10 Things DC Fans Need To Know About Plastic Man

9. Plastic Man’s Beginning

Eel O’Brian wasn’t always the hero in red and black spandex that people know and love today. In fact, it was primarily due to his criminal background as a gangster that led him to become Plastic Man in the first place.

It all started when O’Brian’s crew one day broke into a chemical factory to pull off a heist. They’re caught red-handed by a security guard, though, and are forced to quickly escape.

O’Brian himself is shot during this encounter, which inevitably lands him in a vat of chemicals. Afterward, O’Brian would discover the drastic effects that this exposure has had on his body, which has now been altered to allow him to stretch it to incredible lengths.

Although there would be some bumps along the road towards justice (namely using his powers to commit even more heists) O’Brian would eventually come to devote himself to heroic pursuits. Even going so far as to one day become a member of the Justice League.