Summary

• Mr. Glass's real power lies in his intellect, planning elaborate schemes with precision and strategy.
• Price orchestrates events and manipulates situations ousting his superhuman counterparts.
• Price's identity as Mr. Glass showcases his complex relationship with narrative, embracing his fate and legacy.

Samuel L. Jackson's Elijah Price made for a memorable, complex villain in both Glass and Unbreakable, but it's unclear what Mr. Glass' real superpower was. Unbreakable centers on David Dunn (Bruce Willis), a normal man who survives a horrifying train wreck without a single scratch. He soon encounters Price, a man suffering from a brittle bone disease who believes Dunn could be a real-life superhero. David comes to realize he really is superhuman, but the movie reveals it was actually Elijah who was responsible for the crash.

The legacy sequel Glass reunites Dunn and Price, along with Split's Kevin Wendell Crumb for the final part of the "Eastrail 177 Trilogy," revealing shocking secrets and resolving each character's story arc. The movie also reveals the existence of an anti-superhuman league who suppresses the existence of superhumans, so Price cooks up an elaborate plan to expose the truth. This plan results in a fight between David and Crumb. All three men are killed by the time Glass concludes, but their loved ones later broadcast the truth to the world. However, while Dunn and Crumb's superpowers are clear, Price's superpowers aren't as obvious.

Elijah Price's True Power Is Intellect

He Flawlessly Executes Decades-In-The-Making Schemes

While the super abilities of both David and Crumb are obvious, Elijah Price has a more unique set of skills. Price's true power is his uncanny intellect, which allows him to plan, predict, and execute his elaborate schemes almost flawlessly. In appearing catatonic for the years between Unbreakable and Glass, he waited and gave himself time to formulate his ultimate plot, which was to expose the existence of superhumans against the will of the organization working to suppress their existence.

Elijah Price's intellect transcends the ordinary, pushing the boundaries of strategic planning and manipulation. His cerebral capabilities are not only evident in his masterful orchestration of events, but also in his profound understanding of human psychology and his exceptional deductive reasoning. One of the most striking demonstrations of his intelligence is the meticulous planning behind the Eastrail 177 train crash in Unbreakable. Price engineered this disaster with the dual purpose of discovering individuals with superhuman abilities and, more personally, finding his opposite in David Dunn, a man unbreakable to his own fragile condition.

Through his actions, Price challenges the notion of what it means to be powerful, ultimately arguing that the greatest power lies in the human mind and its capacity to reshape the world.

Price's ability to remain steps ahead of others is exemplified in Glass, where he manipulates the circumstances within the psychiatric hospital to his advantage. Despite being under heavy surveillance and considered highly dangerous, Price manages to outsmart the institution's staff, Dr. Staple, and even his fellow inmates, David Dunn and Kevin Wendell Crumb. He cleverly uses the limited resources available to him, including his knowledge of the hospital's layout and security systems, to enact his escape plan and ultimately reveal the existence of superhumans to the world.

In essence, Elijah Price's superpower goes beyond his intellect; it is his extraordinary ability to see the potential in others and himself, despite the physical limitations he faces. His life's work, culminating in the events of Glass, serves as a profound exploration of belief, determination, and the indomitable will of the human spirit to transcend conventional limitations. Through his actions, Price challenges the notion of what it means to be powerful, ultimately arguing that the greatest power lies in the human mind and its capacity to reshape the world.

Price's "Mr. Glass" Supervillain Name, Explained

Glass Is The Polar Opposite Of The Hero's Superpower

While Price ends up dead in the Glass ending, he still succeeds in both confirming the existence of superhumans with both Dunn and Crumb and revealing them to the world, which to his mind validates his entire life. He explains to David in Unbreakable that a hero's nemesis is often their polar opposite, so where David is literally unbreakable, Elijah breaks easy, so he embraces the nickname childhood bullies gave to him — Mr. Glass. Price's embracement of the Mr. Glass identity is a testament to his intellectual depth and understanding of narrative structure.

Price is acutely aware of the importance of symbolism and narrative in human culture, especially in the context of myths and heroes. By positioning himself as Mr. Glass, he not only accepts his fate but also crafts his own legacy, embedding himself into the fabric of the very myths he seeks to validate. This self-awareness and willingness to embody the archetype of the supervillain illustrate Price's complex relationship with his own narrative and his desire to fulfill what he believes is his destiny in Glass.