| The Iceman | |
|---|---|
 | |
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First Appearance: |
October 4th, 1978 |
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Known Associates: |
Big Boy (deceased) |
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Appearance of Death: |
December 21st, 1978 |
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Can Be Found: |
The Dick Tracy Casebook |
Johnny Snow (aka The Iceman) was a highly skilled contract killer, known for his albino coloration and preference to an ice pick for a murder weapon (the reason for his code name).
Apparatus Assassin
Snow was a free-lancer, available for hire by anyone needing a murder to be committed. Though he was not directly employed by The Apparatus, he had taken contracts for them on numerous occasions, and, having done work for the crime syndicate in the past, was hired on again to kill E.X. Reywal ("Lawyer" spelt backwards) at the Midtown Hotel. Reywal had been an attorney for the Apparatus who was preparing to testify against them. After doing the deed, Snow discarded the black wig, fake mustache, and brown contact lenses he had disguised himself with and slipped through the hotel undetected. Thanks to an eyewitness, Junior Tracy was able to sketch the murderer and doctor up a surveillance photo taken of Snow without the disguise for the witness who saw the crime to confirm.
After the murder took place, Snow was summoned to Big Boy's mansion to speak with the dying criminal. The Apparatus had canceled out Big Boy's Open Contract on Dick Tracy with a second open contract on any person who would attempt to kill or kill Tracy. Knowing that Snow couldn't resist a challenge, Big Boy offered Snow a million dollars in a numbered Swiss account and a bungalow on the Rivera to kill Tracy for him. The Iceman took the job in spite of the Apparatus' second contract.
The Tracy Contract
Dyeing his hair and using the alias Johnny Winter, Iceman went to a roller disco and started a conversation with the recently divorced Sparkle Plenty. Sparkle was reluctant to be with another man after having been cruelly discarded by her husband, but she saw a sensitivity and beauty in Johnny, not knowing who he really was. Lizz, who was on a date with fellow officer Groovy Grove that same night with Sparkle, felt uncomfortable about Winter. Sparkle and Johnny kept growing closer and closer, while Johnny followed Tracy's movements, waiting for the right time to strike.
Dropping in on Sparkle when she was cleaning Tracy's house as Tracy's temporary maid, Johnny chloroformed her and tied her up in a closet, waiting for Tracy to return. Seeing that all the lights were off in his house, Tracy came in the back way, sensing a trap. After Tracy got the drop on the Iceman, Snow slowly dropped his gun and carefully pulled an ice pick out of his coat sleeve and launched it at the detective, fleeing right after. The ice pick had only nicked Tracy's shoulder, he went up the laundry chute, knowing that Snow would be waiting for him. Sparkle woke up and freed herself and turned on the lights, caught in the middle of Tracy, Snow, and their guns. Snow turned around and jumped through the window and fled.
The End of the Iceman
Snow fired at Tracy as he ran. Tracy returned fire, seriously wounding the contract killer. Snow was taken to the hospital, with Sparkle at his side. Snow survived long enough to reveal that Inspector Price of the police department's Organized Crime Unit was the person who hired him to kill Reywal at the hotel. Johnny asked for Sparkle and begged her to forgive him with his last dying breath. Due to his statement, Price was arrested.
After Johnny was buried, Sparkle visited his grave with flowers, believing that he had loved her because he had had the opportunity to shoot her or take her as a hostage but chose not to.
Notes
- There is no connection between the Iceman and the Marvel Comics character of the same name.