History ComicBook / PlasticMan

He's seen more recently in a 2018 miniseries by Creator/GailSimone.

In his origin story, Plastic Man was Patrick "Eel" O'Brian, a gangster. One night while robbing a chemical company, things went awry as O'Brian was shot and fell into a vat of unknown chemicals; the rest of his gang abandoned him as they made their getaway. He managed to escape and was taken in by a monastery, where he recovered. The betrayal by his own men and the kindness of the monks inspired him to change his life, and he started [[Main/HitlerAteSugar using]] his newfound [[VoluntaryShapeshifting shapeshifting powers]] (he can change into anything he can imagine, but always retains the same colors) to battle crime as "Plastic Man". He kept his SecretIdentity as O'Brian in order to infiltrate the underworld, but eventually joined the FBI.

In his origin story, Plastic Man was Patrick "Eel" O'Brian, a gangster. One night while robbing a chemical company, things went awry as O'Brian was shot and fell into a vat of unknown chemicals; the rest of his gang abandoned him as they made their getaway. He managed to escape and was taken in by a monastery, where he recovered. The betrayal by his own men and the kindness of the monks inspired him to change his life, and he started using his newfound [[VoluntaryShapeshifting shapeshifting powers]] (he can change into anything he can imagine, but always retains the same colors) to battle crime as "Plastic Man". He kept his SecretIdentity as O'Brian in order to infiltrate the underworld, but eventually joined the FBI.

->"He's a real good guy in a bright red suit, who always wears goggles and a belt that's a beaut!"
-->--Power Records theme song

** In the miniseries ''ComicBook/{{The Kingdom|DCComics}}'' (the sequel to ''ComicBook/KingdomCome''), Plas's son reluctantly becomes a superhero named [[IncrediblyLamePun Offspring]]. It actually helps him understand what his dad went through and appreciate him even more. There's a hug between the two at the end of the storyline. [[https://i.pinimg.com/originals/21/11/dd/2111ddb368e7734be088f4d95a10a04c.jpg Awwww!]]

** Notably, among [[Franchise/{{Batman}} the many plans Batman has for]] taking down League members incase they go rogue, the only plan he could come up with to subdue Plastic Man is "freeze him and hope he never thaws".

** It's [[LampshadeHanging been mentioned]] in JLA that they never team Plas with Franchise/WonderWoman.

Plastic Man is a Creator/DCComics superhero (formerly of Quality), created by renowned cartoonist Jack Cole. He is best known as "the [[RubberMan stretching]] member of the [[Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica Justice League]]" though none of this is completely accurate.

* ThisIsUnforgivable: In the denouement of ''[[ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmericaTowerOfBabel Tower of Babel]]'' Plas is one of the League members that voted for Batman's membership to be revoked, with good reason, because Batman's contingency for him was freezing him solid and shattering him. It didn't kill him, [[AndIMustScream but it was still a horrific experience]] that leaves Plas [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness bluntly demanding]] Batman be removed from his sight.

** [[ComicBook/BatmanAndTheOutsiders Grace Choi]] told Roy Harper that he used his powers when they had sex.

* TranquilFury / OOCIsSeriousBusiness: His reaction when he finds out that Batman is the mastermind behind [[Comicbook/RasAlGhul Ra's Al-Ghul's]] plans to take down the Justice League in the "Tower of Babel" arc.

* HeroesWantRedheads: Ruby Ryder and Ramona.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: In the early days of the original 40's run, Plastic Man would use his identity as Eel O'Brian the career criminal to infiltrate various gangs. After a while other crooks refused to work with him anymore, because any gang he joined always got busted.

* TheAtoner: For his criminal past.

* WriterOnBoard: The last six issues of the Baker run, [[BitingTheHandHumor not coincidentally]] written after Baker was told the book would be cancelled, are an extended satire on everything Baker disliked about mid-'00s DC Universe comics, and specifically ''ComicBook/IdentityCrisis'' and related plot arcs: DarkerAndEdgier plots full of gratuitous character death, BlackAndGrayMorality, and overt sexual violence; traditionally lighter characters getting [[KillTheCutie killed off]], [[CorruptTheCutie corrupted]] or [[BreakTheCutie traumatised]]; overlong, sprawling {{Crisis Crossover}}s; {{Stripperiffic}} costumes on female characters and generally excessive fanservice; and overblown writing and general pretensions on the creators' part that they were making superhero comics Serious Adult Drama. While many critics agreed with the views expressed, there was a general feeling that the satire was too heavy-handed and took up too much of the comic.

** While much has been made of the fact that he can't change color (or change color easily, DependingOnTheWriter), Plas is smart enough to use this common knowledge to his advantage, and has used shadowing and makeup to trick even Lex Luthor for an extended period of time.

A more somber version of Plas appeared in some issues of the (original) comic book series ''ComicBook/TheBraveAndTheBold'' in the [[TheSeventies 1970s]]; in this case Plastic Man was shown as having fallen in love with Ruby Rider, [[FemmeFatale a rich but evil woman]], and being miserable as a result.

** While overprotective, he was also a decent dad for Edwina in his 2004-2006 story and did care about her a lot, but the two argued a lot since Edwina was kinda going through a RebelTeen phase at the time, but [[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther Plas and her do see each other as father and daughter]].

* HeartIsAnAwesomePower: Stretching powers in comics are usually portrayed as pretty silly or downright lame, but Plas has proven he could be downright SCARY if he wasn't such a clown. He has shrugged off abuse that would kill other members of the Justice League outright, can harden himself to dish out SERIOUS hurt on bad guys, can form sharpened shapes like knives and scissors that can slice through pretty much anything, shape-shift into pretty much any object imaginable and of incredible sizes both huge and tiny, and is effectively ''immortal''. [[spoiler:In ''ComicBook/FlashpointDC'', Plas is a bad guy, and has effectively proven one of the ''scariest'' antagonists in recent comics history by shoving his hand into a guy's mouth and ''shredding him from the inside out.'']]

* DoesNotLikeShoes: Plas has always gone barefoot, but thanks to his amorphous nature, he normally ''has no toes.'' Unless he wants some, of course.