Did Marvel Just Introduce A New Red Hulk?

Few things can stop the Immortal Hulk, but there’s a new opponent on the scene that is giving him a run for his money, and Marvel fans will be quite familiar with him.

Spoilers incoming for Immortal Hulk #9 incoming, so if you haven’t read it yet you’ve been warned.

Carl Creel is known by many as the Absorbing Man, but while he’s infamous he isn’t exactly sporting a winning record against Marvel’s heroes, especially the Hulk. He tells the doctors as much when he is brought to Shadow Base after he agrees to hear out their offer when they call him one of Hulk’s greatest enemies, but they tell him he could with their help.

They play a bit on Creel’s pride and eventually get him to listen to the rest of their pitch, which includes Dr. Jeff Clive. Clive introduces Creel to the Bannerman Gene-Enhancement Package, or as it is more commonly known the “Hulk Plug-In”. Creel has some reservations about injecting it into his system, especially since someone else was put in a coma by it, but he is ultimately convinced.

After the process though he is turned Red as a side effect, and Dr. Clive shows off what the serum did to his already impressive abilities, essentially allowing him to absorb gamma energy to extreme degrees. The team then sends him in against the Hulk, and Hulk doesn’t think much of his new opposition at first. That is, until Hulk, punches him and comes away with a think and painful hand as a result.

Creel then starts working him over with his ball and chain, tangling Hulk’s arm up and draining his energy, shriveling Hulk’s body in the process. Hulk eventually gets him off and tries to regroup, but he’s a shadow of his former self. Creel has the upper hand but before he can capitalize Creel meets a spirit in his mind, one that tells him he’s “a creature of sin” and that “the oldest sin. The sin of pride. It’s a killer, and it comes before the fall.”

When next we see Creel, he is literally split apart as both halves of his body are falling towards the ground and his spine and skull are the only things left standing. We’re not really sure if he’s alive or dead, but we definitely want to find out.

You can check out the spoiler images above.

Immortal Hulk #9 is written by Al Ewing and is drawn by Joe Bennett and Martin Simmonds. The official description is included below.

“Carl Creel was just trying to live. But sometimes trying isn’t enough. Now, to save the life he built for himself — and maybe everything else — Carl Creel has to do the impossible. The Absorbing Man has to kill the IMMORTAL HULK.”

Immortal Hulk #9 is in comic stores now.