History Main / ElementalAbsorption

* ''Franchise/TheDCU'':
** Killer Frost from ''ComicBook/FirestormDCComics'' absorbs heat in order to power her ice powers. Since you'd expect AnIcePerson to be ''weak'' against fire, this tends to be a dangerous surprise for heroes facing her.
** Scorch does it to prevent the ComicBook/MartianManhunter from spawning (ItMakesSenseInContext), but can only hold it for a few minutes -- long enough for the ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica to defeat him, though.
* ''Franchise/MarvelUniverse'':
** Carol Danvers from ''ComicBook/CaptainMarvelMarvelComics'' and ''ComicBook/MsMarvel'' can absorb a number of forms of energy, at one point using electricity as a pick-me-up.
** Johnny Storm from ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' can do this, although if it's heat (rather than fire), it's a strain, and dumping the energy absorbed is a problem. In such cases, he usually has to gain high altitude and then release the energy in a serious flare, after which he is usually only semi-conscious and needs someone to catch him.
** ComicBook/TheMightyThor can absorb electricity.

[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
* ''Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters2019'': King Ghidorah is a PsychoElectro, and during the Boston battle, he's able to supercharge himself by biting down on a power sub-station and feeding on the entire city's power grid; gaining enough energy to fire a ''BeamSpam'' of lightning arcs off of his body which spontaneously decimate the entire military.
* In ''Film/X2XMenUnited'', Rogue absorbs Pyro's powers and uses them to put out the fires he had created, though she doesn't directly absorb the fire.

* In ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'', [=WarGreymon's=] SignatureMove is Terra Force (Gaia Force in Japanese), which gathers energy from the atmosphere and hurls it as a [[PlayingWithFire giant fireball]]. He retains this ability in the [[Anime/DigimonAdventure2020 2020 reboot]], with the added property of being able to [[CombinedEnergyAttack absorb the Digital World's light and become even bigger]], able to [[spoiler:one-shot [[EldritchAbomination ZeedMillenniummon]]]]. ''Anime/DigimonXEvolution's'' [=WarGreymon=] X has a similar attack called Poseidon Force, which instead gathers [[MakingASplash water]] into a hyper-pressurised sphere to the same effect.

* [[ComicBook/MsMarvel Carol Danvers]] can absorb a number of forms of energy, at one point using electricity as a pick me up.
* [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Johnny Storm]] can do this, although if it's heat (rather than fire) it's a strain and dumping the energy absorbed is a problem. In such cases he usually has to gain high altitude and then release the energy in a serious flare. After which he is usually only semi-conscious and needs someone to catch him.
* Killer Frost absorbed heat in order to power her [[AnIcePerson ice powers]]. Since you'd expect AnIcePerson to be ''weak'' against fire, this tends to be a dangerous surprise for heroes facing her.
* Scorch did it to prevent the Martian Manhunter from spawning (MakesSenseInContext), but could only hold it for a few minutes- long enough for the JLA to defeat him, though.
* [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]] can absorb electricity.

* ''Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters2019'': [[Characters/MonsterVerseKingGhidorah King Ghidorah]] is a PsychoElectro, and during the Boston battle, he's able to supercharge himself by biting down on a power sub-station and feeding on the entire city's power grid; gaining enough energy to fire a ''BeamSpam'' of lightning arcs off of his body which spontaneously decimate the entire military.

* In the ''Literature/WildCards'' novels starting from ''Inside Straight'', the Amazing Bubbles has the power to absorb kinetic energy and store it as body mass to be released later as telekinesis. In ''Busted Flush'', this ability allows her to survive giving an ActionBomb a CooldownHug.

* In ''Series/KamenRiderFourze'', the heroes learn that Fourze's Fire States can absorb nearby fires in order to power up its flamethrower weapon; conveniently, that week the [[MonsterOfTheWeek monster]] [[PlayingWithFire liked to burn things]].
** This may have been inspired by a scene in ''Film/KamenRiderTheNext'', where [[Series/KamenRiderV3 V3]] sucks the flames from a burning building into his Double Typhoon belt and uses the energy to kick villain butt.
* On ''Series/SpaceCases,'' Rosie and Bova have the power to expel massive amounts of heat and electricity, respectively. On one occasion each, they were shown to absorb them when the ship's engine overheated or overloaded.

* In the climactic fight of ''Roleplay/{{Alanna}}'', the {{Familiar}} Franklin jumps between Alanna and an onslaught of lighting magic. He absorbs the attack and grows to gigantic proportions.

* In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'', you are able to do this in the Fade portion of the Circle Tower quest line. You have to be the fire man to do it, but you can still do it. And it's REALLY handy.

* In ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' games, monsters affiliated with an element are either immune to it or are healed by attacks of that element (be they spells or attacks with an elemental weapon). Some bosses [[BarrierChangeBoss can even change their elemental type during the fight,]] so you must figure out which one it is before attacking again. Fortunately, the player characters get access to the ability to absorb specific elements themselves in many games, [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII whether by using high-level Elemental Materia]], [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII junctioning enough elemental spells to your Elem-Def stat]], or (in most cases) by merely donning equipment that comes with such an effect.
* Conduits in ''VideoGame/{{Infamous}}'' recharge their powers and [[FeedItWithFire heal themselves]] by absorbing their element. If they absorb enough energy in one go (or Ray energy), they can unlock more powers or augment their current ones.
** As stated in the main page, [[Videogame/InfamousSecondSon Delsin Rowe]] may be considered a Conduit whose element is ''[[PowerCopying Conduits]]''.
* Certain Heartless from ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' (mainly the ones that look like flying lanterns) can do this. Physical attacks and forms of magic other than the one they use and especially one that's opposite their own (i.e. blizzard->fire or fire->blizzard, etc.) will cause it damage. Getting hit by a magic attack that's of the same element as their own restores energy. Blue Rhapsody uses and absorbs Blizzard attacks. Red Nocturne uses and absorbs Fire attacks. Yellow Opera uses and absorbs Thunder attacks. Green Requiem absorbs all magic attacks and heals itself and other Heartless. Aquatank, a fish-like Heartless who uses thunder magic in Atlantica will regain health if hit by thunder magic. (''Re: Chain of Memories'')
** The Organization XIII members seem to absorb their own elements as well. Of course, since the ''Kingdom Hearts'' games only have a very short list of elements you can actually use (even more so after they removed Gravity, Stop, and Aero for ''2''), the only ones who might ever actually get hit by an attack of their own element are Axel, Vexen, and Larxene in ''Chain of Memories.''
** In ''358/2 Days'', all thirteen elements are present as attacks in some way shape or form, and each member has a natural resistance to their element ("Nil" for Xemnas, Moon for Saix, Light for Roxas, etc.) that starts at 10% at level 1 and rises another 10% every ten levels. Mickey, Sora, Donald and Goofy also have a natural resistance to Light. The only character who doesn't have a natural resistance to an element is Riku, perhaps because Darkness isn't present as an element in the game.

* In ''Videogame/{{MARDEK}}'', if a character's [[ElementalRockPaperScissors elemental resistances]] exceed 100%, incoming attacks with that element will heal them. Which means that if they have 100%+ resistance to all 8, they'll be pretty much invincible. [[note]]Not only that, if any teammates have attacks in that element, they can [[FeedItWithFire direct them at the resistance guy]] [[EnergyAbsorption to heal him]].[[/note]] Which is why characters never have [[PureEnergy Thauma]] resistance of any sort, and bosses get the Inversion: X attack which hits you with Thauma proportional to your resistance to X.

* This is a constant concern in the ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' series, especially more recent entries, where demons can resist, repel or even ''drain'' attacks of certain elements - [[HealingShiv including ''physical'' attacks]] in some cases. Fortunately, the protagonist and his allies can gain these same Elemental Absorption abilities.

* ''VideoGame/LuxarenAllure'': In an bugfix patch on [[https://rpgmaker.net/games/5854/?post=898950#post898950 Dec 29 2019]], Force Ghosts lost the ability to do it with Physical damage due to interactions with Chisa's HP drain skills, that cause a crash.
* ''VideoGame/Disgaea2'': Ordinarily, the Dragon, Warslug, Mystic Beast and Holy Dragon's passive abilities allow them to NoSell any special skills that are respectively Fire, Ice, Wind and Non-Elemental-typed. Their respective Lover specialist (which only spawns on any Rank 5 or higher item they've worn for ~35 consecutive battles) upgrades their passives to this. Notably, only the player gets to benefit from this.

* [[http://www.thebeastlegion.com/characters/defenders-of-the-light/fyre Fyre]] from ''Webcomic/TheBeastLegion'' uses a form of elemental absorption by concentrating any form of heat & transforming it to flame.
* ''Webcomic/ChampionsOfFaraus'': [[http://worldoffaraus.thecomicseries.com/comics/18/ Monstrovs]] have two sets of ElementalPowers out of a list of ten[[note]] with the exception of subtypes being exclusive with what they are subtypes of, such as ice and water[[/note]], and can absorb/get energy and/or mana from things that correspond to said power sets, and can be a pain to fight if, [[http://championsoffaraus.thecomicseries.com/comics/728 for example]], fire magic is used on one with a fire power set, all it will do is give the monstrov a boost.

* In ''Webcomic/TheNonAdventuresOfWonderella'', an arson-obsessed [[FaceHeelRevolvingDoor villain/hero]] [[StalkerWithACrush with a crush on]] a fiery superheroine makes a DealWithTheDevil to absorb heat. Unfortunately it creates cold, absorbing even her powers, and she flat out rejects him.

* Some ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' abilities passively allow the user to absorb damage from an element and restore HP (Dry Skin, Volt Absorb, Water Absorb) or completely neutralize damage of a specific element (Flash Fire, Motor Drive, Levitate) and possibly raise stats.

** The [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Absorb Elements]] spell allows the user to absorb some incoming elemental damage, gaining resistance to that type of damage until their next turn. They can then use the absorbed energy to empower their next melee attack.