Kirt Niedrigh

Kirt Niedrigh
Earth-Man standing with other members of the Justice League of Earth. Art from the cover of Action Comics #860 by Gary Frank.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	as Absorbency Boy: Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #218 (July 1976) as Earth-Man: Action Comics #858 (Late December 2007)
Created by	Original Concept:: Cary Bates Mike Grell Supervillain Reinvention: Geoff Johns Gary Frank
In-story information
Species	Metahuman
Place of origin	Earth (31st century)
Team affiliations	Justice League of Earth Legion of Super-Villains Green Lantern Corps Legion of Super-Heroes
Notable aliases	Absorbency Boy, Zoraz, Earth-Man
Abilities	Super-power absorption and duplication Legion Flight Ring Power ring: Which allows flight, superhuman strength, and hard-light constructs with use of power ring.

Kirt Niedrigh is a fictional character, a semi-reformed supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. Created by Cary Bates and Mike Grell, Niedrigh is a former hopeful for the Legion of Super-Heroes under the guise of Absorbency Boy. After being rejected from the team, years later he resurfaced as Earth-Man leading a group of supervillains calling themselves the "Justice League of Earth", which help to enforce a xenophobic agenda that Earth has adopted. He first appears in Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #218 (July 1976), and reappeared as Earth-Man in Action Comics #858 (Late December 2007), the first part of the "Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes" story arc.

As a teenager, Kirt Niedrigh applied for membership in the Legion of Super-Heroes. Calling himself Absorbency Boy, and possessing the ability to absorb the energy residue of any super-powered being, gaining their powers himself, he was rejected on the grounds that his powers were too limited. In the rebooted continuity of New Earth, his rejection was further elaborated, explaining that while his powers had the potential to develop in time, Saturn Girl had analyzed his mind, finding a deep streak of antisocial and evil tendencies that Kirt was unwilling to keep in check, and foreshadowed his transformation in the xenophobic villain he would be in his maturity.

Incensed at his rejection, Niedrigh found the costume of "Zoraz", a fake villain used as a final test for new Legionnaires. Both Superboy and Sun Boy had used the costume earlier. Attacking the Legion and defeating them, Niedrigh revealed himself, believing that he had earned his place on the team. The Legion did not see things this way, and Superboy attempted to confiscate the suit. Niedrigh used the suit's residual Sun Boy energies to project red sun radiation, then absorbed Superboy's powers and defeated the Kryptonian. Niedrigh was then defeated by Legion applicant Tyroc, who used an ultrasonic scream to overwhelm his newly acquired super-hearing. Immediately thereafter, Tyroc is inducted into the Legion.