Stretch Armstrong is a large, gel-filled Action Figure originally produced by Kenner. The figure had stretching limbs that could be pulled several inches, but would return to normal size when released. The idea for Stretch Armstrong was thought up by Jesse D. Horowitz, who worked for Kenner's R&D group, and approved by then-Vice President, Jeep (James) Kuhn.
The toy was originally released in 1976, and ran until 1980. Subsequent releases of the toy also included new characters, including villains like Stretch Monster, Vac-Man, and Tsukuda Mr. X, as well as licensed characters from various franchises remade in stretchable form.
Stretch Armstrong saw a brief revival in The 90s, from Cap Toys, and another in the late 2010s as Stretch Armstrong and the Flex Fighters, from Hasbro, complete with accompanying toyline.
Stretch Armstrong contains examples of:
- Beauty Equals Goodness: Stretch looks more conventionally handsome than his fearsome-looking evil counterparts.
- Canine Companion: He gained a pet weiner dog, Fetch Armstrong, during his first revival.
- Evil Counterpart: Stretch Monster, Vac-Man and Stretch X-Ray were essentially villainous equivalents to Stretch Armstrong.
- Meaningful Name: Why wouldn't a stretchy doll be called Stretch?
- Retronym: Kenner's Stretch Armstrong became "The Original Stretch Armstrong" for the 2016 reproductions, to further distinguish him from the revivals' redesigned Stretches.
- Rubber Man: Naturally, being a superhero with stretching powers was the whole point.
- Sleeves Are for Wimps: The second Stretch Armstrong wore a tank top and shorts as his default outfit.
- Surefooted Barefooter: Stretch doesn't have shoes in his default outfits from the '70s or '90s, likely to help give kids a stronger grip of his legs. In one of the '90s commercials, a human Stretch reaches the occupant of a burning apartment by standing on tiptoe and extending his legs, while another has him use an elongated arm and his springy bare feet to climb down from the roof of a building.
- Walking Shirtless Scene: The Original Stretch Armstrong wears nothing but a speedo.
