This is sort of a comparision of two guys that I really feel for. Orpheus and Mr. Freeze. Now, after watching the Batman episode with Ra's al Ghul's first appearance, they mentioned Orpheus and all of a sudden, the guy immediatly reminded me of Mr. Freeze because in a way, both were seeking to revive a loved one. Though they had different views and means of doing so, they were still very similar. Being a mythology geek and all, I decided to do short one-short comparison story centered around these two. And yeah, I know, I put in Orpheus myth in full detail but that's for people who do not know who da Hell Orpheus is or have never really read Greke Mythology. I could also argue Mr. Freeze and Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader are similar in aspects but really, when it comes down to it, Orpheus and Mr. Freeze are closer in comparison than Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. I also think that Mr. Freeze's story should've ended in the Subzero movie so this takes place at the ending that I swear has the most FEELS to it! Damn it, Victor, y u make me cry so much hen you are so happy in hearing about your wife being alive! Damn it Victor! I wan to huggie u so badly! *goes cry in corner*
Now, on with the story!
Frozen Orpheus
He stared beyond the window of the cabin to watch the news report on the television. Tears of relief and joy filling his eyes as he smiled, overcome with emotion that this frozen heart seems to miraculously hold. An undeniable, feeling of warmth fills his chest as he steps back and stares at the window, smiling still. After all the trials where grief and sorrow were the only prominent things in his life before, the frozen man now holds nothing but joy at the news of his beloved wife Nora being alive and well. Even if he is not with her now, nor ever will be again, Victor Fries has gotten what he wanted in the end.
Nora is cured.
And that is enough.
In a way, Victor Fries is like Orpheus, the musical man who sang full of happiness and joy only to be full of sorrow and grief at the loss of his bride to be when she danced about to the sound of his lyre, only to step on a snake and fall down dead, her ghost taken down to the land of the dead by Hermes. So heart broken and longing for the return of the dearly departed love, that Orpheus went down to the Underworld in Hades to beg for the soul of Eurydice, his beloved. So moved was the Lord of the Dead by this mortal's love that he told Orpheus he shall let her go but on the condition he shall not look back until they have reached the world of the living. So happy was he that Orpheus immediately said his thanks and ran back up to the path he had come, filled with hope at the thought seeing his love once again. However, doubts began to rear their ugly heads in his mind and as Orpheus neared the exit, he became consumed with the need to turn back and see his beloved again, just to make sure. Only, when he did, Hermes appeared and took her back down, leaving a stunned and heart broken man behind as he hears her say farewell to him. He lost her once again.
The tale goes on of Orpheus roaming the forest and singing full of sorrow over the loss of his would be wife that all the creatures and willows wept over his mournful tunes created by his voice and lyre. A band of wild nymphs came and shouted at Orpheus to come join them in dance, not hearing his silvery voice for the magic to take hold. When he showed he had no heart for their revelry, they grew angry and came upon him, tearing his body to pieces and tossing them into river. However, the river stopped its gurgling to listen to the haunting voice of Orpheus that came from his dead lips in song still as his body parts were carried on to the open sea. In the end, the grieving muses gathered his parts after much searching and gave him a proper funeral, where he may at last rejoin his beloved Eurydice in the Underworld.
Smiling still, Victor turned and began to head back home through the snow. His two faithful companions following by his side and he made his way through the white blanket that has forever dressed this part of the Earth, smiling still despite the ache in his heart and the bittersweet feeling that fills his mind. For even if Nora is alive and well, he is still a frozen man trapped in a body of ice with a history of criminal activities that would surely separate them. And the thought of her having to bear with such things makes his heart simply, painfully, ache.
He lets her go. Let's her go to live a normal life without him.
And he prays that she will be happy, even with another who has a warm hand to hold hers in, to chase away the bitter cold and enwrap her in warmth. That is all Victor ever hopes for, that she will be happy.
Victor Fries had done many things in trying to bring back his wife from 'death' and some of which may be considered a deal with Hades as well. For Victor would do anything really to cure his wife, his dear Nora. He and Orpheus are not so very different in some ways. They loved and loss and are willing to go through Hell and back for their beloveds, even if by different means. But the one thing that really made them different from each other was that Orpheus looked back.
Victor never did.