Plastic Man, or Patrick "Eel" O'Brian is normally portrayed as a wise-cracking hero best known for his role as a member of the Terrifics and as a former member of the Justice League. However, Plastic Man has also been depicted in villainous roles, most recently as one of the Blighted Ones in Tom Taylor and Trevor Hairsine's DCeased Dead Planet.
In his villainous roles, Plastic Man is a high-level threat, capable of using his abilities to inflict major damage. Now, we're taking a look back at a few of the times when the normally lovable superhero broke bad and used his abilities in ways that solidify him as a lethal and formidable opponent.
Patrick "Eel" O'Brian
First appearing in Jack Cole's Police Comics #1, Patrick "Eel" O'Brian, was an orphan who was forced to live on the streets and eventually turned to a life of crime. During the robbery of a chemical plant, Eel and his crew were surprised by a night watchman. Eel was shot by the watchman and fell into a vat of chemicals where he then acquired his superpowers.
O'Brian took the name "Plastic Man" when he realized the nature of his powers, and turned to a life of fighting crime. Although he began his life as a criminal, Plastic Man's origin is a classic story of redemption, and he is one of the first heroes who began life as a villain.
Flashpoint
Flashpoint introduced a wildly different version of Plastic Man with a devious twist. Plastic Man appears in Adam Glass and Rodney Buchemi's Flashpoint: Legion of Doom not as a hero, but as an official supervillain and member of the Legion.
In this era inadvertently created by the time-traveling machinations of the Flash, Plastic Man is a cold and calculating killer who is not to be crossed. He breaks Heatwave out of prison by hiding in the body of his cellmate, the Cluemaster. Plastic Man then blinds a criminal before killing another, Sportsmaster, and ultimately kills Heatwave himself, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is no joke.
Freedom Fighters
In the 2019 limited series, Freedom Fighters, Robert Venditti and Eddy Barrows give readers perhaps the most monstrous version of Plastic Man yet. The Freedom Fighters are a superhero team originating in the seventies and led by patrotic hero Uncle Sam. In the most recent incarnation of the team, Venditti addresses the question, "What if the Nazis had won WWII?"
Plastic Man doesn't exist here in his classic form. The Nazis captured Plastic Man, extracted his DNA, and created an entire team of special agents called the "PlaSStic Men." This is the new form of the SS, and they live covertly among the American population, creating a constant state of fear for the general population. In the very first issue, the Freedom Fighters are ambushed and killed by the PlaSStic Men. Although Plastic Man was technically not directly responsible for the mass killing, this is an illustration of just how deadly the character can be.
DCeased: Dead Planet
DCeased: Dead Planet takes place five years after a viral version of the Anti-Life Equation is released on Earth and infects humans and superheroes alike. The virus causes those it infects to display violent zombie-like behavior and violently attack those not affected.
In DCeased: Dead Planet #2, Plastic Man appears as a "moat of blood" surrounding a bunker. The Shadowpact arrives at the bunker and as they're planning an entry strategy, the "blood" begins to move. Before the doomed heroes know what's happening, the moat is revealed to be Plastic Man, who effortlessly kills Blue Devil, Ragman and Zatanna in seconds.
Although he regularly appears as a comic foil to the more serious heroes he teams up with, Plastic Man is not a force to be reckoned with. He has proven capable of taking out some of the most powerful beings in the DC Universe in moments, often while wearing a smile that is as terrifying as it is silly.