Absorbing Man

Carl "Crusher" Creel is a former boxer turned assassin with the ability to absorb the properties of anything he touches.

Recruitment by HYDRA
Carl Creel was a former boxer who used the moniker "Crusher" in his bouts. His high victory status came from his using his talent of duplication to hide steel-skinned fists under his boxing gloves when he fought. He became an Index candidate and John Garrett was sent to terminate him. However, Garrett used the opportunity to fake Creel's death and chose to recruit him to HYDRA as an assassin.

Obelisk
Creel interrupted an undercover operation where S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents Idaho, Lance Hunter, and Isabelle Hartley were attempting to procure from Roger Browning information on where a level ten 0-8-4 was being held. When the agents fired upon him, he escaped after jumping from a window twenty-five feet high.

Later, Creel gave the information about the 0-8-4 to his HYDRA employer, Sunil Bakshi, who rewarded him by giving him a musgravite which he enjoyed absorbing. Creel was then ordered to capture General Glenn Talbot to force him to tell him where the Obelisk was; however, he was thwarted and subdued by the combined might of Skye and Melinda May and taken into military custody to the Government Storage Warehouse.

Creel easily escaped his cell and encountered Hartley who had recovered the Obelisk. When she attempted to use it to defend herself, the Obelisk began to engulf her hand causing Creel to flee. When Hunter and Idaho attempted to get Hartley medical attention, Creel caused their vehicle to crash, killing Hartley and Idaho, and retrieved the 0-8-4.

However, Creel was affected by the 0-8-4. At a restuarant, Creel accidentally incinerated a waitress who touched his arm. Creel then ran away and tried to absorb items that could help remove the effects with little success. He was then contacted by Bakshi, who wanted Creel to give him the Obelisk and promised that HYDRA would help him with his problem. When approached by Raina, who offered a ring that would allow him to absorb its power in exchange for the 0-8-4, he refused her offer, telling her to stay away or his HYDRA employers would harm her. He ran off, taking the ring with him.

Creel then met up with Bakshi. Creel was able to overcome the effects of the 0-8-4 by Bakshi reminding him of his training, which stabilized him. However, Creel came under fire by Agent Hunter but was able to deflect the bullet. Creel then went after Hunter. Just as he was about to kill Hunter, the Absorbing Man was stopped by Phil Coulson who used the Overkill Device which made him unable to control his power, allowing the 0-8-4 to take over his body and turn him into stone.

Creel was then taken in by Coulson and placed in a Cryostasis Chamber. He was turned over to General Talbot as a peace offering from Coulson in exchange for breathing room.

Powers
"He can turn any body part into any material."

- Skye


 * Morph Duplication: Carl Creel is able to duplicate at will the physical properties of anything he touches or touches him. Certain items, such as flawless diamonds, are enjoyable to Creel for absorption, causing a euphoric effect in him.


 * Petrification: After absorbing the effects of the Obelisk, Creel gained the ability to turn people to stone.

Relationships

 * HYDRA - Allies
 * Daniel Whitehall - Superior
 * Sunil Bakshi - Handler
 * John Garrett † - Recruiter
 * S.H.I.E.L.D. - Enemies
 * Phil Coulson
 * Melinda May
 * Skye
 * Antoine Triplett
 * Lance Hunter
 * Isabelle Hartley † - Victim
 * Idaho † - Victim
 * United States Armed Forces - Enemies
 * Glenn Talbot
 * Roger Browning † - Victim

Trivia

 * In the comics, Carl Creel received his powers from Loki so he could challenge Thor.
 * The ball-and-chain ripped from the guard rail that Creel uses in Washington, D.C. is an homage to the weapon he was carrying during his original transformation in the comics, that has the same duplication powers as himself.
 * Carl Creel closely resembled Groot when he absorbed a piece of wood.
 * The petrification power of Creel is similar to that of the Grey Gargoyle.