Superpowers come in a variety of forms. They range from flashier types like energy manipulation to the more common types such as super strength. Some standard powers get overlooked because they’re perceived as common, but at the end of the day, how one executes their powers determines how well they stand out.
Many heroes have gained elastic powers from a variety of sources. Whether from chemicals to cosmic radiation, elasticity can be an extremely versatile skillset. A subset of shape-shifting, these powers often give their user a fluid and malleable body, which provides an assortment of advantages.
10 Flatman Is A Two-Dimensional Hero
The Avengers had so many heavy hitters joining their ranks that they had teams on the East and West Coast. A third team emerged in Wisconsin, the Great Lakes Avengers, made of strange heroes, such as Flatman.
Living in a universe with Mr. Fantastic, Flatman is often overlooked. Flatman is a mutant and, while not as powerful as Reed, he can do many of the same things as Mr. Fantastic with one advantage. As his name would suggest, Flatman is so thin that, when standing at a certain angle, he’s practically invisible.
9 Elastic Lad Is Jimmy Olsen’s Heroic Identity
Jimmy Olsen was originally Superman’s sidekick, but he became a hero in his own right, starring in the comic book Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen which ran for 163 issues. Often transformed and gaining superpowers from time to time, Jimmy eventually acquired stretching powers.
Exposure to the Elasti-Formula enabled Jimmy to become the superhero Elastic Lad. He worked with the Legion of Super Heroes and became an honorary member. Elastic Lad’s powers were always temporary, and Jimmy never became a permanent superhero.
8 Madame Rouge Is An Elastic Villain
The Doom Patrol’s adversaries, the Brotherhood of Evil, gave Madame Rouge shape-shifting powers. Constantly battling her good side, Rouge proves just how dangerous stretching powers are. At first, Madame Rouge would only use her powers for subterfuge, changing her facial features to further her schemes.
Thanks to The Brain and Monsieur Mallah, Madame Rouge’s powers were increased, and she became even more formidable. Her shape-shifting confused opponents, and her body could withstand high levels of damage. Her strength proved greater than a normal person’s, and she could transform parts of her body into deadly weapons.
7 Elasti-Girl’s Powers Enable Her To Grow
Rita Farr was an actress who was exposed to volcanic gases while shooting a film. Gaining powers, she became Elasti-Girl and joined the Doom Patrol, mostly using her powers to increase her size. Elasti-Girl died alongside the rest of the Doom Patrol when saving a fishing village, but Niles Caulder was able to regrow her body.
Rita became Elasti-Woman, whose body lacked bones and organs and was now blob-like in form. Rita could regrow any parts of her body that were damaged, but she also struggled to maintain her human-like shape.
Mutations can be a blessing just as well as a curse. Angelo Espinosa’s X-gene caused him to grow an extra six feet of skin and gave him a grayish color. Hoping to learn more about his abilities and put them to good use, he became a member of Generation X.
Angelo didn’t have a lot of control over his powers, and they originally brought him a lot of pain. As Angelo learned to develop his mutation, he took on the name Skin and soon learned how to offensively wield his extra layers of skin during battle. Skin’s power also granted him with increased durability.
5 Bouncing Boy Is A Human Rubber Ball
The Legion of Super Heroes are composed of heroes from different planets whose biology gives them superpowers. On the other hand, Bouncing Boy is originally a powerless human from Earth. Chuck Taine drinks a scientific formula he believes to be soda and acquires superpowers as a result.
Bouncing Boy elasticity allows him to inflate his body into a sphere. He can bounce off surfaces, gain velocity, and increase his striking force. Staying in his spherical form provides him with a degree of invulnerability, making him immune to electric attacks. He can also bounce off blunt forces used against him.
4 Elongated Man Can Sniff Out Clues
Ralph Dibny gained his stretching abilities after drinking a soft drink called Gingold. Becoming Elongated Man, Ralph frequently appeared in issues of The Flash and became a member of the Justice League of America.
Elongated Man has the standard set of elastic powers, and while he isn’t the most powerful hero, he is one of the smartest. Known as the Ductile Detective, Ralph works with his wife Sue to solve mysteries. Ralph’s sense of smell is enhanced, and his nose twitches whenever he senses a mystery that needs solving.
3 Ms. Marvel Can Embiggen With Her Inhuman Powers
Ms. Marvel recently made her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in a Disney+ series, but the energy-based powers she has on the show are a departure from their comic book roots. Kamala Khan was an Inhuman who idolized Carol Danvers, the original Ms. Marvel.
One of the first things Ms. Marvel did when she discovered her powers was turn into Captain Marvel. Kamala learned her powers made her a polymorph. She could stretch her body, making her stronger and offering a degree of invulnerability. She could also grow, shrink, and change shape.
2 Mr. Fantastic Got His Powers From Cosmic Rays
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Reed Richards, along with the rest of The Fantastic Four, gained powers from a bombardment of cosmic rays. The Fantastic Four’s powers vaguely resemble the four elements, with Mr. Fantastic’s stretching making him the water-like member of the team.
Mr. Fantastic possesses a genius-level intellect and stretches his body around the latest giant machine he has invented. He’s also been known to extend his legs and quickly walk through city blocks. When he finds himself trading blows with an enemy, Mr. Fantastic turns his hands into giant fists.
1 Plastic Man’s Stretching Makes Him Powerful And Funny
Created by Jack Cole in 1941, Plastic Man defined what it meant to be a stretchy hero, incorporating comedy and visual gags in his crime fighting. Former criminal Eel O’Brian ended up in a chemical bath that gave him powers.
Plastic Man’s control over his body is so precise he can separate any part of his body, so a bullet passes through it. His stretching powers allow him to turn into inanimate objects, although any object he turns into maintains his color scheme of black, yellow, and red.