June 3, 2025

Elongated Man vs. Medusa: Flexible Detective Battles Inhuman Queen

Elongated Man vs. Medusa: Flexible Detective Battles Inhuman Queen

Two Underrated Powerhouses with Unusual Abilities

In this episode of the Dynamic Duel Podcast, Marvelous Joe and Johnny DC pit DC’s Elongated Man against Marvel’s Medusa in a battle of unique powers and personalities. Ralph Dibny, the elastic detective, takes on the Inhuman queen with telekinetically controlled hair. Though neither character is A-list, both bring a rich comic history and strategic edge to the table, making for an unexpectedly intense duel.

The Origins of Elongated Man and Medusa

The episode begins with a thorough breakdown of each character’s origin and powers. Johnny DC covers Ralph Dibny’s background, including how his obsession with contortionists led him to discover the rare Gingold extract. After refining it himself, Ralph gained stretching abilities and became the Elongated Man. Known for his wit, detective prowess, and membership in the Justice League, Ralph became famous alongside his wife Sue Dibny, with whom he formed one of DC’s most beloved couples.

Marvelous Joe counters with Medusa’s origin. Born into the Inhuman Royal Family, Medusa gained prehensile hair after exposure to the Terrigen Mists. Her psionic control over her hair makes her a formidable opponent, capable of multitasking with strength and precision. Joe also highlights her political significance in Marvel comics as a queen, negotiator, and occasional leader of the Inhumans in Black Bolt’s absence.

Breaking Down the Powers

The hosts emphasize that while both characters share some superficial similarities—namely, their flexible combat capabilities—their abilities function very differently. Elongated Man can stretch his entire body to extreme degrees, flattening, inflating, or contorting himself in clever and often humorous ways. He’s a skilled detective with a "nose twitch" that signals when something isn’t right, giving him a near-spidey-sense for danger or deception.

Medusa, on the other hand, has complete mental control over every strand of her hair, allowing her to manipulate it like dozens of ultra-strong, precise tentacles. Each strand is more durable than steel and moves at her mental command. Her combat skills are enhanced by her regal demeanor and experience as a leader, making her calm, calculating, and ruthless when needed.

The Simulated Fight and Speculation

The speculative battle is painted vividly by the hosts. They imagine how Elongated Man’s elastic form could absorb or dodge Medusa’s hair attacks, while also using his flexibility in unpredictable ways. At the same time, Medusa’s superior combat training and fine-tuned control allow her to block, strike, and ensnare with overwhelming precision. The back-and-forth hypothetical showcases how evenly matched the characters are in terms of range, adaptability, and creative combat potential.

Stat Comparison and Final Outcome

As always, the battle is decided by the AJ9K algorithm, which runs 1,000 Monte Carlo simulations based on each character’s stats across categories like strength, durability, speed, intelligence, perception, and more. In this episode, the outcome was extremely close, with Medusa narrowly edging out Elongated Man.

The final tally showed Medusa winning 514 out of 1,000 matches, giving her a win rate of 51.4% to Elongated Man’s 48.6%. Joe and Johnny discuss how Medusa’s hair gave her an edge in versatility, strength, and range, allowing her to restrain Ralph’s elastic limbs and land more decisive blows. Despite Ralph’s intellect and evasiveness, he couldn’t consistently overcome her tactical prowess and multi-directional attacks.

A Fun and Thoughtful Episode for Fans of Deep Cuts

Though this episode focused on lesser-known characters, the hosts bring their usual level of detail and enthusiasm, making the duel just as engaging as those featuring heavy hitters. Both Elongated Man and Medusa come out of the episode looking stronger and more interesting than many listeners might have expected. It’s a great example of how diverse and rich the Marvel and DC universes really are—even outside their flagship heroes.

Listen to the full episode here: Elongated Man vs. Medusa.