- In his time he was called Edwald Olafsson, an elder of his clan. Today we better understand that Edwald displayed what we migh now call Cryokinesis...
Superman: Endless Winter Special #1 is a one-shot with a cover date of February, 2021. It was published on December 8, 2020.
Synopsis for "Endless Winter, Chapter 3"
In the 10th century, in a small town located in Greenland, there was a humble man named Edwald Olafsson. He was teaching his son Magnus how to fish, until suddenly, a polar bear emerged from the water and attacked Magnus, and this caused Edwald to suddenly unleash a burst of ice that froze the bear solid. Edwald was a metahuman and he had the power of cryokinesis. At first, this power was a gift for Edwald and his people, as Edwald normally used his ice powers to defend his people from danger, but in time, people began to see Edwald with distrust and even anger. There was no one to teach Edwald what his power truly meant and what he could truly do with it and Edwald had no idea how to control it. An endless winter threatened Edwald's people with famine and constant snowstorms.
As the storms grew worse, Edwald's people had enough and attempted to kill him and his family, thinking this would cause the cold season to end. Furious, Edwald attempted to defend his people, freezing his attackers, until his wife cried out to him in grief, stating they needed him. Edwald turned around to find that their son Einar had been killed by a stray arrow. Heartbroken, he unleashed his full power and the town was completely consumed by snow and ice.
In the present, the Frost King continues his attack on the world. The Daily Planet building has lost power and the employees are forced to brave through out the snow-covered streets in order to reach a nearby hospital. Suddenly, the Daily Planet crew is attacked by the Frost King's monsters, but Superman arrives just in time to save them. Superman offers to take Lois to the Fortress of Solitude, but Lois tells him not to worry about her and to keep trying to save as many as he can. Husband and wife share a kiss before returning to their respective missions.
Superman travels across the world, fighting the Frost King's army and saving as many bystanders as possible, but with each threat that he ends, another begins and the Man of Steel realizes he can't save the day alone. He flies above the Earth's atmosphere and spends some time hovering on the planet's orbit to think about what has happened. He decides that he needs to return home.
The Frost King's monsters have reached the Kent farm, but Krypto stops them before they can do any harm. Superman is happy to see his dog protecting his family and enters the house, finding Jonathan and Martha safe and sound. He had previously asked his parents to relocate to the Fortress for their own safety, an offer Jonathan and Martha had decline, and now, he asks them yet again to come with him, but Jonathan and Martha stand by their choice to remain at their real home. Superman is shocked by how calm Jonathan and Martha are behaving, telling them that this is hardest winter they have faced, but the elder Kents are confident that Krypto will protect them. They ask their son to take a seat at their table and Superman reluctantly agrees. Jonathan and Martha can see that Superman is pushing himself too hard and Superman replies that he's trying to save everyone. Jonathan and Martha understand what Superman's burden means, but they also remind them that the entire family is bearing that burden, not just Superman alone. Superman thanks his parents for their words of encouragement, admitting that sometimes he needs to be reminded that he has people looking after him. Superman agrees to spend some time at the Kent farm before flying off to save the world yet again, taking a thermos of hot chocolate with him.
Back in Metropolis, Lois writes an article for the people of Metropolis, inspiring them not to lose hope, even during these harsh times. Meanwhile, in Gotham, Sebastian Stagg and his research team are still trying to uncover the secrets of the ice sample Stagg Enterprises took from the Arctic Circle. They have discovered that the ice contains Kryptonian crystals and a mysterious energy signature. They have also discovered that there are people buried underneath the ice and they are still alive.
Appearing in "Endless Winter, Chapter 3"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Hippolyta (Narrator)
- Jimmy Olsen
- Jonathan Kent
- Krypto
- Lois Lane
- Martha Kent
Antagonists:
- Frost King (Edwald Olafsson) (Real identity revealed) (Flashback only) (Origin)
- Ice Horde
- Stagg Enterprises
- Sebastian Stagg
- Staggatron (Cameo)
- Sebastian Stagg
Other Characters:
- Astrid (First appearance) (Flashback and main story)
- Astrid and Edwald's daughter (First appearance; unnamed) (Flashback and main story) (Cameo)
- Einar (Single appearance) (Dies in flashback) (Cameo)
- Magnus (First appearance; unnamed) (Flashback and main story) (Cameo)
- Gorillas (Cameo)
- Vikings (Flashback only)
- Amazons of Themyscira (Mentioned only)
- Gods of Asgard (Mentioned only)
- Jon Kent (Mentioned only)
- Justice League (Mentioned only)
Locations:
- 10th Century (Flashback only)
- 21st Century
- Earth
- France
- Paris
- Eiffel Tower (Cameo)
- Paris
- Gorilla City (Cameo)
- United States of America
- Gotham City
- Metropolis
- Daily Planet
- Metropolis General Hospital (Mentioned only)
- Smallville
- Arctic Circle (Mentioned only)
- Bermuda Triangle
- Fortress of Solitude (Mentioned only)
- Greenland (Mentioned only)
- France
- Krypton (Mentioned only)
- Earth
Items:
- Bat-Signal
- Kryptonian Crystals
Concepts:
- Fimbulwinter (Mentioned only)
- Ragnarök (Mentioned only)
Notes
- The Endless Winter event continues from The Flash #767 and continues in Aquaman (Volume 8) #66.
- The entire issue is reprinted in Justice League: Endless Winter and Justice League Dark: Rebirth Omnibus.
See Also