Pliable Lad

Pliable Lad is a net.hero created by Mike Escutia.
Alter Ego:	Christopher Waid-David
Aliases:	Pli, Kid Unknown
Primary Writer:	Mike Escutia
Status:	Former member of the LNH (Classic Team) (retired), former member of the Net.Patrol, living in Seattle
Usability:	Reserved

History

Arrival

One day, an amnesiac, fluid being crashed to the Looniearth just outside LNHQ. He called himself Pliable Lad, and joined both the LNH and the Net.Patrol.

A team of superheroes called the Knightforce Elite appeared in Net.ropolis, claiming that Pli was a clone of their lost member Plymax. What they didn't say was that they were all evil clones of the original Knightforce, controlled by their arch-nemesis, Doctor Armaggeddon. However, the original Plymax showed up and turned the tables on them. The clones were defeated and Plymax, along with mentor Dr. Q, went back to their own world, with Pliable Lad forging a new life with the LNH.

Living in the Legion

For a long time, he had a hopeless crush on Panta. However, he realized that it was mostly physical, and that their personalities didn't mesh... right around the time Tour Guide Girl showed up. The two quickly developed an interest in each other, but took a while to actually reveal those feelings.

When Sidekicks'R'Us offered one free sidekick to the LNH, Ultimate Ninja assigned Echo Lad to Pliable Lad, so that Pli could be a role model to the younger net.hero and EL could keep an eye on him. It didn't quite work out – Pli wasn't at all ready to be a role model, and Echo Lad needed support he couldn't give. But they dissolved the partnership amicably, and Echo Lad continued with the LNH.

In meta-continuity, he replaced Gestalt Lad as Mike Escutia's Writer Character. This lead the main-timeline version of Gestalt Lad to become bitter and evil, turning into Jestalt and attacking Pli.

The Dark Pliable Lad Saga

After taking a bad fall during the Robot Invasion, Pliable Lad seemed to grow more ruthless and aggressive, flying into rages over tiny mistakes. Four weeks later...

He sprung a trap on a group of LNHers, killing Back-History Boy and claiming that he'd always been evil. The same day, a new member joined the LNH – Kid Unknown, who claimed that he would be able to help with the investigation of Pli's treachery. Naturally, the dramatic reveal was that Kid Unknown was Pliable Lad – and the fake Pliable Lad was the Master of the Net, possessing Amorphous Lad's body.

Retcon Midnight

But just as Pli stood victorious, Retcon Hour struck. wReamicus Maximus retconned Pli out of existence, dumping him into a world where he had never entered the Looniverse – Retcon Midnight. In this world...

Dr. Armageddon had taken over, gaining the power of the Rings of Retcon, and the LNH was reduced to a band of desperate rebels – including a heroic version of Gestalt Lad. With the help of the few remaining LNHers, plus Drifter, Windrider, Continuity Champ and The Drizzt, Pli was able to go back and stop the retcon – regaining the memories of his true origin:

In some version of Real Life Minus One, Christopher Waid-David was a lab assistant about to make an experimental trip into a fictional world. However, just as he was launched on his journey, the system overloaded, plunging him helplessly into the Looniverse.

(It's unclear as to what this means for Plymax.)

Omaha Project

Somewhere in here, Omaha Project happened. Pli was part of a team of LNHers sent to investigate a mysterious crack in reality. He was thrown into an interdimensional force wave, and was tossed, an intangible observer, through many different worlds. He realized that these were worlds that could exist – would exist – if rec.arts.comics.creative passed, and got the chance to cast his cosmic vote.

(During this period, he was pulled forward through the rifts in the Omnilooniverse into Just Another Multi-Writer Cascade That Will Probably Never Have an Ending, and helped save the world and guide the One True Ending of the Cosmic Plot Device Caper, ensuring that RACC would have a future.)

Crisis of Infinite Sidekicks

After he returned, Pli started feeling uncomfortable in the LNH, looking for a change...

He proposed to Touri and they started making plans. But those plans were interrupted when Echo Lad was kidnapped by the Zomkicks. Pli realized that something was rotten at Sidekicks'R'Us and went to face them, thus entering the Crisis of Infinite Sidekicks. When he and his allies went up against The Chessman, they faced six familiar faces inside the Zomkick armor – including Echo Lad! The Chessman ordered EL to kill Pli, but Pli managed to get through to him. And when the Chessman tried to do it himself, EL bounced one of his bullets back to him – and took the other one himself, dying in Pli's arms.

Naturally, he was devastated - both at the death, and the fact that he'd never taken the time to get to know Echo Lad, and now it was too late. Touri suggested that he meet with Echo Lad's brother, Reverb Boy, himself recently de-Zomkicked. Pli tried it, and when he and Reverb Boy met, Echo Lad's ghost appeared, giving them time to catch up before he had to move on.

The Wedding of Pliable Lad

During the Crisis, a new Kid Unknown had appeared to help. Pliable Lad faced him before his wedding, and KU revealed himself as Gestalt Lad, having survived the Retcon Midnight timeline as a man without a world. Pli gave him his blessing.

The wedding went off without a hitch. Pli and Touri moved to Seattle, where they live a (relatively) normal life to this day.

Personality

Started off young and unsure of himself, slowly gaining confidence and maturity over time.

Powers and Abilities

Can duplicate the shapeshifting abilities of any shapeshifting superhero. Possesses the strange ability to talk with his supporting cast without being heard by others. (Dialogue appears in parentheses for this.)

Appearance

Wore a red bodysuit with a blue stripe going down the left-hand side of the chest and down the right leg, with a blue waistband, gloves, and boots.

As Kid Unknown, he wore a black cloak (in the same style as obscure '90s character Bloodwynd), a dark-blue bodysuit, and a dark-blue cowl that completely covered his head.

Relationships

Married to Tour Guide Girl. Brother-in-law to Search Lass. May or may not be related to Plymax.

His alternate-universe counterparts include Liable Lad of the Oddball Legion and Stretchable Dude of the Rosterverse.

Appearances

• First Appearance: Pliable Lad #0
• Integrity Quest
• Leadership Crisis Part II
• The CrossOver Caper #3, 5-6
• Vertical Plain #3-4, Special #1
• All Things Dark and Scary #2
• Elvis Man #2
• The Three Day Lull #10-12
• LetterinG MaN #10
• Flame Wars II
• Tales of the LNH #280, 282-284, 287, 290, 293, 298-302, 308, 355
• LNH Comics Presents #7, Special #2
• Pliable Lad #1-30, Annual #1
• The Great Public Domain Caper #5-6
• Omaha Project
• Kid Kirby and Sing-Along Lass #7
• Quote King and Back-History Boy: Semi-Impressive Return
• System Corruptors #11-12
• The Three Day Lull
• LNH v1 #69
• Drifter #5
• Retcon Midnight #1-5
• Crisis of Infinite Sidekicks
• Memoirs of a Pliable Lad #1
• Elf #19
• Just Another Multi-Writer Cascade That Will Probably Never Have an Ending #6, 9, 11-12