—BobbyAt home I was always the baby boy -- being coddled and protected! In the X-Men, I was the weak link -- the kid who couldn't hold his own! Is it any wonder I was never sure of myself!
Appearing in "The Price You Pay!"
Featured Characters:
- ⏴ Iceman (Bobby Drake) (Main story and flashback)
Supporting Characters:
- ⏴ Mirage (Merges with Oblivion)
- ⏴ William Drake (Main story and flashback)
- ⏴ Madeline Drake
- Defenders
Antagonists:
- ⏴ Oblivion (Merges with Mirage)
- ⏴ Kali (Main story and flashback)
- ⏴ White Light (Main story and flashback)
- ⏴ Idiot (Main story and flashback)
Other Characters:
- William Drake (Earth-8501) (Only in flashback)
- Madeline Bass (Earth-8501) (Only in flashback)
- X-Men (Mentioned)
Races and Species:
- Humans (Main story and flashback)
- Mutants (Main story and flashback)
- Abstract Entities
- Unrevealed alien races (Main story and flashback)
Locations:
- Oblivion's Realm
- Sol
- Earth
- North America
- United States of America
- New York
- Long Island
- Brookhaven
- Port Jefferson
- the Drake house
- Port Jefferson
- Brookhaven
- Long Island
- New York
- United States of America
- North America
- Earth
Items:
- Angel's Suit
- Bounce-Box (Mentioned)
Synopsis for "The Price You Pay!"
Oblivion has successfully drawn his daughter Mirage back to his realm with the incapacitated Bobby Drake in her arms. Oblivion seeks to punish her for her recent transgressions. Bobby reminisces about his own parents and the guilt trip they had placed on him and becomes enraged, turning into Iceman and striking at Oblivion with ferocity and eventually leaves him lying under a pile of ice.
Behind him, he hears Mirage and is startled to find her wearing the same garb as Oblivion, having embraced her identity as a creation of him. Bobby is dismayed by this as she speaks with her father about being a reflection of him. Oblivion picks up Bobby and throws him into the cowl of his robe after feeling disheartened at the feeling of love around him but without having felt such a strong emotion himself. Bobby seems to disappear into nothingness but his voice is quickly heard refusing to succumb and claiming that love keeps the dream alive. He triumphantly leaps from Oblivion's robe and Oblivion comes to a sudden realization after having shared the emotion felt by Bobby.
He tells Bobby that he cannot restore the life of his father killed in 1942 but says that there are numerous realities and in others, Bobby never went back in time and his father was never killed. He sends Bobby back to his home in Port Jefferson on the night he fought with his parents. He springs from his bed in elation and rushes to find them and apologizes for his actions when he does. His parents are stunned by his change of heart but gladly make amends with him and they express their love for one another. Beast and Angel suddenly appear in front of the Drakes' house and tell Bobby that they have Defenders business to attend to and he leaves with them as his parents wish him well.