PLASTIC MAN (RESPECT THREAD)

waterproof
waterproof Members Posts: 9,412 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited November 2012 in Quite Comical
Do not sleep on Eel O'Brian there is a good chance that he will whoop your favorite Comic Character.

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Current Alias Plastic Man

Aliases Eel O'Brian

Relatives Offspring (son)

Affiliation The FBI; formerly the Justice League of America; the All-Star Squadron and the Freedom Fighters

Status
Alignment Good

Identity Secret Identity

Race Human

Citizenship American

Marital Status Single

Occupation Government Agent

Characteristics
Gender Male

Height 6' 1"

Weight 178 lbs (81 kg)

Eyes Blue
Hair Black

Origin
Universe New Earth



Eel O'Brian, abandoned by his criminal gang after being shot and exposed to the acid, wandered the streets as his new powers developed, frightening others and bringing the police and National Guard down on him as a dangerous monster. Eel was at first oblivous to the changes to his body, but after realizing that he was the monster everyone was going on about, he used his new abilities to escape his pursuers, but soon became so despondent over his new condition that he attempted suicide by jumping off a bridge.

Fortunately, he was interrupted by Woozy Winks, a former mental patient who was kicked out of an institution due to lack of funding (or as Woozy put it, "something called Reaganomics"), who desired nothing more than to return to the warm safety of a straitjacket and padded room. Eel and Woozy decided to work together and capitalize on Eel's new powers to make their fortunes (Eel wanting to get rich quick, Woozy just wanting his "old room" back), but couldn't decide whether there was more money in crime or crime-fighting, and resorted to flipping a coin to choose serving the law (though Woozy had his doubts early on). Eel, ending up with the name "Plastic Man" after a reporter misinterpreted his first choice, "Elastic Man", and Woozy set up a detective agency in New York City and had various misadventures.

The alteration that Plas was initially in the superhero business for the money has had an effect on his character development post-Crisis, notably in a JLA storyline by Mark Waid where he, along with other Justice League members, was separated into two people, his normal "civilian" identity and his superhero persona. While Plastic Man devolved from a person with a sense of humor into a constantly wisecracking and almost ineffectual idiot, the now "normal" Eel O'Brian struggled with the criminal tendencies he had suppressed as he had become comfortable with his role as a superhero, and wondered if he had actually changed for the better or if it had all been part of the super-hero "act". Ultimately, Eel was the driving force behind the other transformed Leaguers banding together to re-join with their superheroic selves.


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The New 52
In this timeline of The New 52, Plastic Man is considered as one of the candidates for the United Nations-sponsored Justice League International. He is denied a spot on the team for being too unpredictable


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Powers and Abilities

Powers
Malleable Physiology: Plastic Man's powers are derived from an accident in which his body was bathed in an unknown industrial chemical mixture that also entered into his bloodstream through a gunshot wound. This caused a body-wide mutagenic process that transformed his physiology. Eel exists in a fluid state, neither entirely liquid or solid. Plastic Man has complete control over his entire molecular structure.

Malleability
Elasticity/Plasticity: He can stretch his limbs and body to superhuman lengths and sizes. There is no known limit to how far he can stretch his body.

Size Alteration: He can shrink himself down to a few inches tall (posed as one of Batman's utility belt pockets) or become a titan (the size of skyscrapers).

Shape-Shifting: He can contort his body into various positions and sizes impossible for ordinary humans, such as being entirely flat so that he can slip under a door or using his fingers to pick conventional locks. He can also use it for disguise by changing the shape of his face and body. In addition, he can alter his ? mass and physical constitution at will, there is virtually no limit to the sizes and shapes he can contort himself into.

Superhuman Agility: These stretching powers grant Plastic Man heightened agility enabling him flexibility and coordination that is extraordinarily beyond the natural limits of the human body.

Superhuman Strength: He can alter his strength by growing or adding more muscle.

Color Change: The only limitation he has relates to color, which he cannot change without intense concentration. He generally does not use this ability and sticks to his red and yellow colored uniform.

Invulnerability: Plastic Man's powers extraordinarily augment his durability. He is able to withstand corrosives, punctures and concussions without sustaining any injury (although he can be momentarily stunned). He is resistant to high velocity impacts that would ? an ordinary person, resistant to blasts from energy weapons, and is completely bullet proof. His ? mass can be dispersed, but for all intents and purposes it is invulnerable.

Regeneration: He is able to regenerate and/or assimilate lost or damaged tissue, though it does take a long time, its far faster than an ordinary human.

Telepathic Immunity: As stated by Batman (in JLA #88), "Plastic Man's mind is no longer organic. It's untouchable by telepathy." (Mostly immune to mind control. It's unknown if Batman meant that Plas is immune to just mind control or to telepathy altogether from that point on

Immortality: Plastic Man does not appear to age; if he does, it is at a rate far slower than that of normal human beings. In the aftermath of the JLA story Arc "Obsidian Age", Plastic Man was discovered to have survived for 3000 years as little more than crumbs on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. He is now over 3000 years old and is still active as a superhero.

Ultrasonic Detection: His body will start to "ripple" when an ultrasonic frequency is triggered.

Rubber-Organs: As stated by a Black Lantern Vibe. Plastic Man's internal organs such as his heart when Black Lantern Vibe try to rip it out couldn't be killed unlike many of the Black Lanterns' victims, this makes him immune to such attacks.


Abilities
Skilled Thief: Plastic Man was once a very talented professional thief.

Master Detective: Although no longer a criminal, he has insight into their mindset, enabling him to be an effective sleuth. He is also considered to be a lateral thinker and much smarter than he lets on.

Strength level
When he was as tall as skyscrapers, he was able to throw/tackle the equally-giant-sized Martian Manhunter through several buildings.

Weaknesses
Extreme Temperatures: His semi-liquid form remains stable at relatively high and low temperatures...provided that the temperature change is gradual. A sudden change, induces a complete change of phase, creating a truly solid or truly liquid form. Plastic Man was incapacitated in the JLA story arc, "Tower of Babel", when mercenaries froze and shattered his body. Once thawed and reassembled, he was physically unharmed (though emotionally traumatized). In the JLA story arc "Divided We Fall", Plastic Man is shown to have some weakness to extreme heat (intense heat vision attack from a martian) and was temporarily melted.

Paraphernalia

Uniform, Plastic Man's unitard can like its owner stretch, morph, and change size; it is fluid like and unbreakable (material like this is most likely rare and probably why Pat's costume is so small).
Goggles, The groovy goggles are Pat's trademark. They can stretch and change size.


Comments

  • waterproof
    waterproof Members Posts: 9,412 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November 2012
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    Weaknesses

    His semi-liquid form remains stable at relatively high and low temperatures, provided that the temperature change is gradual. A sudden change induces a complete change of state, creating a truly solid or truly liquid form. Plastic Man was incapacitated in the JLA story arc "Tower of Babel" when mercenaries froze and shattered his body. Once thawed and reassembled, he was physically unharmed (though emotionally traumatized). In the JLA story arc "Divided We Fall", Plastic Man is shown to have some weakness to extreme heat (intense heat vision attack from a martian) and was temporarily melted. In some versions, Plastic Man is also vulnerable to chemicals such as acetone, which melts and destabilizes his putty-like form, although he will eventually regenerate when the chemicals are gone. Another weakness is that the only colors Plastic Man can mimic are the colors of his body and costume (IE: red, black, yellow, and flesh tone), although he can use these colours in various ways, once even managing to exactly duplicate the appearance of the Flash. Whether this is an inherent flaw in his powers or a mental block had never been explained, whereas, his son, Offspring, also gained his father's powers, but is able to mimic any color he chooses; Offspring's introduction revealed that Plastic Man could change color, turning his nose blue to prove to Batman that he could, but it apparently took a great deal of concentration just to accomplish that much. Also, for a long while it was not known if Plas could take off his costume, but when he rejoined civilian life, he was wearing normal clothing so it appeared that he is able to.


    FEATS

    Durability


    Plastic Man spent 3000 years under the sea, existing as tiny pieces.

    He was completely sentient and cognitive the entire time.

    He's immortal, and, as Plastic Man puts it, unkillable.



    He didn't age, but he did "evolve".

    He's now untouchable by telepathy, and seems to have developed a greater resistance to fire and cold.



    The fire resistance was demonstrated vs. Fernus (scans later)

    The cold resistance-

    While extreme cold has always been a weakness, nowadays Plastic Man's recovery from it is "Damn!" fast.

    He's unlocked from a cryo-chamber designed to take him out, and simply complains about about a "kink in his neck".


    And, finally, the upgrade to a completely non-organic being seems to allow him to reattach his limbs like Morph.


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    Morphing Ability


    The most prized ability of Plastic Man, his ability to shift form and make virtually whatever he wants.





    Physiology/Mind/Ability


    Operates perfectly under water.



    Can't be mind controlled.



    J'onn helped Plastic Man deal with his traumatizing 3000 year experience immovable at the bottom of the ocean. The manhunter prays for him.



    In Dreamworld, Plastic Man liquifies because his thoughts are "too fluid".



    "If that doesn't give you an idea of the level of power he hides behind that doofy face, you're brain dead."

    Batman commands healthy respect for Plas.



    As does Spectre, who claims Plas's true power is in his mind.



    Plas hypnotizes himself to forget his hero life so he can be a good dad. This is post- 3000 years under the sea.



    Hits Heatwave pretty hard.

  • Lou Cypher
    Lou Cypher Members Posts: 52,521 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Dope. Ive heard a lot of plastic man i guess he was a favorite awhile ago. Hope he gets a place in the New 52 with all the new waves they keep doing.
  • waterproof
    waterproof Members Posts: 9,412 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Lou Cypher wrote: »
    Dope. Ive heard a lot of plastic man i guess he was a favorite awhile ago. Hope he gets a place in the New 52 with all the new waves they keep doing.

    i wasn't a fan of Plastic Man when i was younger but then i start reading on him and found out that i slept on dude he's a mover and maker in DC and have a crazy power set making him a threat and a powerful character in comics.
  • gns
    gns Members Posts: 21,285 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Always loved this picture.

    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS9Bu381LMetfykWeERAmFadhWc5NFvAlYOmobAhoE4kuT4UGtOCZFFjG9N
  • waterproof
    waterproof Members Posts: 9,412 ✭✭✭✭✭
    An underrated character with a great power set, Plastic Man would put an ass kicking on Reed Richards
  • Broddie
    Broddie Members Posts: 11,750 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited September 2014
    Like Captain Marvel his classic stories were always much better than his DC ones but I did like the way he was used in the DCU during Morrison's JLA run.
  • A.J. Trillzynski
    A.J. Trillzynski Members Posts: 2,270 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited September 2014
    GOAT

    Plastic Man finally got a lot of shine outside of comics in the Batman: Brave and the Bold series.. there are some good episodes with him, I like how they play up his somewhat shady nature and criminal past