Justice League Admits Its Most Indestructible Member Has a Hilariously Simple Weakness

WARNING: Contains Potential Spoilers for Plastic Man No More #4!

Batman is renowned for the contingency plans he's devised over the years to neutralize Justice League members should they ever go rogue. While some of these plans are more elaborate than others, DC has just revealed a laughably simple weakness for one of the League's most invulnerable members—a vulnerability the Dark Knight could easily exploit with nothing more than a quick trip to the grocery store.

For four issues, Christopher Cantwell, Jacob Edgar, Alex Lins, and Marcelo Maiolo’s horror-comedy Black Label series Plastic Man No More! has followed Patrick “Eel” O’Brian, AKA Plastic Man, as he races to prevent his death after discovering he’s depolymerizing—AKA falling apart at a molecular level.

An expert scientist reveals his only chance of survival is to be at the epicenter of a massive nuclear explosion. While O’Brian is all for this solution, his son Luke—who shares his unique physiology—is far less enthusiastic about joining his dad in the blast to avoid the same fate.

DC Reveals Cornstarch Can Neutralize Plastic Man's Powers

Plastic Man's Most Well-Known Weakness Is Extreme Temperature Changes

Plastic Man, worried about his son’s potential to depolymerize and frustrated by Luke’s refusal to join him in the nuclear explosion, takes desperate measures and kidnaps him. However, Luke, much like his father, is as slippery as an eel thanks to his superhuman elasticity. To keep him from escaping before the bomb goes off, O’Brian and his accomplices must neutralize Luke’s powers. Typically, Plastic Man—and by extension Luke—are two of DC’s most invulnerable and hard-to-capture heroes, with their only known weakness being extreme temperature changes. Unfortunately, producing the extreme heat or cold necessary to subdue them isn’t always practical in a pinch.

Plastic Man No More! #4, however, reveals a surprisingly simple weakness for the stretchy heroes: cornstarch. In the issue, O’Brian and his team inject Luke with cornstarch, effectively neutralizing his elasticity powers. The revelation is almost comical—one of the Justice League’s most invulnerable and adaptable heroes can be subdued with just a few dollars’ worth of cornstarch. That said, the effects wear off quickly. To keep Plastic Man down for an extended period, one would need to hook him up to an IV filled with cornstarch.

Does the Science Behind Plastic Man's Cornstarch Weakness Check Out?

Main Cover by Alex Lins & Marcelo Maiolo for Plastic Man No More! #4 (2024)

While cornstarch as a weakness for Plastic Man is undeniably entertaining, the question remains: does the science hold up? The short answer? Yes. When incorporated into polymer-based materials—essentially what Plastic Man is—cornstarch reduces elasticity. This happens because cornstarch contains starch molecules made up of long chains of amylose and amylopectin, which form a rigid network when mixed into a material. This network decreases flexibility and increases firmness, effectively reducing elasticity. Given that the science supports this non-lethal method of neutralization, it’s safe to say Batman would eagerly add it to his list of contingency plans for Plastic Man.

What Is Batman's Contingency Plan for Plastic Man? (It's Low-Key Horrifying)

Check Out JLA Secret Files & Origins #3 (2000) For More Details About Batman's Contingency Plans for the Justice League

Mark Waid and Howard Porter’s Tower of Babel storyline is iconic for its focus on the Justice League discovering that Batman had secretly created contingency plans for each of them. This revelation caused a major breach of trust within the team and ultimately backfired when Ra’s al Ghul obtained these plans and used them against the League. JLA Secret Files & Origins #3 delves deeper into the specifics of these contingency plans and how they were weaponized against League members, including Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Green Lantern, Superman, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, and even Plastic Man.

While Batman’s contingency plans for most heroes ranged from brutal to downright cruel, the one against Plastic Man was particularly horrifying, resulting in O’Brian being shattered into countless pieces. This fate unfolded when Eel was frozen solid with liquid nitrogen—Batman’s designated plan for him—and then shattered by one of Ra’s henchmen wielding a hammer. Although Plastic Man eventually recovered from his fragmented state, the trauma of the experience left a lasting mark on his personality. The takeaway? Batman might want to consider cornstarch as a less traumatizing alternative for his next contingency plan against the stretchy Justice League hero.

Plastic Man No More! #4 is available now from DC Comics!