Plastic Man #12 (1948)

In a twist that leaves Plastic Man temporarily powerless, the master criminal Spadehead orchestrates a daring bank heist while secretly exploiting a rare medical connection to a fugitive doctor. As Plastic Man confronts Spadehead’s threat head-on, he’s caught off guard by a mysterious serum that drains his elasticity—forcing him to rely on his wits and a surprise ally to turn the tide.

In "Riverman," Plastic Man confronts a terrifying aquatic menace—once a man, now a creature of the river, born with gills and monstrous features, exiled to the depths and driven mad by isolation. This eerie, 11-page tale from 1948 pits Plas against a being who is both tragic and monstrous, a last survivor of a forgotten lineage, whose home is the dark, winding current.

When a bizarre potion from Dr. Screwball reverses Woozy Winks’ actions and thoughts, he finds himself doing everything backward—refusing free food, accidentally breaking cases, and even being mistaken for a thief. As he struggles to navigate a world where his intentions clash with his behavior, he stumbles into a diamond heist that only his reversed logic can unravel.

In the midst of a suspiciously rigged horse race, Plastic Man investigates a mysterious figure known only as Horseface, whose influence seems to cause favorite horses to suddenly stop mid-race—leaving only long-shot winners like Gorgeous Mac to triumph. As bookies are murdered and the racing world descends into chaos, Plastic Man teams up with a reluctant jockey to uncover the truth behind the strange behavior of the horses, all while dodging danger and trying to outwit a foe who may be more than just a clever cheat.