Lowlife criminal Eel O'Brian and his gang were in the process of robbing a chemical plant's safe when they were interrupted by a security guard. In the subsequent shoot-out, Eel was hit and his wound doused with the contents of a nearby vat of acid, type unknown. The other criminals abandoned Eel, who managed to hide in a trash can before passing out. 

When he awoke, he noticed that the world looked different to him. He now perceived his surroundings in an exaggerated, cartoony way. He had also developed the ability to stretch and contort his body. In fact, he was barely able to control his shape-shifting when he went to meet back up with his gang, and they mistook him for some kind of monster. After their attempts to kill him failed, they ran away. In the hours that followed, Eel was also shot at by the cops, thrown out of a bar, and abandoned by everyone he ever knew. He decided to end it all by throwing himself off a bridge into the river. On this bridge, Eel met Woozy Winks, a former mental patient, who was the first person unfazed by his stretchy appearance. Woozy suggested to Eel that they might be able to cash in on his stretching abilities, and the two began to explore the limits of his powers. 

They produced a costume for Eel by soaking a circus outfit in the remnants of the acid that gave him his abilities, and wound up with a suit that stretched as well as he did. Their decision whether or not to become heroes or villains rested on a coin flip... tails - heroes it is! With Woozy as sidekick, Eel's first heroic act was to capture his former gang, and he soon became known as Plastic Man. Plastic Man uses his former criminal background to great effect. He knows how criminals think, and can therefore match them step-for-step. Plas has encountered Superman on several occasions, and has also teamed up with Captain Marvel. He will soon become a member of the newly-reformed Justice League of America, made up of the greatest heroes on Earth. 

Powers/Abilities: 
Plastic Man can stretch and mold every square inch of his body to an amazing degree. His stretching power is so great, that he can mimic the shape and abilities of complex objects such as fans, cars, catapults, etc. He can also rearrange his features to mimic the appearance of others. His only limitation in this regard, is he cannot change his color, and always takes on a red and yellow motif when he changes shape. He has a degree of super-strength which enables him to carry several people with no difficulty, or restrain them with his body. He has a high degree of resistance to injury, as fists and bullets simply bounce off him. Physical attacks can knock the wind out him, however. Due to his former criminal background, he has good knowledge of knives, guns, explosives and hand-to-hand combat. Plastic Man sees the world in a distorted, cartoony way. In fact, he is like a living cartoon character himself, his energy level and mood contorting right along with his body.