Snowman (comics)

The Snowman is a fictional supervillain in Batman comics. The Snowman first appeared in Batman #337 (July 1981), and was created by Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas.

Fictional character biography
Klaus Kristin is the hybrid son of a male yeti and a woman named Katrina Kristin. While blending in with the humans, Klaus became a professional athlete. He arrived in Gotham City to commit a crime spree where he froze a criminal named Jackie, and when the corpse was found, his friend was babbling upon Batman's arrival about them being attacked by a monster. At a party at the Wayne Foundation's penthouse, Bruce Wayne meets Klaus Kristin and becomes suspicious of him when he notices slush on his shoes. Batman later investigated Klaus' apartment and found the diary of Katrina Kristin. Meanwhile, Snowman is committing a crime spree in Gotham City where he is stealing valuable jewels. After Bruce Wayne and Alfred Pennyworth read Katrina's diary, they learn of his birth parents. Batman then follows Klaus Kristin to Austria where he challenges him to a skiing contest in the mountains. With his skiing equipment, Batman engages Snowman until their fight takes them to an abyss. Using a marker flare, Batman temporarily blinds Snowman, causing him to fall into the abyss.

Sometime later, Bruce Wayne hears that Snowman was sighted in the Himalayas and puts on his Batman guise so that he can investigate and apprehend Snowman. Arriving in the Himalayas, Batman enlists a guide to take him up the mountain. When they find Snowman, Batman engages Snowman in battle until they fall into the river, though Snowman saves Batman before running off. Resuming their trek up the mountain, Batman and the guide find a Yeti but they escape from it unharmed. When Batman catches up to Snowman, the Yeti returns, and it is discovered that the Yeti is Snowman's father and that Snowman is dying from his half-human, half-Yeti condition. Batman allows Snowman and his father to go up the mountains so that Snowman can have his final moments of his life with his father.

Powers and abilities
Snowman has control over ice and snow. He also has super-strength and expert athletic abilities.

Abominable Snowman
The Abominable Snowman is an enemy of Superman that was awakened by the hero's rocket that brought him to Earth. Snowman would transform into Dr. Phoenix who would go on to try to turn Superman into steel before eventually reverting and attempt to undo civilization. Dr. Phoenix first appeared in Superman #263 (April 1973) and becomes the Abominable Snowman in Superman #266 (August 1973).

Blue Snowman
The Blue Snowman is a cross-dressing armored foe of Wonder Woman that went on to become a founding member of Villainy Inc.

Video games

 * An unlockable minor playable character in Lego Batman: The Videogame named "Yeti" bears a striking resemblance to, and may be, the Snowman.
 * In Batman: Arkham City, inmates can be heard saying 'It's colder than the Snowman's heart'. Whether this is a reference to The Snowman directly or a nickname for Mr. Freeze is unknown.

Miscellaneous
Snowman appeared in Justice League Adventures issue #12 (based on the Justice League animated series). He along with Mr. Freeze, Captain Cold, Killer Frost, Minister Blizzard, Icicle, Cryonic Man and Polar Lord (General Eklu of the planet Tharr, homeworld of Polar Boy) formed the supervillain alliance known as the Cold Warriors. The group attempted a hostile takeover of a small African nation and were defeated by the Justice League.