Absorbing Man

A bruising presence born in the thick of Marvel's landmark Secret Wars event, Absorbing Man made his catalog debut in 1984's Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars #5, courtesy of Jim Shooter and Bob Layton — dropping him straight into one of the Bronze Age's most ambitious crossover stories. He's kept elite company ever since, sharing pages with the likes of Iron Man, Steve Rogers, Monica Rambeau, and Clint Barton — a rogues' gallery of Marvel's finest. With appearances stretching across four decades and a foothold in titles like Avengers Spotlight, this is a character whose presence in the Marvel universe has proven remarkably durable — and for fans of the classic Bronze Age era, he's a villain well worth tracking down.