Contributed by Ronald Byrd
School teacher Byrna Brilyant’s scientist father died while working on his invention of “blue snow,” a special form of precipitation that freezes everything it touches. This invention was intended to “serve humanity,” although precisely how seems rather vague. Thinking to put her father’s work to more profitable use, Byrna creates the masculine identity of the Blue Snow Man and unleashes the petrifying power of blue snow upon the farming community of Fair Weather Valley demanding each farmer’s “life savings” in return for the chemical antidote that will free crops, livestock, and people from the snow’s effects. The Blue Snow Man is discovered in “his” mountain sanctuary by Wonder Woman, who forces “him” to defrost the valley. The Blue Snow Man, like many of Wonder Woman’s enemies, is sentenced to prison on the Amazon penal colony Transformation Island, but in 1948 she and seven other female super-villains escape and pool their talents as Villainy, Incorporated; led by the Saturnian slaver Eviless, the evil eight are again defeated by Wonder Woman. Byrna, also known as the Blue Snow Man, retained her male appearance and name in this second appearance, but what if anything is to be made of her choice of criminal identities with regard to her sexual orientation is unknown.
Blue Snowman made a surprise appearance as a villain on the run from Doctor Mid-Nite and Power Girl in Power Girl #7 by Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Amanda Conner. Described as a “former Wonder Woman foe with gender issues”, Snowman’s guise had been updated to that of a retro-style robot. The blue snow had been adapted for use through technology incorporated into the suit and pipe. Power Girl easily stops Snowman and is then distracted by the appearance of Vartox (a Supermnan foe) who has decided to make her his mate. To expedite matters, Vartox intends to seduce Kara with a pheromone based weapon. Instead, Snowman is seduced and very eager to fulfill Vartox’s desires. Such behavior doesn’t necessarily clarify Byrna’s orientation or gender identity. With Kara unaffected and justifiably offended, Vartox relies on his plan B, a demonstration of his masculinity by fighting an Ix Negaspike, the last of its kind and possibly an example of vagina dentata. Confused and disoriented by the pheromone weapon (and simply comic cannon fodder), Snowman rushes the creature to protect Vartox and is instead swallowed in two gulps by it.
As an enemy of Wonder Woman during World War II, the Blue Snow Man originally, one would assume, existed on Earth-2; following the Crisis on Infinite Earths, history was altered so that Wonder Woman’s golden age adventures never took place, leaving her enemies of that era primarily in oblivion. However, continuity reconsiderations have determined that Wonder Woman’s mother, Hippolyte, was active as Wonder Woman during World War II. It remains unclear if the Wonder Woman Blue Snowman fought was Hippolyte during World War II or Diana in an undocumented adventure. Considering her obscurity, no one will probably lose sleep over the mystery. Prior to Power Girl #7 the only original golden age rogue re-established into current continuity had been Dr. Poison (see Wonder Woman #151 or the entry on Dr. Poison).
The Blue Snow Man possessed no superhuman powers; she originally relied upon a “telescopic snow ray” which she used to create petrifying blizzards and a “defroster ray” to reverse their effect.
This profile was resourced using information from The Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes, Volume 2: Wonder Woman, written by Michael Fleisher.
The Blue Snow Man’s only appearances are Sensation Comics #59, 1946 and the later Wonder Woman #28.
© and ® DC Comics. Used without permission. Images provided by Mike S.
