Rubberduck
Encyclopedia
Rubberduck is a fictional character
in the DC Comics
universe
, an anthropomorphic duck
. Rubberduck is a superhero
who lived on the otherdimensional world of Earth-C
(now Earth-26), an alternate Earth populated by sentient
animal
s. His first appearance was in a special insert
in The New Teen Titans #16 (February 1982).
Rubberduck's alter-ego's name, "Byrd Rentals," is a play on actor Burt Reynolds
; being Burt Reynolds' Earth-C/26 counterpart, Byrd Rentals' career roughly matched that of Burt Reynolds, starring in films such as The Longest Yarn (a play on The Longest Yard) and Smoke-Eye and the Panda (a play on Smokey and the Bandit
).
as he was lounging in his hot tub
, Byrd was struck by a glowing meteor fragment (which was launched toward Earth by the villain Starro the Conqueror
); the result gave him the power to stretch his body into any shape. Joining with Rova (who was also transformed by a separate meteor fragment), the two teamed up with other super-powered animals affected by the meteor; together, the group defeated Starro (with the aid of Superman
), and decided to form the superhero team called the Zoo Crew
.
Byrd, like Rova, tended to reflect the values of his Follywood roots, often making various entertainment industry references while fighting foes or dealing with others. He also took great pleasure in the celebrity his civilian identity afforded him, though he was still friendly towards and respectful of his teammates, allowing them use of his Follywood mansion
. He was also far less elitist
and snobbish than Rova, preferring "lowbrow" pursuits such as video games and fast automobiles to mixing with Follywood high society.
In Teen Titans #30-31 (December 2005-January 2006), Rubberduck is mentioned in a series of pages purporting to be a Zoo Crew comic published in the mainstream DC Universe
, and follows the adventures of the Zoo Crew teammates in a grimmer, darker version of Earth-C, parodying the recent trend toward "grim and gritty" superhero comics. In these pages, Rubberduck is shown working with Pig-Iron
separate from the rest of the then-disbanded team.
In the Countdown tie-in Captain Carrot and the Final Ark (October-December 2007), the team reunites in the midst of growing strife between the land and the sea creatures of the newly re-classified Earth-26 sparked by Starro
.
They then encounter him and he hypnotizes them into believing they have lost their powers. Only Pig-Iron (who wasn't present at the time) and American Eagle (who has no super powers) are unaffected. Starro then floods the Earth rendering it uninhabitable. So the Crew has an ocean liner loaded with refugees that is transported off the planet by the Just'a Lotta Animals. The ship is then accidentally sent to New Earth. The Justice League
encounters the ship and lands it safely, though all the passengers, including the Crew are transformed into non-anthropomorphic animals.
As Final Crisis
#7, Rubberduck has his humanity and powers restored by the renegade Monitor
Nix Uotan along with the rest of the Crew.
or Marvel Comics'
Mr. Fantastic. However, he is not a shapeshifter
. His rubbery body makes him highly resistant to injury, though he can suffer painful damage if his body's elasticity is overtaxed (similar to severe muscle pulls). His powers are a permanent condition—i.e., he cannot turn his powers "off", though he can maintain his "normal" shape without effort. Thus, he is prone to being stretched against his will by someone stronger than he is, and can be restrained by essentially being tied up with himself (having his stretchy limbs wrapped around his body or an immovable object such as a tree, and tied into knots to prevent him from unwrapping them).
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
, an anthropomorphic duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
. Rubberduck is a superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
who lived on the otherdimensional world of Earth-C
Multiverse (DC Comics)
The DC Multiverse is a fictional continuity construct that exists in stories published by comic book company DC Comics. The DC Multiverse consists of numerous worlds, most of them outside DC's main continuity, allowing writers the creative freedom to explore alternative versions of characters and...
(now Earth-26), an alternate Earth populated by sentient
Sentience
Sentience is the ability to feel, perceive or be conscious, or to have subjective experiences. Eighteenth century philosophers used the concept to distinguish the ability to think from the ability to feel . In modern western philosophy, sentience is the ability to have sensations or experiences...
animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s. His first appearance was in a special insert
DC Comics insert previews
DC Comics insert previews were 16-page comic book stories inserted into issues of existing DC Comics series to promote new series usually debuting the next month. Running from 1980 to 1985, they consisted of a front cover, 14 pages of story, and a back cover that depicted the cover of the actual...
in The New Teen Titans #16 (February 1982).
Rubberduck's alter-ego's name, "Byrd Rentals," is a play on actor Burt Reynolds
Burt Reynolds
Burton Leon "Burt" Reynolds, Jr. is an American actor. Some of his memorable roles include Bo 'Bandit' Darville in Smokey and the Bandit, Lewis Medlock in Deliverance, Bobby "Gator" McCluskey in White Lightning and sequel Gator, Paul Crewe and Coach Nate Scarborough in The Longest Yard and its...
; being Burt Reynolds' Earth-C/26 counterpart, Byrd Rentals' career roughly matched that of Burt Reynolds, starring in films such as The Longest Yarn (a play on The Longest Yard) and Smoke-Eye and the Panda (a play on Smokey and the Bandit
Smokey and the Bandit
Smokey and the Bandit is a 1977 American film starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jackie Gleason, Jerry Reed, Pat McCormick, Paul Williams, and Mike Henry. It inspired several other trucking films, including two sequels, Smokey and the Bandit II, and Smokey and the Bandit Part 3...
).
Fictional character biography
While being interviewed by gossip columnist Rova BarkittYankee Poodle
Yankee Poodle is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe, an anthropomorphic poodle. Yankee Poodle is a superhero who lived on the otherdimensional world of Earth-C , an alternate Earth populated by sentient animals...
as he was lounging in his hot tub
Hot tub
A hot tub is a large tub or small pool full of heated water and used for soaking, relaxation, massage, or hydrotherapy. In most cases, they have jets for massage purposes. Hot tubs are usually located outdoors, and are often sheltered for protection from the elements, as well as for privacy....
, Byrd was struck by a glowing meteor fragment (which was launched toward Earth by the villain Starro the Conqueror
Starro
Starro is a fictional supervillain that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Brave and the Bold #28 , and was created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky....
); the result gave him the power to stretch his body into any shape. Joining with Rova (who was also transformed by a separate meteor fragment), the two teamed up with other super-powered animals affected by the meteor; together, the group defeated Starro (with the aid of Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
), and decided to form the superhero team called the Zoo Crew
Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew
Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew! is a DC Comics comic book about a team of funny animal superheroes called the Zoo Crew. The characters first appeared in a special insert in The New Teen Titans #16 , followed by a series published from 1982 to 1983. The Zoo Crew characters were created by...
.
Byrd, like Rova, tended to reflect the values of his Follywood roots, often making various entertainment industry references while fighting foes or dealing with others. He also took great pleasure in the celebrity his civilian identity afforded him, though he was still friendly towards and respectful of his teammates, allowing them use of his Follywood mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
. He was also far less elitist
Elitism
Elitism is the belief or attitude that some individuals, who form an elite — a select group of people with intellect, wealth, specialized training or experience, or other distinctive attributes — are those whose views on a matter are to be taken the most seriously or carry the most...
and snobbish than Rova, preferring "lowbrow" pursuits such as video games and fast automobiles to mixing with Follywood high society.
In Teen Titans #30-31 (December 2005-January 2006), Rubberduck is mentioned in a series of pages purporting to be a Zoo Crew comic published in the mainstream DC Universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
, and follows the adventures of the Zoo Crew teammates in a grimmer, darker version of Earth-C, parodying the recent trend toward "grim and gritty" superhero comics. In these pages, Rubberduck is shown working with Pig-Iron
Peter Porkchops
Peter Porkchops is a fictional funny animal pig who appeared in stories published by DC Comics. Peter was created by Otto Feuer, and first appeared in Leading Comics #23 .-Golden and Silver Ages:...
separate from the rest of the then-disbanded team.
In the Countdown tie-in Captain Carrot and the Final Ark (October-December 2007), the team reunites in the midst of growing strife between the land and the sea creatures of the newly re-classified Earth-26 sparked by Starro
Starro
Starro is a fictional supervillain that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Brave and the Bold #28 , and was created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky....
.
They then encounter him and he hypnotizes them into believing they have lost their powers. Only Pig-Iron (who wasn't present at the time) and American Eagle (who has no super powers) are unaffected. Starro then floods the Earth rendering it uninhabitable. So the Crew has an ocean liner loaded with refugees that is transported off the planet by the Just'a Lotta Animals. The ship is then accidentally sent to New Earth. The Justice League
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
encounters the ship and lands it safely, though all the passengers, including the Crew are transformed into non-anthropomorphic animals.
As Final Crisis
Final Crisis
Final Crisis is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely by J. G. Jones; artists Carlos Pacheco, Marco Rudy and...
#7, Rubberduck has his humanity and powers restored by the renegade Monitor
Monitor (comics)
The Monitor is a fictional character created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez as one of the main characters of DC Comics' Crisis on Infinite Earths limited series....
Nix Uotan along with the rest of the Crew.
Powers and abilities
Rubberduck possesses the ability to stretch and contort his body into various shapes, similar to DC hero the Elongated ManElongated Man
The Elongated Man is a fictional comic book superhero in the DC universe. He is a reserve member of the Justice League. His first appearance was in The Flash vol. 1, #112...
or Marvel Comics'
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
Mr. Fantastic. However, he is not a shapeshifter
Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
. His rubbery body makes him highly resistant to injury, though he can suffer painful damage if his body's elasticity is overtaxed (similar to severe muscle pulls). His powers are a permanent condition—i.e., he cannot turn his powers "off", though he can maintain his "normal" shape without effort. Thus, he is prone to being stretched against his will by someone stronger than he is, and can be restrained by essentially being tied up with himself (having his stretchy limbs wrapped around his body or an immovable object such as a tree, and tied into knots to prevent him from unwrapping them).