10 Best Comic Book Detectives (That Aren't Batman)
3. Elongated Man
The Elongated Man was created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino and first appeared in Flash #112. Young Ralph Dibny grew up in rural Nebraska and dreamed of a big life in the big city. He was always fascinated by the “Indian rubber men” that were part of the side shows. Dibny discovered that they all drank a soft drink called Gingold, made from the gingo fruit in the Yucatan. Ralph distilled the fruit down to its essence and began consuming it. This gave him stretching powers.
Ralph Dibny moved to Central City and became the Elongated Man. He befriended Barry Allen, the Flash, and became a world-class detective. Growing rich through his exploits and public appearances, he met socialite Sue Dearborn and they fell in love and eventually married. Together, they traveled the world and solved mysteries together, and eventually, Dibny joined the Justice League of America.
Ralph was a mainstay of the League during its “Satellite Era” and became second only to Batman for his skills as a detective hero on the team. He stayed with the team when it was reorganized to Detroit, and to France when it became international. The pair moved to Opal City for a time and Dibny met his detective idol, Hamilton Drew. The pair were murdered in separate events but were reunited in death and became ghost detectives.