ASBESTOS MAN
Real Name: Professor Orson Kasloff
Identity/Class: Human technology user
Occupation: Criminal scientist (mostly retired);
formerly employed as an analytical chemist
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Bull
Brogin, Doris
Evans, Marcia Hardesty, Human Torch (Johnny Storm), Porcupine
(Alexander Gentry);
formerly partnered with Blackie Barker
Enemies: Great Lakes Avengers (Big
Bertha/Ashley Crawford, Doorman/DeMarr Davis, Flatman/"Val Ventura," Mr.
Immortal/Craig Hollis);
formerly Human Torch (Johnny Storm)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: A retirement home in Glenville,
Long Island, New York, USA;
formerly an old castle just outside of New York City,
New York, USA
First Appearance: Strange Tales I#111/1 (August, 1963)
Powers/Abilities: Having no paranormal physical abilities of his own, the Asbestos Man wore a suit of flame-resistant "Super-Asbestos". He carried a shield chemically made from his own exclusive formula of chrysotile, calcium, and iron; the shield protected him from flame attack, and was thick enough to be bullet-proof as well. He also used a net fashioned from "skin-covered nitrogen strands," with which he could catch the Human Torch's thrown fireballs and hurl them back with explosive force. He wore something akin to a gas mask, but alas, had no internal oxygen supply.
Height: 5' 9"
Weight: 160 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: White (formerly black)
History:
(Strange Tales I#111/1) - Professor Orson Kasloff was originally one of
the foremost analytical chemists in the world. He resented the fact that
he was unable to achieve the wealth he felt he deserved, so he turned to
crime. His initial plan was to use his inventions (such as a
steel-melting liquid solvent, and an electronic magnet able to open
lock catches) to gain wealth; however, during an attempted
burglary, he set off an alarm and narrowly escaped the police. Realizing
that he had no criminal experience, Kasloff attempted to employ other
criminals; but he also lacked the experience of how to do so, and was
laughed away by them.
Kasloff then decided that he needed to gain the respect of the underworld, and that he could do so by defeating the one criminals feared most, the Human Torch. He then purchased an old castle in a secluded rural area close to the city. He set up his laboratory there, designed his costume, and embarked on his criminal career.
Kasloff sent a letter to the Human Torch, challenging him to combat at his castle. Not wanting to appear to be afraid, Johnny Storm accepted the challenge. Kasloff managed to stun the Torch with explosions from his net, and then dropped him through the ever-predictable trap-door into a moat. Kasloff mocked the Human Torch, telling him to escape, but to remember that he could always beat him again with ease.
The defeat of the Human Torch, which Kasloff publicized, gained him respect with the criminal element. He became the partner of a crime boss, and was soon enjoying a successful career supplying crooks with the technology to improve their success at bank-robbery and other crimes. However, after a pep talk by his sister Sue, Johnny got a clue and came back for round two. He melted the steel handle on Kasloff's net, rendering it useless, and then used his flame to consume all of the oxygen in the room. Unable to breathe, Kasloff surrendered and was subsequently arrested. The Human Torch ended the story with some clever words of wisdom, "He'll team up with lots of criminals...Behind Bars! Remember Professor, you can never play with fire without...Getting Burned!"
(Fantastic Four: Marvels Snapshots#1 (fb) - BTS) - At some point in his career, Kasloff befriended other super-villains, including the Porcupine and Bull Brogin.
(Fear Itself: The Home Front#6/4 (fb) - BTS) - Because of his use of asbestos, Kasloff contracted cancer (Duh!). He survived, but due to the damage to his lungs, he needed to carry around an oxygen tank all the time afterward.
(Fantastic Four: Marvels Snapshots#1 (fb) - BTS) - Kasloff moved to a run-down retirement community in Glenville. When the Human Torch heard of his condition, he sent him a check.
(Fantastic Four: Marvels Snapshots#1) - When reporter Marcia Hardesty came to Glenville for a story on the community's relationship to the Human Torch, Doris Evans arranged a meeting with Kasloff and Bull Brogin. At first, Kasloff boasted about his genius in wielding asbestos against the Human Torch. When Marcia asked why he targeted the Torch, Kasloff replied that he had come to believe it was jealousy at being cast aside as a scientist due to the rise of superheroes; however, he was now somewhat remorseful for his actions, realizing he had been fighting with a 16-year old boy. Kasloff insisted that he had never tried to kill the Human Torch, and only wanted to prove his own accomplishments. He also asked that people stop confusing him with the Absorbing Man.
Later that night, Kasloff and Bull were invited to a special private party on the nearby beach, hosted by Johnny Storm's former classmates. Kasloff thanked the Human Torch for his generosity, and the Torch promised that he would see that Bull set him up in a better retirement home.
(Fear Itself: The Home Front#6/4) - Attempting to return to a life of crime, and towing along his oxygen tank, the Asbestos Man tried to rob a supermarket in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; but the cashier was more scared of his asbestos costume than his criminal genius or his hammer (...or maybe it was actually a croquet mallet). Disappointed, Kasloff left and tried to find some validation as a super-villain somewhere else.
He soon ran across the Great Lakes Avengers -- neither they nor Asbestos Man had ever heard of each other, but when the Great Lakes Avengers learned his costume was made of Super-Asbestos, none of them wanted to attack him. Kasloff sat down, took off his mask and told them that with the Human Torch's death (he seemingly perished in Fantastic Four I#587 in the Negative Zone), he never had an enemy to get revenge on, nor anyone to remember him; but Mr.Immortal promised they would remember him, and Asbestos Man would automatically be among their top five bad guys if he just surrendered. Agreeing to the terms, the Asbestos Man offered his helmet for their trophy hall, but Mr. Immortal tried to stay away from the asbestos mask and told him to keep it. An ambulance carrying men in quarantine suits arrived to take Kasloff to a hospital, and to clean up the area from the Super-Asbestos left behind by Kasloff.
(Ziggy Pig and Silly Seal Infinity Comic#8) - Asbestos Man was among a group of criminals in jail wanting to beat up Ziggy Pig and Silly Seal.
Comments: Created by Stan Lee, Ernie Hart (as H.Huntley), Dick Ayers and Jack Kirby (Kirby drew his cover appearance, which was produced before the interior art).
The original Asbestos Man story was written back when asbestos was the Kryptonite to the flame-powered community. Kasloff most likely tried to make a return, but ended up in an iron lung from pulmonary carcinoma. If not, maybe he could team up with Vickie Murdock, the Asbestos Lady, to have the Asbestos Kids, and Besty, the Asbestos Dog...or not.
Asbestos Man has an entry in Marvel Legacy: The 1960s Handbook.
Although published in 2020, Fantastic Four: Marvels Snapshots I#1 is set circa 2003 continuity (the death of Jumbo Carnation in X-Men II#134, debut of el Guapo in X-Statix I#9 and other stories are contemporary to its events).
Larger and cleaned up images by Ron Fredricks (except for the main, which Markus Raymond added).
Profile by Snood. Updates by Markus Raymond (Fear Itself) & Prime Eternal (Marvels Snapshots).
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Asbestos Man (Orson Kasloff) has no known
connection to:
images: (without ads)
Strange Tales I#111, cover (main image - Asbestos Man, holding net and
shield)
Strange Tales I#111/1, p2, pan1 (headshot - Professor Orson Kasloff)
Fear Itself: The Home Front#6/4, p4, pan4 (Asbestos Man with oxygen
tank, trying to rob supermarket)
Appearances:
Strange Tales I#111/1 (August, 1963) - Stan Lee (plot/editor), Ernie
Hart (script), Dick Ayers (artist)
Fear Itself: The Home Front#6 (November, 2011) - Elliot Kalan (writer),
Ty Templeton (artist), Lauren Sankovitch (editor)
Fantastic Four: Marvels Snapshots#1 (May, 2020) - Evan Dorkin (writer),
Sarah Dyer (writer), Benjamin Dewey (artist), Darren Shan (editor)
Ziggy Pig and Silly Seal Infinity Comic#8 (October, 2022) - Frank Tieri,
John Cerilli (writers), Jacob Chabot (artist), Mark Paniccia (editor)
First posted: 09/01/2001
Last updated: 06/12/2026
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and © 1941-2099 Marvel
Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should
check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com
Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!