Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Who Is The Absorbing Man?

Tonight’s premiere of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. introduces The Absorbing Man to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Absorbing Man has a long history in Marvel Comics, so read on to learn about him.

Carl “Crusher” Creel was your common criminal before he got pulled into Asgardian business. The ex-boxer was secretly given a magic potion by Loki, so that the God of Mischief could use him as a tool in his ongoing conflicts with his brother, Thor.

After drinking the potion, Creel found that he had the ability to absorb the properties of any substance, even a living one, that he touched, and thus dubbed him The Absorbing Man. Absorbing Man used his power to break out of prison and actually won a fight with Thor himself. Of course, Thor won the rematch by using magic to turn Creel’s absorbed elements into a gaseous form, causing Creel to lose his human form.

Loki put his minion back together in order to enlist his aid in storming Asgard, but Odin simply teleported Creel into space. He hitched a ride back home on a comet and got into a fight with the Hulk, which he lost. Creel would continue to find himself battling the Hulk and Thor on many occasions, always losing, usually as the result of being tricked into absorbing a weaker element or property.

At one point, Absorbing Man would grow tired of continually getting his butt kicked by superheroes. He threw himself into the ocean, absorbed the properties of water, and drifted to Easter Island. His long period of being a liquid left his mind damaged and made him paranoid about anyone with superpowers, which eventually drew him out of solicitude and back into conflict with the Hulk.

Creel would later return to a life of crime full time, alongside his lover Titania. The two make a point of keeping a low profile, engaging in no greater villainy that simple bank robberies. Beyond that, they’re happy to simply live life together. Unfortunately, the superpowered life sometimes draw them back in, like when they were both given hammers of The Worthy by The Serpent during Fear Itself.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. returns for Season 2 tonight at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.