Jacob Drake is the son of Robert Drake/Iceman and Kitty Pride. When he was 5 years old, his parents died in a sentinel attack. He later grew up on the run, until his mutant power to manipulate ice manifested. Three years later, He was found by Wolverine and Magik and taken to the Jean Grey School for Gifted Youngsters. On his 16 birthday, Jacob officially joined the X-Men, going by the codename: Iceman.
Powers and Abilities
Much like his father, Jacob Drake has been stated to be an Omega Level mutant.
Thermokinesis: Like his father, Jacob is a Omega Level mutant with the superhuman ability to lower his external and internal body temperature, projecting intense coldness from his body. Like any normal human being's, the nerve centers for regulating Jacob's body temperature are found in the part of the brain called the hypothalamus. However, Iceman can mentally override his hypothalamus to allow his body temperature to be lowered by an unknown internal mechanism. This ability converts the latent thermal energies in and around his body into an unknown form of energy that is efficiently dissipated. A related mutation has rendered his body tissues unaffected by sub-zero temperatures. Iceman can consciously, immediately lower his body temperature from its normal 98.6 Fahrenheit to absolute zero (The point where all molecular motion stops.) and lower within the span of a few tenths of a second.
As his body temperature falls, the surrounding moisture in the air that is in contact with him is similarly lowered. Just as condensed moisture forms frost, this moisture forms an icy covering which encompasses his entire body. It also obscures his facial features. When Jacob first began to completely lower his body temperature, this covering took on a more snow-like appearance. But as he learned to increase the severity of his coldness, the covering assumed the consistency of crystalline ice that it has today. This ice constantly cracks with any movement of his body, and immediately reforms. (Hence, there is a cracking sound when Iceman, covered with ice, moves.) Through practice, Iceman has learned to control the intensity of his coldness, and he can selectively lower the temperature of isolated parts of his body.
- Cryokinesis: Jacob can use his mutant ability to control moisture such as to freeze any air moisture into super-hard ice. This ice can be formed into any object of his choosing: the only limitations are his own imagination, and the ambient air temperature which determines how long his ice sculpture will stay icy. He does not have to hold the ice physically with his hands in order to shape it. Apparently he can simply direct the waves of coldness he projects in certain ways so as to create ice in the shape he desires. In thhas formed ice-ladders, ice-slides, ice-shields, ice-based blasts, ice-beams, ice-bolts and other constructs of ice.
Due to the amount of water on Earth, Jacob has a virtually unlimited supply of moisture since it is always present in the surrounding air or environment. Even desert air has sufficient moisture content for him to make temporary practical use of; however, the mental effort needed to employ his mutant power under these circumstances could eventually fatigue him and render his freezing ability temporarily dysfunctional. Due to his cryokinetic-based powers, Iceman is able to sense, generate and manipulate various cold aspects of the weather such as snow, hail, blizzards, cold air, freezing rain etc.
- Thermal Vision: He is to see beings due to the heat signature that others give off, because of the absence of heat around him.
- Molecular Moisture Inversion: He can freeze water molecules, turning them into solid ice.