DC once again trumped Marvel on this one: it doesn't take a stretch of the imagination to realize Reed Richards, the leader of the Fantastic Four, is simply a reshaping of DC's the Elongated Man. Both heroes are malleable mainstays of the Silver Age, but Reed (Mr. Fantastic) didn't begin extending his influence over The Fantastic Four and comics history until November 1961. Ralph Dibny, the Elongated Man, debuted in the Flash #112, May 1960. Stan Lee created Reed Richards; Carmine Infantino created Ralph Dibny - two legendary comic book creators who were good friends and also staunch competitors. Incidentally, both are also guilty of grabbing inspiration from Jack Cole's Plastic Man, published by Quality Comics in 1941. None of this creative cribbing should get anyone too bent out of shape. There are bigger issues here: first, how did DC ever manage to get the handle of Ralph Dibny's alter ego past the Comics Code of Authority? At least Stan Lee was more subtle; like everyone else, Reed's wife simply called her hubby Mister Fantastic!