What would happen if the Absorbing Man touched Silver Surfer?

Question

If the Absorbing Man touched Silver Surfer, would he absorb the power cosmic or would he just turn silver?

Or maybe both?

Has anything like this come up in canon before?

Answer 1

Crusher Creel, the Absorbing Man, does have limits to his formidable abilities. He can take on the aspects of almost any material substance. This can allow him to grow to great size, become superhumanly strong and durable, with properties akin to the material he is copying. He can also copy properties of most common electromagnetic energies and even emulate magical properties such as Odin's mystical energies. His greatest limitation is his unimpressive intellect and lack of imagination.

• Creel has never had the opportunity to meet a Herald of Galactus. If he did, he would likely NOT be able to emulate such a vast store of the Power Cosmic, but could likely gain aspects of durability, superhuman strength and resistance to damage, similar to but to a far lesser degree than the Herald he was emulating.

• In confrontations with his primary rival Thor, Creel copies the durability and physical prowess of both Thor and Mjolnir and is able to bring the pain to the God of Thunder. But he does not absorb all of their powers or abilities, just as much as his magically altered body can sustain. He does not gain control over the weather, nor can he lift Mjolnir.

• He has in the past, emulated Mjolnir's Uru metal and became incredible powerful and durable, capable of fighting Thor, almost on an equal footing.

• He has tried to emulate and tackle the All-Father Odin, but was easily defeated as Odin cannot be easily harmed by his own magic.

• In most confrontations with Creel, direct battles often prove useless and destructive because any force strong enough to damage him once he takes on a non-standard material (which is his standard attack plan) makes him too dangerous to attack without causing collateral damage. He starts most battles as either common brick, metals or concrete. Once a metahuman shows up, he starts copying either aspects of their powers or their technology.

• In the case of the Silver Surfer, assuming Creel could emulate the Power Cosmic, (no reason to think he couldn't) the Surfer could always simply draw or drain it away from him, since Creel would be using it without an understanding of how it worked. He would likely gain the appearance (shiny and metallic) and be able to manipulate some energy directing aspects of the power, since he has done this type of absorption before.

Creel emulates Dazzler's powers and becomes a being of living light.