With his recent return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the Disney+ show She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, Abomination is one of the most talked about Marvel characters right now. A villain who first appeared in comics in 1967, Abomination is one of Marvel's oldest villains. He even predates the debut of She-Hulk herself.
Though Abomination's appearances in the MCU have been few and far between, the character has a deep history in Marvel comics. While the MCU certainly doesn't present Abomination as a character who lacks depth, there are numerous significant pieces of his past that it's yet to cover.
10 Abomination First Appeared In Tales To Astonish
As previously mentioned, Abomination predates She-Hulk, appearing in comics almost 12 years before the Gamma Gal herself. Abomination made his comic debut in Tales To Astonish issues 90 and 91 by Stan Lee and Bill Everett. In the story, a man named Emil Blonsky bathes himself in gamma radiation, transforming into Abomination.
Meeting the Hulk in battle, Abomination easily wins, handing the Hulk one of his most devastating losses yet. Though Hulk eventually beat Abomination in a rematch, his ability to easily defeat the Hulk quickly stood out to many readers.
9 Abomination Is A Former Soviet Spy
Though the MCU has presented Emil Blonsky as a British Royal Marine who is more of a victim of circumstance rather than a straight-up villain, Blonsky is a full-on villain in the comics. Rather than a royal marine with good intentions, Blonsky is a K.G.B. Operative and spy for the Soviet Union.
In fact, Blonsky became Abomination after breaking into Bruce Banner's lab and accidentally triggering a machine that gave him a massive dose of gamma radiation. Though Abomination is one of Marvel's oldest villains, he hasn't strayed far from his path as an evil supervillain.
8 Abomination Fought She-Hulk In She-Hulk Volume 2
Though they'd met a few times previously, She-Hulk and Abomination's most significant fight occurred in She-Hulk Vol 2 #15. This is their first meeting in the main She-Hulk title, as all previous encounters between She-Hulk and Abomination occurred in other titles like Amazing Spider-Man.
In the comic, Abomination decides he can do whatever he pleases since no one is powerful enough to stop him since Hulk is missing in action. She-Hulk quickly proves to be the more capable fighter of the two after challenging Abomination during a villainous encounter. After a brief battle, She-Hulk landed a massive punch on Abomination's face and knocked him out.
7 Abomination Is One Of The Hulk's Greatest Enemies
Though his MCU return has come in She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, Abomination established his reputation as one of the most powerful enemies of the Hulk. As mentioned earlier, Abomination defeated the Hulk in his debut appearance, instantly telling readers that the villain is not to be underestimated.
Over the years, Abomination has solidified that status time and time again. Not only did Abomination serve as the main villain in Louis Leterrier's film The Incredible Hulk, but Abomination has also engaged in over ten fights with Hulk in the comics. Considering that Hulk and Abomination were both created as a result of exposure to gamma radiation, the two characters make ideal rivals.
6 Abominatrix Is The Female Abomination
Created as a villain for She-Hulk, Abominatrix first appeared in Sensational She-Hulk #21 by Steve Gerber, Buzz Dixon, and Tom Artis. Though Abominatrix has no connection to Emil Blonsky, the character was created to make a female version of Abomination.
Florence Sharples became the Abominatrix after she was chosen for an experimental medical procedure. As Abominatrix, Florence worked alongside Captain Rectitude as a strong arm for Jasper Keaton, an evil scientist. Though Abominatrix only appeared in one storyline, she is considered one of She-Hulk's greatest villains as she well represents the comedic, campy side of She-Hulk.
5 Abomination Killed Betty Banner
In one of the saddest events of Bruce Banner and Hulk's life, Betty Banner died in Incredible Hulk #466 by Peter David and Adam Kubert. One of the most important people in Bruce's life, Betty served as Bruce's connection to the innocent side of humanity and was the only person capable of calming the Hulk down.
Though Bruce initially believed Betty's death to be the fault of Hulk's gamma radiation, it was later revealed that Abomination caused Betty's death. While Betty was in the hospital, Blonsky poisoned Betty with his radioactive blood, killing her to make the Hulk feel worthless.
4 The Red Hulk Killed Abomination
One of the most significant events in Abomination's history, Abomination was killed by Red Hulk in Hulk Vol 2 #23 by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness. As General Thaddeus Ross himself, Red Hulk was devastated by the death of his daughter, Betty Banner, and got revenge by killing Abomination.
In the comic, readers are reminded of how General Ross enabled the violent acts of Abomination numerous times, hammering in a message that Betty's death ultimately ties back to his destructive decisions. Though Abomination did eventually return to life — as most Marvel characters do — his death at the hands of Red Hulk massively affected his development.
3 Abomination Has An Extensive History With M.O.D.O.K.
Another great member of Hulk's rogues gallery, M.O.D.O.K. first appeared in Tales Of Suspense #94 by Stan Lee and Gene Colan. In Incredible Hulk #270 by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema, Abomination lost a fight to Hulk in space, leaving him frozen in ice. He was later found in the possession of M.O.D.O.K. eight issues later.
Revealing a secretive, treasonous alliance between themselves, General Ross and M.O.D.O.K. made an agreement that M.O.D.O.K. would revive Abomination, use him to kill Hulk, and then take him as a servant. Putting Abomination through extensive psychological torture, M.O.D.O.K. attempted to purge Abomination's fear of Hulk but ended up exacerbating it in the process.
2 Rick Jones Became An Alternate Abomination
An important side character in the Hulk mythos, Rick Jones first appeared in Incredible Hulk #1 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Rick is no stranger to transformations, as he became a different version of Abomination in Immortal Hulk #17 by Al Ewing and Joe Bennett.
Referred to as "Subject B," US Hulk Operations captured Rick Jones and combined his body with DNA from Emil Blonsky, creating a new Abomination. Two issues later, Subject B and Hulk meet in an epic fight that opens with Subject B eating the Hulk's hand. Throughout the rest of the fight, Subject B revealed a handful of powers that separated him from the original Abomination.
1 Abomination Looked After The Forgotten
A comic set after Hulk: Future Imperfect — one of the best Hulk comics ever made — Abominations is a three-issue miniseries by Ivan Velez Jr and Angel Medina. Set around a group of refugees from the Future Imperfect timeline, the group is sent back in time and appears in modern-day New York City.
The refugees find themselves in a conflict between a group of homeless people and the NYPD when Abomination suddenly appears from underground, receiving a thunderous cheer as he begins to help ward off the police. Though this didn't suddenly transform Abomination into some kind of anti-hero, this period in his life was notably heroic.