Why was this proto-Deadpool character allowed in a DC Comic?

[Pinsir]

So I read JLA #62-65 because apparently its a Wonder Woman story and there is this dude called 'Plastic Man' in it who sexual harasses Wonder Woman:



Proto-Deadpool is an admitted serial harasser too. Why don't the other members of the JLA kick him off? Are Superman and Batman tacitly endorsing the harassment of their colleague?

spoilers:

Why doesn't Wonder Woman neck him?

end of spoilers

[Vanguard-01]

So I read JLA #62-65 because apparently its a Wonder Woman story and there is this dude called 'Plastic Man' in it who sexual harasses Wonder Woman:



Proto-Deadpool is an admitted serial harasser too. Why don't the other members of the JLA kick him off? Are Superman and Batman tacitly endorsing the harassment of their colleague?

spoilers:

Why doesn't Wonder Woman neck him?

end of spoilers

1. Bruce and Clark know Diana can take care of herself.

2. Plastic Man is a good guy and most if his antics are meant to be more entertaining than serious.

3. This is before Diana started snapping necks and Plas has no neck to snap so it would be pointless to try.

4. Later versions of Plas didn't do the sexual harassment stuff. He grew up over time.

[thwhtGuardian]

It's definitely more than a little cringeworthy

[Thor-Ul]

Proto-Deadpool? Plastic man is a golden age character, with years of stories under his arm. If something Deadpool is the one who follows Plastic Man's footsteeps.
Also, Diana doesn't need any whiteknighting from any other leaguer, she can defend by herself pretty much alone.

[Lightning Rider]

Proto-Deadpool? Plastic man is a golden age character, with years of stories under his arm. If something Deadpool is the one who follows Plastic Man's footsteeps.
Also, Diana doesn't need any whiteknighting from any other leaguer, she can defend by herself pretty much alone.

This completely

[Dolores - The Worst Poster Ever]

There's also an instance where Plastic Man disguises himself as Big Barda's dress and she only finds out while she's wearing him.

What it comes down to is that back then writers thought sexual harassment was funny and the misogyny of characters like Plastic Man was endearing in a dorky kind of way. Now more writers either know better, or know that they will rightfully be criticized for such writing, so it isn't as likely to pop up.

The dress scene was written by Mark Waid, and I would think that now he'd know better than to write such a scene and play it for laughs.

[Lee Stone]

Showing my age here, but Plastic Man was often shown in a Jack Tripper (Three's Company) vein and not to be taken so seriously.

He also posed as a dress in Big Barda's room, where she did wear him before discovering the ruse.

Of course, both of these instances occurred before the Dr. Light/Sue Dibney fiasco that 'revolutionized' comics.
It would be hard to pull off that kind of humor now, as everything is taken more seriously and is heavily scrutinized with realism.

Plastic Man doing either of those two things in a post-Identity Crisis DCU would be terribly concerning.

[Vanguard-01]

Showing my age here, but Plastic Man was often shown in a Jack Tripper (Three's Company) vein and not to be taken so seriously.

He also posed as a dress in Big Barda's room, where she did wear him before discovering the ruse.

Of course, both of these instances occurred before the Dr. Light/Sue Dibney fiasco that 'revolutionized' comics.
It would be hard to pull off that kind of humor now, as everything is taken more seriously and is heavily scrutinized with realism.

Plastic Man doing either of those two things in a post-Identity Crisis DCU would be terribly concerning.

Yeah, this is another important point. The comics industry was different back when Plas was doing stuff like that. I don't think he's done anything close to that stuff in anything resembling recent history.

The closest modern example I can name of him creeping on Diana was in a Justice League Action short where he pretended to be her Lasso for a while. Leaving aside the fact that JLA is targeted at children for the most part, the episode made it clear that he wasn't doing that to be a creeper. He was covering for Booster Gold, who took the Lasso without asking and wanted Plas to serve as a "stand-in" for the Lasso so he could use it and then get it back to Diana without her ever being aware of the fact that the Lasso had been taken.

See for yourselves. Prior to Identity Crisis, this episode would've likely had a whole other context to it.

[HandofPrometheus]

It was pretty tamed to me. Anime is much worse with this kind of stuff and they get away with it for free.

[Outside_85]

Proto-Deadpool is an admitted serial harasser too. Why don't the other members of the JLA kick him off? Are Superman and Batman tacitly endorsing the harassment of their colleague?

spoilers:

Why doesn't Wonder Woman neck him?

end of spoilers

Because they have other people who also have issues with respecting other people's privacy... people like Batman who basically knows everyone's underwear size, color and which drawer they are kept in. Secondly, this is Diana, possibly the only Leaguer who wouldn't want or like 'white knight' coming in to save her... Barda has her Scott Free. Also there is the underlying issue of trust, like the League trusting J'onn not to read their minds whenever it suits him... same here only that Plas doesn't really mean anything by doing these things other than to be the 'funny guy' on a team full of straight men.

And while she is irritated, I don't think Diana would be that much more vexed if she had been caught less dressed than this... the Amazons aren't exactly Victorian prudes about nudity. And as she hints, it's just a minor nuisance to her.
(What Plas did with Big Barda was worse anyways)

[Jekyll]

Plastic Man has to be the most useless character in DC comics. He has always annoyed me and I would skip any panel or page he was featured in during that JLA run.

[Robotman]

Is this a joke thread? It's Plastic Man, a classic DC character who has been around since the 40s.

I highly suggest tracking down JLA #65 and JLA: Trial by Fire



Plastic Man can be an amazing character and more than just comic relief.

[My Two Cents]

Compared to Mirror Master........... Plastic Man is a Saint.

[Ascended]

Yeah, this was a different time in our culture, before people got super offended over everything.

During the 90's Plas was written like Jim Carrey was playing the role; obnoxious, loud, and a total creep. A harmless, well intentioned creep but still a creep. You weren't supposed to look at his behavior and think he was cool, you were supposed to think he was an idiot.

But why is Batman, who's proven to be guilty of emotional and physical child abuse as well as child endangerment and neglect, allowed on the League? Not to mention he spies on everyone; Im pretty sure that's illegal and immoral. How about Hal, who is guilty of military grade dereliction of duty, if not straight up treason? J'onn is guilty of identity theft. Everyone who ever had a relationship and kept their secret identity from their partner is, by the strictest definition, guilty of rape.

Might as well ask why back in the 40's, superheroes were shown spanking women who got uppity and forgot their place in the social structure.

Pinsir, have you ever been to Superdickery? It's a collection of old Superman covers, and they're terribly odd, insulting, and bigoted by today's standards. If you have a sense of humor you can laugh at how backwards and odd we used to be. If you dont have a sense of humor it's still a fascinating and thought provoking look at our past and how far we've come.

[Bergman]

Is this a joke thread?

Has Pinser ever made a sincere post?