Carl "Crusher" Creel, the Absorbing Man
As he is
described in Incredible Hulk #125: "A creature who was once
known as "Crusher" Creel public enemy...proven
murderer...escaped convict." Creel's position has soften a
little over the years (he even went straight for a bit), and as
with all Marvel muscle the longer he is around the less serious
he's taken. Creel has defeated Thor numerous times, and
physically beaten the Hulk. Coupled with Titania, his wife, the
two are a force to be reckoned with.
Appearances in Chronological Order
Daredevil: Yellow #1- flashback- Carl “Crusher” Creel is supposed to face Battlin’ Jack Murdock for a shot at the heavyweight title. Battlin’ Jack’s new manager is known as the “Fixer”, and coincidentally he has beaten his last ten opponents despite their much younger ages. Inside the ring, Creel hits Murdock with an uppercut and knocks him to the ground. Fixer is telling Murdock to stay down, and that all his other fights with him have been fixed as well. Murdock refuses to take a dive and starts to get back up. Creel tells him to stay down or he is just gonna kill him. Murdock gets up and floors Creel with a right. Murdock wins the fight, but is killed by mob underlings for not throwing the fight.
Thor annual #2-In one of the funnier appearances Odin's signal that the Tournament of Titans has begun flies past a seemingly frozen Loki and Absorbing Man. Absorbing Man asks Loki what the signal means, and Loki essentially tells him to shut up.
Thor #206-207-Loki appears on Earth and frees Absorbing Man from the mountain of rocks he was under. A voice in his head tells Creel he must find and kill Thor. While he waits for Thor to show up and stop his rampage Creel easily defeats Sif, and her friend Hildegarde. Loki, under mortal disguise, gains admittance and control over Tom Fagan's house. Creel beats Thor and leaves to find the voice in his head, who turns out to be, of course, Loki. Thor, Sif, and Hildegarde go to Tom's Halloween party. Creel jumps Thor. He absorbs Thor's hammer and punches the ground so hard he causes an earthquake. As Creel goes to finish Thor off Thor grabs Creel's foot and throws him. Thor manages to throw Creel into a lake as he is changing. Creel turns into water and can't continue the fight. Loki is later defeated by Thor when Thor summons lightning and thunder and blinds Loki.
Thor #235-236-Absorbing Man figures out how to get the advantage over Thor. He sneaks up behind Thor, while he is distracted over Jane Foster's sickbed, and touches Thor's hammer. Creel beats Thor unconscious. and then goes about destroying the city. When Thor regains consciousness he starts the fight up again with Crusher, however it's still evident that Absorbing Man is too much for Thor to handle. Thor runs and Absorbing Man chases him into a department store. Then Creel takes Thor's hammer from him and for some reason absorbs it again. This time though it's a rubber hammer and Thor traps Creel in a cardboard box (?) Creel is taken to jail that way because he is cardboard now and can't break out of the box. I don't know why Creel didn't turn back to human and leave the box, or become air and float out of the box but that's that.
Avengers #183-184-Absorbing Man decides to ditch the country since he is tired of the "persecution" he gets from heroes. He kidnaps a woman named Sandy Herkowitz for companionship. The Avengers won't let him leave and a fight breaks out. Absorbing Man holds his own, overcharging Iron Man's armor and at one point even absorbs Captain America's shield. When Creel sees Sandy he gets distracted and lets it go. Creel grabs Sandy and runs for the dock, but his ship is already gone. Creel then absorbs Vision's power, but since he can't control the power he phases through the docks and tries to swim for it. When Ms. Marvel tries to grab him Creel absorbs and turns into water.
Marvel Comics Presents #160-actually takes place during Avengers #184 as Creel is battling the Avengers
Dazzler #17-19-Creel recalls how settlers who sailed to him woke him up by starting a fire on him. The settlers worshipped Crusher as the 'island spirit'. Eventually though Creel got bored so he came back to the states looking for Dazzler. He had planned to use Dazzler as a hostage, but after witnessing her accidentally use a weapon Reed Richards designed for her powers he decides to also take the weapon (thinking it was the danger and not her powers). Dazzler shows Creel her powers not realizing that all she would accomplish is making Crusher powered up. Creel decides he no longer needs to worry about Dazzler and goes off to kill the Avengers with his new power. Dazzler can't contact the Avengers to warn them so she tries the Fantastic Four. When the FF can't be reached by phone she decides to go there in person. The Four aren't there but Dazzler manages to contact and get help from Black Bolt. Black Bolt has an idea. He screams directly at Dazzler who converts the awesome sound into power. This intensely powerful light shorts out Creel's power and knocks him out. Again I'm not sure why Creel doesn't absorb this new power also, but there you go.
Marvel Super-heroes Secret Wars #1-3, Thor #383, and Marvel Super-heroes Secret Wars #4-12-Absorbing Man, along with several other villain such as Dr. Doom, Wrecker and the Wrecking Crew, Doctor Octopus, and Ultron, are abducted by the Beyonder to fight a group of super-heroes for the ultimate prize of everything they desire. In issue three Creel meets Titania for the first time. She figures him to be the toughest guy there and wants to beat him up. Creel won't fight saving it for the heroes. In issue seven Wolverine chops Creel's cement arm off. Creel attaches it later on as he turns back to human form. Then with Titania and the entire Wrecking Crew, Creel helps beat She-Hulk unconscious and to near death. In eight Creel is sneak attacked and knocked out by Spider-Woman and captured by the heroes. He is later freed and hangs with the other villains on the Beyonder's world. Molecule Man decides it is time to go home and transports the section of Denver from the Beyonder's world back to Earth.
Secret Wars II #7- In a bar Absorbing Man and Titania strike a deal with Mr. Bitterhorn to assist in Mephisto’s plan to kill the Beyonder. Mephisto sends out his legions of lackeys, but when they get there the Thing (who was separately contacted by Mephisto to kill Beyonder) has second thoughts as starts to protect the Beyonder. Mephisto’s power boost to the Thing allows his to hold his own against all the villains. Thing grabs the Absorbing Man. Absorbing Man absorbs Thing’s power, but that is what Thing was counting on. He throws Creel into the villains attacking from the air. The villains fail.
Amazing Spider-man #283-Laguardia airport. The two are supposed to contact the newest recruit to the Masters of Evil. Titania freaks out when she sees Spider-Man and starts throwing cars around. The two can't meet the contact and start fighting with Spider-Man. When Spider-Man floors Creel it breaks Titania's irrational fear of Spider-Man and she goes to defend her man. Creel wakes up during their fight and forces Spider-Man to leave by threatening to throw a plane full of passengers.
Thor #375-376-
Loki uses magic to convince Thor that ordinary people
are big time villains. Thor first encounters the Man-Beast, but
with one blow Man-Beast hits the ground and reverts back to a
human. Thor has a similar encounter with the Wrecker. So when
Thor runs into Absorbing Man he is wary to fight too hard for
fear of harming another regular person. This, however, is the
real Absorbing Man, so when he sees what he thinks is the real
Titania get her neck snapped by Thor he freaks out. Thor is
weakened by his broken arm he just got a cast from Tony Stark
for, so Thor runs from Absorbing Man to a place where he has more
advantage. Absorbing Man manages to touch Thor's hammer. Thor
prepares to escape using the teleporting part of his hammer.
Creel absorbs this as well not realizing what it was. Creel
accidentally teleports himself into an alternate dimension.
Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #348- flashback- Creed notices that the animal he killed for lunch regrew its meat and ran away. He noticed that his stubble would disappear too. Creel realized time ran both ways in this dimension. Creel just waited around long enough and was transported back to earth. Creel mourns the death of Titania that he mistakenly believes.
Quasar #5-Creel manages to put himself together again inside the water from the fight with Hulk. Loki appears before him and suggests he trade up sparing partners. Loki then does something to Creel's ball and chain that allows him to fly the way Thor does by throwing his ball and chain and holding on. Creel goes to the plant where they make adamantium. He keeps a piece inside his pocket. Flying attracts Quasar's attention who traps Creel in an energy bubble. As he takes Creel to the Vault Creel touches the adamantium and bursts free. Later in the fight Creel grabs one of Quasar's quantum-bands that contain Quasar's energy power. Quasar decides the only way to stop Creel is to overload him. Quasar keeps shooting power into Absorbing Man until he explodes, leaving his ball and chain behind.
Avengers Spotlight #27-Seen in one panel having the fight seen more in Quasar #5
MISTAKEN APPEARANCE:Avengers Spotlight #29-seen going back to jail, which is odd considering the events of Thor #436
MISTAKEN APPEARANCE:Avengers Annual #20-Absorbing Man goes looking for revenge against Thor. When he spots him Thor is with a boy and his father, who is dying of cancer. Creel assumes when it's said there is "something inside" the man that it is a superpower. Creel absorbs the cancer curing the father.
Thor #436-Creel's ball goes haywire and flies back to Absorbing Man who appears in a flash of energy from his fight with Quasar. Titania sees him on TV and goes to meet him. Creel begins fighting and realizes that Thor is really Eric Masterson, future Thunderstrike. Creel mocks him and leaves the fight. Thor catches up with Creel and the fight begins again. Creel beats Thor pretty bad, and when Eric finally gets a shot in Titania hits him from behind. Once Creel has Titania back he decides to go easy on Eric and stop the fight.
Thor #447-448-Creel in a rare moment of being "legit" tries to get Thor/Thunderstrike to aid him in scaring Titania straight. Creel plans to have Thor catch them stealing a piece from a museum. Spider-Man catches the two conferencing and thinks Thor has gone bad. When Spidey interferes Creel bolts. The two heroes give chase. Titania finds out that Creel was planning against him and starts pounding him. Creel fakes getting hurt, and Titania rushes to his aid.
Thunderstrike #16- Creel yells at Titania as he stands in a warehouse full of stuff that she has stolen. He starts smashing the stuff around and reminds her that they are on parole. Titania apologizes to Creel, but says that whenever she thinks of “her” it drives her crazy. Creel vows to help Titania get the monkey off her back. Creel makes a call to Avengers mansion and asks for “Sparky- the Lightning Kid”. Creel tells Thunderstrike that he has a deal for him. Thunderstrike helps them set up a fight between She-Hulk and Titania. She-Hulk and Thunderstrike meet with Absorbing Man and Titania at the Delacorte Theater. Creel says that as a gesture of good will he left his ball and chain at home. They decide to fight, but Thunderstrike doesn’t want to do it there. Creel allows Thunderstrike to teleport them somewhere to fight, however Stellaris, a friend of Thunderstike’s who doesn’t seem to understand to well, followed them there and also jumps into the vortex. Creel freaks when he sees Stellaris and thinks that he has been set up. Creel leaps at Stellaris and Thunderstrike while Titania punches She-Hulk. Stellaris blasts Creel with her energy, but Creel just absorbs it and blasts her back with it. Thunderstrike blasts the ground Creel is standing on and sends him falling. Creel climbs back up in time to see Titania landing on Thunderstrike. Creel figures that they better get out of there so he grabs Stellaris to power up, but he has some sort of mental breakdown when he can’t figure out what she is.
Guardians of the Galaxy #28-With Titania joins Doctor Octopus version of the Masters of Evil. Doc Ock wants to invade Avengers Mansion while the heroes are away in the Infinity War. The Guardians are there however and they defeat this very lame version of the Masters of Evil.
Captain America #412-In crowd of hundreds of super-villains watching a fight between The General and Crossbones (who is really Cap in disguise)
Marvel Super-Heroes Summer 1993-Absorbing Man steals a car and drives to a town. He crashes a night club. Some of the locals recognize him from "Felons Most Wanted". Eventually Speedball shows up. Creel absorbs his power but can't control it and is taken into custody.
Hulk annual #19- behind the scenes- Titania tells Gargantua and Abomination to hurry up and find the Hulk because she promised Absorbing Man that she wouldn’t be gone long.Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #418- Absorbing Man and a few other villains show up with invitations to the Rick Jones/ Marlo Chandler wedding. Hulk defers to Rick’s decision. Rick says to get more chairs. It is revealed later that the Impossible Man sent the phony invitations.
Infinity Crusade #3- Influenced by the Goddess, who is sending out telepathic transmissions for repentence, Creel makes his way to the Avengers' compound to surrender himself. Maybe Creel was effected most easily since he was obviously thinking along those lines anyway.
Avengers Unplugged #3
Avengers Unplugged #4-Absorbing Man and Titania get
married. She-Hulk stumbles upon the wedding and thinks it's a
gathering of super-villains who plan to do evil. Jen shows up
with the Avengers. All the bad guys fight the good guys until the
good guys see that the gathering is only a wedding. The heroes
leave mad at She-Hulk for wasting their time. It's particularly
funny when the best man, the Wrecker, asks Creel if he is
marrying Titania because there's an Absorbing Jr. on the way.
Thor #490- Thor runs into Crusher Creel aat the grave of Thunderstrike. Thor freaks out and jumps Crusher. Creel tells Thor to mind his own business. Thor freaks further when Creel keeps calling Thunderstrike "Sparky" because he views it as a slight. Creel tries to explain his genuine like for Sparky. Thor only believes him when Creel knocks him down next to the flowers he left on Eric Masterson's grave. Creel stops the3 fight out of respect for Sparky and leaves.
Marvel Valentine Special #1- Crusher buys a doll for Titania for Valentine's Day. The doll was from Titania's childhood, and Creel just figured it would be a nice surprise. The cops just assume he is on a crime spree, and while attacking him ruin the doll. Titania, bored from her new life as a law abiding person, sees Creel on the news and goes to join him. Titania lectures Creel about calling her "babe". They escape and Titania just figures that Creel got her "a little excitement" for Valentine's Day as the two pack their bags to renew their life on the run.
Marvel vs DC #1-Absorbing Man looks to be beating on Steel
Daredevil #360-Creel is out for a night on the town. First he attempts to rob the Diamond Exchange. When Daredevil intervenes Creel throws his ball and chain into the wall bringing the wall down on DD. Creel then goes to get a beer, but winds up destroying the bar when he isn't served. Daredevil shows up again. Creel turns to diamond figuring it to be sturdy. Daredevil, however, hits Creel in the exact right spot severing his arm. Daredevil keeps chipping away at Creel until he must surrender in order to put himself together again.
Amazing Spider-Man #429-Needing some cash (after he was
stiffed by the New World Order and Juggernaut) Absorbing Man gets
an idea from a newspaper article featuring the Thunderbolts. He
says he could always spot a good scam (making me wonder if he
knew they were the Masters of Evil). He decides to pose as
super-heroes in order to earn the million dollar bounty on
Spider-Man's head. With Titania they become Lightning Bolt and
Thunder Girl. Norman Osborn recognizes them and calls the police.
A fight with Spider-Man and Daredevil ensues. Creel surrenders
when a large piece of debris falls and hurts Titania.
Heroes for Hire #17- Absorbing Man and Titania decide to hold up Heaven’s Grill, a new upscale restaurant for the elite and celebrities. Creel says that they want their money, and that if they are famous that they are coming with them for ransom. Titania says that this is a stupid idea. Creel says that these people are all rich and that they must have money. The host explains that the really rich all use credit cards, and that the only two celebrities are seated by the ferns. Titania sees She-Hulk and freaks. They charge each other, but She-Hulk’s heel breaks. She-Hulk stumbles and Titania pastes her one. She-hulk kicks off her heels and gets up and decks Titania. Creel is settling in for a good catfight when She-Hulk’s date Luke Cage punches him in the face. Creel absorbs some marble and the fighting begins (why Creel didn't absorb Cage is beyond me). While Creel is fighting Cage he accidentally lets go of his ball and chain. They hit Titania in the back of the head and knock her out. Creel rushes to her side, and She-Hulk and Cage double punch him into unconsciousness.
Fantastic Four vol. 3 #22- She-Hulk sits in Raglan’s Coffee House (and law library) reading a law book when she suddenly looks up to see Titania standing before her. Titania punches She-Hulk out through a wall. As she lands She-Hulk is hit by Crusher. Creel has absorbed the strength of both Titania and now the She-Hulk. Titania grabs She-Hulk and says that she doesn’t mind if Creel puts her on the ropes as long as she is the one that gets to finish her. Titania stuffs some “medicine” down She-Hulk’s throat and tells her that when she wakes up it will be a whole new world. Titania says that she is finally getting even. Later Creel, Titania, and She-Hulk are rampaging. Creel is throwing cars while Titania is spraying the police down with a water main. She-Hulk is throwing police around. The press are snapping lots of photos of She-Hulk working with Titania and Creel. Suddenly Valeria von Doom, Sue Storm’s daughter from another timeline, shows up. She-Hulk asks Titania if she can handle it. Titania says yes so She-Hulk charges her, but She-Hulk is blocked by Valeria’s force field. Valeria decks She-Hulk into a car. Creel tries to hit Valeria with his ball and chain, but Valeria backflips over Titania’s shoulder. She-Hulk lifts up the ground and knocks Valeria down. Thing plows into She-Hulk to stop her. Creel grabs Thing from behind and he pours the same medicine into Thing’s mouth. Thing’s friend Bounty kicks Titania, but Thing comes along and drugs her too. Creel, Titania, She-Hulk, and Thing all team up against Valeria. Suddenly Invisible Woman shows up. They all leap onto her, but somehow Sue manages to beat all four of them together (don’t try to figure out how).
Captain America #24- Cap takes out a group of Hydra who plan on bombing the International Peace Initiative that is being held at the United Nations. Cap goes to check out the bombing and runs into Crossbones. Crossbones introduces his assistant, the Absorbing Man. Creel is left to fight Cap while Crossbones goes on to complete their "primary mission". Creel attacks, but Cap's superior fighting skills keep him one step ahead of Creel. Creel goes from brick to steel, but still Cap is landing all the blows. Creel grabs ahold of an electrical wire. Creel blasts Cap as he becomes current, but Cap hits a water tower with his shield. Creel survives and comes after Cap again. Creel reaches for Cap's shield, but Cap dodges forcing Creel to touch his shoulder through a hole in Cap's suit. Now human Cap lays Creel out with one punch. Creel awakens as Captain America fights Crossbones. Crossbones reveals that Creel didn't know about the bomb. Creel thought it was a heist. Crossbones runs off leaving Cap to deal with the bomb. Creel comes back to finish the job, but Cap manages to convince that he was tricked and that there is a bomb. Creel grabs Cap's shield and absorbs it. He grabs the bomb and absorbs the explosion. Creel drifts off as the smoke from the explosion to get his revenge on Crossbones and Hydra.
Thor #25- Absorbing Man sits by his wife's sickbed upset that despite all his power he is helpless to help the woman he loves. Creel has no insurance so Titania is getting thrown out, and will most likely die.
Deadpool #43- Constrictor thinks he is with Titania when they are about to deliver a truckload of stolen cars to some Mexican pirates. Titania is supposed to be on the roof of the truck unloading the truck when Absorbing Man sends his ball and chain through the windshield. Creel says he has three trailers of Porsches and there are only so many suitcases of money to go around. Constrictor says he doesn't know what Creel and Titania are fighting about, but that they should leave it out of business. Creel says that he doesn't appreciate Constrictor talking about his wife…especially in her condition. Constrictor blasts Creel with his vibranium coils and asks if Titania is pregnant or something. Creel absorbs the coils and blasts Constrictor. Constrictor asks Skeeter what is wrong with Creel, but there's no answer. Creel asks who Constrictor is talking to. Constrictor says Titania, but Creel says Titania is at home in bed. Constrictor pulls a large metal container on top of Creel. Constrictor notices that "Titania" is gone. Creel rips through the container and beats Constrictor senseless (though he apparently gets no money).
Thor vol. 2 #26-
Crusher Creel returns to his incredibly run down
apartment. Crusher wakes up Titania as she lays on a mattress on
the floor. Crusher stole some aspirin, and he gives some to
Titania. Titania tells Creel that she thinks she is going to die.
Titania says that her cancer is rampant now, and she needs a
hospital. Creel says they have no money or insurance besides the
fact that once she enters the hospital they'll arrest her.
Titania starts coughing, and coughs up blood. Creel gets angry
and he swears to get Titania the help she needs. Crusher walks
into Memorial Hospital and asks for whoever is in charge. Hannah
Fairmount says that she handles all admissions. Creel says that
his wife needs a doctor right now. Hannah explains that they
don't make house calls, and that she needs to come in. Creel says
that that won't be possible. He takes off his coat and hat. He
slams his ball and chain against the floor. He grabs Jane Foster
by the arm. She scratches his face as Dr. Keith Kincaid, Jane's
husband, leaps at Creel. Creel throws Jane over his shoulder as
he hits Keith in the face with his ball and chain. He says if the
money grubbing doctors weren't so greedy this wouldn't be
necessary. Jake Olsen, Thor's human guise, hears about Creel over
the radio. Jake runs to help, but before he can transform to Thor
Crusher knocks him over. Jake gets up and tells Creel to put her
down. Creel says if he knows him he should have known to stay
outta his way. Creel hits Jake with his ball and chain. Dr.
Foster wants to go help Jake, but Creel says the only help he
needs is a mortician's.
Thor vol. 2 #27- Creel keeps Jane Foster over his
shoulder as he walks up to the police blockade. They don't want
to shoot because of his hostage. Creel kicks over a police car,
and then leaps into the sewer. Jake Olsen wakes up from Creel's
hit and takes off after him as Thor. Creel tells Foster to tell
him what she needs and he will go steal it for her. Creel takes
her to their apartment. Foster is stunned and says Titania needs
to be in a hospital now. Creel says they have no insurance and
that the Avengers would just arrest him immediately. Creel tells
Foster that if Titania dies then she dies too. Thor uses Jane
Foster's pager to track her with a gadget from Iron Man. Dr.
Foster gives Creel a list of medical supplies she needs and the
money to buy them. Creel ties Foster's leg with some scrap metal
so she doesn't leave. Once Creel steps outside Thor spots him and
hits it. Thor knocks Creel into the apartment building. Creel
then takes a huge chunk of the building and throws it at Thor.
Thor hits Creel into the building again. The building starts to
fall down. Creel becomes the substance of the building and tries
to hold it up. Thor tries too, but the already slated for
demolition building falls over anyway. Creel gets up and starts
yelling at Thor, but Titania lifts the chunk of the building that
Titania protected Jane Foster under. Creel finally accepts what
has to be done. He hands Titania over to Thor, and promises he
won't run away since Mary is the best thing that ever happened to
him.
Thor vol. 2 #29- behind the scenes- Hannah and Jane Foster discuss the irony that Absorbing Man’s attack on Jane Foster’s husband still has him in a coma while Jane works tirelessly to cure Absorbing Man’s wife Titania of her cancer.
Wolverine #164- Carl “Crusher” Creel is beating the snot out of the now human Hank McCoy while the two of the are in The Cage. Creel punches McCoy and says that one was for when he and his Avengers buddies dumped him in the East River. He asks Beast if he knows how dirty the East River is. McCoy throws a punch, but Creel blocks it and says that he was once almost heavyweight champion of the world. Creel says that he lost his chance fighting Battlin’ Jack Murdock. Creel says that it’s too bad for McCoy that he isn’t him. Wolverine is letting him take the beating because he doesn’t want the others thinking that McCoy is an easy mark, but now Beast has had enough. Creel asks Wolverine if he wants a piece of him and that Creel still owes Wolverine for when he cut his arm off during the Secret Wars. Wolverine says that Creel is lucky that he is wearing restraints that prevent him from popping his claws or he might have proved himself by killing Creel. Wolverine twists Absorbing Man’s arm behind his back and knocks him to the floor (a power-dampening field keeps Creel from using his powers). Wrecker grabs McCoy from behind and tells Wolverine to let Creel go or he is gonna off McCoy. Wrecker holds up a shiv he has designed into a crowbar. Suddenly Warden Montgomery Battle arrives. The warden says, “You again Creel?” The warden gives Creel two weeks in the hole. The guards lead Creel away.
Startling Stories Thing Night Falls on Yancy Street #2
Startling Stories Thing Night Falls on Yancy Street #3
Startling Stories Thing Night Falls on Yancy Street #4
Marvel Knights Spider-Man #13
Marvel Knights Spider-Man #14
Not yet placed
Journey Into Mystery #114
Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #208
Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #348