PLASTI-THENE

Classification: Terrestrial technology

Creator: The Leader (Samuel Sterns)

User/Possessors: The Leader

First Appearance: Incredible Hulk II#115 (May, 1969)

Powers/Abilities/Functions: Apparently Plasti-thene was the chemical basis from which the Leader constructed his Humanoids. In its raw state, Plasti-thene was a rubbery material that could absorb any force directed against it -- while trapped within the substance, the Hulk's great strength was effectively neutralized, as the Plasti-thene was too pliable to be damaged. The mound of Plasti-thene also contained electronic circuitry which allowed the Leader to monitor the Hulk and provided two-way communication.

  Plasti-thene was porous enough to be air-permeable, so that a person trapped within it would not suffocate.

History:
(Incredible Hulk II#114) - Following the Hulk's defeat of the combined threat of the Mandarin and the Sandman, General Ross ordered his troops to render the Hulk unconscious with a neutralizer ray.

(Incredible Hulk II#114 - BTS) - The unconscious Hulk was lifted onto a wheeled cart and restrained, but Ross found himself left with a great problem -- the Hulk might develop an immunity to the neutralizer ray if it were to be used too often, so what to do with the Hulk when he awoke?

(Incredible Hulk II#115) - Upon learning that the Hulk had been captured, the Leader (returning after his apparent "death" from the Ultimate Machine) went to the military base and volunteered his services to General Ross, to come up with a suitable method to contain the Hulk. Forced to trust the Leader's seemingly "good" intentions because of the greater threat presented by the Hulk, Ross saw to it that the Leader was given all the assistance and materials he needed, and the Leader began working to create a Plasti-thene prison; his task finally completed, the Leader presented the "living cage" of Plasti-thene to Ross. The wagon with the Hulk on it was rolled into the mound, and the Leader used the Sealer Beam to close the entrance, trapping the jade giant inside a small open area within the mound.

  The Hulk awoke and easily broke free of the restaints on the wagon, but he was unable to punch through the Plasti-thene. He next grabbed the wagon and hurled it at the wall, but the wagon only bounced back at him. Seeing that he couldn't break through the walls, the Hulk next tried to smash through the floor, but the force of the shockwave only reflected back at him, leaving him the helpless prisoner of the Leader.

(Incredible Hulk II#116) - While the Hulk was imprisoned within the Plasti-thene, the Leader began preparations to initiate his secret agenda -- to use the military base's missles to start a nuclear war. The Leader used his mental force to put all of the base personnel (save Betty Ross) to sleep, and took over the installation. Betty slipped off and found the Sealer Beam, then she reversed the power on the device and freed the Hulk from the Plasti-thene cage. Following a brief battle between the Hulk and the Leader's Super Humanoid, the Leader fired a handgun at the Hulk and enveloped the jade giant's body with a blob of Plasti-thene, entrapping him again.

(Incredible Hulk II#117) - After a long struggle, the Hulk was finally able to exert his strength to its greatest extent, and broke free of the Plasti-thene coating his body.

Comments: Created by Stan Lee and Herb Trimpe.

Profile by John Kaminski

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Plasti-thene has no known connections to

• Plastanium, near-impenetrable substance used in defending Avengers Mansion @ Avengers I#225
• Plastic Bubble - used by the Red Skull @ Tales of SuspenseI#88/2
• Plastoid Birthmatrix, used by Alkhema to create Bio-Synthezoids @ Avengers: The Ultron Imperative

Sealer Beam

It fired a ray that closed the opening in the mound of Plasti-thene and fused it shut. When its power was reversed, it fired a ray that caused the Plasti-thene to reopen.

--Incredible Hulk II#115

Plasti-thene Handgun

Carried on the Leader's person, it fired a thin coating of Plasti-thene over the Hulk's body. The Hulk was eventually able to break free of the coating only after exerting his strength to its fullest.

--Incredible Hulk II#116

images: (without ads)
Incredible Hulk II#115, p12, pan1-2 (Leader standing before mound of Plasti-thene and Hulk on cart, being rolled into mound)