The Cold Treatment is a treatment created by Mr. Headwood and Mrs. Headwood that gives those who receive it a heightened resistance to cold temperatures, although not a complete immunity.
History[]
Background[]
The cold treatment was developed and perfected by the Headwoods during their years on Big Alice after the Freeze. Icy Bob acted as their test subject, becoming extremely scarred over time from his exposure to cold temperatures that exceeded even what his cold resistance could withstand.
Throughout the Series[]
Season 2[]
During the opening stages of the Snowpiercer-Big Alice War, the passengers of Snowpiercer learn of the treatment's effects when Icy Bob is sent into a car that is exposed to sub-zero temperatures to repel an attempted incursion into Big Alice. Completely immune to the cold, Icy Bob easily repels the invasion with Andre Layton's forces being forced to retreat.
Josie Wellstead, suffering from extreme frostbite, is eventually taken to Big Alice for treatment by the Headwoods. Along with treating Josie's frostbite, they give her the cold treatment which makes Josie even more resistant to the cold than Icy Bob. Icy Bob subsequently dies after he's sent unprotected to sabotage Snowpiercer. Although he survives the journey itself, the temperatures prove to be too extreme for even the cold treatment and he later dies, leaving Josie as Wilford's cold woman. However, Josie later helps Layton detach the first 10 cars of Snowpiercer and create the Pirate Train rather than breaching the Engine as Joseph Wilford had wanted.
Season 3[]
After retaking the trains from Wilford, Layton learns from Doctor Pelton that the cold treatment was given to his unborn daughter as well during the six months that Layton was gone. Confronted by Layton, Mrs. Headwood admits to having done enhanced genetic cold treatments on Layton's daughter, calling it a gift and reassuring him that the treatment are going to work and reveals that Zarah had given her consent to the treatment. Zarah confesses, stating that it gives their daughter an advantage with Layton planning to take them outside and admitting that it was a calculated move to guarantee her own protection. As a result of the treatment, Zarah experiences dangerous temperature fluctuations during labor, but successfully gives birth to Liana Layton.
During this time, Josie Wellstead begins experiencing loss of sensation in her extremities as a side effect of the treatment.
It's later revealed that Headwood gave the treatment to Bojan Boscovic who was believed to be dead, but she upgraded Josie's side effect of loss of sensation into an imperviousness to pain for the former Breachman, making him difficult to defeat in combat. Wilford refers to Boki as "our finest Breachman yet. Ready for the field. No suit required."
Season 4[]
A year later, Josie has been undergoing treatment with Headwood for the loss of sensation which she claims is getting better. However, after jumping between Big Alice and Snowpiercer, Josie tears a tendon and feels no pain from it. Boki has also continued receiving treatment from Headwood, at least for his severe frostbite, and has regained both his mind and his ability to speak.
It's later revealed that Wilford himself has been receiving the cold treatment from Headwood using blood taken from both Josie and Liana. This causes him to experience dizzy spells, blurry visions, and apparently a degree of numbness as Wilford doesn't notice a cut on his hand until it's pointed out to him. Wilford is able to use this to overpower and kill Anton Milius and to board Snowpiercer from the outside.
The cold treatment allows both Josie and Liana to survive unharmed in Snowpiercer's detached section while Andre Layton nearly freezes to death before the group is rescued by Sam Roche. Josie also expresses a belief that she could go out unprotected and reach the nearby tunnel in an effort to get help, an idea that Layton rejects as it would leave Liana alone were something to happen to him.
During the final battle for Snowpiercer, Boki is able to use his cold resistance to effortlessly enter and seal a breached car unprotected.
Description[]
The cold treatment is a form of gene therapy which, according to Doctor Pelton, includes ixodes scapularis protein and leptin receptors.
The effects of the treatment vary from patient to patient as it's refined each time based upon the study of the effects on the previous recipients. Josie Wellstead could withstand colder temperatures than Icy Bob while Josie's side effect of loss of sensation in her extremities was upgraded into Bojan Boscovic being impervious to pain. A year later, Boki reveals that he can actually still feel pain, although not much anymore. Josie tells him that while she still feels pain, it feels different to her now.
While giving birth to Liana Layton who had received the treatment in utero, Zarah Ferami experienced dangerous temperature fluctuations that threatened her life. However, both Zarah and Liana were fine in the end thanks to the efforts of Headwood and Doctor Pelton.
After being exposed to freezing temperatures, Wilford at first began to freeze over, before the effects of the treatment kicked in and caused Wilford to thaw out almost instantly.
Recipients[]
Icy Bob[]
The test subject of the treatment, Icy Bob received a great many scars from the temperatures that he was exposed to, but as a result, Icy Bob could withstand temperatures that would be lethal to regular humans. According to Mrs. Headwood, she and her husband spent years grafting synthetic tissue onto Icy Bob to treat his horrible frostbite, essentially rebuilding the man.
During Snowpiercer's attempted incursion into Big Alice, Icy Bob effortlessly moved about in a breached car that reached temperatures of minus 70 without being at all bothered by it.
However, when Icy Bob was sent outside to sabotage Snowpiercer's intake as a part of Wilford's plans to sabotage the train, the temperatures proved to be too extreme even for him to survive and Icy Bob died shortly after returning to Big Alice.
Josie Wellstead[]
Having suffered horrible frostbite during a fight in a breached car with Melanie Cavill, Josie was transferred to Big Alice for treatment. Along with treating Josie's frostbite, the Headwoods gave her a more refined version of the cold treatment, giving her an even greater cold resistance than Icy Bob. After Icy Bob's death, Josie stuck her arm out of a cold lock at the same temperature that had killed Icy Bob without suffering any harm. However, unlike Icy Bob, any time that Josie would undertake Breachmen duties she would wear an EVA Suit rather than just going out unprotected.
Josie eventually began developing a loss of sensation in her extremities as a side effect of the treatment months after receiving it. Despite receiving treatment from Mrs. Headwood during their time in New Eden over the course of a year, this did not abate and Josie tore a tendon without realizing it while jumping between Big Alice and Snowpiercer, leaving Josie with a limp but no pain.
While at the Silo, Josie was experimented upon by Headwood who collected her blood into two large canisters, one marked with Wilford's name. This is later revealed to be so that Headwood can use Josie and Liana's blood to give Wilford the cold treatment too. Josie tells Layton that Headwood had kept taking her blood and pumping it back in over and over as another experiment upon her.
The cold treatment allowed both Josie and Liana to survive unharmed in Snowpiercer's detached section while Andre Layton nearly froze to death before the group was rescued by Sam Roche. Josie also expressed a belief that she could go out unprotected and reach the nearby tunnel in an effort to get help, an idea that Layton rejected as it would leave Liana alone were something to happen to him.
Josie later told Boki that she could still feel pain, but it was different for her now.
Liana Layton[]
During the six months that the Pirate Train was away, Zarah Ferami consented to her unborn daughter Liana receiving enhanced genetic cold treatment in utero, both as a measure of protection from the outside world for her daughter and as a calculated risk to ensure Zarah's own safety. This resulted in Zarah experiencing dangerous temperature fluctuations while she was giving birth to Liana, but both mother and child survived thanks to the efforts of Headwood and Doctor Pelton.
Due to Liana's young age, the extent of her cold resistance is unknown as she has yet to be placed into a situation that would test it.
On Wilford's instructions, Headwood took Liana's blood and used it along with Josie's as a part of giving Wilford himself the cold treatment.
Liana was as unaffected by the cold in Snowpiercer's detached section as Josie was while her father nearly froze to death.
Bojan "Boki" Boscovic[]
Originally believed to have died in the destruction of the Aquarium Car, Boki received months of treatment from Headwood in secret for his severe frostbite, including a variant of the cold treatment. After learning of Josie's side effect of loss of sensation, Headwood managed to upgrade the treatment so that Boki's treatment left him impervious to pain. He was also apparently mute and fully loyal to Wilford, although a hard blow to the head was still able to knock Boki unconscious even if he couldn't feel pain anymore. Wilford called Boki "our finest Breachman yet. Ready for the field. No suit required."
A year later, Boki had recovered his ability to speak and was apparently no longer brainwashed to be loyal to Wilford. Headwood was also continuing his skin graft treatments while Alexandra Cavill utilized Boki's cold resistance to help her with her study of New Eden's warm spot. After getting shot by Ace of Spades, Boki feels nothing as Doctor Pelton dug around for the bullet, revealing that he could actually still feel some pain, but not much anymore. Boki expressed regret about this as he preferred to feel pain which was important and told people when something was wrong. Boki was later able to enter a car that had been purposefully breached in multiple places and seal the holes without being harmed at all by the extreme temperatures.
Joseph Wilford[]
While at the Silo, Wilford has Headwood give him the cold treatment as well using Josie and Liana's blood as a part of it. A side effect is dizzy spells, blurry vision, and he also appears to be experiencing numbness as Wilford doesn't notice a large cut on his hand until Wolf points it out.
When taken to a frozen level by Anton Milius, Wilford at first begins to freeze over, before the effects of the treatment kick in and cause Wilford to thaw out almost instantly. Wilford is then able to breach Milius' protective suit to kill him with the freezing air while Wilford himself is unharmed. Wilford is also able to board Snowpiercer from the outside without any trouble.
Appearances[]
- Season 2
- Season 4