Carl Creel

**Carl Creel**(*Absorbing Man*) was raised in the Bronx with an encouraging mother who always told Creel to set expectations for himself. Following the death of his mother at a young age, Creel's father became abusive but still managed to teach him about being an automotive mechanic. Eventually, Creel found the strength to fight back when he was sixteen, for which his father kicked him out of their home. From then on, Creel was forced to live on the streets and turned to a life of crime, breaking into houses and cars, as well as discovering his talent for boxing. Boxing offered Creel an opportunity to let out his anger for the death of his mother and relationship with his father. His aggressiveness earned him the nickname of "Crusher Creel."

Creel's attitude caught the attention of the local criminal element, leading him to become an enforcer for the Owl's men. Creel felt remorseful for the innocent people hurt during shakedowns, but felt stopping was beyond his control.

After being arrested and serving time in prison for aggravated assault and extortion, Creel was selected by Loki, the Asgardian God of Mischief, as his unwitting agent in a scheme against Thor, the Asgardian God of Thunder. By adding an enchanted potion composed of rare Asgardian herbs to Creel's water, Loki granted the brutal convict a bizzare power he hoped would enable him to defeat Thor.

## Relatives

* Mary MacPherran (wife)
* Jerry Sledge (son)
* Rockwell Davis (cousin)

## Abilities

### Special abilities

   **Omnimorph duplication:** Creel possesses the ability to bodily duplicate the physical properties of anything he touches or that touches him at will. This power extends to both animate and inanimate objects and certain forms of energy. The matter of Creel's body and physiology magically change so that his body actually becomes composed of the matter or energy with which he is making contact. While he is in this altered state, he still possesses his sentience despite the fact that his brain has been transformed into a new material. Among the more ordinary materials he has been transformed into include steel, stone, wood, and glass. More unusual have been his transformations into water, fire, snow, and silk. His most powerful transformations have been into energy states, such as cosmic, nuclear, thermal, or light.

Creel has learned through practice to only absorb the properties of objects that he wishes to absorb. Originally, he could be tricked into absorbing the properties of objects that would render him vulnerable. There appears to be no time limit as to how long he can retain a given property. When he is rendered unconscious or in a coma, he retains the form which he last consciously assumed. There also does not appear to be a minimum amount of time he must remain in one form before assuming another; he can even become more than one substance at once.

### Weaknesses

**Non-solid absorption:** Though he can absorb almost all kinds of matter and energy, Creel has trouble maintaining a stable physical body if the material itself is not a solid state and will likely fuse and dissipate with the material.

**Narcotic absorption:** Creel will automatically take on the properties of any narcotics he ingests, giving him an even greater high. However, while in this state he is highly vulnerable as any user would be. While in a narcotic state, Creel has been reduced to a powder and sold to others. Those who ingest the narcotics made from Creel's body will temporarily gain his powers and absorb the properties of whatever they are touching at the time.

**Magic:** Though he can, and has, absorb any kind of supernatural and cosmic energy, Creel is not immune to spells and can be affected by experienced magic users. Loki managed to forge a sword that temporarily stripped Creel of his absorbing powers.

**Absorption limit:** Once Creel has 'discarded' a substance that he has absorbed, he cannot manifest it again without contact with the material. This was a particular problem during a confrontation with Thor where Creel absorbed the mystic vortex that was being used against him and was trapped in another dimension until he was rescued.

## Equipment

### Weapons

**Ball and chain:** Creel possesses a ball and chain which he was wearing at the time of his original transformation. This ball and chain somehow possesses the same properties as his body, providing that Creel is in contact with it.