Synopsis for "The Ice Crimes of Mr. Zero"

Mr. Zero (First appearance)(Origin)

Mr. Zero, a new super-villain, begins pulling incredible robberies in Gotham with the help of his gang and his "ice gun", one barrel firing acetylene flame and the other emitting a fast-freezing gas. Batman and Robin try to stop one of his capers as his gang robs diamonds--"ice" in criminal slang-- from a jewelry exchange, but Mr. Zero freezes the street under the dynamic duo's skates and stops them. Later, in his lair, which is kept cold except for a warmed bench for his gang, he explains to a new member of his group of the accident that befell his when he was saturated with the cold-gas solution used in his gun. He immediately lost the ability to breathe or survive at normal room temperature, such and had to dwell in and artificially cold environment, such as his refrigerated lair or his "air-conditioned" Mr. Zero costume.

Batman and Robin try to stop a subsequent Mr. Zero robbery of a visiting prince and princess's diamonds, but their Batropes are frozen in mid-swing and, when the heroes attempt to use an ice-slide to reach Zero's getaway car, the frigid felon melts it. Batman and Robin attempt to follow Zero to his lair in Whirly-Bats, but Zero freezes their propellers, takes them prisoner, and freezes them in giant cakes of ice. Batman manages to rock his ice cake enough to smash it open, along with Robin's icy prison and a steam pipe as well. He manages to slug Zero before the villain, enveloped in a steam bath, can use his ice-gun. Seconds later, outside, Zero is gratified to find the steam-bath has restored his normalcy, and Batman hopes the law may be able to normalize his criminal mind as well.

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