William Wintergreen (Dark Knights of Steel)

Twenty-one years ago, when the isles of Jarnlünd were united as a single kingdom, Vandal Savage hired Slade and Wintergreen to kill King Maxwell. Wintergreen built a powerful crossbow which would allow Slade to shoot Maxwell from across Gyllenhjem and through the castle walls. Slade shot at Maxwell while he was embracing Lady Nora, the wife of the court magus Viktor who Slade believed Maxwell was having an affair with. Viktor walked into the room just as Slade fired; the arrow passed through Maxwell's neck and hit Nora in the chest, seemingly killing them both in front of him. Viktor called a terrible curse down on the land: he transformed the people of Gyllenhjem into Draugr and summoned an endless Allwinter, banishing colour itself from the isles. As only Slade, Wintergreen, Adeline and Savage knew the truth, many assumed that Viktor had killed Maxwell and Nora when he discovered their affair, a lie Slade and Wintergreen also propagated to protect themselves.^[1]

Wintergreen, Slade and Slade's wife Adeline were able to escape the city as an impenetrable Everstorm built around the city, but Slade and Adeline's two sons were caught in the spell and were transformed into Draugr.^[2] Adeline left Slade and cut out his right eye, blaming him for their sons' deaths and all the other suffering the Allwinter had wrought. Wintergreen stood by his friend for a time, but fifteen years ago he also broke away to care for Slade's daughter Rose, who Slade had ignored for her entire life. Wintergreen did his best to raise Rose, who did come to love him as an uncle, but she let herself be consumed by her resentment towards her father and eventually struck out on her own to become a mercenary.

Ten years ago, Wintergreen decided to end the Allwinter by travelling to Gyllenhjem and killing Viktor. As it was impossible to get through the Everstorm he decided to tunnel under it and built huge digging machines for that purpose. He carved out an underground base for himself in the Draugr-infested wasteland of Slen Ratløs outside Gyllenhjem, outfitted with every comfort including central heating, and began to tunnel towards the city. For a time Adeline joined him in this endeavour but eventually left, frustrated by the slow pace and unable to forgive Wintergreen for his own role in bringing on the Allwinter. William wrote a book detailing the true story of Maxwell's death and the Everstorm, intending for Rose to one day read it and learn what had really happened.

When he was almost through to Gyllenhjem, he learned that Slade was on the surface in Slen Ratløs. He rescued his old friend from a horde of Draugr and took him to his headquarters. When Slade woke up, he told William that Adeline was dead and William told Slade what he was doing. He asked Slade to help him fight the magus but Slade said that they would need a greater magic than Viktor's. Slade told him about Alec, a boy Adeline had discovered who possessed a power called The Green and may be able to break the curse. Alec had been kidnapped by Rose and a witch called Killer Frost working for Savage; and so they went to a tower nearby where Frost, Rose and Alec were sheltering from a storm. They burst in and quickly killed Frost, but when Rose squared off against Slade he refused to fight her; instead he gave her William's journal and asked her to read it, revealing that they responsible for the Allwinter. Slade admitted that he was a villain and William said that they all were. Alec told them this was true but they had a chance to be heroes by helping him end the curse of the Allwinter. Slade asked Rose to join them and she agreed, but told Slade she was doing it for William, not him.^[1]

William's digger got them past the Everstorm and brought them up in the centre of Gyllenhjem. The party were mobbed by a horde of Draugr but they were able to fight their way through them to the castle. They burst into the throne room and were confronted by Viktor's servant Solomon, who charged at William and easily punched him across the room, cracking his helmet. Slade beheaded Solomon but Viktor overwhelmed them with a blast of ice magic and froze them all in ice. Viktor said he would kill Rose as revenge for what Slade had done to Nora, but just as he was about to stab her; Adeline, who had been restored to life by Alec's magic, charged in with Bat-Prince, a warrior who had travelled with Slade and Alec for a time. Adeline freed them all from the ice while Bat-Prince fought Viktor, and they all charged into battle against the Magus. Viktor overpowered the rest of them, but Slade was able to get him on the ground and was about to kill him.

However, Alec ran to where Nora was preserved in ice and released his power into her, breaking the curse. This ended the Allwinter, returned colour to the land and restored all the Draugr to life.^[2]

Powers and Abilities

Abilities

Mechanical Aptitude: Despite living in a world at a medieval level of development, Wintergreen can invent machines as or more advanced than modern technology.^[1]

Paraphernalia

Equipment

Armour: Wintergreen wears a mechanical suit of armour that significantly increases his strength.^[1]
- Superhuman Durability
- Superhuman Strength

Transportation

Digger^[2]

Weapons

Flamethrower^[1]

Notes

William Wintergreen was created by Marv Wolfman and George Perez, first appearing in New Teen Titans #2. However, the Dark Knights of Steel version of William Wintergreen first appeared in Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter #5 by Jay Kristoff and Tirso Cons.

William Wintergreen (Dark Knights of Steel)

Contents

History