Man-Bull charged into the Marvel Universe in Daredevil (Vol. 1) #78, published in July 1971. He was co-created by writer Gerry Conway and legendary artist Gene Colan, with inks by Tom Palmer. His creation came during the Bronze Age of Comic Books, a period marked by a turn towards darker, more complex themes and the proliferation of “monster” characters who were often tragic victims of science gone awry. Conway, a prolific writer who would later co-create The Punisher, conceived Man-Bull as a pure physical threat for Daredevil. Gene Colan's signature shadowy, noir-influenced art style perfectly captured the grotesque and menacing nature of Taurens' transformation. Man-Bull fits neatly into the archetype of the simple thug who grasps for power and gets more than he bargained for, losing his humanity in the process. He served as a powerful visual and physical foil to Matt Murdock's agile, sensory-based fighting style. While never achieving A-list villain status, his memorable design and simple, effective threat have ensured his longevity as a recurring foe in the Marvel underworld.
William “Bill” Taurens was a common thug, notable only for his physical size and willingness to commit violence for pay. His life took a drastic turn when he was hired by the enigmatic Mister Kline, a high-tech criminal mastermind, to kidnap people for bizarre experiments. Taurens' specific role was to be the muscle, rounding up test subjects for a scientist in Kline's employ known only as “The Professor.” During one such kidnapping attempt, Taurens came into direct conflict with Daredevil. He was soundly defeated by the hero, a humiliation that festered in his mind. Seeking revenge and a significant power upgrade, Taurens decided to volunteer himself as a test subject for The Professor's experiments. The Professor had developed a mutagenic serum derived from the tissue and DNA of a bull. The goal was to grant a human the proportional strength, durability, and aggression of the animal. The experiment was a grotesque success. Taurens' body was warped and transformed, his skin thickening into a tough hide, his musculature expanding to massive proportions, and two large, sharp horns sprouting from his forehead. He was reborn as the Man-Bull. Initially, he retained his human intelligence and personality, albeit amplified by a newfound rage. He immediately sought out Daredevil for a rematch. In their subsequent battles, Man-Bull's overwhelming strength and durability proved to be a serious challenge for Daredevil. However, a critical flaw in the serum soon became apparent. With each passing day, the mutagenic compound continued to alter his mind, eroding his intelligence and personality. He became more and more bestial, his speech devolving into grunts and roars, and his tactical thinking replaced by pure, instinctual fury. This mental degradation became his greatest weakness, allowing Daredevil and other heroes to outsmart him. Over the years, his condition has fluctuated, with various criminal scientists temporarily restoring his intellect for their own purposes, only for him to inevitably regress into a near-mindless beast. This tragic cycle of lost humanity defines his existence in the Earth-616 universe.
As of his debut, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has not depicted the specific origin story of William Taurens' transformation into Man-Bull. He is introduced in the Disney+ series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (Episode 7, “The Retreat”) as an already-established super-powered individual. In the MCU, Man-Bull is a client of Emil Blonsky, the Abomination, who runs a spiritual retreat and meditation center called “Abomaste” for super-powered individuals with anger management and identity issues. Unlike his often-savage comic book counterpart, this version of Man-Bull is fully coherent, articulate, and emotionally self-aware. He participates in group therapy sessions alongside other obscure comic characters like El Águila, Porcupine, Saracen, and Wrecker of the Wrecking Crew. His introduction shows him working through his personal problems, specifically mentioning a past relationship where he was accused of “charging through the relationship like a bull in a china shop,” a source of both literal and metaphorical angst for him. He is portrayed as a gentle giant, seeking to understand himself better and connect with others who share his unique struggles. This adaptation represents a significant departure from the source material. The MCU chose to bypass the tragic “monster” origin and instead use Man-Bull for comedic effect and to explore the series' core themes of identity and self-acceptance. He is not presented as a villain but as a person dealing with the bizarre consequences of his powers, making his MCU “origin” less about a scientific experiment and more about his journey towards emotional healing.
Man-Bull's powers are a direct result of the bull-derived mutagenic serum that transformed him. His abilities are primarily physical, making him a formidable brawler and a significant threat in close-quarters combat.
Man-Bull's greatest weakness is his fluctuating mental state. The serum that grants him his power is unstable, often causing his human intelligence to degrade into animalistic instinct. In this state, he is easily enraged, confused, and tricked by more clever opponents. He becomes a predictable force of nature rather than a thinking combatant. He is also susceptible to powerful psionic and magical attacks that target his mind.
William Taurens' personality is a spectrum. At his most human, he is a gruff, greedy, and short-tempered thug, motivated by money and revenge. He is capable of following orders and understanding complex plans. However, as the serum takes hold, this personality is submerged beneath a wave of primal rage. As the bestial Man-Bull, he is a creature of pure instinct, driven by aggression and a territorial need to dominate. This duality makes him a tragic figure, a man trapped inside a monster that is slowly consuming him.
The MCU's depiction of Man-Bull's abilities and personality is a stark contrast to the comics, focusing more on character than on combat prowess.
The MCU Man-Bull is almost the complete opposite of his comic book self. He is calm, introspective, and emotionally vulnerable. He actively seeks self-improvement and is a willing participant in group therapy. He is open about his feelings and past relationship troubles, demonstrating a desire for connection and understanding rather than conflict. He shows empathy towards Jennifer Walters when she arrives at the retreat and offers her support. This version is not a villain but a troubled individual trying to find his place in the world, using his bizarre condition as a starting point for personal growth. The name “Man-Bull” is less a fearsome moniker and more a simple descriptor of his state of being.
Man-Bull is not known for his lasting friendships. His alliances are almost always temporary and based on mutual criminal interest.
This is Man-Bull's debut storyline. The arc introduces William Taurens as a heavy for Mister Kline, his initial defeat at Daredevil's hands, and his desperate choice to undergo the transformative experiment. The story establishes the core conflict: Daredevil's acrobatic finesse against Man-Bull's unstoppable charging attacks. It also introduces the tragic element of the serum's instability, showing Taurens beginning to lose his grip on his own mind even as he gains immense power. This storyline perfectly encapsulates his origin and defines his relationship with Daredevil for decades to come.
During this massive crossover event, Marvel's supervillains, organized by Loki in disguise, systematically targeted heroes outside of their usual rogues' galleries. Man-Bull, whose intelligence had been temporarily restored, was pitted against the Gray Gargoyle. Their battle was not one of good vs. evil, but a chaotic brawl between two destructive villains that tore through city streets. It highlighted how even lower-tier villains could be pawns in cosmic schemes and cause incredible destruction when let off the leash.
This event marked the peak of Man-Bull's power and threat level. When The Serpent, Asgard's long-imprisoned God of Fear, was freed, he scattered eight mystical hammers across the Earth to choose his “Worthy.” One of these hammers, the Hammer of Kuurth, landed near Man-Bull. Upon lifting it, he was transformed into one of the Worthy, his power amplified to godlike levels. As “Kuurth's Breaker of Stone,” he was no longer a simple brute but a nearly unstoppable engine of fear and destruction, serving The Serpent's will alongside empowered versions of Juggernaut, The Thing, and Titania. This was the only time Man-Bull was portrayed as a truly top-tier threat to the entire world.
For the character's on-screen incarnation, this single episode is his defining moment. After a disastrous date, Jennifer Walters ends up at Emil Blonsky's “Abomaste” retreat, where she stumbles upon Man-Bull and his fellow super-powered individuals in a group therapy session. The episode uses Man-Bull and the others to deconstruct villain archetypes, showing them as people with relatable problems. Man-Bull's quiet vulnerability and honest attempts at self-improvement are central to the episode's theme. The story subverts audience expectations of a “monster” character, using him instead to provide emotional support and a sense of community for the series' protagonist.
Man-Bull is not a character who frequently appears in alternate realities, making his variants quite rare. His adaptations outside of Earth-616 and the MCU are few, which makes his MCU debut all the more notable.