While Marvel TV shows and movies receive the lion’s share of collector buzz, DCU productions are right around the corner. We’re back with more DCU spec, and this time around, the spotlight is on Plastic Man.
First Appearance
Plastic Man’s comic book history stretches back far into the Golden Age - 1941 in fact, when the first issue of Police Comics #1 was published by Quality Comics. While only his face is featured on the cover of that first issue – one which also contains the first appearances of Phantom Lady, the Human Bomb, and others – Plastic Man, the creation of Jack Cole, would go on to become the most popular of Quality’s many superheroes.
Patrick “Eel” O’Brian gained his remarkable stretching, molding, and bouncing abilities during a burglary in which he was inadvertently doused with chemicals that gave him his abilities. Turning from his life of crime, he would have a long and storied career as a hero.
There are 65 graded copies of Police Comics #1 in the CGC census, with the highest grade being a singular 9.4 which last sold in 2014 for $38,838. The last sale of a Universal graded copy occurred in October 2022 when a 4.0 went in a Heritage auction for $18,000. Declines in the market since have caused sellers to hold, but perhaps we’ll see one up for bid in an auction in the not-too-distant future.
First Full Cover Appearance
Plastic Man was the featured hero on a cover for the first time in Police Comics #5, a position he would hold for nearly 100 issues. Not to be outdone by his first cover, Plastic Man also smokes pot in this issue. There are only 20 graded copies in the CGC census. Considering the book’s importance, we had a sale this year for a very affordable price. An 8.0 sold in a March 22 ComicConnect auction for just $2,415. There are only four copies graded higher, none of which has sold since 2018, so kudos to the buyer for getting a rare comic at a decent price.
First Series
As one of Quality’s biggest superheroes, by 1943 Plastic Man received his own title beginning with Plastic Man #1 with its classic Cole skull cover. While there are 69 graded copies – only a few more than Police Comics #1 – this one comes up for sale quite a bit more often. In fact, we have enough sales in the 2.5 grade to give us a couple data points for comparison. One sold in an August 2023 auction for $1,320, down from the sale in a January 2023 auction for $1,440. On the higher end, two 7.5 graded copies sold in 2022. The first was a Promise Collection copy that went for $10,200, while the second – a non-pedigree Universal copy – sold for $7,200.
Move to DC
In 1956, Quality Comics folded, a victim of the declining popularity of comics at the time. By the end of the year, DC scooped up the rights to most of Quality’s superhero, war, and romance characters. DC then sat on Plastic Man for a decade with naught to be heard of the hero. That all changed in 1966, when House of Mystery #160 featured Plastic Man as part of a Dial H for Hero story for the first time in the Silver Age. There are 175 graded copies and it’s a fairly affordable DC Silver Age key issue. Recent sales across the grading spectrum include a 4.0 selling for $120, a 7.5 for $158, and a 9.2 for $750.
First DC Series
Plastic Man received his own DC series just a couple months later with Plastic Man #1, although the initial run only lasted 10 issues. There are 383 graded copies, but prices are all over the place. Two copies – a 6.5 and a 4.5 – sold just three days apart in June for the same price: $100. The most recent sale was a 9.0 going for $215 on July 28 significantly less than the $375 paid for a 9.0 six days prior. The highest price paid was $2,640 back in 2020 for the lone 9.8 graded copy.
Terrifics
Plastic Man bounced around the DC Universe for quite a while, even becoming a critical member of the Justice League during Grant Morrison’s run. Most recently, he was featured as one of the four members of the Terrifics in Terrifics #1. Much has been rumored about this comic since it was announced that two of the members – Mister Terrific and Metamorpho – would appear in James Gunn’s new Superman film. Despite all this, it’s still an affordable comic with only 52 graded copies and a 1-year and 90-day average price for a 9.6 graded copy in the $100 range. There are still likely many raw copies floating around, so that may be your best bet if you’re looking for one.
Do you think Plastic Man will be included in the DCU? What are your expectations for the associated comic books? Let us know your thoughts below.
