Slug (character)

Slug (Ulysses X. Lugman) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Slug
The Slug battles Spider-Man. From Web of Spider-Man Annual #4
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Captain America #325 (Jan 1987)
Created by	Mark Gruenwald and Paul Neary
In-story information
Alter ego	Ulysses X. Lugman
Species	Human Mutant
Abilities	Gifted intellect Use of his immense fat

Shea Couleé portrayed the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe Disney+ series Ironheart (2025).

Publication history

The supervillain Slug first appeared in Captain America #325 (January 1987) and was co-created by Mark Gruenwald and Paul Neary.

In regards to the character's concept, Mark Gruenwald once commented that he initially thought a 1,200 pound man was implausible, but later discovered the existence of such individuals through reading People magazine.^[1]

Fictional character biography

Ulysses Lugman was born in Miami, Florida. He is a notorious drug kingpin and criminal organizer, as well as the president and owner of several legal businesses in Miami. Due to his obesity, he took on the name "Slug."

Powers and abilities

Slug possesses a gifted intellect and is a master strategist with a sharp business acumen where he is often leading through a combination of intimidation and rewards.

His most notable attribute is his immense weight, which can exceed one thousand pounds. According to The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Update '89, it is possible that Slug is a mutant, given how difficult it is for a normal person to achieve such tremendous mass and remain alive.

Unlike the Blob, Slug lacks the ability to compensate for his mass, rendering him practically immobile unless he is utilizing a high-tech personal hovercraft. Slug's high percentage of body fat allows him to float effortlessly in water, and his metabolism grants him limited immunity to drugs and poisons. Slug is known to asphyxiate his victims (usually his underlings who have failed or displeased him) in the folds of his flesh.

Equipment

Due to his extreme sensitivity to light, Slug is almost always seen wearing shaded eyeglasses.

In order to move around, Slug makes use of special custom-designed heavy-duty electric wheelchair/forklifts that are outfitted with tank treads or heavy tires. His chairs seem to operate by remote control and may even include built-in flotation devices or rocket boosters to allow for air escape. For longer distances, Slug travels in a custom semi-trailer.

In other media

Slug appears in Ironheart, portrayed by Shea Couleé.^[2] This version is a hacker, former drag queen, and a member of a Chicago street gang led by the Hood who is described as the most wanted person in Madripoor.