By Dashiel Reaves Published 2 minutes ago
The Justice League present themselves as squeaky-clean heroes, but behind the scenes, their powers can be terrifying — including ‘eating’ civilians.
Summary
- Plastic Man can 'eat' people for their protection, becoming a skin-tight suit that they can 'wear.'
- Eel O'Brian's powers make him a less traditional hero, emphasizing his criminal past and need for redemption.
- The Justice League's abilities, including Plastic Man's, can be terrifying up-close, creating nightmare fuel for those who witness them.
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The Justice League has tons of people on it with a variety of superpowers, and they try their best to use these powers to make the world a better place. But despite the noble and kind application of these powers, it doesn't change the fact that a lot of their abilities can be used to create absolute nightmare fuel, especially in the case of Plastic Man.
In JLA: Scary Monsters#5 (Chris Claremont, Joshua Hood), the Justice League find themselves besieged by demonic forces. The only way to stop these monsters seems to be a young woman named Kishana, but since she has no powers of her own, Batman has to take drastic measures to keep her safe in the meantime. To stop the demons picking up on her bio-signature, Bruce orders Plastic Man to become a wearable suit, with Kishana looking out of his gaping mouth like a diving helmet.
The demons know Kishana is a threat and are actively drawn to her. By being inside of Plastic Man, she becomes essentially invisible, blocked by his ultra-pliable, 'plastic' skin — in fact, she's also protected from various threats by his rubbery form. However, the visual of Plastic Man essentially swallowing a person is hard to shake off, even compared to the many moments in which Plastic Man's powers are depicted as secretly terrifying.
Plastic Man Can 'Eat' People for Their Protection
Eel O'Brian's Powers Make Him the Justice League's Most Versatile Hero
All the members of the Justice League do their best to use their powers for the good of the world, and in return, the world tries not to think of how horrifying these powers actually are. The Flash can vibrate his hands so fast he can burn people with a touch, and Superman can literally perform a lobotomy with his heat vision. However, most heroes only show the darker aspects of their powers if and when they turn evil. Unfortunately for Plastic Man, his powers are so bizarre that writers and artists can't help using them in increasingly weird and wild ways, even when he's working alongside the Justice League.
This combines surprisingly well with Plastic Man's past as a criminal, with his gross-out moments helping to emphasize the fact that he's not a traditional hero like Superman. And while he's freaky even on a good day, he becomes true nightmare fuel without his need for redemption. In the Flashpoint universe, Plastic Man never stopped being a criminal, and would regularly use his powers in the most terrifying ways, such as reaching down someone's throat and pulling their heart out. Likewise, in the DCeased universe, Plastic Man became a repulsive zombie, forging his near-liquid body into grasping tentacles.
While the Justice League have done everything they can to keep the Earth safe, there will always be those who fear them or — like Lex Luthor — resent them for their powers. And if the Justice League's supporters could actually see Plastic Man in action, there'd be a lot more people who don't want their help.
