There’s more to the Mahkent family in DC Comics than the father-son Icicle duo. Let’s explore them at length.
They’re frosty, and they’re (sometimes) villainous. The Mahkent family, or better yet, the Icicle dynasty, includes some icy individuals. We meet the family in DC’s Stargirl, and we love how mysterious they are. With the situation heating up, it’s only a matter of time before we see the full impact on this family.
Before we begin, the aspects we’ll be covering will include the following:
- DC Comics.
- Stargirl.
- Smallville.
- Young Justice.
From The Pages Of DC Comics
Joar Mahkent
The original Icicle, Joar Mahkent, came in the 90th issue of All-American Comics in October 1942 and was created by Robert Kanigher and Irwin Hasen and was an enemy of Alan Scott, the first Green Lantern.
Joar is a European physicist who starts investigating why a luxury boat has become frozen in Gotham Harbor. Alan Scott arrives and is greeted by the startling sight of Doctor Mahkent dead in his room.
Sometime later, Green Lantern reveals Joar is Icicle, a supervillain who killed Leeds and disguised the body as his own.
Ultimately, this would later affect his genes, allowing his son, Cameron, to have ice powers rather than use the gun.
Icicle meets his demise during Crisis on Infinite Earths when he and several other supervillains attempt (and fail) to raid a laboratory.
Cameron Mahkent
Cameron Mahkent is introduced to DC Comics almost forty years after the introduction of his father, Joar. Making his debut in Infinity Inc issue #34 in January 1987, the second Icicle was created by Roy Thomas, Dann Thomas, and Todd McFarlane.
Cameron is the son of Joar Mahkent and an unknown woman. His mother dies in childbirth.
Due to his father’s overexposure to his cold gun, Cameron’s genetics were altered upon conception. So, he doesn’t require a weapon.
Cameron appears to be albino due to his genetic makeup. One of his powers allows him to lower the temperature in a room. His abilities also include freezing anything.
Moreover, his relationship with his father isn’t great. When he took on the mantle of Icicle, he didn’t do it to honour Joar.
Cameron has an agenda to suit his personal needs. He joins the Wizard’s Injustice Unlimited. But he follows his father’s lead in joining another version of the Injustice Society. He has also joined the Injustice League, The Society, and the Suicide Squad.
As Cameron’s appearances have gone on, he has been romantically linked to the daughter of Tigress and Sportsmaster, Artemis Crock. In recent years, they married and had a daughter, Isabelle Rose Mahkent.
James Christie
James Christie is a grandchild of Joar Mahkent, who made his first appearance in The Flash Vol 2 #56, released in November 1991. William Messner-Loebs and Greg LaRocque created him.
Existing in the New Earth continuity, Christie took on his grandfather’s mantle of Icicle and became a supervillain. His sister, Doyle, also took on the moniker, but she chose to try and redeem the title by becoming a hero. Cameron is his uncle.
Doyle Christie
Doyle Christie was introduced in The Flash Vol 2 #56, released in November 1991, with the same issue as her brother, James. She is a grandchild of Joar Mahkent. Unlike the rest of her family, she chose to redeem the Icicle mantle and became a hero.
The female Icicle became a known ally of Wally West, who had taken over his uncle’s mantle as The Flash and resided in Keystone City.
There’s not a lot of information on the Christie siblings or their association with their villainous grandfather. Cameron is her uncle.
Isabelle Mahkent
Isabelle Rose Mahkent was born to Cameron, the second Icicle and Artemis Crock, the third Tigress, in JSA All-Stars #11, released in December 2010.
There’s not a lot of information about Isabelle. Her father was terrified of being a parent. Whether Cameron was afraid of being the type of parent to his daughter his father was to him is up for debate.
Other Icicle Relatives
- Artemis Crock/Tigress – Cameron’s wife and Isabelle’s mother.
- Paula Brooks/Huntress/Tigress – Cameron’s mother-in-law, Artemis’ mother, and Isabelle’s maternal grandmother.
- Lawrence Crock/Crusher/Sportsmaster – Cameron’s father-in-law, Artemis’ father and Isabelle’s maternal grandfather.
- Donald Mahkent – Cameron’s stepbrother.
- Annie MacDonald – Joar’s wife, grandmother of James and Doyle – Unclear relationship to Cameron.
Smallville
Cameron and Joar appeared in the hit series Smallville. Both Mahkents use the moniker of Icicle. Father and son were enemies of the Justice Society during the show’s ninth season.
Joar ends up in a coma, while Cameron is an assassin for hire. The elder Mahkent ended up dying while his son’s status was unknown.
Both Mahkents were born with their powers of Cryokinesis, with Cameron’s mother dying of hypothermia upon the birth of her son.
The relationship between the pair is close. Cameron wants revenge on the JSA for putting his father in a coma.
In conclusion, the second Icicle murders Sylvester Pemberton/Star-Spangled Kid and Wesley Dodds/Sandman. He also targets Courtney Whitmore/Stargirl, the student of the Star-Spangled Kid. Cameron almost succeeds in killing her, but Oliver Queen/Green Arrow stops him.
Young Justice
The father and son Icicle duo pop in the animated series Young Justice. Introduced in Season 1, Cameron and Joar are inmates at Belle Reve and are referred to as Icicle Sr and Icicle Jr, respectively.
Joar has no love for Cameron and treats him poorly. His son, to his credit, tries his best to please his father, but to limited results.
Cameron has more of a role in the series than his father, who appears in two episodes of Season 1. He crushes on Miss Martian, unaware she’s disguised, before seeing her kiss Superboy. At first, he is horrified that she’s making out with her ‘brother’. After that, though, he soon realises that’s not the case. Much like his comic counterpart, he was born with his powers while his dad has a weapon.
Junior’s character design changes massively between seasons 1 and 3. He is also much more likeable as he interacts with the heroes before he tries taking them down.
Between Young Justice and Smallville, YJ has the most accurate depiction of Joar and Cameron’s relationship.
Stargirl
The Icicle depiction in Stargirl is altered to give the Mahkents a fresh new take. Joar is renamed Jordan and is of Norwegian descent. His parents, Sofus and Lily, migrated to the United States to give their son a better life.
Jordan marries a woman named Christine, who ends up developing cancer. With her, he becomes the father of their only child, Cameron. Upon his wife’s death, the elder Mahkent leaves his grieving son in the care of Lily and Sofus as he searches for the people responsible.
Jordan ensures his son grows up safe despite coming in and out of his child’s life. He also hides his powers from Cameron and his leadership of the Injustice Society.
Cameron is quiet and reserved, with a talent for art, a trait he inherited from Christine. Despite keeping to himself, he cheers up his classmates when he paints Yolanda’s locker.
New student Courtney Whitmore gains Cameron’s attention when she lies to Joey Zarick about his card trick. Eventually, this develops into a crush on both ends.
As for his powers, Cameron has not yet come into them. Nor is he aware of his father’s status as Icicle. However, a hint of his pending abilities occurs on his mother’s birthday, eight years after her death.
Stargirl: Moving Forward
Cameron’s story in Stargirl is far from over. Despite his father’s demise at the end of Season 1, there is every chance the budding artist will struggle. However, this may cause his powers to manifest faster, just as Henry Junior did as he dealt with his grief.
Without a doubt, the truth surrounding Jordan’s death will get out. Ultimately, this may lead to Cameron’s relationship with Courtney being altered.
It has been teased that Cameron’s role will be much more significant in Season 2, but how much is anyone’s guess? Actor Hunter Sansone has already teased a new look for the character.
What this could mean for Babycicle (Hunter’s words, not ours) is up for debate. But we’ve got no doubt that he may have to choose between finishing his father’s mission or following his heart.
His journey may be one we don’t expect. Perhaps he does a Killer Frost and goes evil before becoming an antihero and then the hero.
If he goes through a massive journey, will he be able to forgive Courtney for keeping such a big secret from him? Our bets are on “probably not”. Will he take on the Icicle mantle? Finally, we’re betting he does, but not in the way we think.
The Icicle Relationship
Moving away from the Stargirl version of the Icicle family, we need to examine the relationship between Cameron and Joar. According to a breakdown by Looper, there is a big difference between the two villains.
Joar isn’t much of a father. If Cameron’s testimony in the comic Stars and STRIPE indicates anything, he [Joar]’s not much of a villain. In that story, we don’t know his status outside his son’s reference. It’s also clear the younger Icicle takes no pleasure in mentioning his old man. Though, Finally, says something about his dad being a bank robber.
Finally, Cameron sees himself as superior. We’ve read that he takes the ‘Icicle’ mantle for himself. Moreover, this has nothing to do with Joar. It’s to show who the ultimate villain is.
