Ice

## **History**

### **Tora Olafsdotter: 1988 - 2006**

Tora is from an isolated community that lives in a valley in the northern European country of Bjorland. From a very young age, it was made clear that Tora was a strange child: always so friendly, a personality very much at odds with the rest of the village, whose occupants were as harsh as the frigid and brutal environment. The village elders told Tora that such behavior meant weakness. As time went on, Tora sought to prove her strength by venturing out into the forests.

One day, Tora met an old hermit who lived in the middle of a nearby woodland. Tora had heard the rumors about him: he was a crotchety fellow who had a falling out with the village elders long ago and exiled himself. Tora did not let such things dissuade her as she could sense he needed a friend. It took time for Tora's visits to win his icy interior, but the two did become friends. When the hermit heard of Tora's plight, he decided to train her in the old, lost ways of the village. Years later, during her sixteenth year of her life, Tora used these lessons to compete in the winter festival games and bested her peers... in every single event of the competition. However, as it was Tora, this impressive feat did little to warm the hearts of the elders; and nothing else would either as the village had a dark secret and Tora's good heart had proven to be a threat to its secrecy. The elders practiced foul magic and had made a pact with a powerful being many generations ago. The deal required the village to sacrifice a troublesome child of seventeen years of age every winter and in turn, the spirit would grant a mild winter and good weather the rest of the year. During Tora's seventeenth winter, the elders decided that she would make the most suitable offering. And so, on the elders' order, Tora's own family ambushed her. Chained and beaten, Tora was dragged out to where the sacrificial altar had been prepared. Tora begged to be freed, crying out of mercy; and though her screams carried into town, no one came. The entire town had turned their backs on Tora.

### **Ice: 2006 - Present**

At sunset, an unnatural chill fell over the area. Tora's tears froze on her cheek. Suddenly Tora's metal bindings snapped off her as if they were kindle. The baffled elders gazed upon Tora as the old hermit freed her. The elders cursed the hermit's interference and when they did, the hermit cast off his disguise: revealing himself to be the Ice King, Olaf, the very winter spirit which guarded the village. Olaf refused the now humbled elders' offering. Olaf reasoned that Tora was too pure of heart to be "troublesome" and instead Olaf claimed the life force of the elders, turning them to frozen husks with a freezing wind. Once Tora was safe, Olaf revealed that his lessons had given her a portion of his power and with a parting touch, he gave her more of the same. He then asked her to never return.

Knowing that valley and even her small country held nothing for her, Tora decided to leave Bjorland completely. However she had never been given a surname and needed one for the passport. Tora chose the only one that meant anything to her: Olafsdotter.

## **Trivia**

* Ice joined the Justice League in 2009 nominated by Black Canary.
* Olafsdotter means "daughter of Olaf."