WARNING: Contains potential spoilers for PLASTIC MAN NO MORE! #3!plastic man has just taken the life of another Justice League hero, bringing his kill count to a staggering seven. But Patrick O’Brian’s rampage is far from over, and with his ultimate goal still imminent, the body count is almost certain to rise. The only question that remains is: who will be Plastic Man’s next victim?
Christopher Cantwell, Jacob Edgar, Alex Lins and Marcelo Maiolo Plastic man never again! #3 increases the devastation as Patrick O’Brian adds Detective Chimp to his list of victims. Driven by desperation, O’Brian embarks on a deadly mission to cheat death after discovering he is “depolymerization”-essentially “crumbling” at a molecular level. Even worse, this condition could potentially threaten his son, Luke, as well.
After consulting an expert scientist, Patrick discovers that the only way to stabilize his unique physiology is to create a “fusion reaction of incredible magnitude.” This revelation leads him to a drastic and risky plan: build a huge nuclear bomb and place him and Luke at the center during its detonation.
Panels come from Plastic man never again! #2 (2024)
To understand Detective Chimp’s death in Plastic man never again! #3, it is essential to revisit the deaths of the Metal Men – the first six victims of Plastic Man – in the previous edition. After discovering that he needs a huge source of uranium to power the nuclear bomb needed to stop its depolymerization, O’Brian identifies Metal Man Uranium as the only viable option. He enlists the help of his criminal associate Woozy to kidnap Uranium under the guise of a rescue mission. However, the plan takes a disastrous turn when Plastic Man causes the other Metal Men to fall into a molten vat, where they melt.
As the tragedy unfolds, Uranium watches in shock, saying“Wow. You killed them. You killed them all,” making it undeniably clear that Plastic Man is to blame for their deaths. In issue #3, Plastic Man informs the Justice League about the mission, admitting that Gold, Iron, Lead, Mercury, Tin and Platinum were lost. However, he conveniently omits important details, including his true motive for rescuing Uranium, his plan to build a bomb, and his role in the sabotage that caused the walkway to collapse. Although most of the Justice League appears to accept his version of events, one member realizes the mistake: Detective Chimp.
Plastic Man is responsible for Detective Chimp’s death
Detective Chimp is killed after discovering O’Brian’s role in the Metalmen’s deaths
Detective Chimp, unconvinced by Plastic Man’s story, decides to investigate the Metal Men’s death scene. At the scene, he discovers a large magnet with the fingerprints of Woozy, an associate of O’Brian. He also notices that the screws on the walkway – claimed by Plastic Man to have been “stripped” and responsible for the collapse – are actually entirely new, pointing to intentional sabotage. Armed with this evidence, Detective Chimp confronts Plastic Man, leading to a tense confrontation.
Before Detective Chimp can fully voice his accusations, the scientist and No-Face – Plastic Man’s collaborators in building the bomb – intervene. They ignite Plastic Man’s outer dermal polymer layer, increasing the release of ethylene gas that O’Brian had already been emitting. The toxic gas ends up killing Detective Chimp poisoning him. Although Plastic Man doesn’t directly deliver the killing blow, he is undeniably responsible for Chimp’s death. His actions set everything in motion, from the death of the Metal Men to Chimp’s involvement and ultimate death. With seven heroes dead because of him, Plastic Man’s guilt continues to deepen.
Patrick O’Brian will maintain his hero status and life at the end of Plastic man never again!?
Main cover by Alex Lins for Plastic man never again! #4
Plastic man never again! #4 can see O’Brian’s body count rise as he continues his desperate quest to save himself and his son at any cost. However, a surprising twist could be coming, as it seems unlikely that the series will end with Plastic Man being fully villainized by the apparent deaths of so many heroes. There’s a strong possibility that the final issue will reveal that the Metal Men and Detective Chimp aren’t actually dead – the Metal Men survived the meltdown before, and Detective Chimp could very well be unconscious rather than dead. This highly anticipated finale promises to deliver answers that will determine whether plastic man can maintain your hero status and your life.
PLASTIC MAN NO MORE! #3 is now available from DC Comics!