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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. |
Ralph Dibny is the Elongated Man, formerly a long-time member of the Justice League and, as Big Shot, of the Secret Six.
History
Justice League
As the Elongated Man, Ralph Dibny was notable as a married hero early in the modern age of superheroes,[1] and served with the Justice League in its satellite-based incarnation. He gathered with his teammates to watch a total solar eclipse aboard that satellite, where they were attacked by several of their number under the control of the demonic Eclipso. While struggling to restrain his fellow Leaguers, the Elongated Man dispatched the Red Tornado, an artificial being immune to Eclipso's influence, to seek the demon out.[2]
Eclipso had the Satellite destroyed, but kept the Leaguers alive, imprisoned in a giant black diamond in the Sahara Desert where Dibny speculated on Eclipso's plans until Alan Scott, Green Lantern of the Justice Society of America came to free them. Though Dibny concluded that Eclipso had left them as bait for their rescuer, the combined efforts of Scott, the Justice League's Green Lantern, and Green Arrow successfully freed them. The League and Society regrouped in Solar City to confront Eclipso, only for the demon to turn them to crystal.[3]
The Elongated Man went on to be a member of the Justice League's Detroit-[4] and Europe-based teams.[5] The headquarters of the former, a Heywood Defense Industries facility, was later the site of a statue in his likeness,[4] and he was among the heroes commemorated at the League's Hall of Justice.[6]
Secret Six
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Later Crises
After Superman was framed and rendered comatose, Elongated Man joined the group of heroes heading towards Mars to confront their mysterious enemy. The heroes met and engaged Doctor Manhattan, but were easily defeated.[7] With his wife Sue, Dibny was a member of the Guild of Detection, and welcomed Batman into their ranks upon his solving of mystery set by the Guild as a test.[8]
The Elongated Man was among a group of detectives who confronted reporter Lois Lane with their suspicions that Sam Lane, her father, was behind the mysterious Leviathan Organization. Dibny and the detectives failed to prevent the elder Lane's assassination by the true Leviathan,[9] Mark Shaw, and though they tracked Shaw to an Icelandic island, were unable to stop him from escaping.[10]
Alongside several Justice League International veterans, he was targeted in London, England by the Bureau of Sovereignty's Global Guardian, a power-stealing Amazo android, who felled Dibny with Ice's cryokinesis while concealed by the Martian Manhunter's invisibility.[11] Powerless, he was taken into the Bureau's custody[12] at its superhuman prison on Gamorra Island, where he resisted his guards and was violently beaten for it.[13] He was set free by Robin, and fought off the guards with his fellow depowered heroes before escaping through a portal created by Zatanna.[14]
His powers were restored after the crisis' conclusion, and he was aboard the satellite Watchtower of the newly-reformed Justice League Unlimited when League affiliate Beast Boy caused an alien animal to breach containment.[15]
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Elasticity: As his name suggests, the Elongated Man can stretch his limbs and body to superhuman lengths and sizes. There seems to be no limit to how far or wide he can stretch but it is more difficult to control his ability the further he's stretched. Unlike Plastic Man, his elasticity has limits to his physical form; as such, he can make rounded or straight basic shapes but he cannot say stretch into a car or tools.
- Superhuman Agility: These stretching powers grant the Elongated Man heightened balance enabling him flexibility and coordination that is beyond the natural limits of the human body.
- Superhuman Durability: Thanks to the rubber-like consistency of his body Elongated Man has greater levels of durability as his body tends to deform with impacts, even with blows from super strong opponents.[16]
- Transformation: With the loss of his wife he could not stretch so instead he used his powers to "Hulk out" by growing large and gaining super-strength.
- Superhuman Strength: As Big Shot he was able to fight toe-to-toe with a Banshee like Jeannette.[16]
- Size Alteration: He can grow in size for a limited time.[17]
Abilities
- Investigation[8]
- Disguise
- Contortionism: Thanks to his stretching abilities Ralph can perform feats of contortionism impossible for a human like turning his head 180 degrees.[18]
Notes
- Elongated Man was created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, first appearing in The Flash #112. However, in the Prime Earth continuity, Elongated Man first appeared as part of the New 52 DC Universe in Secret Six (Volume 4) #1 by Gail Simone and Ken Lashley.
- In his first few appearances using his real name, his last name was spelled "Dibney", but then it changed to the traditional "Dibny". The "Dibney" spelling appears to be an error, with no in-story explanation.
Related
- 44 Appearances of Ralph Dibny (Prime Earth)
- 12 Images featuring Ralph Dibny (Prime Earth)
- 1 Quotations by or about Ralph Dibny (Prime Earth)
- Character Gallery: Ralph Dibny (Prime Earth)
Footnotes
- ↑ Batman/Superman: World's Finest #12
- ↑ Batman/Superman: World's Finest #31
- ↑ Batman/Superman: World's Finest #32
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Cyborg (Volume 3) #2
- ↑ Batman: Urban Legends #22
- ↑ Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #5
- ↑ Doomsday Clock #9
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Detective Comics #1000
- ↑ Event Leviathan #5
- ↑ Event Leviathan #6
- ↑ Absolute Power #1
- ↑ Absolute Power #2
- ↑ Absolute Power: Task Force VII #4
- ↑ Wonder Woman (Volume 6) #13
- ↑ Titans (Volume 4) #16
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Secret Six (Volume 4) #4
- ↑ Secret Six (Volume 4) #1
- ↑ Secret Six (Volume 4) #6
Justice League member 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. |