Super Ted and Alva the Ice Queen 

There are a lot of super villains and some of them are of the female persuasion. One of the most notorious female super villains that I ever had to deal with was Alva the Ice Queen. Alva was an interesting case. She was as cold as ice and truly had no regard for anybody.  Although Alva was too cold to love anyone, she did have a deep seeded obsession with both cake frosting—also known as “icing”—and diamonds which are also called “ice” in slang terms. 

Alva had been born with her cold-temperature-controlling superpowers but she grew up in Alaska, America’s coldest state, and so her abilities were not noticed until she was about two years of age. She had the power to chill a room when she felt unhappy, she could give those who annoyed her goose bumps just by glaring at them, and she even managed to create a snow storm in a sauna when she was eight! Yet Alva had not always been emotionally cold. Despite her special powers she had been a normal friendly child. 

Unfortunately, young Alva was surrounded by bad people. She never knew her parents who abandoned her when she was a baby. She spent her life moving from one place to another in a neighborhood that wasn’t very since. She spent most of her early years afraid to go outside to play. She was always cold and so no one liked to stand next to her. She had no friends, no family and no stability. She became more withdrawn and any traces of friendliness that had once existed in her personality quickly vanished. 

In spite of her troubles, Alva always knew her powers and she knew that she could use them to protect herself. If anyone bothered her she could literally freeze them in their tracks long enough for her to make her escape. Although she had the power to protect people, she only used them to protect herself since she had no bonds with anyone else. 

As she got older she had to fend for herself more and more. She soon realized that she could use her superpowers to get what she needed. For instance, if she needed food she would freeze the store clerk and take what she wanted, mostly cake icing. Soon she started using her freezing abilities to steal things that she only wanted—not needed. Mostly she took diamond jewelry from stores and managed to amass a fortune from re-selling her ill-gotten-gains on the black market. 

Over time, Alva became rich and was able to afford a nicer wardrobe. Even though she was far from a queen she decided to reinvent herself as one and used the “ice queen” phrase to design her persona which was especially fitting given her particular powers.  Hence, she became known as the “Ice Queen” and, as she gained power, she also gained notoriety. 

Even though Alva didn’t care about anyone else she cared about herself a great deal and she went out of her way to collect diamonds and eat an abundance of cake frosting each and every day. She had no regrets about freezing anyone who opposed her. But, a few months back, things got really out of hand when Alva decided that she wanted to steal two polar bears and several penguins from the zoo. 

As usual, when Alva wanted something she got it. I do not have the power to foresee the future so I found out about the missing animals the same time that the rest of the city did—the morning after they were taken when all the news teams were covering the story. I suspected right away that Alva was behind the animal-knapping. Although I do not have the power to foresee the future I do have the power to get a strong inkling of where objects that I am looking for are. I focused my mind so that it centered on thoughts of the missing polar bears and penguins and I immediately got the urge to get to the restaurant district. 

Like most cities, mine is broken down into several districts that represent something. We have a fashion district, a theater district, and a business district. We also have a restaurant district where most people go out to eat. My senses told me that Alva had made a layer for herself in one of the giant freezers located in the restaurant district. Normally it would have taken me days to check all of the freezers and track her down but my sixth sense led me right to her hide away. 

Alva had nestled herself in a giant freezer in the sub-basement of a five-star restaurant. She had even decorated the area nicely and carved herself a fine throne of ice. As soon as I got to the door of her freezer hide away I heard a terrible ruckus coming from the other side.  There was pounding and shouting and even some roaring! I never expected to hear such chaotic noises coming from the layer of the cool, calm and collected Ice Queen! 

Wasting no time I used my super human strength to break the lock on the door and enter the freezer. I was happy to have my special super suit on since it has the ability to keep me warm even in very cold temperatures and that freezer was, well, freezing!

I was truly surprised by what I saw upon entering the Alva’s layer. The polar bears and penguins were in there alright, but nothing was going as planned. The polar bears were tied to an igloo, like two dogs chained outside of a dog house. They were not happy about being confined and they were roaring and licking their lips as they stared at the penguins that surrounded them. The penguins outnumbered the two polar bears by ten! They were running in every direction and sliding on their bellies and making loud noises. 

Alva was sitting on her throne, staring wide-eyed at the crazy place her layer had become. She was shouting at all the animals to calm down. Of course, being animals, they didn’t understand her or listen to her and simply kept on with their ways. Alva tried to use her freeze powers on them but the penguins were so used to the cold—and fond of it—that they were totally immune to her powers. It was obvious that she felt very lost and helpless and was desperately trying to think of a way to remedy the situation. She was so involved with her own troubles that she didn’t even see me standing in the doorway!

Finally, I decided to take pity on her. 
“It looks like you’re out in the cold here,” I said and brought attention to myself. 
“How did you get in?!” Alva hissed at me. Even from across the room I could feel the chill that emanated from her words.
“Super strength,” I replied casually. “How did you get into the zoo?”
“Froze the locks,” Alva replied. “I wanted some pets to keep me company and I know these species like cold and ice, just like I do. I even built the polar bears an igloo house! Why are they doing this to me?!”
“They’re wild animals. They don’t belong here,” I declared although it was clear that Alva had already figured that out. 
“I can take them back later,” Alva insisted. “I still have the nets I captured them in.”
“You should take them back now,” I told her and, to my surprise, she looked sad. I never knew the Ice Queen had feelings before. 
“I’ll be lonely again then,” she sighed. “Diamonds and icing can only amuse me so much. Of course companionship is hard for me to come by. No one wants to be friends with an ice queen.” 
“If it’s any consolation at all, I won’t call the police on you if you bring these animals back to the zoo where they belong right now,” I promised. “I have super strength so I can help you carry them back.”  
Amazingly, as soon as I offered her help her, Alva’s face broke into a radiant smile. I never would have suspected that she could smile!
“Thank you,” she said with an actual hint of warmth to her words. “That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me!” 

And so, later that night after all the news crews had gone home, Alva and I gathered up all the penguins and brought them and the polar bears back to the zoo. The animals seemed very pleased to be back in their proper habitats and both the zookeepers and the newspaper journalists were astounded to find the animals back in their enclosures safe and sound the following morning. 

Yet the animals were not the only ones who found a happy ending. After meeting her in person I realized that the Ice Queen was not at all as cold and heartless as people assumed she was...she had simply led a tough life that had marred her views about people. I befriended her and immediately found ways to turn her negative thoughts into positive ones. For starters, I warned her never to steal diamonds again or I would have her arrested and she begrudgingly agreed to my terms after I took her ice skating—her favorite hobby. 

Alva’s powers to control cold and ice and snow proved to have many useful and constructive capabilities and she started using these to help the city, not hinder it. On hot summer days she was able to produce cooling winds to grateful city dwellers. She kept ice cream from melting and made it snow every Christmas. Her good deeds made her very popular among the people who had once feared her and she quickly started making friends and becoming a happier person who no longer felt the desire to wreak havoc…although she is still quite fond of both icing and diamonds.

And so, the Ice Queen learned that she could be cold but nice at the same time!