Before acquiring superhuman abilities, Carl Creel led a violent life, first as a boxer and later as a ruthless criminal. During his incarceration; Creel, already known as “Crusher”, was granted extraordinary powers by the Norse god Loki, who intended to use him as a pawn against his brother, Thor. As the Absorbing Man, Creel clashed repeatedly with Thor before eventually crossing paths with the Hulk.
Creel’s first encounter with the Hulk occurred after Odin hurled him into space. While drifting, Creel seized control of a comet and directed it toward Earth. Bruce Banner launched in a rocket to divert the threat, unaware that Creel had stowed away. When Creel attacked, Banner was forced to transform into the Hulk. The savage Hulk, unable to comprehend the nature of Creel’s absorption abilities, was quickly overpowered as Creel absorbed his strength. The Absorbing Man was ultimately defeated, however, when he continued absorbing power as the Hulk reverted to Banner while holding a massive boulder. Unable to maintain the boulder’s weight, Creel absorbed the properties of the rock itself, but the effort proved insufficient, and he shattered beneath the strain.
Following additional battles with Thor, Creel was approached by the enigmatic beings known as They Who Wield Power and offered another opportunity to kill the Hulk. He accepted eagerly, but once again his powers led to his defeat. Thrown from a building during the fight, Creel attempted to absorb the structure’s steel, but instead grasped glass and shattered upon impact. Fleeing the country with a hostage, he was confronted by the Avengers. In a desperate escape, Creel absorbed the properties of ocean water. Unable to control this form, he was swept out to sea, his body and mind nearly dispersed, leaving him deeply unbalanced.
Creel eventually washed ashore on Easter Island, paranoid and unstable. The Hulk arrived there soon after, having swum for days following an adventure in Japan, and reverted to Banner upon reaching land. Creel encountered Banner and, in his delusion, believed him to be one of the mysterious enemies who had opposed him in the past. Taking Banner captive, Creel inadvertently triggered another transformation into the Hulk. Attempting to overwhelm his foe, the Absorbing Man tried to absorb the entire island but was struck mid-transformation and sent airborne. The shock fractured his already fragile sanity, leaving him floating in the sea and gradually transforming into an island himself. After eventually recovering, Creel returned to the United States, where he was defeated by the Dazzler.
Creel was later among the villains abducted by the Beyonder and transported to Battleworld during the events known as the Secret Wars. There, he met Titania, who would later become his wife. Upon returning to Earth, the pair joined Baron Zemo’s Masters of Evil, battled Spider-Man, and temporarily seized Avengers Mansion before being expelled by the Avengers.
During the period when the Hulk operated in Las Vegas as “Mr. Fixit,” Creel was hired to eliminate him. Their battle raged through a casino and culminated at the Hoover Dam. Creel absorbed the dam’s electrical energy but was tricked into striking water while in his energized state. To avoid electrocution, he immediately absorbed concrete instead, only to be shattered moments later by the Hulk.
After suffering repeated defeats at the hands of heroes such as Quasar, Thor, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and even Speedball, Creel attended what proved to be a fraudulent invitation to the wedding of Rick and Marlo Jones. Wearied by constant failure, he attempted to abandon crime, though Titania remained deeply committed to villainy. The couple encountered Thunderstrike on several occasions; some hostile, some amicable and developed a mutual respect. Creel later paid his respects at Thunderstrike’s grave. One of the most significant moments of Creel’s life followed when he married Titania in a ceremony attended by fellow supervillains.
Creel’s efforts at reform were short-lived. Constant suspicion from law enforcement and mounting frustration drove him back to crime. He was recruited by the New World Order to confront the Hulk, now empowered by Apocalypse as the Horseman War. Creel was utterly outmatched and defeated with unprecedented ease. Around this time, he battled numerous heroes—including She-Hulk, Daredevil, the Fantastic Four, and Captain America; sometimes for hire, sometimes for no reason beyond criminal impulse, and was defeated each time.
Creel’s life darkened further when Titania developed cancer. Unable to seek legitimate medical treatment without risking arrest and lacking the means to pay for care, Creel resorted to kidnapping a doctor and once again clashed with Thor. Ultimately, he allowed Titania to receive proper treatment. Later, when Thor relocated Asgard to Earth and began forcibly correcting humanity’s perceived failures, Creel became one of his most loyal followers.
Following a temporal anomaly, Creel was imprisoned in a facility that nullified his absorption powers. Prolonged isolation led him to develop a new ability: control over others’ minds. Using this power, he took a hostage and compelled the Hulk to retrieve his physical body from prison. When the two fought again, Creel, now exercising unprecedented control over his abilities and defeated the Hulk. His victory was short-lived, however, as he was tricked into possessing the mind of a corpse. His abandoned body decayed, ending the confrontation.
Creel was ultimately incarcerated at the Pym Experimental Penitentiary Number One, known as the Big House, a miniaturized prison designed to contain supervillains.
WEAPONS: The Absorbing Man's prison ball
and chain, which he was wearing at the time of his original
transformation, magically possesses the same properties of
transformation as his body, providing he is in contact with
them.
NOTE: Information was collected frob The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Deluxe Edition (Volume 2, No. 1, August 1985). Updated from The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Hulk 2004
