Iceman: Breaking the Ice

Things have been tense between the two Bobby Drakes ever since the younger one got time-displaced all up in adult Bobby’s business. But for all their differences, they’ve got to put them aside to face their oldest common foe: good ol’ mom and dad.

Let’s just say it’s a slippery slope. Who will be the first to crack in Sina Grace and Robert Gill’s “Iceman vs. Iceman”? Find out in ICEMAN #8—available December 6!

In the meantime, Grace kindly let us in on everything Bobby Drake for this double whammy of a team-up!

Marvel.com: Catch us up on what’s been going down in ICEMAN as of late!

Sina Grace: Iceman just went to Los Angeles and teamed up with his old crew in the Champions, where they fought some Sentinels, mourned [Black Widow], and hit up the sunset strip—so to speak. While there, Bobby met a cute guy named Judah, and they hit it off! Feeling a little bit of a “going through the motions” vibe in New York, our hero opted to make a big decision and move to L.A. Meanwhile: Bobby’s parents found out about his time-displaced self, and Daken is hiding somewhere in Madripoor with a kidnapped student from the X-Mansion. Drama-o-rama!

Marvel.com: How are these two Bobby Drakes similar and different from one another?

Sina Grace: I always say that both Bobby Drakes use humor in different ways; the Bobby we’re following in ICEMAN usually uses it to break tension or deflect, whereas the time-displaced Bobby doesn’t quite know how ugly the world is, and thinks everything can be written off with a joke. I see them both as incredibly confident warriors who never take issue with teamwork and following orders.

Marvel.com: From the first issue adult Iceman has been jealous of his younger counterpart; why do you suppose the time traveling Bobby Drake feels so comfortable in his skin when the adult version still struggles with it?

Sina Grace: My sense is that the time-displaced Bobby Drake is running in the present without the additional 10-15 years of bigotry and baggage on his shoulders; 10-15 years of his parents constantly disapproving of all his decisions. I refer to him as “Post-Glee,” where it’s perfectly acceptable to be you, so what’s the big ish? In issue #8, we get to see some of his own fears play out in both comical and dramatic ways.

Iceman #8 cover by Mike Deodato

Marvel.com: Walk us through Bobby’s relationship with his parents.

Sina Grace: Ma and Pa Drake are Irish Catholics who have a very rigid view of how to live life, how to “be,” etc. They’re loving, but incredibly judgmental about lifestyle choices. Like, it took Bobby’s dad having a fake heart attack to start eating healthy! So, they’re still on the conservative side of accepting mutants.

Marvel.com: How is the working dynamic between the two Bobbys?

Sina Grace: [Original five X-Men] Bobby loves learning from his older self, but at the same time he is very much his own person and believes he has insights into their powers that our Iceman may not immediately be aware of.

Marvel.com: What would you say to a younger version of yourself if you had to go fight crime together?

Sina Grace: If I had to have a conversation with my younger self about fighting crime, I’d be like, “Listen dude, don’t skimp on training. Even if you’ve got a higher power level than some of your classmates, don’t be a jerk—be a student. You’re always a student.”

See what Sina Grace and Robert Gill have in store for the Icemen in ICEMAN #8—pick it up December 6!