The Ice Armor suits were constructed to protect Batman, Robin and Batgirl from the freeze blasts of Victor Fries. They may also help keep body temptature up in a cold environment. The silver pieces are presumably made out of the same material that the Bathammer hull is composed of, to reflect ice blasts.
History
Creation
Bruce created these special silver plates to place on his costumes to protect against Mr. Freeze's weaponry.
Battle on Ice
Batman, Robin and Batgirl first introduced the suits to travel to the Gotham Observatory in their anti-ice vehicles to stop Mr. Freeze and Bane from having Gotham frozen. Batman with the Bathammer, Robin with the Batskiff, and Batgirl on the Batblade. After battling one of Mr Freeze's Snowy Cones Thugs who was piloting the Freezemobile. Batman, Robin and Batgirl arrived at the Observatory.
Batting Mr. Freeze and Bane
Batman, Robin and Batgirl used the suits at the Observatory to battle Freeze and Bane.
While Batman uses his Grapple Gun and Batheater. Robin and Batgirl use the birdhammer and Batarang to leap across long distances. Batgirl and Robin also use Grapple Guns.
Batgirl and Robin also have laser guns. Robin uses his Birdlaser which he used earlier to save Batman and Batgirl has her own Batlaser
They later defeated Bane by disconnecting the tubing to his helmet for his venom changing him back to the scrawny man he was.
When Batman tries to save the two scientists who were falling with the telescope after Freeze blew up the floor of the Observatory he asks them to grab on to his belt which they do while he fires his Wrist Grapples to the supports of the building while they held on to him thus saving them and allowing the Telescope to fall and destroy harmlessly on the ground below.
Batgirl and Robin also worked together to thaw out Gotham.
Batman later shows Freeze one of his video recordings of Poison Ivy during her fight with Batgirl where she reveals that she was responsible for pulling the plug on his wife Nora's cryo chamber.
Removal before saving Alfred
When the ice armor plates were removed the Sonar and Robinsuits looked as they normally did, suggesting that these were not actually full new suits of armors, just temporary paneled upgrades.
Back at Wayne Manor, Bruce was back in his ordinary Sonar Batsuit, having removed the cowl and silver ice armor in a rush to putting the cure into Alfred's IV. Dick and Barbara were also out their ice armor but Dick was also still wearing his Robinsuit san silver plating while Barbara was sweating and in civilian clothing watching Alfred sleeping.
Behind the Scenes
Design
Tim Burgard designed a radically different silver ice armor costume for Batgirl.
Ingrid Ferrin, Robert Turturice and Bob Ringwood (before he was fired and banned from the set by Joel Schumacher) oversaw the design and construction of the silver costumes. The art department offered many variations. Jose Fernandez was again the primary designer and sculptor.
Merchandising
A special Guardians of Gotham City two-pack was released in the toyline, featuring the silver ice armor.
A two pack in the toyline called Guardians of Gotham City was based on Batman & Robin's ice armor. The ice armor costumes have yet to appear on any modern merchandise.
Trivia
- After leaving Poison Ivy's Turkish Bath hideout, Bruce, Barbara and Dick are never shown going back to the Batcave to change out of their original suits to dress in their upgraded costumes. But it could be assumed that they heard that the Gotham Observatory was frozen by Mr. Freeze and that they realized that they need armor to keep up their body temperature.
- George Clooney suffered a broken ankle while playing basketball while filming Batman & Robin. Because of this he would cut off the left boot of the 4th generation Batsuit to wear a cast. But when he filmed the climax with the Arctic Suit he had since recovered from the injury.