Ethan Clarke
Plastic Man, also known as Patrick Eel O'Brian, is a superhero in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Police Comics #1 in 1941 and has since been featured in various animated television series, films, and crossovers with other DC heroes. Plastic Man has complete control over his physiology, density, elasticity, and strength, making him a formidable adversary. He can alter his size, shape, and mass at will, shrink himself down to a few inches, or become as large as a skyscraper. With his super-elastic powers, he can turn his fingers into tendrils, stretch his body into any form, and even regenerate any body part. Plastic Man's abilities are so impressive that even Batman has stated he fears him, acknowledging how lucky the world is that he is a good guy. So, is Plastic Man the strongest superhero?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Superpower | Plastic Man can stretch his body into any imaginable form |
| First Appearance | Police Comics #1, published by Quality Comics and later acquired by DC Comics |
| Creator | Cartoonist Jack Cole |
| Other Names | Patrick "Eel" O'Brian |
| Powers | Super elasticity, atomic manipulation, regeneration, invulnerability, immunity to telepathy |
| Weakness | Extremes in temperature |
| Alternate Versions | Zombie Plastic Man in DCeased, vampire in DC vs Vampires, Rubber Man (Earth-Three counterpart) |
| Notable Moments | Disabled the Flash, joined the Avengers temporarily, voted Batman out of the Justice League |
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What You'll Learn
Plastic Man's superpowers
Plastic Man, also known as Patrick "Eel" O'Brian, is a superhero in the DC Universe. He was created by cartoonist Jack Cole and first appeared in Police Comics #1 (August 1941). Plastic Man is known for his superpowers, which include:
Elasticity and Shape-Shifting: Plastic Man can stretch his body and mould himself into any shape imaginable. He has complete control over his physiology, allowing him to make his body as flexible as a rubber band or as hard as a rock. He can also increase or decrease his size at will.
Superhuman Strength: By adding more muscles to his physique, Plastic Man can increase his strength exponentially. He has been described as having the ability to kill the entire Justice League without breaking a sweat.
Invulnerability and Regeneration: Plastic Man possesses invulnerability and the ability to regenerate any body part. He once survived for 3000 years as little more than crumbs scattered around the Atlantic Ocean.
Immunity to Telepathy: Plastic Man is immune to telepathic attacks and influences, making him a valuable asset in battles against telepathic foes.
Density Control: Plastic Man has control over his density, allowing him to make himself as light as a feather or as dense as a rock.
Plastic Man's powers are not limited to just these abilities, and he has been shown to acquire new powers and adapt to different situations. His powers make him one of the most powerful superheroes in the DC Universe, feared even by Batman.
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Plastic Man's weaknesses
Plastic Man, also known as Patrick "Eel" O'Brian, is a superhero with a range of impressive powers. He has complete control over his physiology, density, elasticity, and strength. However, despite his many strengths, Plastic Man does have certain weaknesses.
One of Plastic Man's notable weaknesses is his vulnerability to extreme temperatures. A sudden change in temperature can induce a complete change of state, turning him into a truly solid or truly liquid form. In the JLA story arc "Tower of Babel," mercenaries froze and shattered his body, rendering him incapacitated. Similarly, in the JLA story arc "Divided We Fall," Plastic Man was temporarily melted by intense heat vision from a Martian. Additionally, in the miniseries DCeased: Dead Planet, Zatanna exploits this weakness by harnessing Hellfire, ultimately melting and killing Plastic Man.
Another weakness of Plastic Man is his susceptibility to certain chemicals. For example, he is vulnerable to substances like acetone, which can melt and destabilize his body.
While Plastic Man possesses invulnerability and immortality, there is a theoretical possibility of him being vaporized or destroyed in some form. Additionally, his speed is not considered exceptional compared to other superheroes or metas.
Plastic Man also has a weakness for beautiful women, as mentioned in the "JLA Trophy Room" story. This character flaw can potentially be exploited to distract or manipulate him.
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Plastic Man's alternate versions
Plastic Man, also known as Patrick "Eel" O'Brian, has been adapted into various media outside of comic books, including a 1979 TV series and animated television series and films.
1979 TV Series
In the 1979 TV series, Plastic Man's origin story is never explained, but his name is revealed as Patrick "Eel" O'Brian, a thief who gained his powers after being doused in experimental plastic during a heist at a plastic factory. In 1984, the series was repackaged into a 30-minute version that included live-action segments hosted by Plastic Man, played by Mark Craig Taylor (credited as Taylor Marks).
1988-1989 Miniseries
A 1988–1989 four-issue Plastic Man miniseries by Phil Foglio introduced a new version of the character. In this version, Eel O'Brian is abandoned by his criminal gang after being shot and exposed to an unidentified chemical. As his powers develop, he becomes a monster that frightens others and attracts the attention of the police and National Guard. Eel attempts suicide but is interrupted by Woozy Winks, a former mental patient who desires the safety of an institution.
Justice League
Plastic Man was also featured as a prominent member of the Justice League in various story arcs. In "Rock of Ages," Batman recruits Eel to infiltrate Lex Luthor's Injustice League in the guise of the Joker. He is shown to be immune to the goddess Circe's ability to turn humans into animals. In the "Tower of Babel" arc, Plastic Man is incapacitated when mercenaries freeze and shatter his body, highlighting his vulnerability to sudden temperature changes. In the "Divided We Fall" arc, he is shown to have a weakness to extreme heat and certain chemicals, such as acetone.
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Plastic Man's role in the Justice League
Plastic Man, or Patrick "Eel" O'Brian, is a prominent member of the Justice League, DC's premier superhero team. Created by cartoonist Jack Cole, Plastic Man was one of the first superheroes to incorporate humour into mainstream action storytelling. He is the main comedy character of the series, always trying to make a joke of everything, which makes it difficult for his colleagues to take him seriously. Plastic Man is often regarded as the class clown of the Justice League, with other heroes like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman seeing him as nothing more than a jester.
Despite being underestimated by his fellow heroes, Plastic Man has proven to be a formidable member of the Justice League. He has been instrumental in defeating several foes, such as a Jokerized version of Doctor Polaris and the 'Burning Martian' persona of J'onn J'onzz (Martian Manhunter). Plastic Man's powers include complete control over his physiology, density, elasticity, and strength. He can make his body as flexible as a rubber band or as hard as a rock, and can increase his size and muscle mass at will. Additionally, he possesses invulnerability, the ability to regenerate any body part, and immunity to telepathy.
In the story arc "Rock of Ages," Plastic Man's role is particularly notable. Batman recruits Eel to infiltrate Lex Luthor's Injustice League in the guise of the Joker, which he accomplishes successfully. He also engages in combat with the goddess Circe, proving immune to her ability to turn humans into animals. This leads to him becoming a full-time member of the Justice League.
Despite these complexities, Plastic Man remains a beloved character within the Justice League. He has been a favourite of many modern comic book creators, including writer Grant Morrison, painter Alex Ross, and writer-artist Kyle Baker, who have all featured him prominently in their works.
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Plastic Man's origin story
Plastic Man, also known as Patrick "Eel" O'Brian, is a superhero featured in American comic books. Created by cartoonist Jack Cole, Plastic Man first appeared in Police Comics #1 (August)
After the incident, he was nursed back to health by an order of monks, who showed him kindness and helped him turn his life around. O'Brian then decided to use his new powers for good and became the crime-busting Plastic Man. He joined the Justice League and worked alongside other superheroes like Batman and Steel, using his unique abilities to fight crime and engage in battles against powerful villains.
Plastic Man's civilian identity as Eel O'Brian played a significant role in his character development. In the storyline "Divided We Fall," Plastic Man and other Justice League members were separated into their superhero and civilian identities. As Eel O'Brian, he struggled with his old criminal tendencies and had to confront the challenges of suppressing his dark past.
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Frequently asked questions
Plastic Man is considered to be one of the most powerful superheroes in the DC Universe. He has atomic manipulation, meaning he can turn himself into anything. He also has control over his density, elasticity, and strength, and is invulnerable, with the ability to regenerate.
Plastic Man has been shown to have a weakness to extreme temperatures, as he was killed by Zatanna, who melted him with Hellfire.
Plastic Man can shrink himself down to a few inches tall or grow to the size of skyscrapers. He can make himself as flexible as a rubber band or as hard as a rock, and can alter his bodily mass and physical constitution at will. He also has the ability to regenerate any body part and is immune to telepathy.
Plastic Man, or Patrick "Eel" O'Brian, first appeared in Police Comics #1, published by Quality Comics and later acquired by DC Comics. He started out as a criminal but became a superhero after a freak accident left him with superpowers.
