

** Overlapping with PragmaticVillainy, Freeze doesn't try to kill people until he makes his move on Boyle, at that point accepting them as collateral damage. Indeed, he gives Batman a chance to back out of their first encounter, and spares Batman until it's clear he won't let Freeze get his revenge. But even then, he settles for locking Batman up (presumably until he can finally give Boyle his due]].

** Overlapping with PragmaticVillainy, Freeze doesn't try to kill people until he makes his move on Boyle, at that point accepting them as collateral damage. Indeed, he gives Batman a chance to back out of their first encounter, and spares Batman until it's clear he won't let Freeze get his revenge.

* RevengeIsNotJustice: Though Freeze cries out for vengeance towards the end, Batman voices that what Ferris Boyle ''actually'' deserves is justice for what he's done.
-->'''Freeze:''' It can't end this way! Vengeance!
-->'''Batman:''' No: ''justice''.

-->'''Batman''': (''disgustedly leaves Boyle without bothering to unfreeze him'') Good night… ''humanitarian''.

* FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse: Batman genuinely feels horrible for Freeze at what he had to endure, but still will not let Freeze get away with murder.

* {{Irony}}: Earlier, Mr. Freeze says that he can't shed tears anymore because his emotions were frozen in the accident, but he does so in his special cell in Arkham. [[FridgeBrilliance He's so scarred by what has happened to him that he believed he's dead emotionally.]]

* SoupIsMedicine: Unable to convince him to stay at home and get some rest, Alfred gives Batman a thermos filled with chicken soup calling it "the best way to fight a cold." It winds up becoming a ChekhovsGun, but not in the way it was originally intended.

[[caption-width-right:346:''"Rest well, my love. The monster who took you from me will soon learn that {{revenge}} is a dish... {{best served cold}}."'']]

'''Mr. Freeze:''' Yes. It would move me to tears...if I still had tears to shed.

-->'''Batman''': (''disgustedly leaves Boyle without bothering to unfreeze him'') Good night... ''humanitarian''.

-->'''Mr. Freeze:''' I failed you. I wish there was another way I could say it. I cannot... I can only beg your forgiveness, and pray you hear me somehow... someplace... someplace where a warm hand waits for mine...

* CorruptCorporateExecutive: Ferris Boyle, under the guise of saying that his company is "the people's company."

* DarkerAndEdgier: Not only taking a joke villain like Freeze and turning him into a legitimate threat, but for a cartoon show to delve into themes [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge such as vengeance]] and that characters could ''die''...

-->'''Batman''': That suit you wear... a result of the coolant?

-->'''Mr. Freeze:''' (''[[{{Revenge}} nods in the affirmative]]'') Think of it, Batman. To never again walk on a summer's day with a hot wind in your face, and a warm hand to hold. Oh, yes... '''I'd kill for ''that'''''.

* RevengeBeforeReason: Even with a broken helmet, gasping for breath and struggling to even crawl on the floor, Victor is still crying out for vengeance and trying to reach Boyle.

* FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse: Batman genuinely feels horrible for Freeze at what he had to endure, but not to let Freeze get away with murder.

** Overlapping with PragmaticVilliany, Freeze doesn't try to kill people until he makes his move on Boyle, at that point accepting them as collateral damage. Indeed, he gives Batman a chance to back out of their first encounter, and spares Batman until it's clear he won't let Freeze get his revenge.

** Overlapping with PragmaticVillany, Freeze doesn't try to kill people until he makes his move on Boyle, at that point accepting them as collateral damage. Indeed, he gives Batman a chance to back out of their first encounter, and spares Batman until it's clear he won't let Freeze get his revenge.

* AssholeVictim: Ferris Boyle, the target of Freeze's plan. Batman still feels compelled to save Boyle, but he also sympathizes with Freeze and outs Boyle for who he really is -- complete with the evidence of him trying to kill Victor and Nora -- right after subduing Freeze. Then he leaves Boyle half-frozen.

** On the flip side, Victor is completely correct when telling Batman that Boyle ruined his life. Losing Nora was bad enough, but Victor has to remain within sub-freezing temperatures due to Boyle splattering him with chemicals. He begged for her life, and Boyle only cared about the bottom line. Victor can't walk in the sun or feel the barest of warmth. Batman even agrees, telling Summer Gleeson about what happened and handing her the videotape with crucial evidence. He just disagrees that killing Boyle and any bystanders in the way is the only course of action.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: After seeing the tape showing Freeze's creation, Batman exclaims "My God." At the time, a cartoon having any mention of religion was underheard of.
** Also, see NeverSayDie.

* BitchInSheepsClothing: Ferris claims Goth Ccorp is "the people company", and that if Freeze has a problem with them, he'd be willing to talk about it. During his meeting with Bruce, he reveals his true greedy colors and calls "the people company" good PR, but he reveals this to Bruce while still acting friendly and cordial towards him, possibly thinking Bruce is a fellow CorruptCorporateExecutive, oblivious to the fact Bruce is a HonestCorporateExecutive who is actually [[StealthInsult subtly disgusted with Boyle's true colors, to the point he declares "I feel ill"]] (both figuratively and literally, as Bruce was suffering from a cold following his initial encounter with Mr. Freeze) before politely excusing himself due to his cold.

Back in the Batcave, Batman remembers a newspaper headline that described an explosion at a Goth Corp facility, but the headline describes the explosion as caused by a leak, and Batman deduces that it was just a cover up. Batman heads to Goth Corp, in disguise, to investigate their secret files for further information. He finds a file on a woman named Nora Fries, which has a videotape of her husband, Dr. Victor Fries, describing a cryogenic chamber of his own design that he created to save people from terminal illness--including Nora herself. However, the tape shows Ferris Boyle barging in with some Goth Corp guards. Boyle demanded that the project be shut down because it was putting him in debt, heedless of the frozen woman in the chamber, who would die if the power was cut off. A protesting Fries tried to pull a guard's gun on Boyle, but Boyle kicked him back into several chemicals that froze him. The tape ends there, and Mr. Freeze suddenly appears behind an appalled Batman, shooting him with his freeze gun.

* JerkassHasAPoint: Sure, Ferris Boyle is a bastard through and through, but Victor Fries was using his equipment without permission, and things only got out of control when Victor pulled a gun on Boyle. In Victor’s defense though, he was trying to save his wife.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: The other henchmen object to Freeze leaving a man behind, saying that he's "one of us"--at least, until Freeze threatens them with the same fate. They still don't seem comfortable about it when the guy pleads with them and clutches at their legs in desperation.

* JerkassHasAPoint: Sure, Ferris Boyle is a bastard through and through, but Victor Fries was using his equipment without permission. In Victor’s defense though, he was trying to save his wife.

* MeaningfulName: Subverted with both Freeze and Boyle. Freeze, despite his motif and declaring himself as having lost all emotions, still possesses empathy and is entirely driven by emotional motives. Boyle ("boil") in contrast, is the cold-hearted and shows zero empathy.

* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Played with. After learning of his backstory, Batman somberly tells Mr. Freeze "I'm sorry about your wife". Now Batman showing empathy isn't anything uncommon (he ''is'' a [[DarkIsNotEvil hero]] after all). What is serious is that he actually says the two words "I'm sorry", something he seldom ever says in the series. This indicates how exceptionally tragic Mr. Freeze's past is.

* SoupIsMedicine: Unable to convince him to stay at home and get some rest, Alfred gives Batman a thermos filled with chicken soup calling it "the best way to fight a cold." It winds up becoming a ChekovsGun, but not in the way it was originally intended.

* VillainHasAPoint: Ferris' actions clearly become criminal when he assaults Victor despite Fries having already backed down, and his command to pull the plug on Nora is nothing short of heartless, but his complaint is valid. Victor was using equipment that didn't belong to him, and essentially stealing money not just from Boyle, but from the whole company. The project was completely unauthorized, and that's not even going into the legal ethics of using a human subject in a secret experiment. Again though, Victor’s reasons for doing all this make you hardly want to blame him. Boyle, on the other hand, not so much. Besides which, the ethics of killing someone due to save a large company and an already-wealthy man money are utterly deplorable.
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: Ferris Boyle, again; a BadBoss who's nevertheless receiving a humanitarian award.

Back in the Batcave, Batman remembers a newspaper headline that described an explosion at a Goth Corp facility, but the headline describes the explosion as caused by a leak, and Batman deduces that it was just a cover up. Batman heads to Goth Corp, in disguise, to investigate their secret files for further information. He finds a file on a woman named Nora Fries, which has a videotape of her husband, Dr. Victor Fries, describing a cryogenic chamber of his own design that he created to save people from terminal illness--including Nora herself. However, the tape shows Ferris Boyle barging in with some Goth Corp guards. Boyle demanded that the project be shut down because it was putting him in debt, heedless of the frozen woman in the chamber, who would die if the power was cut off. A protesting Fries tried to pull a guard's gun on Boyle, but Boyle kicked him back into several chemicals that froze him. The tape ends there, and Mr. Freeze suddenly appears behind Batman, shooting him with his freeze gun.

** Mr. Freeze, who lacks regard for an unlucky henchman who got hit with his freeze gun and threatens the other henchman that ''do'' show concern.

** Mr. Freeze, who lacks regard for an unlucky henchman who got hit with his freeze gun.

* RejectedApology: Mr. Freeze to Batman, who expresses condolences about what happened to his wife.