If it came down to it, who would win in a battle between the most popular stretchy heroes in comics, Plastic Man of the Justice League and Mister Fantastic of the Fantastic Four? They both share the ability to stretch and contort their bodies well past human limits, but their application of such powers couldn't be more different. In a fight, could Reed Richards' brilliant mind give him the edge he'd need, or has Eel O'Brian's time facing Justice League-level threats made him the more durable and imaginative shapeshifter?
Leader of the Fantastic Four, founder of the Future Foundation, and one of the most brilliant minds alive, Reed Richards has been a driving force behind some of the greatest triumphs of the Marvel Universe. Ever since being granted amazing abilities after his family's fated trip into space, Reed has journeyed beyond the furthest reaches of space and time in the name of science and bettering humanity. As useful as his enhanced elasticity is against the dangers he often encounters, Mister Fantastic's true superpower is his brain.
His rubbery rival Plastic Man is nowhere near as smart, but he is way more powerful than many suspect. Patrick "Eel" O'Brian may have gotten his start as a petty criminal, but exposure to mysterious chemicals during a botched job turned him from hoodlum to hero after gaining an extreme form of malleability. In the time since turning a new leaf, Plastic Man has seen countless adventures, sometimes as big in scale as the threats Reed routinely puts out.
So, in a match between the two, who comes out on top? Reed would definitely have his work cut out for him. In terms of who has a better mastery of their powers, it's no contest. Reed might be able to stretch his body to some crazy limits, but he does have them (being able to stretch his limbs about 1500 feet per The Fantastic Four #358). On the other hand, Plastic Man has no known limit for stretching. O'Brian can contract or expand himself as much as he needs to and he can shapeshift into whatever the situation requires. His body is so ductile he withstood the Black Lantern Vibe's attempt to remove his heart in Justice League of America #39. In contrast, Reed passed out after being inhaled by the Hulk in Contest of Champions II, unable to breathe while packed tight in the Green Goliath's throat.
If Mister Fantastic solely depended on his ability to stretch in a fight, there's no question he'd lose to Plastic Man. Fortunately, the man is a quick thinker, and when faced with something he can't physically beat, Reed can invent a solution. His technology has allowed the Fantastic Four to save the world countless times from Skrulls, demons and other cosmic threats. Batman was revealed to have a contingency plan to take Plastic Man out with liquid nitrogen in JLA: Tower of Babel, so it's likely that Reed would come to a similar conclusion quickly and end the fight after a brief trip to his lab. Indeed, Reed's evil counterpart from another reality - the Maker - has managed to become a multiversal threat almost entirely because of his mad science rather than his stretching powers. To the world's smartest man, superpowers are just one more tool in an endless arsenal.
The battle could make for some goofy, stretchy fun, but in the end Plastic Man is just an average joe. Reed Richards is a super-scientist genius and what he lacks in shapeshifting, he makes up for in pure intellect and a practical application of it. Mister Fantastic might not be the stretchiest hero, but the Fantastic Four's leader has the brains he needs to defeat the Justice League's jokester, Plastic Man.
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