Only weeks ago, James Gunn broke the news that he had found his Superman and Lois. Shortly thereafter, he revealed three surprising additions to his cast: Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and Mister Terrific. If that weren’t enough to motivate collectors and investors, Gunn added that Metamorpho will join Superman: Legacy. That has fueled theories that The Terrifics are forming, a team that featured Plastic Man and Phantom Girl.
With superhero cinema getting more comedic and absurd, fans have been certain that Patrick “Eel” O’Brien would be perfect for his own comedy franchise. As the comic book community awaits what seems like an inevitable casting, it puts an added emphasis on owning these key issues.
POLICE COMICS #1
Another DC character with roots deep in the Golden Age, Eel O’Brien debuted way back in 1941. The former thief gained his powers when he was shot during a heist and was doused in a mystery chemical. When the substance reached his bloodstream, it gave his body an elastic quality, and the legend was born.
It’s not often that copies of Police Comics #1 are sold online in any grade. When one goes up for auction, it’s an attention grabber. Last October, a 4.0 sold for $18,000.
HOUSE OF MYSTERY #160
The waters get a little muddy when it comes to Plastic Man’s Silver Age debut.
The first time readers spotted Plastic Man in the 1960s was in House of Mystery #160. Up to that point, he had been under the Quality Comics banner before DC acquired the character rights. However, is it really Plastic Man? This story was part of Dial H for Hero, where Robby Reed would take on the guise of various superheroes. Technically, this Plastic Man is Robby rather than Eel O’Brien.
Whether or not you consider this the first Silver Age appearance, HOM #160 is known to bring in hefty prices, at least for high grades. In January 2022, a 9.8 sold for $4,560. Values dip considerably with anything outside the near-mint range. Earlier this year, an 8.5 brought $409.
PLASTIC MAN, VOL. 2, #1
If you want Plastic Man’s first self-titled comic, you’ll have to pony up for 1943’s Plastic Man #1. If you don’t want to dive quite so deep into your pockets, take a look at 1966’s Plastic Man, vol. 2, #1. The thing to remember here is this version is the son of the original Plastic Man, which makes this his premiere comic. To further complicate matters, the first 10 issues take place on Earth-12. Beginning with Plastic Man #11, the stories shift to Earth-One. After the events of 1985’s Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Earth-12 Plastic Man was erased from DC canon.
There hasn’t been a graded 9.8 to sell online since one brought $2,640 in 2020. In fact, the most recent sale for any grade was when a 9.4 sold for $360 in 2021.
THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #76
We have yet another contender for Plastic Man’s first Silver Age appearance. Although Plastic Man is on the cover of HOM #160, the Earth-One Plastic Man didn’t make his first appearance until 1968. Costarring in a Batman tale, the two teamed together to battle The Molder in a fairly standard Silver Age adventure.
Need a copy? Just last month, a 9.6 traded hands to the tune of $432.
A PLASTIC FRANCHISE
Besides possibly Lobo, there’s no character better fitting a James Gunn project than Plastic Man. His look alone would be hilarious on the silver screen, and his quick wit would make him an instant star. Some gossip sites are already reporting that John Mulaney is in the lead for the role.
Whether or not Plastic Man is cast for Superman: Legacy, he’s too perfect not to be featured in the DCU. If you’ve got his key issues, be patient and don’t sell just yet.
