The following contains spoilers for the story "Bending the Rules" from Batman: Urban Legends #15, on sale now from DC Comics.

Batman has a broad reach in the DC Universe. Just look at how many comic book titles DC has dedicated to him. As well as being the protector of Gotham City, he has acquired a considerable family and become a founding member of the Justice League. As well as that, he's teamed up with almost everyone in the DCU. Although, some he didn't know until much later.

That's what Plastic Man revealed to the Dark Knight in their team-up story "Bending the Rules" (by Joey Esposito, Jason Howard and Pat Brosseau) from Batman: Urban Legends #15. Batman was going after an old mob member when Plastic Man stopped him. Revealing that the guy the Bat was after was his friend from when he was still a criminal, Plas explained why he really became a hero - and it wasn't because of his powers.

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Batman Urban Legends 15 Plastic Man origin story

As it turned out, the two Justice Leaguers had run into each other years ago shortly before Plastic Man had obtained his powers. On a sightseeing tour of Gotham, he was caught in one of the Joker's twisted escapades. He would have died that day if it wasn't for Batman saving his life. After that incident, Plastic Man decided that his next job for the mob would be his last. Instead, he would use the gift that Batman gave him to the fullest.

Created by writer-artist Jack Cole, Plastic Man's first appearance came in 1941's Police Comics #1. The stretchy hero was not always on the side of good. Whilst taking part in a heist with some other gang members, Patrick "Eel" O'Brien was shot in the shoulder and doused with chemicals - turning him into the stretchy hero he is today. Up until now, it was believed that this drastic change to his body was what prompted his transformation from criminal to hero. This story in Batman: Urban Legends changes that.

This story recontextualizes Plastic Man's origins, shifting the entire motivation of the character. It takes the decision away from Plastic Man, to an extent, and shifts most of the credit towards Batman. Now, the Dark Knight is the reason why there's another hero in the world. There's a legitimate argument to be made that this takes a lot of agency away from Plastic Man as a character. Before, he was the one who decided that he was going to become a hero. It was a story about how even if a person has done wrong before, they can still choose to put things right and do good. It was a classic redemption story.

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Batman Urban Legends 15 Batman created Plastic Man

However, that isn't to say that this change is entirely a bad thing either. There's another moral lesson in here, one with just as much value. This story shows that setting the right example can make all the difference. Batman could have chosen not to save Eel back in the day, and only taken down the Joker. However, he chose to do both. In doing so, he not only made someone give up a life of crime, but he also made them into a hero. It says a lot about how our actions, however little they may seem, can have a big impact.

This story demonstrates Batman's sizable influence on the DC Universe. There have been a number of stories where Batman has inspired some iconic heroes, such as Tim Drake. This new addition to Plastic Man's origin story shows that he's influenced more people than initially thought. Even though the decision was ultimately Plastic Man's, it says a lot about the power of Batman as a hero and as a person.