#32. “Cold Snap” (The Fury of Firestorm #21, 1983)

A dying Killer Frost goes on a destructive rampage, wreaking havoc in her insatiable quest for heat energy, setting up a final confrontation with her nemesis, Firestorm.

Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist/Storyteller: Rafael Kayanan
Artist/Embellisher: Rodin Rodriguez
Colorist: Carl Gafford
Letterer: John Costanza

This single issue tale doesn’t really delve into the psychological effects of being faced with one’s mortality, choosing instead to simply have Killer Frost go off an unhinged reign of destruction, motivated more by a need to absorb heat rather than any emotional impetus. As a result, it feels like a missed opportunity. The dialogue is woefully dated (cue that Hill Street Blues reference!) but the story is neverthelessnotable for marking Crystal Frost’s final appearance.

#33. “Flowers for Rhino” (Spider-Man’s Tangled Web 5-6, 2001)

The dim-witted Rhino undergoes a brain operation that transforms him into a super-genius.

Writer: Peter Milligan
Artist: Duncan
Colorist: Steve
Letter: Comicraft’s Wes

This one’s a fun riff on Flowers for Algernon, charting the Rhino’s turn from doltish brute to pompous intellectual and back. At two issues, however, it all feels a tad too compressed as we don’t get around to the procedure until halfway through our story, leaving little room for the progression to Rhino’s realization that he was really better off where he started. The tragic repercussions are given short shrift in favor of comedy and I think that’s a shame because this one had the potential to be a memorably bittersweet tale.

#34. “Grodd of War” (2011)

While the Amazons and the Atlanteans vie for the remains of Europe and America struggles to survive the global onslaught, Gorilla Grodd stakes his own claim in the world of FLASHPOINT. But once you’ve conquered the world you knew, what else is there left to do?

Writer: Sean Ryan
Penciler: Ig Guara
Inker: Ruy Jose
Colorist Stefani Rennee
Letterer: Carlos M. Mangual

This story examines what really drives Gorilla Grodd in his bid for conquest and control, suggesting it’s only the challenge of the chase that feeds this deep-seated resolve. Victory, it turns out, is hollow. Not just hollow, but a point of immense frustration that prompts him to risk everything in an attempt to recapture the highs of its dangerous pursuit. It’s a fascinating idea that is, in the end, only superficially explored here.