Jul 1, 1965 CE
First Appearance in Journey into Mystery #114
Carl Creel debuts as a professional boxer who drinks a potion from Loki, gaining the power to absorb the properties of any material he touches. He battles Thor. #marvel #comics
Chronological Storyline (40 Milestones)
Aug 1, 1965 CE
First Battle with Thor
Creel uses his absorption powers to fight Thor, turning into stone and other materials to counter Mjolnir. He is ultimately defeated. #thor #avengers
Mar 1, 1966 CE
Encounters the Hulk
Absorbing Man battles the Hulk in Tales to Astonish #90, showing his power can match the Hulk's strength. #hulk #marvel
Aug 1, 1968 CE
Joins the Masters of Evil
Creel becomes a member of Baron Zemo's Masters of Evil, opposing the Avengers in Avengers #54. #avengers #villains
1969 CE
First Battle with Spider-Man
Absorbing Man fights Spider-Man in The Amazing Spider-Man #80, showcasing his adaptability against webs. #spiderman #marvel
Jun 1, 1970 CE
Appears in Fantastic Four #101
Creel clashes with the Fantastic Four, absorbing the Thing's rocky skin temporarily. #fantasticfour #marvel
Apr 1, 1971 CE
First Appearance of Titania
Mary MacPherran, later Titania, gains powers from Doctor Doom and becomes Creel's future wife in Secret Wars #3 (1984). #titania #villains )
Nov 1, 1972 CE
Absorbs Vibranium
Creel absorbs vibranium for the first time in Daredevil #89, gaining unique properties. #daredevil #vibranium
Sep 1, 1975 CE
Fights the Thing in Marvel Two-in-One #1
Creel battles the Thing as part of a series of villanous encounters. #thing #marvel
Jul 1, 1979 CE
Joins the Lethal Legion
Creel becomes a member of the Lethal Legion in Avengers #189, fighting the Avengers. #avengers #lethallegion
Feb 1, 1981 CE
Appears in Marvel Team-Up #105
Spider-Man and the Human Torch team up to stop Creel. #marvelteamup #spiderman
May 1, 1984 CE
Secret Wars and Marriage to Titania
During Marvel's Secret Wars mini-series, Creel meets Titania and they marry. He battles Spider-Man and the Thing. #secretwars #marriage
Feb 1, 1986 CE
Hulks in Incredible Hulk #323
Creel fights the Hulk again, absorbing radiation to become stronger. #hulk #marvel
Dec 1, 1988 CE
Faces Captain America in Captain America #350
Creel battles Captain America, absorbing his shield's vibranium. #captainamerica #marvel
Jun 1, 1990 CE
Appears in Avengers #300
Absorbing Man is part of a large villain gathering in the 300th issue. #avengers #anniversary
Oct 1, 1991 CE
Darkhawk #1 Cameo
Creel appears in the first issue of Darkhawk, battling the new hero. #darkhawk #marvel
Aug 1, 1993 CE
Thunderstrike #1
Creel fights Thunderstrike (Eric Masterson) in his debut issue. #thunderstrike #marvel
Jul 1, 1996 CE
Heroes Reborn: Avengers #1
Creel appears in the Heroes Reborn universe, reimagined as a criminal. #heroesreborn #avengers
Mar 1, 1998 CE
Starts a Bar Fight in Thor #31
Creel tries to start trouble in a bar but is subdued by Thor. #thor #marvel
Oct 1, 2000 CE
Avengers Infinity #1
Creel appears in the Infinity storyline, fighting the Avengers. #infinity #avengers
Jun 1, 2002 CE
Fights Spider-Man in The Amazing Spider-Man #45
Creel battles Spider-Man again, this time with unique absorbing tactics. #spiderman #marvel
Feb 1, 2004 CE
New Thunderbolts #1
Creel appears as a member of the Thunderbolts under Baron Zemo. #thunderbolts #marvel
Sep 1, 2005 CE
Incredible Hulk #100
Creel absorbs gamma energy and becomes a Hulk-like being temporarily. #hulk #gamma
May 1, 2007 CE
World War Hulk Tie-In
Creel fights the Hulk during the World War Hulk event, showcasing his absorption against an enraged Hulk. #worldwarhulk #hulk
Jun 1, 2009 CE
Dark Reign: The Hood #1
Creel becomes a henchman for the Hood during the Dark Reign storyline. #darkreign #thehood
Nov 1, 2010 CE
Siege: The Cabal #1
Creel participates in the Siege of Asgard as part of the Cabal's forces. #siege #asgard
Aug 1, 2012 CE
Avengers vs. X-Men #7
Creel fights on the Avengers' side during the conflict, absorbing powers from various heroes. #avengersvxmen #marvel
Oct 1, 2013 CE
Superior Spider-Man #20
Creel battles the Superior Spider-Man (Doc Ock in Peter's body). #superiorspiderman #marvel
Apr 1, 2014 CE
All-New Marvel Now! Point One #1
Creel appears in a story setting up future events. #marvelnow #marvel
Jan 1, 2015 CE
Ant-Man #1
Creel fights Scott Lang's Ant-Man, absorbing Pym particles. #antman #marvel
Aug 1, 2016 CE
Civil War II: Choosing Sides #3
Creel appears as part of the Civil War II event, taking a side. #civilwarII #marvel
Mar 1, 2017 CE
Secret Empire #0
Creel joins Hydra's forces under the manipulated Captain America. #secretempire #hydra
Jun 1, 2018 CE
Immortal Hulk #1
Creel is killed and resurrected as a gamma-powered being in the Immortal Hulk series. #immortalhulk #gamma
May 1, 2019 CE
Titania and Creel Reunite in Gamma Flight
Creel and Titania join Gamma Flight, a team of gamma mutants, seeking redemption. #gammaflight #redemption
Feb 1, 2020 CE
Gamma Flight #1
Creel becomes a regular member of Gamma Flight, working alongside the Hulk and other gamma heroes. #gammaflight #marvel
Nov 1, 2020 CE
King in Black Tie-In
Creel battles the symbiote dragons during the King in Black event. #kinginblack #symbiotes
Apr 1, 2021 CE
Heroes Reborn (2021) #1
Creel appears in an alternate reality where the Avengers never formed. #heroesreborn #alternateuniverse
Jul 1, 2022 CE
Immortal X-Men #6
Creel makes a cameo, showing his gamma powers still active. #immortalxmen #marvel
Mar 1, 2023 CE
Avengers Beyond #1
Creel appears in a multiversal Avengers story. #avengers #multiverse
May 1, 2024 CE
Gamma Flight: The Final Mission
Creel leads a Gamma Flight mission to contain a gamma threat, solidifying his heroic turn. #gammaflight #hero