Absorbing Man (Marvel)
Real Name: Carl 'Crusher' Creel
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Powers: Creel has the power to absorb the physical properties of anything he touches. For example, if Creel were to touch and hold a piece of titanium steel, the tissues of his body would take on the appearance and properties of titanium. Creel also retains his intellect and capacity for speech regardless of the material he absorbs. The more dense, or durable, the material he absorbs, the stronger Creel is; were Creel to touch a high grade steel structure his strength would be roughly equal to that of the Thing. Creel also has the ability to absorb the same level of physical strength as the character he is touching. This power requires Creel's deliberate concentration, although he has a tendency to accidentally absorb materials he did not intend to. Creel's body can also absorb the properties of great amounts of energy in the same fashion it absorbs the properties of solid materials. Creel has proven able to absorb the mystical energies of Thor's enchanted Uru hammer on multiple occasions.
The ball and chain that he carries is also mystically enchanted, and this power is extended to it. It is essentially an extension of his own body mass at this point. If the Absorbing Man's body is shattered, he has the ability to completely reconstitute his bodily mass without injury to himself, though it may take a great deal of time to do so.
The greatest limitation of the Absorbing Man's powers is his intellect; the Absorbing Man is noticeably unintelligent.
It was shown in a Hulk story that Creel developed the power of absorbing the minds of other people, and possessing their bodies. In that particular story, he was shown unusually smart and cunning. Whether this new power will be retconned or become a permanent addition is not certain yet.
Bio: Mainly an antagonist of Thor, The Absorbing Man was given herbs by the Norse god Loki which, once ingested, gave him the power to absorb the physical properties of anything he touched. (Thus, if he touched a steel wall, his whole body could become as hard as steel, while he could still move, think and speak; his strength also increased to the extent that he could battle such immensely strong heroes of the Marvel pantheon as Thor and the Hulk.) If his body is damaged or shattered while in a non-organic form, he can reconstitute his body, although this takes a great deal of time and effort.
He was in prison at the time of this power transfer, and the heavy ball and chain to which he was attached also magically gained the power. He therefore continued to carry the chain as a kind of mace.
His main weaknesses are his low intelligence, making him relatively easy to outwit, and his power can be turned against him if he is tricked or forced into physical contact with a substance with an undesirably low strength. For instance, when fighting the Hulk once, he made the mistake of breaking glass above him, causing shards to fall on him. When he made contact with a shard, his body turned to glass and the Hulk instantly took advantage of this by punching and shattering his foe.
Creel has absorbed the properties of a number of unusual or unique substances over the course of his criminal career, including adamantium, Captain America's shield, and Quasar's Quantum Bands. He also is known in the comics for transforming into water (One example is when he battled the Eric Masterson Thor in The Mighty Thor #436).
Although Creel is a thug and a villain, he is not wholly heartless, and usually tries to avoid killing innocent bystanders (although he has no qualms about threatening or incapacitating them). In later years, he became romantically involved with fellow supervillain Titania (Mary "Skeeter" McPherran) and the two were eventually married.
The Absorbing Man is highly addicted to narcotics, especially pain killers and cocaine. When he is need of a high he has demonstrated no concern for the safety of others and will work for whatever criminal can supply him with narcotics. Recently, he was tricked into transforming into cocaine and minions operating powerful industrial fans scattered his body in the room he was occupying. His body mass was then collected off of the surfaces and placed into several bags. This all was the doing of The Owl who plans to sell this "Creel cocaine", but after being used as a drug all over New York (all those who used the drug transformed into anything they came in contact with, just like Creel), Creel managed to reform himself but was defeated by Spider-Man and The Avengers.
Notes:
First Appearance: Journey Into Mystery (1952) #114
Other Identities: Greithoth Rocky Davis (Marvel) Favorite Characters:
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View a chronological listing of this character's appearances
Issue Appearances: Age Of Heroes (2010)
Avengers Academy (2010)
Avengers Finale (2005)
Avengers Spotlight (1989)
Avengers Unplugged (1995)
#3 - 'Black Widow & Crystal in Ladies Nite!' #4 - 'The Old Ball and Chain' Avengers/JLA (2003)
#4 - 'The Brave...and the Bold' Black Panther (2009)
Captain America (1968)
#412 - 'Disguise the Limit' Captain America (1998)
Captain Marvel (2002)
Captain Marvel (2012)
Civil War: Battle Damage Report (2007)
Civil War: The Return (2007)
#1 - 'Captains Courageous' Daredevil (1964)
#359 - 'The Devil You Know!' #360 - 'Alone Against the Absorbing Man!' Dark Reign: Lethal Legion (2009)
#1 - 'Lethal Legion: Part 1' #2 - 'Lethal Legion: Part 2' #3 - 'Lethal Legion: Part Three' Dark Reign: The Hood (2009)
Dazzler (1981)
#17 - 'The Angel and the Octopus!' #18 - 'The Absorbing Man Wants You!' #19 - 'Creel... and Inhuman Treatment!' DC gegen Marvel (1996)
DC Versus Marvel/Marvel Versus DC (1996)
#1 - 'DC Versus Marvel/Marvel Versus DC: Round One' Deadpool (1997)
#43 - 'The Menaced Phantom (Or: Deadpool's Last, We Swear, Cosmic Adventure!)' December 2010 Sneak Peeks (2011)
Defenders (2001)
Defenders: From the Marvel Vault (2011)
Der Unglaubliche Hulk Comic-Taschenbuch (1980)
#33 - 'Persönlichkeitskonflikt' #38 - 'Die Rückkehr der Verteidiger' #40 - 'Gespenster aus der Vergangenheit' #41 - 'Lücken Schliessen' #47 - 'Alte Freunde' Die Rächer (1979)
#39 - 'Kam Eine Spinne Des Weges...' Die Spinne Comic-Taschenbuch (1979)
#12 - 'Auf des Messers Schneide' Die Spinne Zweitauflage (1987)
#21 - 'In den Krallen des Spinnen-Robot' #22 - 'Unheil im Wind!' Doomwar (2010)
Fantastic Four (1961)
Fantastic Four (1998)
Fear Itself (2011)
#2 - 'Chapter 2: The Worthy' Fear Itself: The Worthy (2011)
#7 - 'The Mud of Midgard...' From the Marvel Vault (2011)
Guardians Of The Galaxy (1990)
#28 - 'Villains, Villains Everywhere!' #29 - 'Let loose The Dogs Of War!' Hämähäkkimies / Spider-Man (1980)
Hawkeye: Blindspot (2011)
Heroes for Hire (1997)
Heroic Age: Villains (2011)
#1 - 'Heroic Age Villains' House of M: Masters of Evil (2009)
#1 - 'This Thing of Ours' #2 - 'Unity' #3 - 'Shangri-La' #4 - 'Honor Among Thieves' Hulk (1981)
Infinity Crusade (1993)
Iron Man (1998)
Iron Man 2.0 (2011)
#5 - 'Fear Itself, Part 1' #6 - 'Fear Itself, Part 2' Journey Into Mystery (1952)
L'étonnant Spider-Man (1969)
#178 - 'Pour defier le Beyonder!' #188 - 'Avec de tels ennemis...' L'incroyable Hulk (1968)
#67 - 'Un monstre parmi nous!' #120/121 - 'Rencontre sur l`Ile de Paques' Le Puissant Thor (1972)
#16 - 'Le pouvoir de l'Absorbeur!' #18 - 'L'epee de feu!' #45 - 'Qui guette au-dela du labyrinthe?' #46 - 'Une vie a donner!' Marvel 1985 (2008)
#4 - 'Small-Town Mutie' #6 - 'Nuff Said!' Marvel Comics Presents (1988)
Marvel Exklusiv (1998)
#9 - 'Marvel Super Heroes: Secret Wars' Marvel Heroes (2008)
Marvel Holiday Special (1991)
Marvel Knights Spider-Man (2004)
#13 - 'Wild Blue Yonder, Part 1 of 6' #14 - 'Wild Blue Yonder, Part 2 of 6' #15 - 'Wild Blue Yonder, Part 3 of 6' #16 - 'Wild Blue Yonder, Part 4 of 6' #17 - 'Wild Blue Yonder, Part 5 of 6' #18 - 'Wild Blue Yonder, Part 6 of 6' Marvel Saga: The Official History of the Marvel Universe (1985)
#21 - 'Book XXI: The Struggle for Power!' Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars (1984)
#1 - 'The Wars Begins' #2 - 'Prisoners of War!' #3 - 'Tempest Without, Crisis Within' #4 - 'Situation: Hopeless' #5 - 'The Battle Of Four Armies' #5 (Secret Wars Comic Pack) - 'The Battle Of Four Armies' #6 - 'A Little Death...' #7 - 'Berserker!' #8 - 'Invasion!' #9 - 'Assault on Galactus!' #10 - 'Death to the Beyonder' #11 - '.. And Dust To Dust' #12 - '...Nothing to Fear...' Marvel Super-Heroes (1990)
Marvel Tales (1964)
#291 - 'With Foes Like These...' Marvel Treasury Edition (1974)
#5 - 'The Hulk on the Rampage!' Marvel Universe vs. The Avengers (2012)
#1 - 'Powerless' #3 - 'Insatiable' Marvel Universe: The End (2003)
Marvel Valentine Special (1997)
Marvel: The Year-in-Review (1989)
#1 - '1989 The Year in Review' Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z (2008)
Peter Parker: Unemployed (2010)
Punisher War Journal (2007)
#4 - 'Small Wake For a Tall Man' Quasar (1989)
#5 - 'The Absorption Principle' Secret Warriors (2009)
Secret Wars (1985)
#1 - 'Empieza la Guerra' #2 - 'Prisioneros de Guerra' #3 - '¡Tempestad externa, crisis interna!' #4 - '¡Situación desesperada!' #6 - 'Una pequeña muerte' #11 Secret Wars II (1985)
#7 - 'Charge of the Dark Brigade!' She-Hulk (2004)
#5 - 'The Big Picture, Part 1: More Than a Handful' #6 - 'The Big Picture, Part 2: Minor Complications' #10 - 'Skeeter' She-Hulk (2005)
#22 - 'Jaded: Episode 1' #23 - 'Jaded: Episode 2' Spider-Man & The Secret Wars (2010)
Spider-Man Unlimited (2004)
Startling Stories: The Thing - Night Falls on Yancy Street (2003)
#2 - 'Night Falls on Yancy Street, Part 2' The Amazing Spider-Man (1963)
#273 - 'To Challenge The Beyonder!' #283 - 'With Foes Like These...' #429 - 'The Price!' #628 - 'Vengeance is Mine!/Brother, Can You Spare a Crime?' #642 The Astonishing Spider-Man (2007)
#46 - 'The War At Home!' #58 - 'The Final Battle!' The Avengers (1963)
Annual 19 - 'Terminus Factor, Stage 5: Beat Me in St. Louis' Annual 20 - 'Of Moles & Mutates' #183 - 'The Redoubtable Return of Crusher Creel!' #184 - 'Death on the Hudson!' #270 - 'Wild in the Streets!' #273 - 'Rites of Conquest' #275 - 'Even a God Can Die!' #276 - 'Revenge' The Incredible Hulk (1968)
Annual 16Annual 18 - 'The Return of the Defenders Part 1' #125 - '...And Now, The Absorbing Man!' #208 - 'A Monster In Our Midst!' #209 - 'The Absorbing Man Is Out For Blood!!' #261 - 'Encounter on Easter Island!' #347 - 'Crapshoot' #348 - 'Job Security' #418 - 'We Are Gathered Here' #457 - 'Of Course You Realise This Means War' The Incredible Hulk (2000)
#55 - 'Hide In Plain Sight, Part 1' #56 - 'Hide In Plain Sight, Part 2: Inside Out' #57 - 'Hide In Plain Sight, Part 3: A Mind of His Own' #58 - 'Hide In Plain Sight, Part 4: Brain Dead' #59 - 'Hide In Plain Sight, Part 5' #100 - 'Planet Hulk: Allegiance Part 1' The Irredeemable Ant-Man (2006)
#12 - 'The End is the Beginning' The Marvel Encyclopedia (2006)
The Mighty Avengers (2007)
#32 - 'The Real Deal' #33 - 'Deus Ex Machinations' #35 - 'Heir Apparent' The Mighty Thor (2011)
#8 - 'The Mighty Tanarus 1: Lost' #9 - 'The Mighty Tanarus 2: The Walk' The Mighty World Of Marvel (2009)
#23 - 'Norman Osborn: Master Of The Cosmic Cube!' The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (1983)
#1 - 'A: From Abomination to Avengers Quinjet' The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition (1985)
#1 - 'Abomination to Batroc's Brigade' The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Hulk 2004 (2004)
The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Master Edition (1990)
The Savage Hulk (1996)
Thor (1966)
Thor (1998)
#14 - 'Hammer Time!' #25 - 'The Final Morning' #26 - 'Home' #27 - 'The Forsaken' #55 - 'Reason' #56 - 'Resistance' #83 - 'Ragnarok, Part the Fourth' Thor: Blood Oath (2005)
Thunderstrike (1993)
What If? Secret Wars (2009)
#1 - 'What if... Doctor Doom Kept the Beyonder's Power?' What If...? (1989)
#1 - 'What If the Avengers Had Lost The Evolutionary War?' #114 - 'Brave New World' Wolverine (1988)
#164 - 'The Hunted, Part Three' Wolverine (2003)
Wolverine: Wendigo! (2010)
X-Factor (1986)
#204 - 'Second Coming: Revelations' X-O Manowar/Iron Man: In Heavy Metal (1996)
#1 - 'Heavy Metal, Part 1: The Reality Alchemists' Group Affiliation(s): Frightful Four (Marvel) Hood's Criminal Syndicate Masters of Evil (Marvel) Famous Quotes: - Add a Famous Quote None.
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