The Absorbing Man (2011)

Absorbing Man

I finally scored one – this surprised me – how hard it was to track this figure down.  I was able to get the variant at my LCS and it is a good thing I did because I never even saw the variant on the shelves of Target and TRU in my town.  But true to form after I found the regular at another LCS, and paid a premium, not even two days later I saw these figures at my local TRU.  That’s okay, I was more than happy just to finally bring this figure home.

A great sculpt!

I am even more excited because we now have the whole transformation of the Absorbing Man – we had the half transformation Absorbing Man that came in the 2-pack with Dr. Doom before.  Now all that there is left to do is to try to track down multiples so I can open them up!

Both versions

MU Absorbing Man (2011)

Marvel Universe Absorbing Man

I have a few more MU to show off – when I get a chance to actually take a photo of them and post – but one interesting thing I noticed is that when they have announced a variant for a figure – like when they showed a clear variant for the Dr Strange figure – the variant is the first to show up in stores and the regular comes out later.  The other thing I noticed is that once the regular is released – good luck finding the variant in a store again!  Well, this rings true for this figure too – Absorbing Man!  The variant, which is a fully absorbed figure, is out now.  I’ve had it for a few weeks – but I still have not seen the regular out there yet.  I am not worried, as I know it will pop up eventually, but I was waiting to see if I could post them together!  Anyways, the variant is great – because, along with the figure that the Secret Wars 2-packs gave us, we can have ALL of the stages of the Absorbing Man – regular – mid-transforming – fully transformed!  Anyone else out there able to snag this – or the regular – yet?

Close Up!

Hulk Classics’s Absorbing Man (2003)

Hulk Classics Absorbing Man

This is one of the most sought after figures from any Hulk line… ever!  It’s not even a Hulk figure – and even more-so – it’s the Absorbing Man!  Who is actually, for all intents and purposes, a Thor villain.  But – this figure is WAY better than any Absorbing Man before OR after – and one of the best parts - the thing that puts it over the top, the thing that no one has even tried to do again (but SHOULD) is the interchangeable arms.  One is steel, one looks like iron – but the third is the ultimate – a Hulk arm!  Although – that hasn’t happened in the comics.  I am not 100% sure – but I think the Absorbing Man can only take on properties of inanimate substances. 

Closer Pic

You can’t see this in the photos – but this figure (which easily sells for a hundred +) that I found in a LCS – just sitting on the shelf! This figure is actually complete – but off the card.  I put it together with some glue and tape and it looks fantastic!  Just like it was before someone haphazardly took it out of the package!  I’m not sure if I asked this before – is anyone out there who collects keep the figures in the package like I do?  I know a few collectors out there, like JG and Sean, they take these little plastic treasures out of the blister cards – but I love them the way they look inside the package!

By the way, has anyone seen Toy Story 3 yet?  Freakin’ movie is fantastic!

Dr Doom / Absorbing Man Secret Wars 2-Pack (2010)

Doom, Absorbing Man, Wasp 3-Pack?

I told you before that these 2-packs were done right by Marvel.  You get 2 figures – really well done figures – AND a comic to go with it?  All for $12.99.  Yes, thank you!  Now, I know Hulk really has nothing to do with this package – but let’s look at it this way – in every Hulk line of toys they have had an Absorbing Man.  The Absorbing Man was in the 2003 Hulk movie.  Hulk has sort of adopted this great character – so in turn – I have added this to my Hulk collection.  Not to mention that he comes with one of the best Marvel villains ever – Dr. Doom!  So, how can you say no to this?

The Sculpts are pretty damn nice on these!

Not to mention – it comes with a third figure – a teeny tiny Wasp.  Although, a lack of a face is a little disturbing!

Wasp... without a face

Absorbing Man Lead Figure (2008)

Absorbing Man Lead Figure

I’ve been playing a little catch up with all of the Hulk villains released, Creel here included.  One of my favorite things about the Absorbing Man items is that they use a real chain for the ball and chain.  It’s those little bits of realism that make a piece for me.  Creel is always a fun character to read – in fact as I’m re-reading the Secret Wars right now Creel is one of the big baddies.  I like seeing Hulk take him on – and of course a fight always worth reading is Creel vs. Thor.

Creel vs Banner

As I’ve stated before – The Absorbing Man’s first appearance was in Journey into Mystery – actually right before the bad-ass battle Hulk vs. Thor.  But the best thing about Absorbing Man has to be the great “Ball and Chain” jokes you can make about him.  “Hey, Creel!  Where’s your ball and chain?”  He would be like “Uhhh… it’s right here… with me.  It’s always with me.”  Then you could respond with “Wow!  You take your ball and chain everywhere?  You’re whipped dude!”  And then you run off snickering as Creel stands there with a confused look on his face.

Creel mackin' on Valkyrie! Hit that!

Marvel’s Handful of Heroes (2009) – Part 2 – The Hulk Foes!

Abomination, Thing and Armageddon

A few of the Hulk villains were also made into these little plastic figures!  Check it out!  Most notably the Abomination is in there – I only got the sparkly (or cosmic) Abomination right now – but there’s also Absorbing Man, Rhino, and Iron Clad.

Iron Man, Absorbing Man, Rhino, Iron Clad

They’ve made some heroes – that are also some of Hulk’s foes – like the Thing, Hulkbuster Iron Man, and Wolverine.  There’s also a unique choice – a Hulk villain from out of nowhere – Armageddon.  Remember him?  If not go get issues #413 - #416 to refresh your memory.

A Week of Absorbing Man – Friday (TIH #348)

This is one of my favorite issues with the Hulk against the bald… absorbers.  Creel is the first super powered person to go up against the new and improved Hulk – the man named Fixit.  And Creel learned quickly, no matter what color, the Hulk will beat him!

Absorbing Man Bust (2005)

Absorbing Man Bust

How appropriate to end this week with a Bowen masterpiece of the spotlight character!  I know this is late – I didn’t think I was going to be able to even post tonight.  But this piece was one of the only Hulk’s foes that I was missing from Bowen’s busts -  I never picked it up four years ago and couldn’t find it for a good price.  The only set-back to picking things up off ebay is that you have to add in shipping to the final price that you paid for something – and I just wasn’t willing to shell out what people were asking… so I went without.

Profile View

Backside - I mean his back - not... you know...

That is until I took a trip to NJ this weekend and popped into a store selling this bust for %50 off.  Snagged it!  This really is amazing – and I have to say that a talented guy named Jim Maddox sculpted this – not Bowen himself – but man, oh man, I can’t see Bowen doing any better of a job with it!  My favorite part is the real chain connecting his ball – let’s not forget that Absorbing Man was a prisoner when Loki granted him with his powers of absorption!

Close your mouth man! You gathering flies!

The expression on his face is even more impressive when you consider that I was actually used for this model!  Alright, that’s a lie – but it does kind of look like me.  Except that I am not half made of rock.  Yet.  Anyways, the great this about the Absorbing Man is, after the first battle, Absorbing Man never beat Hulk again.  Yet he keeps on trying…  why?  Just give it up bro!

A Week of Absorbing Man – Thursday (TIH #261)

I just love this cover – I know there are a few issues between #125 and this one – but I freakin’ LOVE the placement of the characters on the cover!  And – maybe some of you can’t recognize the style – but the artist on the cover?  The one and only Frank Miller.  Yes!  That Frank Miller!  I know what you were thinking – the Director of “The Spirit”… yup, that’s him!

A Week of the Absorbing Man – Wednesday (TIH #125)

Absorbing Man vs Hulk - the first encounter!

I actually showed this comic before – almost 2 years ago… have I been posting that long?  Wow.  So the Absorbing Man actually gets the better of the Hulk in this issue.  He absorbs the Hulk’s power and Hulk falls – just as Creel is about to bury the Hulk under a mountain of rock he loses all of his power – because the Hulk has turned back to Banner!  It’s a great issue – you see a hero fall – but the villain still loses.  I like that they show the Hulk can lose sometimes – it made his character that much more vulnerable.  The Hulk is a character with so many layers – it’s astounding that people don’t know more about him – all they know is Hulk Smash…

Anyways, the Absorbing Man never gets the best of the Hulk again – but in this issue – he is the mack-daddy.  And it showcases just how amazing Trimpe’s artwork is…

A Week of Absorbing Man – Tuesday (Journey into Mystery #114)

A mere two issues after the classic Hulk vs Thor issue a new villain appeared – The Absorbing Man!  Although he was given his powers by Loki and he was a powerful match for Thor – he became a major Hulk foe.  So perfect for the Hulk, in fact, that he’s had a spot in Hulk’s 1996 line of action figures AND the 2003 line AND the recent ML Hulk line.  I don’t own this issue… yet… but this is the first appearance of this classic villain.  Next up – the first match-up against the Hulk!

Hulk vs. Absorbing Man SHS (2008)

Hulk vs. Absorbing Man SHS

How is it that Absorbing Man has landed in EVERY Hulk toy line?  I mean, he started out as a Thor villian in Journey Into Mystery #14 (Although years later Loeb would write a little story Daredevil: Yellow #1 where he put a boxer named “Crusher” Creel as the opponent to Battlin’ Jack Murdock) Imagine that!  Loeb changing Marvel continuity!  But he didn’t even appear in a Hulk comic until Incredible Hulk #125.

 But here he is once again!  Facing off against, what I can only describe as, Quasimodo Hulk.  Where did that huge hump in his back come from?  Why?  Is this Spina bifida Hulk?  And what has made him so happy?  This is the second Hulk SHS from wave 2 that I have shown.  I’m holding out on showing you my favorite of this wave till I have shown all the others.  With only two others to go it won’t be too long!  Stay tuned!

Absorbing Man Marvel Legends (2008)

Marvel Legends Absorbing Man

I have been searching everywhere for these figures!  I heard a rumor that they were out early and have been visiting every store I can to keep a lookout.  So, on Saturday, after I left Hellboy 2 I wandered into Newbury Comics not expecting to find anything and saw 3 of the 8 figures!  This here, the Grey Savage Hulk and Doc Samson.  I will be getting the others as soon as I find them – but for now I was excited to find these!  I will start by showing you the Absorbing Man which is really close to the ’96 figure. 

Close-Up

But this is a bit different… first off he has brick and stone absorbed.  That sculpt is pretty impressive.  I’m not too sure if I will end up getting figures to open so that I can build the Fin Fang Foom figure because these figures run about $14.99 – and at the ever more expensive Newbury… $19.99!  Yeah, that’s a lot of money for a figure.  It’s a good thing I have no sense when it comes to Hulk merchandise – because as nice as these figures look – the price tag is a killer!  The back of the package has a little bio and stats on the charaxter which is pretty cool – much like a lot of the Legends figures do – but a lot of them weren’t this expensive!

back of package

Incredible Hulk # 125 (1970)

This is a great cover to the Hulk with the first appearance in his comic of a great foe – The Absorbing man.  I have one of the figures made of this villain – the other is a bit expensive and I’m waiting for the price to go down.  It does that sometimes.  I really like this book though.  In it, Creel (The Absorbing Man), actually beats the Hulk.  This was the one and only time he did.  Still, I like that sometimes the Hulk loses.  Even though he is the strongest one there is – sometimes muscles isn’t enough.

The Absorbing Man (1996)

This is a great villan that has appeared in both Spider-man and the Hulk.  I thought this was a bad choice for the movie to choose this villan.  And to make it Banner’s father was even worse.  In the comic book – the Absorbing Man is not Banner’s father.