Clayface

Clayface
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	(Karlo) Detective Comics #40 (June 1940) (Hagen) Detective Comics #298 (December 1961) (Payne) Detective Comics #478 (July–August 1978) (Fuller) Outsiders #21 (July 1987) (Williams) Batman: Gotham Knights #60 (February 2005)
Created by	(Karlo) Bob Kane (Hagen) Bill Finger, Sheldon Moldoff (Payne, Fuller) Len Wein, Marshall Rogers
In-story information
Alter ego	- Basil Karlo - Matt Hagen - Preston Payne - Sondra Fuller - Cassius Payne - Johnny Williams
Team affiliations	(Karlo) The Society Injustice League (Hagen) Anti-Justice League (All Clayfaces) Mudpack
Notable aliases	(Fuller) Lady Clay
Abilities	(Karlo) Shapeshifting, body made out of mud. (Hagen) Temporary shapeshifting, voice-shifting, body constituted by living mud, which he can divide or change the tone of at will. (Payne) Superstrength from exo-skeleton, melting people, shapeshifting (Fuller) Shapeshifting, power duplication

Clayface is an alias used by several DC Comics fictional characters, most of them possessing claylike bodies and shape-shifting abilities. All of them have been enemies of Batman.

Publication history

Created by Bob Kane, the original Clayface (Basil Karlo) was a B-movie actor who began a life of crime using the identity of a villain he portrayed in a horror film.^[1]

In the late 1950s, Batman began facing a series of science fiction-inspired foes, including Matt Hagen, a treasure-hunter given vast shape-shifting powers and resiliency by radioactive protoplasm, became the new Clayface. He retained the title for the next several decades of comic book history. In the late 1970s, Preston Payne became the third Clayface. A scientist suffering from hyperpituitarism, Preston Payne used the second Clayface's blood to create a cure but became a claylike creature that needed to pass his condition onto others to survive instead. His condition was used as a metaphor for drug abuse and sexually transmitted disease.

Sondra Fuller, of Strike Force Kobra, used the terrorist group's technology to become the fourth Clayface, also known as Lady Clay. She formed the Mudpack with the original, third, and second Clayfaces During that time, Payne and Fuller had a son dubbed "Cassius 'Clay' Payne," who also had metahuman clay powers. During this era, the original Clayface used the DNA of Payne and Fuller to become the most powerful Clayface, often considered the current and ultimate incarnation of the villain.

Clayface has appeared in three animated adaptations of Batman, starting with the late 1970s-era The New Adventures of Batman, which featured a comedic version of Hagen. The 1990s-era Batman: The Animated Series featured a past-his-prime actor disfigured in a car accident who uses an experimental, addictive cosmetic to regain his appearance only to become a monstrous hunk of clay after a massive overdose of the substance. This interpretation, like the series' Mr. Freeze, was applauded as a deeper, more sympathetic version of a sci-fi-era villain, and the comic book incarnation of the Basil Karlo Clayface was retooled after it. The 2000s-era The Batman featured a new character Ethan Bennett, who had ties to a young Bruce Wayne, as Clayface before introducing a version of Basil Karlo.

In 2009, Clayface was ranked as IGN's 73rd Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.^[2]

Fictional character biography

Basil Karlo

The Basil Karlo Clayface. Art by Glen Orbik and Laurel Blechman.

The original Clayface, Basil Karlo, appeared in Detective Comics #40. He is an actor who is driven mad when he hears of a remake of the classic horror film he had starred in, The Terror, even though he is to be one of the advising staff. Donning the mask of the film's villain, Clayface, he embarks on a murder spree among the cast and crew of the remake, killing the actors of those he killed in the order and way they die, along with someone who recognises him. He plans his final murder to be of the actor playing the Clayface killer. He is foiled by Batman and Robin. He reappears in Detective Comics #49 (March 1941) after the prison ambulance he is riding in plunges off a cliff. He once again dons the mask of Clayface and targets Bruce Wayne's fiancée, Julie Madison. Once again, the Dynamic Duo foil the evil Karlo. A movie buff, Batman creator Bob Kane states that the character was partially inspired by the Lon Chaney, Sr. version of The Phantom of the Opera and that the name of the character comes from Boris Karloff and Basil Rathbone.^[3]

Much later, Karlo languishes in a prison hospital, when Sondra Fuller visits him out of curiosity. Karlo proposes an alliance between all living Clayfaces to kill Batman. Even though the Mud Pack, as the group called itself, is defeated, Karlo imbues himself with abilities similar to those of Preston Payne and Sondra Fuller. He is defeated by the combined efforts of Batman and Looker of the Outsiders by overloading his abilities, making him melt into the ground. He literally sinks into the Earth's crust when he loses control of his power; he survives, however, and now his body sports crystals similar to quartz that endow him with greater powers. Karlo escapes his underground prison when Gotham City is struck by the great Cataclysm. He captures Batman and is about to kill him, but he gets into a feud with Mr. Freeze on who has a right to kill the Caped Crusader. With that distraction, Batman soundly defeats both of them.

During the "No Man's Land" storyline, Karlo holds Poison Ivy, who is in charge of producing fresh vegetables for the remaining people in the city, prisoner in Robinson Park. Poison Ivy eventually battles and defeats Karlo, sinking him deep into the ground. It appears that the Ultimate Clayface is destroyed in this battle, but has resurfaced as a member of the Secret Society of Super Villains. Later, he seeks to increase his already formidable powers by absorbing Wonder Woman (a clay construct similar to him), giving him an amount of powers that bordered on invulnerability. While he is successful in absorbing the heroine, he is ultimately returned to normal when Wonder Woman and Donna Troy were able to trick Clayface into entering a train carriage with Wonder Woman, Donna subsequently using the Lasso of Truth to swing the carriage around and turn it into a mystical centrifuge, causing the clay Clayface had taken from Wonder Woman to split away from him and re-merge with Wonder Woman due to the differences between the two types of clay

Basil Karlo is among the members of the Injustice League and is among the villains seen in Salvation Run. He can be seen as the member of Libra's Secret Society of Super Villains. In the second issue of Final Crisis, he triggers an explosion at the Daily Planet under Libra's orders when Lex Luthor demands for Libra to do something that will draw Superman to them.

Matt Hagen

Cover to Detective Comics #298. Matt Hagen as Clayface II.

The second Clayface, Matt Hagen, first appeared in Detective Comics #298. A treasure hunter, Hagen finds a mysterious radioactive pool of protoplasm in a cave. Immersing himself in it, he is transformed into a malleable clay-like form which could be shaped into almost anything he desires. This is only a temporary effect, however, requiring him to return to the pool periodically in order to maintain use of his powers.^[1]

He eventually copies the pool's protoplasmic jelly by chemistry studies, although the artificial proptoplasm only allows him five hours of Clayface powers compared to the full two days of the pool's.

Hagen is ultimately killed by a shadow demon during the 12-issue limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Clayface appeared alongside the other dead villains only to be defeated by Hawk and Dove and the Teen Titans.^[4]

During the "Mud Pack" storyline, the other villains who use the name Clayface gather Hagen's remains and make him a post-mortem member of their gang.

In the Post-Crisis, it is later revealed that Matt somehow survived the shadow demon attack and is still around, but not as prominent. He later attempts to capture Power Girl shortly before Infinite Crisis occurs in "JSA: Classified issues 1-4," but he is later defeated by the original Multiverse's e-2 Superman during Infinite Crisis as he's about to capture her alongside several other villains for Alexander Luthor, Jr. of the original multiverse's e-3, as seen in issue 2 of Infinite Crisis.

Preston Payne

Preston Payne as Clayface III battles Batman. From Detective Comics #479.

The third Clayface, Preston Payne first appeared at the end of Detective Comics #477 before making his first full appearance in #478. Suffering from hyperpituitarism, Payne works at S.T.A.R. Labs searching for a cure. He obtains a sample of the then-living Matt Hagen's blood, and isolates an enzyme which he introduces into his own bloodstream. Although he is briefly able to shape his own appearance, this effect is short-lived: while on a date, his flesh begins to melt, and when he touches his horrified girlfriend, she completely melts. Payne builds an exoskeleton anti-melting suit to prevent himself from touching anyone, but he learns that he needs to spread his melting contagion onto others to survive (he feels pain if he doesn't melt anyone). During this time his mental health starts to slip as he falls in love with a wax mannequin he names "Helena", thinking she is the only woman immune to his touch. After another breakdown, he thinks Helena enjoys watching men "fighting over her" when he battles Batman yet again in front of the wax doll. Although he doesn't give her up, he keeps her in Arkham Asylum, saying "we're both too polite to admit divorce, but she can't live forever."^[1]

When Swamp Thing visited Arkham Asylum, he witnessed Payne in an argument with "Helena".^[5]

Dr. R. Hutton took a nightshift at Arkham Asylum in order to do research for his new book detailing about superhuman psychology. He kept a close watch on the inmates at Arkham Asylum. During this time, he saw Clayface spending intimate time with "Helena."^[6]

During the events of the Mud Pack, Sondra Fuller, the fourth Clayface, begins masquerading as the hero Looker and visits Payne at Arkham. That same night, he gets into an argument with "Helena" and unintentionally knocks her head off. Believing he has killed her, Payne goes on a rampage until subdued in a nearby swamp by the asylum guards. Fuller, who is still using Looker's appearance and powers, rescues him and influences him to follow Basil Karlo's commands. Karlo ultimately betrays Fuller, and takes samples of her and Payne's blood to inject into himself. Payne finally breaks free of Fuller's control, and is about to kill her when she admits how sorry she is for using him. The two fall in love and go on to live together, leading to Fuller becoming pregnant with their child, Cassius.

Preston acquires medicine to control his pain and now feels the "hunger" only in his mind. It is also revealed that he was abused by his parents.

A stunted, emaciated Preston Payne appears in the graphic novel Arkham Asylum by Grant Morrison and Dave McKean. He is used to metaphorically represent sexually transmitted diseases.

Payne next appears in the Justice League: Cry for Justice miniseries, having been coerced into working for Prometheus, who had threatened the life of his son. Prometheus had further mutated Payne, giving him back his old shapeshifting abilities, and had him act as a decoy for the Justice League. When the ruse was discovered, an explosive device planted inside Payne's body detonated. It is unknown if the explosive device has killed him.^[7]

Sondra Fuller

The fourth Clayface, Sondra Fuller, also known as Lady Clay, first appeared in Outsiders (volume 1) #21. She is a member of Strikeforce Kobra who is transformed into a shape-changer by her employer Kobra's technologies. She agreed to going through with the process because she hates her own face.

She possesses identical abilities to those of Matt Hagen, but they are permanent, without the requirement for a source of protoplasm. She can additionally copy any special powers of the being she is mimicking. She is defeated by the Outsiders.^[1]

Later, after the Mud Pack forms and battles Batman, Fuller falls in love with Preston Payne. After Clayface I is defeated, Preston Payne and Sondra Fuller get married and they have a child named Cassius "Clay" Payne. After Abbatoir kidnaps the child, the couple get into a fight involving Azrael/Batman.

The Mudpack

Before the debut appearances of the fifth and sixth Clayfaces, Lady Clay and Clayface III team up, breaking Clayface out of prison and futilely revive Clayface II. Together, the quartet form "the Mudpack." Clayface I later copies the others' powers by injecting himself with extracts of samples of the Clayface II and Lady Clay, becoming the "Ultimate Clayface." The three battle, and are defeated by Batman in Detective Comics #604-607.

Cassius "Clay" Payne

Cassius "Clay" Payne as the fifth Clayface

After the Mud Pack, Payne and Fuller fall in love and eventually have a child together named Cassius "Clay" Payne, who became the fifth Clayface who debuted in Batman #550. The boy is separated from his parents and held in a government laboratory. The full extent of his powers are unknown. The name "Cassius" is a pun on "Cassius Clay", the birthname of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali.

If a piece of him is separated from his body, it can grow a mind of its own, but it mostly thinks in an unstable form of what Cassius wants. If bonded with another human, becoming a Claything, the piece can give that human Clayface-like abilities, such as becoming soft and malleable, being able to withstand bullets and other harm, and could also manifest Payne's ability to melt objects; all this person would have to do is just think it.

In an issue of Batman: Gotham Knights, Cassius was depicted as having the clay-like appearance of his mother and father, but can only stay in Clayface mode while awake.

Cassius was featured in Final Crisis Aftermath: Run #3.

Dr. Peter "Claything" Malley

The sixth Clayface, also known as Claything also debuted in Batman #550. Claything was created when a skin sample from Cassius Payne comes to life and merges with a DEO (Department of Extranormal Operations) scientist, Dr. Peter Malley. He has the ability to melt objects simply by looking at them. Claything is destroyed and his remains are stored at the DEO Headquarters.

Todd Russell

The seventh Clayface debuted in Catwoman Vol. 3, #1 (January 2002), but is not actually shown until Catwoman Vol. 3, #4 (May 2002). This version of Clayface is not named until Catwoman Vol. 3, #44. Having the power to change into virtually any shape and size, he preys upon prostitutes in Gotham's East End until Catwoman is able to capture his shriveled body inside of a freezer. There are very few background details given about the seventh Clayface's past. He was in the army, suffered injuries, and was subsequently experimented on (possibly by the DEO) before losing most of his memory and discovering his new powers.^[8] After his capture, he is held captive and further experimented upon for almost two years at S.T.A.R. Labs in Gotham before being freed by Catwoman. The name Todd Russell may only be an alias.

Johnny Williams

Artwork for the cover of Batman: Gotham Knights 69 (Nov, 2005).Art by Claudio Castellini.

The eighth Clayface debuted in Batman: Gotham Knights #60 (February 2005).^[9] Johnny Williams is introduced as a former firefighter in Gotham who is transformed into a clay-based creature by an explosion in a chemical plant. He first discovers his transformation after he accidentally kills a prostitute; horrified and stricken with guilt, he plans to commit suicide. Just then, he is approached by Hush and the Riddler, who tell him that the chemicals turned him into the latest Clayface. They begin to manipulate Williams, holding out the promise of a cure and making him do his bidding, including pretending to be Tommy Elliot (Hush's true identity) and an adult Jason Todd, to hurt and confuse Bruce Wayne. Eventually, Williams realizes he is being manipulated. Knowing that he is going to die, he offers Batman assistance against Hush in exchange for protecting his family. He redeems himself in his death, also ensuring that Alfred Pennyworth is cleared of murder.

Powers and abilities

Each of the Clayfaces has a different power with the exception of their shapeshifting ability.

• In earlier appearances, Basil Karlo had no powers. In recent comics, Basil Karlo's body made out of mud upon taking in the DNA of Clayface III and IV enabling him to gain the combined powers of both.
• Matt Hagen had temporary shape-shifting, voice-shifting, and body constituted by living mud which he can divided or change tone at will. Matt has to immerse himself in the protoplasm to recharge his powers.
• Preston Payne originally had shape-shifting powers yet ended up gaining the ability to melt people with his touch. He has super-strength from the exo-skeleton anti-melting suit. Preston's shapeshifting ability was later restored by Prometheus.
• Sondra Fuller has shape-shifting powers and power duplication.
• Cassius "Clay" Payne has the powers of both his parents.
• Dr. Peter Malley had the same powers as Cassius, but can melt people without touching them.
• Todd Russell has shape-shifting powers.
• Johnny Williams has shape-shifting powers.

Other versions

Earth-9

The Earth-9 version of Clayface is featured in Tangent Comics' Superman's Reign series. This version is a shapeshifter like the mainstream versions, but his base form is that of a hulking, misshapened human with melted skin.^[10]

Flashpoint

In the alternate timeline of the Flashpoint event, a version of Clayface is a member of Deathstroke's pirates after being broken out of a floating prison by Deathstroke.^[11] During attacks by Aquaman and Ocean Master, Clayface is pushed by Aquaman into the water apparently killing him.^[12]

In other media

Television

• Clayface's first appearance outside the comics was Filmation's The New Adventures of Batman voiced by Lou Scheimer and later by Lennie Weinrib. This was the Matt Hagen version of Clayface and he must drink his special potion daily to keep his Clayface powers. In this show, he often took on the forms of animals. In "Dead Ringers," Clayface in his true form of Matt Hagen convinces a former criminal-turned-acrobat named Kit Martin to help him in exchange that he won't tell his boss of his previous job. The plot involves posing as Batman in order to kidnap the Arabian Oil Minister Basil Oram as they disguised themselves as Batman and Robin managed to capture Basil Oram and escape in a special shapeshifting vehicle. Clayface later calls Commissioner Gordon stating that he will return Basil Oram and the blueprints for an oil-finding device in exchange for $10,000.000 by the end of the first hour. Clayface then orchestrates a car accident that knocks out Batman and then stows away in the Batmobile in order to infiltrate the Batcave. Clayface then discovers that Batman has amnesia and uses this advantage to find out who Batman is only for Bat-Mite to intervene. Bat-Mite managed to distract Clayface long enough for the Bat-Computer to create an antidote for Batman's amnesia. Clayface managed to sneak out of the Batcave disguised as a rabbit with Bat-Mite in pursuit while Robin and Batgirl learn why Kit is involved with Clayface's kidnapping plot. Batman used the Bat-Boat to pursue Clayface when he escapes into the water in the form of a dolphin. After Kit returned the blueprints to Commissioner Gordon, Robin and Batgirl learned from Kit that he was to deliver a "medicine" to Clayface before midnight. When Clayface's shapeshifting wears off, he regress back to Matt Hagen who starts to drown until Batman saves him and hands him over to the police. In "Curses! Oiled Again," Clayface collaborates with Catwoman to steal a shipment of oil bound for Gotham City during a cold snap. They also plan to steal the entire oil in the country and sell them for $100 in order to become rich. When Batman and Robin scout out each of the storage tanks in the south side and the waterfront, Batman finds Catwoman and Clayface at the oil storage tanks on the waterfront and is led into a trap where Clayface attacks Batman in the form of a snake. Catwoman appears and shows Batman how she and Clayface have been draining the oil from Gotham City. Batman breaks free from Clayface when Robin, Batgirl, and Bat-Mite arrive causing Clayface to turn into an eagle to get Catwoman away from Batman. Catwoman and Clayface managed to lose Batman, Robin, Batgirl, and Bat-Mite in a car chase when the Kitty Car jumps over Batgirl. Catwoman and Clayface intercept a call between Batman and Commissioner Gordon revolving around the oil super tanker arriving in Gotham City. Catwoman and Clayface managed to steal some of the oil and escape in their submarine as Catwoman flees in her plane. Clayface turns into a whale in order to attack Batman and Robin. After Batman and Robin net Clayface as a whale, Clayface turns into a flying fish to get out only to be caught in a smaller net by Robin. In the two-part episode "Have an Evil Day," Zarbor enlists Joker, Penguin, Catwoman, and Clayface to keep the Caped Crusaders busy while he steals America's nuclear power plants.

Clayface as seen in the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Feat of Clay" Pt. 2.

• Batman: The Animated Series featured a version of Clayface (voiced by Golden Globe winner, Ron Perlman) that combined aspects of several of the first two Clayfaces. In the episode "Feat of Clay" (written by veteran comic book writer Marv Wolfman), he is introduced as Matt Hagen, a past-his-prime actor disfigured in a horrible car accident. While recovering in a burn clinic, he is approached by corrupt businessman Roland Daggett, who makes him a test subject for a compound called "RenuYou" that he promises will immediately restore his youthful good looks compared to years of plastic surgery. In exchange, Hagen must disguise himself to commit crimes for Daggett. He greatly resents this, but is forced to comply as the RenuYou chemical is extremely addictive. After botching up an attack on Lucius Fox when disguised as Bruce Wayne, Roland Daggett has his supply cut off. Hagen attempts to steal a large quantity of RenuYou from Daggett's compound, but is caught and Daggett's men Raymond Bell and Germs try to kill Hagen by pouring an entire canister of the compound down his throat and leaving him for dead. Rather than kill him, the overdose saturates every cell in his body turning him into a bulky and misshapen clay-like form. For short periods of time, he can shapeshift into anything or anybody he wishes. However, he hated his condition and as his time with his powers progressed, his hatred for his new abilities had driven him crazy. After trying to get revenge on Daggett, he is stopped by Batman. When caught, Clayface fakes his death as the body the morgue had hardened up and cracked. Clayface reappears in "Mudslide" which reveals that he has been in hiding since "Feat of Clay" and that his body is beginning to deteriorate. He is restored to a semblance of health by a former medical adviser on his films named Dr. Stella Bates who falls in love with Hagen. Batman tracks Hagen down and prevents Dr. Bates' treatment of Clayface. Clayface and Batman then fight on a cliff during a rainstorm above an ocean. They both fall, and hang onto the cliff. Batman attempts to save Clayface, but his body absorbs too much rain to hold itself and he falls into the ocean where he dissolves.

Clayface as he appears in The New Batman Adventures

• Ron Perlman reprises his role of Clayface in The New Batman Adventures. Clayface makes a brief appearance in the pilot episode "Holiday Knights" where he separates himself into various little boys to steal items during a Christmas Eve rush. Revealing himself, he attacks Detectives Harvey Bullock and Renee Montoya, but is defeated by Batgirl (who was shopping there as Barbara Gordon at the time). Although this is the first episode of The New Batman Adventures, it was set after the event of "Growing Pains." Clayface returns in the episode "Growing Pains". Barely alive after dissolving after his last battle with Batman on "Mudslide", Clayface (or his remains) drift near a pipe leaking strange chemicals into the ocean which combine with Clayface's remains to restore his strength. Still weakened, Clayface sends a portion of himself which takes the form of a little girl (voiced by Francesca Marie Smith) to see if the city is still safe for him to resurface. The girl unexpectedly develops an individual personality which also left her amnesiac and left him. During one of his patrols, Robin encounters the girl and developing affections for her names her "Annie." During this period, Clayface poses as the girl's abusive father, committing various robberies in order to make a living in the sewers of Gotham along finding her. Eventually, Clayface recovers, cornering Robin and Annie who allows herself to be reabsorbed (effectively killing her) to save Robin. Enraged by Annie's "death," Robin almost kills Clayface with gallons of solvent, but Batman intervenes and stops him and the villain is arrested and imprisoned in Arkham Asylum. When Commissioner Gordon lists the charges Clayface is accused of, Robin quietly adds murder as one of them.

• Ron Perlman once again voices Clayface in the two-part Justice League episode "Secret Society." It is revealed that he had been captured, separated, and sealed into several biohazard canisters by Morgan Edge. Gorilla Grodd and his newly-formed Secret Society attack Morgan Edge's mansion, freeing Clayface, and offering him membership. Clayface (who is less aggressive and psychopathic than before) is reluctant at first, but Grodd promises to find a way to revert Clayface back to Matt Hagen yet allow him to keep his powers. However, Clayface is defeated along with the rest of the Society after Flash and Hawkgirl stuff him with fireworks and set them off. As this is Clayface's final chronological appearance in the DC Animated Universe, it is possible that this act destroyed him once and for all.

• Clayface made an appearance in the 12th episode of the short-lived Birds of Prey TV series portrayed by Kirk Baltz. It wasn't stated which version of Clayface this was. This version of Clayface is a sculptor who is inspired by other people's pain. Like other versions, he is a shapeshifter, but his powers are explained to come from taking a special formula specifically tailored by a crooked scientist to work with his DNA. In this series, he is hired by the Joker to kill Catwoman. He has a son named Chris Cassius (portrayed by Ian Reed Kesler) who turns people into clay after stealing and taking his father's formula, making his powers similar to the Preston Payne version of Clayface and his own son Cassius "Clay" Payne.

Clayface, as he appears in The Batman

• There are two versions of Clayface in The Batman

The first Clayface is Ethan Bennett (voiced by Steve Harris), a detective in the Gotham City Police Department and Bruce Wayne's best friend. Clayface originates in the two-part episodes "The Rubber Face of Comedy/Clayface of Tragedy". After he inhales a dose of the Joker's Joker Putty (following a session of extensive brainwashing, damaging his sanity), Bennett is rescued by Batman and his partner, Detective Ellen Yin. He is suspended by Chief Rojas after publicly denouncing the chief's claims about Batman. At his apartment, Bennett mutates into a featureless gray clay-like figure, and tries to look for help, scaring away the locals, though he manages to change back into his original form with practice. After many battles with Batman, it has become clear that he still holds a grudge against the Joker. At one point he even impersonates Solomon Grundy in order to loot the city on Halloween, but is ultimately stopped by Batman. As Clayface returns in the fourth season episode "Clayfaces", Bennett seems to have finally reformed. He tracks down and captures the Joker, disguising himself as the Joker's henchmen, Punch and Judy. He hands him over to the police without using excessive force, and turns himself in to the authorities, who take him to Arkham Asylum. However, Bennett has not completely regained Bruce Wayne's (and Batman's) trust. He is eager to leave Arkham and continue working as a police officer, although Batman refuses to consider this request until Bennett is cured, citing he could easily go back to crime. When Basil Karlo begins wreaking havoc as the second Clayface, Bennett feels he is the only one who could defeat him. Bennett once again requests a second chance, but after he is refused again, he resorts to escaping from Arkham. Bennett tracks down and battles Karlo with the aid of Batman and Robin. Bennett holds Karlo down while Batman administers the antidote. Bennett is shown at the end to be fully cured, while Karlo retains his powers. Unfortunately, due to his past criminal acts, Bennett is still returned to Arkham to finish his psychiatric/prison sentence. When visited by Bruce, Ethan states that when he gets out, they should play basketball again. Eventually however, in the episode "Artifacts" which shows events 20 years into the future of "Clayfaces," it appears that Bennett not only gets out of Arkham, but also is reinstated into the GCPD, and becomes Chief of Police.

Basil Karlo, the second Clayface in The Batman

The fourth season episode "Clayfaces" introduces Basil Karlo (in his first actual appearance outside the comics) as the series' second Clayface voiced by Wallace Langham and later by Lex Lang. Here, he is shown to be an untalented actor. He is seen repeatedly turned down in auditions for a dog food commercial when he hears that Bennett is about to be cured. Karlo breaks into Wayne Industries and drinks a refined, purified sample of the Clayface mutagen Bennett was exposed to. This successfully turns him into Clayface. After being rejected once again for a dog food commercial, he snaps and uses his Clayface powers to attack the people who rejected him. At first, he believes this incident would be the death of his career, but he then sees that being a supervillain has made him a celebrity covered on nearly every channel. At the last channel he stops on, it shows his previous movie The Revenge of The Atomic Clone. After a battle with Batman, Robin, and Ethan Bennett, Basil Karlo is injected with the Clayface antidote seemingly restoring him to normal. However, the episode's final scene shows that Karlo has retained his powers. He reappears in "The Batman/Superman Story, Part One" where he, along with Bane and Mr. Freeze, is in the employ of Black Mask, who has teamed up with Lex Luthor and kidnapped Lois Lane as bait for a trap to lure in Superman.

• In the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "Joker: The Vile and the Villainous," a portrait of the Preston Payne version of Clayface appears in the villain bar where the bad guys hang out.^[13]

• The Matt Hagen version of Clayface appears in the Young Justice episode "Downtime" voiced by an uncredited Kevin Michael Richardson. He is seen at the beginning where he overpowers the entire team and is about to kill Aqualad until Batman intervenes and quickly subdues him with a taser.

Video games

• Clayface is the main antagonist and final boss of The Adventures of Batman & Robin, although he takes on the appearance of Rupert Thorne throughout the majority of the game, having hired other villains such as the Joker, Poison Ivy and the Riddler to stall Batman and Robin. He is fought in an aerial battle while fleeing in a helicopter from the Batwing. In the end, Batman damages the helicopter critically and it crashes into a bridge. Clayface falls into the river below and dissolves. Of note, this is the only time in the entire DC Animated Universe in which Robin (Dick Grayson) comes into conflict with Clayface.

• Clayface is the second boss of Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu.

• Clayface/Basil Karlo appears in Lego Batman: The Videogame with his vocal effects provided by Ogie Banks. He is a lieutenant of the Riddler. His structure and look is that of the Matt Hagen Clayface from Batman: The Animated Series (though his biography states it's Basil Karlo)^[14] His actions and mannerisms suggests a low level of intelligence.

• Clayface can be seen in the game Batman: Arkham Asylum. Although never seen in his true form, he is shown changing into various other game characters while asking to be let out of his cell (behind a strong glass wall smeared in clay). His biography states it is Basil Karlo, although the presence of a mannequin in the cell hints at Preston Payne's relationship with 'Helena'. His profile is obtained by scanning him (revealing that he has no visible skeleton unlike all other scanned characters) solving Riddler's riddle: "A case of mistaken identity?" After he is revealed, he stays in the form of Commissioner Gordon for the remainder of the game, and only laughs when the player tries talking to him. When the player returns to the Penitentiary section and finds Warden Quincy Sharp gone with the final Arkham Chronicles enscribed on the floor, Clayface as Commissioner Gordon states that the warden left in a hurry.

• The Basil Karlo version of Clayface appears in Batman: Arkham City voiced by Rick D. Wasserman. He is seen present through out the game, posing as a healthy Joker to draw attention away from the currently-dying Clown Prince of Crime. He is also the game's final boss, where he reverts to his true form for the fight. Scanning a poster of The Terror outside the Monarch Theatre reveals that Clayface had escaped Arkham Island after the events of the previous game by posing as Quincy Sharp, and had been on the run from Hugo Strange ever since. While Clayface does pose as the Joker for most of the game, the only indicator of the ruse is that Clayface can only become a perfectly healthy Joker, leading to some holes in the ruse, notably after the Joker "died" early on and Batman is attacked by completely healed Joker, only for batman to wake up facing a sickly, scarred Clown Prince of Crime. The ruse is revealed after Clayface-Joker is impaled and supposedly killed by Talia al Ghul. Batman then realized the ruse only for Talia to be shot and killed by the real Joker, who introduces Karlo to the Dark Knight as Clayface takes the cure to the Titan toxin from Talia's corpse. Clayface says that he joined up with the Joker for "the role of a lifetime" before brutally attacking Batman with a series of shapeshifting attacks and spawning miniature Clayfaces. The Joker destroys the floor of the Monarch Theatre, sending the combatants into the Lazarus Chamber before Batman defeats Clayface and steals the cure back using Talia's sword. When Batman destroys the machinery around the Lazarus Pit it hits the defeated Karlo, knocking him into the Pit and causing a massive explosion. Whether it killed Clayface is never made clear, though this prevents him from faking Joker's death at the game's finale. Unlike most characters from Batman: Arkham Asylum, Clayface is one of the few characters to have a more prominent role in the sequel than the previous game.

• A version of Clayface appears in DC Universe Online voiced by Benjamin Jansen. He attacks Gotham S.C.U. until the players activates a containment unit to trap Clayface. In the villain campaign, the players free Clayface from his containment unit.

See also

• List of Batman Family enemies

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Wallace, Dan (2008). "Clayface I-IV". In Dougall, Alastair. The DC Comics Encyclopedia. New York: Dorling Kindersley. p. 85. ISBN 0-7566-4119-5. OCLC 213309017. 
2. ^ Clayface is number 73 , IGN.
3. ^ Bob Kane, Batman and Me (Foestfille, CA: Eclipse Books 1989), pg 111.
4. ^ Hawk and Dove Annual #1
5. ^ Swamp Thing Vol. 2 #52
6. ^ Swamp Thing Vol. 2 #66
7. ^ Justice League: Cry for Justice #3
8. ^ "The Real Batman Chronology Project: Modern Age (Year Eighteen) Part One". Therealbatmanchronoproject.blogspot.com. http://therealbatmanchronoproject.blogspot.com/2009/11/modern-age-year-eighteen.html. Retrieved 2010-12-29. 
9. ^ "The Real Batman Chronology Project: Modern Age (Year Eighteen) Part Three". Therealbatmanchronoproject.blogspot.com. 2006-09-02. http://therealbatmanchronoproject.blogspot.com/2010/03/modern-age-year-eighteen-part-three.html. Retrieved 2010-12-29. 
10. ^ Tangent: Superman's Reign #10
11. ^ Flashpoint #2 (June 2011)
12. ^ Flashpoint: Deathstroke and the Curse of the Ravager #2 (July 2011)
13. ^ http://www.formspring.me/IdiotStyle/q/186901759489244181
14. ^ Game Informer features a two-page gallery of the many heroes and villains who appear in the game with a picture for each character and a descriptive paragraph. See "LEGO Batman: Character Gallery," Game Informer 186 (October 2008): 93.

• Beatty, Scott (2009). Wonder Woman: The Ultimate Guide To The Amazon Princess. Dorling Kindersley Publishing. p. 100. ISBN 0-7894-9616-X.