Growing Man
| The Growing Man | |
|---|---|
 The Growing Man battles Thor in Thor vol. 1, #140. Art By Jack Kirby | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Thor vol. 1 #140 (May 1967) |
| Created by | Stan Lee & Jack Kirby |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Growing Man |
| Team affiliations | HYDRA |
| Abilities | Ability to absorb kinetic energy, Mass manipulation |
The Growing Man is a fictional character that appears in the Marvel Universe. The Growing Man is an android and was created for the supervillain, Kang the Conqueror.
Fictional character biography
The Growing Man was originally built by an alien race on behalf of the time-travelling villain known as Kang the Conqueror, who had subjugated their planet, Kosmos. Knowing that the android would be used as a weapon in the past, the scientists of Kosmos build a device into the android which would deliver a warning message to their ancestors to prepare for Kang's coming. For some unknown reason, however, the warning beacon does not activate.
The Growing Man first appears on Earth as an inert doll-sized figure found by New York police. The android reactivates soon after and battles the Thunder God Thor, before being deactivated by Kang. [1] Months later, Kang uses the Growing Man to abduct Tony Stark - the alter-ego of Iron Man - from a hospital. The Avengers attack and follow the Growing Man into the future, where they become involved in his competition against the Elder of the Universe the Grandmaster. [2]
Art by Aaron Lopresti
The alien colonisers of Rigel eventually find the Growing Man in one of Kang's abandoned vessels and use it against Iron Man, who eventually defeats the android by overloading its' circuitry. [3] Kang later revives the Growing Man and directs it against New York City , although Mr. Fantastic devises a means of reversing the growing process, causing the android to shrink from sight. [4]
The Growing Man was later recovered by the subversive organization HYDRA, led by terrorist Baron Strucker. Strucker orders the Growing Man to attack New York as part of a ploy to destroy the formative team the Thunderbolts. The Thunderbolts, however, not only defeat the android but also manage to activate the warning beacon. [5] The Growing Man is currently believed to still be a servant of HYDRA.
Powers and abilities
The Growing Man is a stimuloid - a form of android that absorbs all kinetic energy directed against it, which in theory renders it impervious to physical harm. The absorption of the energy stimulates the rapid multiplication of the stimuloid's artificial cells, causing it to grow significantly in size with a proportionate increase in strength and resistance to damage. It is assumed that in order to grow the stimuloid draws its additional mass from an extradimensional source. The Growing Man's circuitry appears to have limits, however, as the Avenger Hercules was able to damage the android with a series of blows. [6]