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| As a result of the New 52 in 2011, the entire line of DC characters was relaunched, incorporating properties belonging to the company's imprints: Wildstorm, Milestone, and Vertigo. As such, elements of this character's history have been altered in some way from the previous incarnation. For a complete list of all versions of this character, see our disambiguation page. |
The powers didn't make me Plastic Man. Not really. They just gave me the tools to build on a foundation that was already there. 
- — Plastic Man src
Patrick "Eel" O'Brian is Plastic Man, a former thief and small-time criminal who has the power to stretch, bend and twist his body, parts and limbs into any imaginable shape or form and can even inflate his body, limbs and body parts like a big and giant balloon.
History
Origins
New 52 Origin
Patrick "Eel" O'Brian was a petty mobster in Chicago prior to becoming a superhero.
After the Justice League had seemingly been killed by the Crime Syndicate of Earth 3, the villains declared that the world now belonged to the forces of evil. Eel's boss, fearing that the Crime Syndicate's version of evil meant exclusively costumed criminals, organized a meeting with other high-ranking mobsters in the Chicago area to discuss bribing Ultraman to get on his good side. Eel, as well as his crime partner Skizzle Shanks, waited outside the meeting with anticipation.
Eel O'Brian is melted by chemicals
However, the meeting was interrupted by Owlman, who agreed that organized crime was against his values and murdered most of the men in attendance. Eel seemingly died in the incident, having been flung into a barrel of chemicals that melted him into a pile of human goop.[2]
The chemicals didn't kill him, though, instead giving him the incredible power of elasticity. Interested in turning his life around, O'Brian became the new superhero Plastic Man.[3]
Following the cosmic upheavals of the Rebirth period, this character's history was revised.
Current Origin
Patrick "Eel" O'Brian was a petty criminal doing almost any job that paid cash. One night he and his accomplices got hired to steal some documents from a chemical plant and while recovering them they were surprised by a guard and a shootout followed, the guard was killed and a stray bullet hit a chemical container that spilled its contents on Eel. They all ran away from the scene of the crime but O'Brian got thrown off the car when they judged his injuries too severe but instead of dying he was reborn as the shape-shifting hero Plastic Man.[4]
Plastic Man worked with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was a member of the teams the All-Star Squadron and Freedom Fighters,[5] active in the Golden Age of superheroes.[6] Later, he worked to evacuate people bound for death and dissolution in the android NewMazo's "Human Reclamation Plants,"[7] and joined an incarnation of the Justice League that was brought down by the Leaguer Batman's distrust for his teammates.[8] He was proposed by United Nations Intelligence chief Andre Briggs as a candidate for the UN-backed Justice League International, but was not ultimately chosen as a member.[9]
At some point, O'Brian married and divorced a woman named Angel McDunnagh. The two had a son named Luke, who would gain elastic powers himself and become the superhero Offspring.
Invasion of the Dark Multiverse
Main article: Dark Nights: Metal
When Batman met with Mr. Terrific in the Lunar Batcave, he unveiled an egg-shaped containment unit that bore Plastic Man's logo. Batman suggested that they should release Plastic Man, thus revealing he was contained in this device for an unknown period of time.[10]
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Exploring the Dark Multiverse
Main article: The Terrifics Vol 1
Plastic Man and The Terrifics in action
After the disaster of the Dark Multiverse was averted, Plastic Man was mystically bonded to a group known as the Terrifics as they worked together to explore the Dark Multiverse.
After his return, Plastic Man visited his long estranged family. His son, Offspring, had given up on him and hated him because of his absence.[11] They reconciled during the Terrifics's battle with the Dreadfuls,[12] after which Offspring joined the team.[13]
This section of the article does not provide a complete profile of the subject. You can help out by providing additional information, expanding on the subject matter in order to bring this article to a higher standard of quality.
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Invisibility: Plastic Man's powers were stolen by Task Force VII during Absolute Power. When the Amazos were destroyed and the heroes' powers were returned, rather than his elasticity he accidentally received an unknown hero's ability to become invisible.[14]
Abilities
- Lock Picking[4]
- Contortionism: Plastic Man's physiology allows him to bend in ways impossible for a normal human.[15]
- Throwing[17]
- Thievery: As a former criminal Plastic Man is an expert thief.[18]
- Intimidation: Plastic Man could intimidate the Cabal into leaving his loved ones alone.[16]
Weaknesses
- Dark Energy Bonding (Formerly): After being exposed to the Dark Multiverse energy, the Terrifics members became tethered to each other, which causes an explosion if they are separated more than a mile from each other.[20]
- Vulnerability to Electricity: Despite his rubber-like consistency Plastic Man's body can still conduct electricity and strong electric attacks can cause him great pain.[15]
Notes
- Plastic Man was created by Jack Cole, first appearing in Police Comics #1. However, in the Prime Earth continuity, Plastic Man first appeared as part of the New 52 DC Universe in Justice League International (Volume 3) #1 by Dan Jurgens and Aaron Lopresti.
Trivia
- Plastic Man first appeared, as an established hero, on a photo in Justice League International (Volume 3) #1. However, several of the heroes mentioned in that montage were reinvented later. Plastic Man's origin was retold in Justice League (Volume 2) #25, as part of Forever Evil.
Related
- Appearances of Patrick O'Brian (Prime Earth)
- Images featuring Patrick O'Brian (Prime Earth)
- Quotations by or about Patrick O'Brian (Prime Earth)
- Character Gallery: Patrick O'Brian (Prime Earth)
Footnotes
- ↑ Dark Nights: Metal #4
- ↑ Justice League (Volume 2) #25
- ↑ Plastic Man No More! #1
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Plastic Man (Volume 5) #1
- ↑ Event Leviathan #2
- ↑ Stargirl Spring Break Special #1
- ↑ Batman/Superman: World's Finest #16
- ↑ Superman: Kal-El Returns Special #1
- ↑ Justice League International (Volume 3) #1
- ↑ Dark Days: The Forge #1
- ↑ The Terrifics #11
- ↑ The Terrifics #13
- ↑ The Terrifics #14
- ↑ Absolute Power #4
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 Plastic Man (Volume 5) #2
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Plastic Man (Volume 5) #6
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Plastic Man (Volume 5) #3
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 Plastic Man (Volume 5) #4
- ↑ The Terrifics #21
- ↑ The Terrifics #3
  This character has been a member of the Justice League of America, or the Justice League in any of its various incarnations, sworn by a duty to act as guardians of America and the world by using their skills and/or superpowers to protect Earth from the clutches of both interstellar and domestic threats. |
 This character is or was a member of the Freedom Fighters, a team of American super-heroes who fight threats to the nation and its ideals under the leadership of Uncle Sam. This template will automatically categorize articles that include it into the "Freedom Fighters members" category. |
 This character is or was a member of the All-Star Squadron in any of its various incarnations. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "All-Star Squadron members" category. |