Who is Emile Blonsky, Marvel’s Abomination
He’s the gamma-irradiated nemesis of the Incredible Hulk, and he’s back on the screen in ‘She-Hulk’. Who is Marvel’s Abomination?
Marvel’s new She-Hulk series is bringing back Tim Roth’s Emil Blonsky character after his Shang-Chi cameo. Here’s everything you need to know about the character before the reappearance of Abomination.
This story, like several Hulk stories, includes a brief mention of Bruce Banner contemplating suicide.
First appearance: Tales to Astonish #90 (1967)
Created by: Stan Lee & Gil Kane
Abomination’s Origins in Marvel Comics
Emil Blonsky was born in Yugoslavia. Not much is known about his early life before he found himself working as a communist spy, but when he was sent to steal research secrets from the U.S. Airforce, his fate would be forever changed. Because the Airforce base where Blonsky had been sent also happened to be where Bruce Banner was conducting his work with gamma radiation.
When a powerful alien known only as the Stranger judges humanity unfit to wield the power of nuclear weapons, he takes over the Hulk’s mind in order to use him as an effective means to wipe out humanity. The only trouble was that he could only control the Hulk, but not Bruce Banner.
Banner, in his human form, realized what the Stranger had planned. In order to keep the nefarious creature from using the Hulk as a weapon, Banner stepped back into the lab to play with more gamma rays. His intention was to attempt to reverse the process or to kill himself to keep from being used. But before he could step into position and get gamma-blasted, soldiers busted into the lab and arrested him, believing he was trying to re-juice his Hulkiness.
From Tales to Astonish #90 & 91
Blonsky Gets a Face Full of Gamma Radiation
In all the hubbub, no one seemed to notice Blonsky quietly hiding out, snooping around and taking pictures of Banner’s sciencey secrets. As he fiddled around Bruce’s lab, he accidentally activated the machine, blasting himself with similar gamma radiation that turned Bruce into the Hulk.
The process did differ slightly between subjects, though. The Hulk and Bruce Banner were, to start with, separate entities. Blonsky, however, was transformed into a Hulk-like creature, but retained his own consciousness and couldn’t transform back to his previous form. And where the Hulk’s strength increases as he gets stronger, Blonsky, who would soon become known as Abomination, has strength that’s unassociated with his temperament. And thanks to the concentrated dose of gamma rays, Abomination is actually stronger than the Hulk in his “normal” state.
As you can imagine, Emil Blonsky did not like this. He had been transformed into a monster – an Abomination, as he was dubbed by Betty Ross. Realizing the potential of his new powers, Emil beat the Hulk unconscious as General “Thunderbolt” Ross watched. Bronsky then kidnapped his daughter and Bruce’s girlfriend Betty Ross. Fearful for his daughter’s life (and starting a cycle of pitting Hulk and Abomination against one another), General Ross had the Hulk revived in order to save her.
At this time, Hulk broke from the Stranger’s grasp and turned back into Bruce Banner. Banner used a gamma device he has created to weaken Abomination, but in his agitation, he transformed into the Hulk and destroyed the controls before the anti-gamma-ing could be finished. Impressed by Banner’s heroism, the Stranger decided to release him, deciding that humans weren’t so hopelessly terribly after all. So he packed up the Abomination and took him to a prison in space.
Abomination Returns
Over the years, the Hulk’s face-finned adversary has returned in many different ways and states. He’s gone toe-to-toe with members of the X-Men, She-Hulk, the Silver Surfer, Thor, and others. He’s been a space hunter, resurrected by witches, manipulated by M.O.D.O.K., and the leader of a group of mutant kids living in the sewers.
In 1997, Marvel elevated Betty Ross to refrigerator status. Emil Blonsky had decided that Banner’s marriage to Ross meant that the Hulk was happier than he was, so Abomination was gonna kill his wife! General Ross used his influence over Bruce to convince him to get revenge on Blonsky, which resulted in some serious property damage. But eventually, Bruce and the Hulk would find an equilibrium, and the Hulk would give Abomination the one thing he couldn’t tolerate – forgiveness.
Courtesy of Marvel Studios
Abomination in the MCU
2008’s The Incredible Hulk isn’t making any top-10 movie lists, but the film has officially been recognized as MCU canon. The story takes itself a little too seriously, sure. But it also gives us Tim Roth in the beginning stages of the Abomination character we’re going to see in the upcoming She-Hulk TV show. From what we can surmise, it looks like Wong has been letting Emil Blonsky sneak out of his cell (which is likely located at The Raft facility) in order to participate in underground superhuman fights.
The character’s cameo in Shang-Chi also features Wong, our favorite sarcastic Sorcerer Supreme. Based on the dialogue between the two, it sounds like Wong has been working with Emil to help him control his strength. It will be interesting to see how the character is portrayed in She-Hulk, since the show is going to have more comedic vibes. Personally, I think an un-funny Tim Roth is a wasted Tim Roth, so I’m fully in favor of this.
Courtesy of Marvel Studios
