Elasti-Girl(also known asElasti-Woman) is asuperheroineappearing inAmerican comic bookspublished byDC Comics,primarily as a member of theDoom Patrol.[1]Created by writerArnold Drakeand artistBruno Premiani,the character first appeared inMy Greatest Adventure#80 (June 1963).
| Elasti-Girl | |
|---|---|
 Elasti-Girl, as she appeared on the cover ofDoom Patrol#90 (September 1964), art by
Bob Brown. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | My Greatest Adventure#80 (June 1963) |
| Created by | Arnold Drake Bruno Premiani |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Rita Farr Dayton |
| Species | Metahuman |
| Team affiliations | Doom Patrol |
| Notable aliases | Elasti-Woman |
| Abilities |
|
Elasti-Girl has appeared in numerous cartoon television shows and films. She made her first live-action appearance on theDC UniverseandMaxseriesTitans,played byApril Bowlby,who reprised the role for the seriesDoom Patrol.
Publication history
editElasti-Girl was created byArnold DrakeandBruno Premiani.She first appeared inMy Greatest Adventure#80 (June 1963).[2]According to Drake, the issue's co-writerBob Haneywas not brought on to the project until after Elasti-Girl was created.[3]
Fictional character biography
editRita Farris anOlympicswimming gold medalist turned Hollywood actress[4]who is exposed to unusual volcanic gases while shooting afilminAfrica.When Farr recovers, she discovers that she can expand or shrink her body at will—from hundreds of feet tall to mere inches in height.[5]When she gains greater control of her powers, she discovers that she can enlarge one limb at a time.[1]
Although not physically disfigured, Rita initially has no control over her size changes, is considered a freak and a menace, and becomes a recluse, leaving her Hollywood career in ruins.[6]However, Rita is approached by Dr. Niles Caulder (also known as TheChief) who offers her a place among fellow "freaks" attempting to use their powers for good. As Elasti-Girl, she joins Caulder's team, theDoom Patrol.[7]Rita falls in love with, and marries, Steve Dayton, the heroMento.[8]Later on, the couple adopts young Gar Logan, who would become the Teen Titans'Beast Boy.[1]
In theJLA: Year Onestoryline, theMartian Manhuntertells Rita that he was something of a fan of her "chiller pictures" and that he was disappointed that she did not continue making films. Flattered, she kisses him on the cheek and later tells him that she has metAlienactressSigourney Weaverand that she is sure he would approve of her.
Tragedy strikes when the Doom Patrol's enemies, theBrotherhood of Evil,threaten a small New England fishing village. The Patrol members elect to sacrifice themselves to save the innocents and are killed in an explosion. It is later revealed that several members of the team cheated death (to appear inDoom Patrolrevivals), although Elasti-Girl would remain "dead" untilInfinite Crisis.[1]
"Infinite Crisis"
editI remember the explosion on the island. And then nothing but darkness. Am I supposed to be dead?
- —Elasti-Girl,Teen Titans#32, March 2006.
InJohn Byrne'sDoom Patrolrun, Elasti-Girl was resurrected due toSuperboy-Primedisrupting the barrier of reality. The Patrol members retain no memories of their previous lives—until Superboy-Prime breaks thePhantom Zonebarrier during his battle with theTeen Titansand their allies. At that moment, their minds discern visions of the previousDoom Patrols,and Rita remembers everything—her family and death.
Rita appears inInfinite Crisisas one of the many heroes defending the city ofMetropolisfrom the army calling themselves theSecret Society of Super Villains.She personally battles the giant villainGiganta.
Rita makes a cameo in issue #50 of the 2006-07 series52,fightingBlack Adamnext to theLeaning Tower of Pisa.
Infinite Crisisultimately retconned Byrne's reboot out of continuity.
One Year Later
editFollowing the "One Year Later"storyline, the Doom Patrol changes considerably, losing several members and gainingBeast Boy,BumblebeeandVox.[9]
Rita is resurrected once more by the Chief salvaging a piece of her skull and using his technology to regrow her entire body due to its malleable form. Consequently, Elasti-Girl is very docile and is reluctant to question the Chief. The Chief hints that her malleable form hampers her thinking abilities, leading to her lack of personal initiative which makes her dependent upon Caulder (a.k.a. The Chief). As he observes her interaction with the Chief,Robinsuspects that the Chief has brainwashed Rita and the other Patrol members. Rita's husband,Mento,is under the control of his Mento-helmet and believes that his wife would never love him without it.
Following their battle against the Brotherhood, the Titans and the Doom Patrol witness the Chief working to convinceKid Devilthat he is a freak and that the Titans actually dislike him. This pushes the teams to confront the Chief: Mento finally removes his helmet and pointedly tells the Chief that he is no longer the leader of the Patrol and if he ever again insults his wife and son, he will use his powers to destroy the Chief's intellect. Rita firmly stands behind her husband, breaking out of the Chief's control.
In the most recentDoom Patrolseries, Rita changed her codename to "Elasti-Woman".[10]It was revealed that when the Chief regrew her he did so using protoplasm to eliminate "weaknesses" such as bones and internal organs and therefore Rita is no longer human. When she sleeps, Rita loses her human shape and reverts to a puddle of goo, having to reshape herself daily.
Powers and abilities
editRita has the ability to expand and shrink her body. Her powers of expansion allow her to become as large as a skyscraper. She has the ability to shrink to mere inches (during one adventure, she was exposed to a gas that caused her to reduce to a microscopic scale and enter a sub-atomic universe; that experience has not been repeated). Rita can selectively shrink or expand parts of her body. As depicted inJohn Byrne'sDoom Patrol(retconnedout of existence), Elasti-Girl could change the size of objects and people by touching them; when she'd release them, they'd revert to their normal size. Because of her protoplasmic physiology, Rita can regenerate any part of her body. She can reconstruct a half-blown-off face or a torn leg and regrow severed limbs.
InDoom Patrol#95 (May 1965), Elasti-Girl swaps powers withNegative Manto become Negative Girl.
Other versions
editInTeen Titans: Earth One,Rita MarkovofSTAR Labsis the mother ofTara Markov.[11]
Reception
editElasti-Girl was ranked 88th inComics Buyer's Guide's"100 Sexiest Women in Comics" list.[12]
In other media
edit- Elasti-Girl appears in theTeen Titanstwo-part episode "Homecoming", voiced byTara Strong.[13]
- Elasti-Girl appears in theBatman: The Brave and the Boldepisode "The Last Patrol!", voiced byOlivia d'Abo.[13]Following a failed mission and theDoom Patroldisbanding, this version wallowed in self-pity until the Doom Patrol's enemies form an alliance to seek revenge. She joins forces withBatmanand her former teammates to stop them before the Doom Patrol sacrifice themselves to save a town being threatened by the villains.
- Elasti-Girl appears in the "Doom Patrol" segment ofDC Nation Shorts,voiced byKari Wahlgren.
- Elasti-Girl appears inTeen Titans Go!,voiced byCree Summer.[13]This version is an African-American who theChieffused with clay so she could gain acting roles outside of the B-list films she previously worked in.
- Rita Farr appears in theTitansepisode "Doom Patrol", portrayed byApril Bowlby.
- Elasti-Woman appears in theYoung Justice:Outsidersepisode "Nightmare Monkeys", voiced byHynden Walch.[13]This version starred in the fictional sitcomHello, Megan!and wasBeast Boy's godmother before she and most of the Doom Patrol were killed while on a mission years prior to the series.
- Rita Farr / Elasti-Woman appears inDoom Patrol,portrayed again by April Bowlby as an adult and by Lana Jean Turner as a child.[14]
- Farr also appears in theArrowversecrossover "Crisis on Infinite Earths"via archival footage of a deleted scene from a first-season episode.[15]
References
edit- ^abcdJimenez, Phil(2008). "Elasti-Girl". In Dougall, Alastair (ed.).The DC Comics Encyclopedia.New York:Dorling Kindersley.p. 113.ISBN978-0-7566-4119-1.OCLC213309017.
- ^Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016).The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe.DK Publishing. p. 100.ISBN978-1-4654-5357-0.
- ^Browning, Michael (July 2013). "The Doom Patrol Interviews: Arnold Drake".Back Issue!(#65). Raleigh, North Carolina:TwoMorrows Publishing:38–41.
- ^Drake, Arnold(w),Premiani, Bruno(a). "The Doom Patrol"My Greatest Adventure,no. 80, p. 3/1 (June 1963).DC Comics.
- ^Wells, John (2015).American Comic Book Chronicles: 1960-64.TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 129.ISBN978-1605490458.
- ^Drake, Arnold (w), Premiani, Bruno (a). "The Doom Patrol"My Greatest Adventure,no. 80, p. 5/3 (June 1963). DC Comics.
- ^Beatty, Scott(2008). "Doom Patrol". In Dougall, Alastair (ed.).The DC Comics Encyclopedia.New York:Dorling Kindersley.p. 109.ISBN978-0-7566-4119-1.OCLC213309017.
- ^Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Manning, Matthew K.; McAvennie, Michael; Wallace, Daniel (2019).DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle.DK Publishing. p. 113.ISBN978-1-4654-8578-6.
- ^Teen Titans(vol. 3) #36 (July 2006)
- ^Doom Patrol(vol. 5) #1 (October 2009)
- ^Teen Titans: Earth One#2
- ^Frankenhoff, Brent(2011).Comics Buyer's Guide Presents: 100 Sexiest Women in Comics.Krause Publications.p. 55.ISBN978-1-4402-2988-6.
- ^abcd"Elasti-Girl Voices (DC Universe)".Behind The Voice Actors.RetrievedMarch 31,2024.A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
- ^Andreeva, Nellie (July 13, 2018)."'Doom Patrol': April Bowlby To Play Elasti-Woman In DC Universe Live-Action Series ".Deadline Hollywood.RetrievedJuly 13,2018.
- ^Martin, Michileen (January 15, 2020)."Every Crisis on Infinite Earths cameo ranked".Looper.Archivedfrom the original on April 2, 2020.RetrievedApril 2,2020.