So, what is the deal with Plastic Man's goggles? For decades, I figured that they were stuck onto him as part of his condition. I never saw him without them after all. However, lately, I have been seeing depictions of him without them on - could he remove them this whole time? For that matter, these days he has a new costume for his adventures with The Terrifics, which I wasn't sure was possible either. Maybe his powers work differently than I always thought.
different writers have different opinions & with different editors, "what used to be ain't anymore". When Plas' son developed, I believe he could change color unlike Plas.
ReplyDeleteNow, nothing's beyond a stretch of the imagination. 😠It's just a question of whose imagination.
Unfortunately we will never hear those immortal words
ReplyDeleteFOLLOW THAT BOUNCING BABY!
It was always just a costume, actually, unless some later writer tweaked it.
ReplyDeleteApparently the color thing was a mental block. Plas just thought that's how his powers worked. Somewhere (IIRC in Morrison's run on JLA) Batman got Eel to push through it when Plas had to go undercover to find / save Offspring.
ReplyDeleteThose aren't goggles, those are his eyes. He's a shapeshifter and when he wants to appear without them, he just changes his face.
ReplyDelete@Anony mouse: Those words might happen, depending on what's ever done with Chuck and Luornu Taine.
ReplyDeleteDavid's right. Look how long it took Barda to realize that sexy red cocktail dress was really Plas!*
ReplyDelete*Way back in JLI (Justice League Incompetents).
In his golden age origin, the costume that Plastic Man wears was soaked in the same chemicals that gave Eel his stretching powers. Those are the only clothes that Eel has that can stretch and reshape with him. It is removable, but he is rarely seen without it. In early adventures, Eel was still pretending to be a criminal, so would take off his goggles but leave his costume on underneath his suit.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure where some of these answers came from. In his very first appearance in Police Comics #1, Eel O'Brian said, "The acid! That's it! Must've gotten into my bloodstream and caused a physical change! What a powerful weapon this would be... against crime! ... But first I'll need a costume of rubber!" Eleven panels later he's wearing the red costume and goggles for the first time... and takes them off again two pages later.
ReplyDeleteHe probably learned how to simulate a real unitard and goggles after a decade of trial and error.
ReplyDeletePlastic Man probably makes a better comedic fit with DC's CAptain Marvel than Thomas Magnum (Magnum P.I.).
ReplyDeleteI agree with you concerning the Magnum of the needless remake series. But, with regard to the original series? Plas would _definitely_ fit into that world's version of Honolulu!
ReplyDeletePlastic Man would fit real well with the times when Mr. Incredible and Elastic Girl were stars.
ReplyDeleteThese comments are all killing me!!! Excellent Plas love! :)
ReplyDeleteIf Agent Perry had Eel O'Brian's powers, would that make him...
ReplyDelete...Plas-ypus?