Abomination [Comic Book Monsters]
Just in time for Halloween, we’re back to feature all those creepy, kooky, and scary characters of comic book lore! This time, we’re going to take a look at monsters from the vaunted House of Ideas. So, enter, if you dare, for Comic Book Monsters 2012: The Mighty Merry Marvel Edition!
Comic Book Monsters – October 3rd: Abomination
The Abomination.
KGB Agent Emil Blonsky made his first appearance in Tales to Astonish #90. After purposely exposing himself to the same gamma radiation (only in greater quantity) that turned Bruce Banner into the Hulk, he became the Abomination. In his first outing as his scaly, gnarly monster, Abomination actualy defeated the Hulk thanks to having twice the amount of strength of the hero. Despite nearly killing the Hulk in this first battle, the Hulk is saved by his arch nemesis, Thunderbolt Ross, and when he turned back into Bruce Banner, is tricked into a trap that sucked out most of his power. When Banner turned into the Hulk, it gave him just enough to down the beast who then took an interesting turn as an intergalactic monster.
After being spirited off world by the cosmic entity, the Stranger, the Abomination spent a good long while taking on more cosmic characters like the Silver Surfer and Thor during the Asgardian’s much more sci-fi adventures of the early 1970s. Abomination would later end up being the first mate on an alien ship under the command of Xeron the Star Slayer. Eventually, Abomination would return to Earth where he would be used, unsuccessfully, by General Ross in a plot to kill the Hulk, but his homecoming is short lived as he gets even more strength from the Galaxy Master.
One of the many confrontations between Hulk and Abomination.
Despite all these more cosmic adventures, Abomination would always be known for two things – being the Hulk’s greatest enemy and the cause behind the death of Bruce Banner’s lady love, Betty Ross. Abomination’s plan revolves around the idea that since Blonsky’s wife, Nadia, pulls away from him after his transformation into the Abomination, Banner should also lose his wife. Blonsky secretly poisons Betty by using the radiation in his own blood. When Banner learns it was Blonsky’s doing, it was all he needed to turn into the Hulk and beat down his foe.
After a bit of time, Blonsky is pardoned by the Government in exchange for being a hitman against enemies of the state. This starts the villain down the road to some sort of redemption, but when he tangles with the Red Hulk, who we later learn is General Ross, Blonsky is killed in battle, which we later learn is vengeance for once poisoning and killing Ross’ daughter Betty. The last time Abomination was seen was as part of Pluto’s army of dead heroes and villains used to defend the Underworld.
Much like the Hulk, the intelligence level of Abomination has been played with over his long run. He’s been the mindless brute, the schemer, the tortured soul, and the villain looking for redemption. In a lot of ways, he’s really been more of a parallel for the Hulk if Bruce Banner didn’t have a conscious. Either way, once unleased, the Abomination is certainly not a monster you’ll want to run into.
That wraps up today’s Comic Book Monsters. Tomorrow, I return with a little more obscure character whose first appearance dates back to the pre-Comics Code days only to later get his own magazine in the revival of horror comics in the 1970s. Come back tomorrow to hear more about his “Tales”!
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