Plastic Man (Patrick "Eel" O'Brian) Appreciation (2020)

An appreciation thread for Plastic Man, who first appeared in Police Comics #1 (August, 1941). He was originally published by Quality Comics, but was later published by DC Comics from the 1960s onwards, joining the All-Star Squadron, the Justice League, and the Terrifics, as well as featuring in various solo series.

Jack Cole (1943):

[img]https://i.imgur.com/E167kUt.jpg[/img]

Win Mortimer (1967):

[img]https://i.imgur.com/kXCPEfR.jpg[/img]

Ernie Chan (1976):

[img]https://i.imgur.com/2lyQmuB.jpg[/img]

Hilary Barta (1988):

[img]https://i.imgur.com/W1afXuV.jpg[/img]

Kyle Baker (2004):

[img]https://i.imgur.com/9LAfWvK.jpg[/img]

Alex Ross (2018):

[img]https://i.imgur.com/B8GNYAi.jpg[/img]

[QUOTE=Electricmastro;4901013]Hilary Barta (1988):

[url]https://i.imgur.com/W1afXuV.jpg[/url][/QUOTE]

Totally agree. That miniseries from 1988 was a most pleasant reading experience:

[img]https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/marvel_dc/images/c/c7/Plastic_Man_Vol_3_2.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/311?cb=20080525220342[/img][img]https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/marvel_dc/images/b/ba/Plastic_Man_Vol_3_3.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/307?cb=20080525220731[/img][img]https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/marvel_dc/images/9/99/Plastic_Man_Vol_3_4.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/307?cb=20080525220747[/img]

I first saw him in old cartoon with a sidekick called Hula Hula, a blonde girlfriend whose name I forget that I just call Daphne because she reminds me of Scooby-Doo Daphne, and a hilarious enemy called Disco Mummy
Didn't even know he was DC
He's also drawn really buff if I remember right, more traditional heroic build and personality, compared to the present depiction of lanky and goofy

I think what made Plastic Man one of my favorites was his appearances in Batman the Brave and the Bold and his prison break in Injustice annual. Mainly because he was funny and kind of silly but was not to be underestimated because of how useful and resourceful he could be.

Pretty much the reason I’m reading the Terrifics, which I highly recommend even for the whole team, was because he was going to be on the team. They’ve also done a really good job with him and his son.

I fell in love with Plas during Joe Kelly’s JLA run. Especially JLA #65 and The Burning Martian storyline.

Kyle Baker’s series is obviously great. I also really enjoyed Gail’s recent Plas mini series. Her sense of humor was perfect for the character.

what was the gail simone series about?

how have the [I]Crises [/I]affected him? Now in the 'rebooted' timeline, what is his accepted general history?

[QUOTE=Hypestyle;4902460]what was the gail simone series about?

how have the [I]Crises [/I]affected him? Now in the 'rebooted' timeline, what is his accepted general history?[/QUOTE]

Well currently thanks to Metal and the Terrifics we know he has existed for years but disappeared for a time because he got turned into the egg, as we saw in Metal, and when he returns his wife and son(who has powers as well) are upset with him and he takes time to reconnect with them. Basically forget that Forever Evil origin, he has been a hero for a while but then disappeared and only recently come back.

Plastic Man art highlights from Police Comics:

Police Comics #11 (1942):

[img]https://i.imgur.com/otUy4Z3.jpg[/img]

Police Comics #30 (1944):

[img]https://i.imgur.com/GzxESan.jpg[/img]

Police Comics #47 (1945):

[img]https://i.imgur.com/tIFE71g.jpg[/img]

Police Comics #58 (1946):

[img]https://i.imgur.com/cSaqG0Z.jpg[/img]

Police Comics #61 (1946):

[img]https://i.imgur.com/0ylLuEH.jpg[/img]

Police Comics #68 (1947):

[img]https://i.imgur.com/b5DhVMm.jpg[/img]

Police Comics #79 (1948):

[img]https://i.imgur.com/iLuKg3H.jpg[/img]

Police Comics #81 (1948):

[img]https://i.imgur.com/Kkxw30y.jpg[/img]

Police Comics #83 (1948):

[img]https://i.imgur.com/JZa01R4.jpg[/img]

Remember that time when he mugged Batman in an alleyway?

[IMG]https://i.imgur.com/ouTls7g.jpg[/IMG]

More highlights:

Plastic Man #4 (1946):

[img]https://i.imgur.com/obQzgRH.jpg[/img]

Plastic Man #10 (1947):

[img]https://i.imgur.com/rIhSArK.jpg[/img]

Plastic Man #13 (1948):

[img]https://i.imgur.com/xZAWxcs.jpg[/img]

Plastic Man #19 (1949):

[img]https://i.imgur.com/YOqK5nv.jpg[/img]

Plastic Man #22 (1950):

[img]https://i.imgur.com/03x54L6.jpg[/img]

Plastic Man #23 (1950):

[img]https://i.imgur.com/P7iLA1A.jpg[/img]

Plastic Man cover from The Terrifics #26 (May, 2020):

[img]https://i.imgur.com/6eipbLw.jpg[/img]

[CENTER][COLOR="#0000FF"][SIZE=5]The Plastic Man Comedy Adventure Show (1979)[/SIZE][/COLOR]
[video=youtube;rTEXc8IppAk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTEXc8IppAk[/video][/CENTER]

Hilary Barta (Plastic Man #2-3, 1988-1989):

[img]https://i.imgur.com/wWWRX0B.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/fYP1w0Z.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/NsAxomU.jpg[/img]

I better not be the only one voting for Kyle Baker's Plastic Man on the CBR Top 100 Comic Runs. This comic was GOLD!
[IMG]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EbRg-IqWoAIoRfX.jpg[/IMG]

Plastic Man is a great character. I love his humor.

He seems pretty invulnerable to a lot of things. Does Plastic Man have any known limits?

Can electricity hurt him?

[QUOTE=Phoenixx9;5182538]Plastic Man is a great character. I love his humor.

He seems pretty invulnerable to a lot of things. Does Plastic Man have any known limits?

Can electricity hurt him?[/QUOTE]

It really depends on the writer. Sometimes Plas can be taken out relatively easy, but in Joe Kelley’s Justice League, Batman reveals that Plastic Man is one of the most powerful metas on the planet. He was able to take on an unleashed Martian Manhunter because not only is he basically indestructible but he’s immune to telepaths as his brain is literally malleable and can’t be controlled.

[QUOTE=Robotman;5182937]It really depends on the writer. Sometimes Plas can be taken out relatively easy, but in Joe Kelley’s Justice League, Batman reveals that Plastic Man is one of the most powerful metas on the planet. He was able to take on an unleashed Martian Manhunter because not only is he basically indestructible but he’s immune to telepaths as his brain is literally malleable and can’t be controlled.[/QUOTE]

Wow, so that seems to put him in a class by himself compared to all the other stretchy characters.

[img]https://i67.servimg.com/u/f67/18/91/37/14/plasti23.jpg[/img]
from [B][I]Secret Origins #30[/I][/B] (September 1988); pencil art by Stephen deStefano / inked by Paul Fricke

[QUOTE=MajorHoy;5285960][img]https://i67.servimg.com/u/f67/18/91/37/14/plasti23.jpg[/img]
from [B][I]Secret Origins #30[/I][/B] (September 1988); pencil art by Stephen deStefano / inked by Paul Fricke[/QUOTE]

Poor Woozy Winks.

I don't know who the BLONDE PHANTOM is but I would buy this crossover if it ever happen.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]103475[/ATTACH]

[QUOTE=signalman112;5292911]I don't know who the BLONDE PHANTOM is but I would buy this crossover if it ever happen.

[img]https://i67.servimg.com/u/f67/18/91/37/14/blonde13.jpg[/img][/QUOTE]Golden Age Timely/Atlas/Marvel character.

[img]https://i.servimg.com/u/f67/18/91/37/14/_001_a11.jpg[/img]

She showed up in John Byrne's run of She-Hulk in the 1980s.

From [B][B]Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe Vol. XVIII[/B][/B] (August 1986):
[img]https://i67.servimg.com/u/f67/18/91/37/14/plasti24.jpg[/img]