Entering Marvel Contest of Champions: Iceman

Something frigid this way comes, and his name is Bobby Drake! The X-Men’s coolest original mutant joins the “Marvel Contest of Champions” crew as the game’s newest combatant. Ready to freeze your opponents solid? We talked to Kabam Art Director Gabriel Frizzera and Game Designer Justin Ostensen about how Iceman will be lowering temperatures all across Battlerealm.

Marvel.com: With the Grandmaster sending seriously deadly mutants at the Collector, is Bobby just another of the Elder of the Universe’s incredibly powerful pawns?

Gabriel Frizzera: Iceman is probably the most important piece in his mutant army, with his omega-level mutant powers and all. But he wants to go along in a very surreptitiously way, since he’s still trying to convince Summoners he’s the good guy, and that the Collector is the bad guy. He even hides his connection to the X-Enforcers, and blames it on his unsuspecting brother.

Marvel.com: Iceman’s sporting a more modern look for The Contest. I know people love his smooth ice style, but I really digging the jagged edges and icicles he’s sporting here. Were you guys going for a more mature look?

Gabriel Frizzera: We have fans of all “Icemen” in the studio, even the original snowman-in-boots design! Many reasons led us to pick the “jagged” version. On the visual side, the bumpy surface creates more opportunity for dramatic light/shadow interplay. Russell, one of our very talented rendering engineers, wrote a specific 3D shader for Iceman, with translucency and reflection variation that mimic the way ice looks in real life.

On the story side, we wanted to have a version of Iceman on the verge on unlocking his omega-level capabilities. In the event story, he’s tempted by Psylocke who promises to unleash his true potential in exchange for him joining the X-Enforcers. Bobby is on the run, and his tortured mental state creates blizzards all over the Battlerealm, which people have probably already experienced playing the game.

Marvel.com: Can you tell us a little about Iceman’s abilities? Absolute Zero sounds like a perfect Iceman move.

Justin Ostensen: Definitely. Iceman’s signature ability, Absolute Zero, lets him reform his defenses faster than normal and much more importantly, allows him to start the fight with a Coldsnap active on the opponent. This allows him to deal a large amount of Energy Damage at the start of the fight, and to shut off his opponent’s ability to Evade any attacks while they’re under the Coldsnap. Clever players who find themselves faced with a tough Spider-Man fight might be well advised to bring Iceman to the duel.

Marvel.com: How do Organic Ice, Frostbite, and Coldsnap fit into his fighting style?

Justin Ostensen: Organic Ice is Iceman’s defensive capabilities, while Frostbite and Coldsnap allow him to put the hurt on his opponents. While it’s active, Iceman’s Organic Ice provides him full immunity to any Bleed, Poison, or Incinerate effects, and also grants him a large boost to his Armor Rating. Meanwhile, if Iceman is ever about to get Stunned or take a massive amount of damage, his Ice Armor will absorb the blow and protect him. Frostbite and Coldsnap are how Iceman dishes out the damage. By landing Critical Hits or launching special attacks, Iceman can land these effects on his opponents, which cause them to take both constant damage and large bursts of damage as long as Iceman stays offensive and takes the fight to his opponent.

Marvel.com: If you just had a single sentence to tell players how cool Iceman is, pun intended, what would you say?

Gabriel Frizzera: This is an experienced version Bobby Drake, at the peak of control of his powers, ready to fight whoever crosses his path… so in a sentence, “No More Mr. Ice Guy.” 🙂

Justin Ostensen: On the gameplay side: He can bypass Evade, deal constant Energy Damage and is protected from those powerful Stun and Special 3 attacks; grab him!

Marvel.com: When do we get to take a crack at Bobby and start turning bad guys into popsicles?

Justin Ostensen: The X-Enforcers have been working to recruit Bobby Drake in the new monthly quest, and he’s just about ready to step into The Contest! Keep an eye on in-game messages and arena announcements to know when you can get Iceman for yourself!

Stay tuned to Marvel.com for more “Marvel Contest of Champions” news and interviews.