Asbestos Man

Dr. Orson Karloff, better known as the Asbestos Man, is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, writer Ernest Hart and artist Dick Ayers, the character first appeared in Strange Tales #111 (August 1963).

Publication history

The character made his official debut in Strange Tales #111 (August 1963). The plot was developed by editor Stan Lee and the story was written by Ernest Hart, under the pen name H. Huntley, with illustrations by Dick Ayers.^[1] Asbestos Man did not reappear in the comics for many years until 2011's Fear Itself storyline.^[2]

Fictional character biography

1960s

Dr. Orson Karloff^[3] is "the world's foremost analytical chemist".^[4] He invents a chemical capable of melting metals, among other things, which he thinks he can use to steal money from banks like Fort Knox. However, he is not swift or stealthy and is almost caught by the police during one of his burgling attempts. Realizing that he is not skillful enough, Karloff adopts the supervillain handle of Asbestos Man and retreats to an obscure castle, where he hones his powers and one day challenges Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, to a showdown. The Torch nonchalantly agrees. However, it is Asbestos Man who ultimately wins, having created a flame-resistant armor out of "super-asbestos" (a combination of iron, calcium and chrysotile), rendering Storm's powers useless. Asbestos Man decides to spare the Torch, having already made a mockery of him.^[4]

Asbestos Man's triumph over the Torch becomes big news. Blackie Barker, otherwise known as the "King of the Underworld", becomes aware of the villain, and ropes him in to help carry out a bank heist. A humiliated Torch returns to settle scores with Asbestos Man, after being encouraged by his fellow Fantastic Four members. At the bank, the Torch absorbs all oxygen present. Asbestos Man is forced to surrender and he is promptly hauled to prison.^[4]

Fear Itself

During the Fear Itself storyline, Asbestos Man is revealed to have developed cancer, due to the toxicity of his super-asbestos suit, and is now living in an oxygen tank. He makes clear his desire to return to life as a villain, but is persuaded not to by the Great Lakes Avengers.^[2]

Fantastic Four

Years later, the Human Torch mentioned that Asbestos Man had died.^[5]

Powers and abilities

Asbestos Man has no superpowers but possesses a handful of powerful items. His "super-asbestos" armor is high in toxicity and is also resistant to heat. Additionally, his iron shield can block out flames and his metal net is capable of energy manipulation. He holds a Ph.D in analytical chemistry.^[1]

Cultural significance

At the time of Asbestos Man's creation, many were ignorant about the dangers of asbestos. The California Asbestos Legal Center paid tribute to Asbestos Man in May 2012, writing in its entry on the Mesothelioma Lawyer Blog that he, alongside a similar villainess Asbestos Lady, was "a lasting reminder of the significant cover-up perpetrated by the asbestos industry regarding the danger associated with asbestos exposure".^[6]

See also

• Comics portal
• List of comic book supervillain debuts

References

External links

• Asbestos Man at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe