Plastic Man Was Always a Better Character Than Mr. Fantastic

In the world of comic books, there are two major stretchy superheroes: Marvel’s Mr. Fantastic and DC’s Plastic Man. Given the two characters’ aesthetics and levels of exposure, most fans are generally more aware of Mr. Fantastic. On the one hand, Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic, the leader of the Fantastic Four, is the most intelligent man in the world. On the other hand, Patrick “Eel” O’brien, aka Plastic Man, seems like a cartoonish clown whose only purpose is to be comic relief. Add to that the fact that Reed is often a linchpin in almost every major Marvel event, he should, on paper, be a far more compelling character than DC’s elastic hero. However, the truth is that Patrick is a far more innovative and relatable character than Reed has ever been.

The origins of these two heroes couldn’t be more different. Reed was a scientist who designed the first spaceship capable of interplanetary travel. For the first flight, he was accompanied by his girlfriend, Susan Storm, her brother Johnny Storm, and Reed’s best friend, Ben Grimm. When the rocket launched them into outer space, the crew got caught in a cosmic storm, bathing them in radiation. The good news, the radiation gave the four of them incredible powers. With these abilities, they became the Fantastic Four, one of the greatest superhero teams in the world. In contrast, Patrick was a small-time thief who would do any job that paid cash. Because of his ability to slip through any security system, Patrick was given the nickname of the “Eel.” However, during a heist at a chemical plant, Patrick fell into a vat of acid. The acid destabilized the molecules in Patrick’s body, allowing him to shapeshift into anything he can imagine. With this power, Patrick transformed into the malleable and wacky superhero known as Plastic Man.

Plastic Man Has Subverted the Superhero Genre on Multiple Occasions

Both Reed and Patrick have had significant impacts on the superhero genre. Still, Patrick has always been the greater challenger of its tropes. As a member of Marvel’s first family, Reed and the rest of the Fantastic Four were breakout characters when they were introduced in 1961. They were a unique team that prioritized science and exploration over superhero antics and were one of the first teams to act like a family. However, despite these innovations, there was always a sense that the Fantastic Four, for the most part, still conformed to the tropes associated with the superhero genre. These tropes include having formidable villains, death-defying adventures, and underlying serious themes. Patrick, meanwhile, completely subverted the superhero genre when he was introduced in 1941.

In an era when heroes were expected to be paragons of virtue and teach lessons about morality, Patrick was created to make people laugh. He’s goofy, gets into hijinks, and moves with the exaggerated, rubber-hose elasticity of a cartoon character like Bugs Bunny. When he stopped bad guys, it was always played for laughs, making the moments as comical as possible. Patrick was quite literally a cartoon superhero. A character like this had never really been attempted before, and he proved to be a tremendous success. Patrick is also often recognized as the first superhero to break the fourth wall in 1941’s Police Comics #6. Such a comedic tone and wacky personality instantly made Patrick stand out. Even today, when surrounded by heroes like Superman and Batman, Patrick is still a notable outlier among the ranks of DC’s superhero community.

Beyond the comedy and pure entertainment value, though, Patrick is also a more subversive and intriguing character than Mr. Fantastic. As the leader of the Fantastic Four and the world’s most intelligent man, Reed is revered as one of the greatest Marvel heroes. However, from a story perspective, the downside of his unfailing preeminent character is that it can be trickier for Reed to do things that are unexpected or surprising. Far differently, Patrick, as an underdog in the DC superhero community, is full of surprises. At first glance, he comes across as a rather useless hero. With his slapstick antics and subpar intelligence, it would seem that he couldn’t possibly measure up to the greatness of Reed Richards. Patrick, however, is not lacking superpowers. With the power to completely manipulate his body’s molecular structure, Patrick can turn himself into almost anything he can imagine. He can look like other people, grow to the size of a skyscraper, and turn parts of his body into a vast assortment of weapons simultaneously. Yet, because his preference is always to make people laugh instead of scaring them, he most often hides his extraordinary powers behind a jovial smile. As a result, he is continually underestimated by his fellow heroes, which makes the rare times when he unleashes his full power all the more astounding and compelling. The notion of a comedic hero, capable of such destructive potential, but who chooses to use it primarily for harmless slapstick, makes for a wildly intriguing kind of hero.

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Plastic Man’s Story is Much More Meaningful

The best superheroes (and characters) are those with multi-dimensional and relatable human struggles and flaws. Reed’s most human challenges, while interesting, generally fall under the category of a typical “troubled genius,” and therefore aren’t as relatable and rely as much on internal issues. As a brilliant scientist obsessed with his work, he constantly struggles to balance his intellect and research with his responsibilities to society and his family, including his role as a husband and father. Reed’s personal struggles, though, are less compelling on a human level because he usually does not face long-lasting consequences for his mistakes. For example, suppose he conducts an experiment that nearly destroys the world or neglects his family. In that case, he is often forgiven quickly by the time the next storyline begins.

In contrast to the outward, more generic nature of Reed’s personal struggles, Patrick’s backstory and mistakes help make him a much more complex and tragic character than Reed – and also one with whom it is easier to relate. With his jovial personality and nigh-unstoppable powers, Patrick may look like he doesn’t have a care in the world. However, the truth is that his happy persona is just a façade. We learn that Patrick was raised in an abusive household with a physically violent and drunk father. With such an abusive father, Patrick grew up to be a troubled kid. Sadly, the abuse he suffered at the hands of his father resulted in Patrick viewing himself as worthless and incapable of doing good. Even worse, his feelings of inadequacy led to many selfish – and self-sabotaging – decisions, most notably, his decision to pursue a life of crime. And, unlike the case with Reed, Patrick faces long-lasting, damaging consequences that have real impacts on his life. Among his bad choices – besides becoming a criminal – was his relationship with a woman named Angel, who became pregnant with his son, named Luke. Because of his low self-esteem and lack of a fatherly role model, Patrick felt that he was unfit to be a father and ran away. Instead of being there for his son, Patrick dedicated all his time to being a hero who makes people laugh. However, Patrick’s comedic and happy persona is just a defense mechanism to hide his deep-seated shame and self-hatred stemming from his childhood and a lifetime of poor choices. By just acting as “the funny guy,” Patrick staves off having to confront the consequences of his actions.

Plastic Man Presents a True Tale of Redemption

While Reed’s genius and his efforts to maintain work-life balance certainly add tension and excitement to his character, for the most part, his struggles remain external conflicts related to his responsibilities as a scientist and to his family. By comparison, Patrick’s struggles are deeply personal and internal. He serves as a poignant warning for how self-deprecation, selfishness, and unhealthy coping mechanisms can harm those around you – as well as yourself. Moreover, because his character experiences both real consequences and genuine growth, Patrick also represents how even someone who’s made a lifetime of mistakes can choose to become a better person.

Notably, a key aspect of Patrick’s redemption is his recognition of his own shortcomings and his determination to overcome them. He remains deeply dissatisfied with the choices he has made, which fuels his desire to change the course of his life. Patrick’s most affecting stories center around his efforts to turn over a new leaf and become a hero, or his struggles to pick up the pieces of his family’s life.

Perhaps because of the tragedy of his own childhood and history with unhealthy coping mechanisms, it was Batman who recognized Patrick’s unhealthy façade and motivated the elastic hero to try to move past his fear and self-hatred to be a present father for Luke. Initially, given Patrick’s scummy history as a terrible partner and father, neither Angel nor Luke showed any interest in his earliest attempts to reconcile with them. Nevertheless, despite knowing that he and Angel will never get back together, that doesn’t stop him from trying to form a connection with his son. The development of Patrick’s and Luke’s is especially poignant because, in an instance of generational trauma, Luke almost goes down the same criminal path as Patrick. Yet, somehow finding the courage and confidence to be a real father to him, Patrick is able to convince Luke not to make the same mistakes he had made. Now, Patrick and Luke work together as a father-son crime-fighting duo, with Luke taking on the superhero name Offspring — a particularly significant name, given the suffering in both of their childhoods. Still, the writers don’t sugarcoat that Patrick’s mistakes will leave permanent scars on his son’s life. Although there is still plenty of work to be done in terms of mending their relationship, it’s slowly improving. Patrick demonstrates that redemption is more than just deciding to be good; it’s the continuous and active effort to improve every day, even when it’s challenging.