Clayface

Clayface is the name of several characters in the DC Universe.

Clayface (Basil Karlo)

Main Article: Basil Karlo

Pre-Crisis

Basil Karlo

A noted actor, he came to gained a life changing role when he won the part of the Terror in the movie Dread Castle. He came a big star as a result but ended in a lot of scrapes and was said to had done some crazy stuff. As a result, he gained a lot of bad publicity and by the time the papers were done with him no one would go to see his movies. (Detective Comics v1 #40)

After becoming a B-list actor, he was driven insane when he heard that a remake of the classic horror film he had starred in, Dread Castle, would be shot without him acting in the film, even though he is to be one of the advising staff. Donning the costume of Clayface, a villain he once played in a different movie, he begins killing the actors playing characters he killed in the order and way they die in the film, along with someone who knew his identity. Last, he plans to murder the actor playing the Clayface killer. He was foiled by Batman and Robin. (Detective Comics v1 #40)

Post-Crisis

Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events.

Post-Flashpoint

Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events. Basil Karlo was the son of Vincent Karlo, who made cosmetics and masks for movies. Vincent told Basil that the secret to his success was a strange putty known as Renu, when applied to a surface Renu would allow the sculptor to mold that material into any look they wanted. Vincent was eventually fired by his production company because they discovered that Renu was toxic to human flesh and could potentially cause illnesses. Basil grew up and became an actor twenty years later. He quickly became incredibly successful due to his talent and good looks. On the set of his film Metamorphosis he met Glory Griffin who would be his P.A. for the film. When the film was complete, Basil received huge critical acclaim and planned to move onto a film called Second Skin, as it reminded him of his father's old job. After Metamorphosis, Glory became Basil's personal assistant for all his films. He soon had an interview with the casting director of a Second Skin, and received the main part. When he was driving back to his apartment, Basil received a phone call informing him that his father had been found dead. The shock of this news caused Basil to crash his car, disfiguring him. In a desperate bid to salvage his career, he began abusing Renu to preserve his handsome appearance. When his supply began to run low, Karlo intended to steal a bulk supply of the chemical from the manufacturing plant in Gotham City, only to be apprehended by Batman. Brought to the hospital to recover, Karlo's grotesque appearance was subsequently revealed to the world in news reports of the incident. His career was ruined, and his girlfriend Glory dumped him. While in the hospital, Karlo was visited by Batman, who told him he had a choice to make in who he wanted to be. Karlo chose poorly and attempted to break into the warehouse where the police were holding his stolen stash of Renu. When police opened fire on the vials, Karlo was doused in the chemical, changing his entire body and turning him into the monstrous Clayface. He then attacked the set of the film he was fired from but was stopped by Batman. (Detective Comics Annual v1 #2018)

Clayface (Matt Hagen)

Main Article: Matt Hagen

Matthew Hagen was a male huamn who came to live in the modern age. One day, he went scuba diving in search for hidden wealth on the ocean floor where he came to find an undiscovered grotto that contained a natural pool of strange chemicals. Exposure to it resulted in his transformation into a clay-like creature with the ability to change shape where he became the new Clayface. This was only a temporary effect, however, requiring him to return to the pool periodically in order to maintain use of his powers. This weakness allowed Batman and Robin to capture and arrest Hagen. (Detective Comics v1 #298)

Clayface (Preston Payne)

Main Article: Preston Payne

Preston Payne was born an acromegalic that was a chronic hyperpituitarism which hideously distorted his body. In contrast however, Payne was also gifted with an exceptionally acute intellect. As a child, Preston was made the subject of abuse and ridicule by his peers – a syndrome that continued well into his adult life. Preston Payne graduated at the top of his class and immediately went on to work for S.T.A.R. Labs' Gotham City branch. Desperate to cure his physical deformities, Payne sought out the world's foremost cosmetic surgeons, but all of them told Preston the same thing – there was nothing they could do. Payne learned about the existence of a super-villain named Matt Hagen, a.k.a. Clayface. Knowing that Hagen had the ability to remold his own physical features, he visited Hagen in prison. He pleaded with him to help, but was only able to procure a needle-full of Hagen's blood. Taking the blood back to the laboratory, Payne experimented on it, upgrading its chemical mixture, hoping that it might be able to restore him to some semblance of normalcy. The serum appeared to have worked and Preston was able to reconstruct his own facial features so that he could appear normal. This brilliant success was only a temporary solution, tragically. While out on a date, Payne's face began to melt away like a wax candle. His date tried to pull away from him, but when Payne grabbed onto her, he found that he could transmit his bio-immolation like a disease. The woman's flesh and bone melted into a bubbling pile of protoplasm right before his eyes. Panic-stricken, Payne returned to his lab that night where he constructed a protective exoskeleton to contain his contagious mass. To make matters worse, Payne learned that if he did not discharge his viral effects upon an unsuspecting victim, his body would be wracked with pain and a severe fever would overwhelm him. Dubbing himself Clayface, Payne stalked out into the night in search of victims to alleviate his fever. He did not wish to take lives, so he concentrated solely on bowery derelicts – people whom no one would miss. (Detective Comics v1 #478)

Clayface (Sondra Fuller)

Main Article: Sondra Fuller

Pre-Flashpoint

Sondra Fuller

She later came to join the ranks of the elite Strike Force Kobra. (Outsiders v1 #21)

Under her new identity as Clayface Four, Fuller abandoned Kobra and started living other people's lives by adopting their identities. Although this was good enough at first, she grew disatisfied with her lack of personality and started a quest to find kindred souls. (Detective Comics v1 #605) Her quest led her to the first criminal to adopt the name Clayface, the retired actor and killer Basil Karlo. Together, Karlo and Sondra formed the Mud Pack and they recruited an unwilling Preston Payne, aka Clayface III to become part of the team. (Detective Comics v1 #604)

Post-Flashpoint

Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events.

Clayface (Cassius "Clay" Payne)

Main Article: Cassius Payne

Cassius Payne was born the child of Cassius Payne and Sondra Fuller after the two Clayfaces found love in one another. They pair came to flee Gotham City where they wanted to be left alone but Preston was often plagued by pain caused by his condition. During this time, Sondra came to find herself pregnant where they were overjoyed at becoming parents with Payne suggesting naming the child 'Cassius' after Cassius Clay. Upon their child's birth, their offspring emerged into the world as a blob of clay that was neither male nor female. (Batman: Shadow of the Bat v1 #27)

Clayface (Dr. Peter "Claything" Malley)

Main Article: Peter Malley

Dr. Peter Malley was originally a normal human who had no special abilities but came to be a researcher who was employed by the D.E.O. where he was assigned to study the captive fifth Clayface. He took a skin sample of the subject to study where Cassius Payne developed the extranormal abilities of his parents. The sample later took a life of its own where it escaped from containment and merged with Dr. Malley transforming the pair into a creature called Clay-Thing that escaped from the D.E.O. where he went in search of his 'parents'. (Batman v1 #550)

Clayface (Todd Russell)

Main Article: Todd Russell

Todd Russell was a male Army soldier who suffered serious injuries where he was taken to be a test subject in a secret genetic experiment. The result of this program resulted in his injuries being healed and his missing limb being restored as he gained powers similar to that of Clayface. However, as a result of the experiment, he began to experience the lost of his memories that left him in a mentally unstable state. (Catwoman v3 #4)

Clayface (Johnny Williams)

Main Article: Johnny Williams

Johnny Williams was a male human who came to be a firefighter in Gotham City. He tended to a fire at a chemical plant when an explosion occurred though he managed to survive. At first, he was deemed to had been lucky to had survived unscathed but he came to realise that he had been changed where his body turned to clay and could alter his shape at will. (Batman: Gotham Knights v1 #69) They manipulate Williams, holding the promise of a cure in exchange for his services; all he had to do was go through Tommy Elliot and Jason Todd to hurt and confuse Batman. (Batman Annual v1 #25)

Clayface then began to pretend to be Hush and even took the form of Jason Todd as part of the scheme to confuse and hurt Bruce Wayne. (Batman v1 #618)

Overview

In appearance, Clayface was an identity shared between multiple characters. The name stemmed from the original who hid his identity whilst wearing a clay mask. (Detective Comics v1 #40)

Clayface V was born as the child of Clayface III and Lady Clayface where their offspring inherited their mother's clay-like form as well as ability to change shape. Cassius later learnt from his mother on how to take on a shape where he took the form of a dark haired boy when he was a child. (Batman: Shadow of the Bat v1 #27)

At one point, the original Clayface came to gather the three incarnations of the character after him into a group under his control called the Mud Pack. (Secret Origins v2 #44)

Notes

• The concept of Clayface was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane where it made its first appearance in Detective Comics v1 #40 (June, 1940).
• In Arkham Manor v1 #3 (2015), it was revealed that the Joker infected a stray portion of Clayface with Joker Venom with this one developing into its own entity known as Clownface. This being had no mind of their own and simply enjoyed perpetrating acts of anarchy.

Alternate Versions

• In Tangent: Superman's Reign v1 #1 (May, 2008), an alternate version of Clayface appeared in the Tangent Comics reality designated as Earth-9 in the Multiverse. Under the guise of "Guy Gardner", a hacker, he was recruited by Jennifer Hayden, a former Nightwing agent who was planning to ally with the superheroes and drive out Superman. He strung her along, but ultimately revealed himself, killing one man. Clayface then suffocated Hayden and stole her identity before receiving new orders from Superman to briefly look after Earth during Superman's absence on New Earth.
• Batman: Earth One v1 #3 (2021), an alternate version of Clayface appeared in the setting set on Earth-One in the Multiverse. This version came to pose as Adrian Arkham who was this world's Bruce Wayne's maternal grandfather, who was assumed killed by his grandmother after she had a mental breakdown years ago, but claims that he was actually driven onto the streets. However, Bruce eventually learns that 'Adrian' was actually an impostor capable of changing his appearance on a cellular level. Analysis of his fingers revealed layers of fingerprints from three different men including Preston Payne, Matt Hagen, and Basil Karlo that were found beneath his layers of shifting skin, with no way of knowing if any of those were his real identity or just aliases he assumed at some point, and no way to 'read' fingerprints further down to confirm if he might have had older identities.

In other media

Television

• In the DC Animated Universe, the Matthew "Matt" Hagen Clayface appeared in the shared continuity setting:
  • In Batman: The Animated Series, the Matt Hagen Clayface appeared in the setting of the animated television series starting in the episode "Feat of Clay" where he was voiced by actor Ron Perlman.
• In Birds of Prey, Clayface appeared in the live-action television series in the episode "Feat of Clay" where he was portrayed by actor Kirk Baltz. Cassius Payne had been a sculptor who was inspired by other people's pain. As Clayface, his powers come from a special formula specifically tailored by a crooked scientist to work with his DNA. Payne was hired by the Joker to kill Catwoman, but was defeated and imprisoned in Arkham Asylum. In the present, his son Chris Cassius (portrayed by Ian Reed Kesler) took the formula for himself and gained the ability to turn people into clay. Payne breaks out of Arkham to stop him despite running afoul of the Birds of Prey. Chris is eventually defeated by Helena Kyle and Payne turns himself in.
• In The Batman, there were two versions of the villain that appeared in the animated television series:
  • The first was Ethan Bennett that was an original character for the animated series who was voiced by actor Steve Harris. a GCPD detective partnered with Ellen Yin and was Bruce Wayne's best friend until being mutated by exposure to the Joker's mutagenic Joker Putty. Bennett battles Batman several times, gradually gaining control over his powers, before eventually choosing to reform and turn himself in. After learning Basil Karlo became his own version of Clayface, Bennett joins forces with Batman and Robin to defeat him, with Bennett restraining Karlo so Batman can administer an antidote to them. Re-imprisoned in Arkham, a cured Bennett plans on finishing his sentence and focusing on reforming himself. In a potential future depicted in the episode "Artifacts", Bennett is reinstated into the GCPD and becomes its Chief of Police.
  • The second was Basil Karlo who was first voiced by actor Wallace Langham and then by actor Lex Lang. An untalented actor who breaks into Wayne Enterprises and drinks a refined sample of the Joker Putty to give himself a new appearance. After being rejected once more, Karlo snaps and uses his new powers to attack the people who rejected him, realizing that becoming a supervillain will increase his popularity. While Bennett, Batman, and Robin defeat and seemingly cure him, Karlo's powers return while he is imprisoned in Arkham. After breaking out, Karlo is hired by Lex Luthor to kidnap Lois Lane and lure Superman into a trap, only to be defeated by Batman and Robin.
• In Gotham, the Basil Karlo Clayface appeared in the setting of the live-action television series where he was portrayed by actor Brian McManamon.
• In Pennyworth, an original incarnation of Clayface appeared in the setting of the live-action television series where she was portrayed by actress Lorraine Burroughs. This version was a Person With Enhancements (P.W.E.) who could alter her appearance to perfectly mimic someone else's, who poses as Virginia Devereaux, a high-ranking CIA official who travels with Patrick Wayne to England. Throughout her appearances, she has assumed the identities of Mary Pennyworth and Martha Wayne.
• In Harley Quinn, the Basil Karlo Clayface appeared in the setting of the comedic animated television series where he was voiced by actor Alan Tudyk.

Films

• In Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, a Clayface appeared briefly in the setting of the animated film in a non-voiced role.
• In Batman: Hush, the Basil Karlo Clayface appeared in the setting of the animated film adaptation where he was voiced by actor Adam Gifford. Hush brainwashed Clayface to impersonate the Riddler. When the deception is revealed, Clayface attacks Batman and Commissioner Gordon who defeat him.

Video games

• In The Adventures of Batman & Robin, Clayface appeared as a boss level antagonist in the setting of the Sega video game.
• In in DC Universe Online, the Basil Karlo Clayface appeared in the setting of the MMORPG video game where he was voiced by actor Benjamin Jansen.
• In Gotham Knights, the Basil Karlo Clayface appeared as a boss in the setting of the video game where he was voiced by actor Brian Keane.

Appearances

• Detective Comics v1: (1940)
• Batman v1:
• Catwoman v3:
• Batman: Gotham Knights v1:
• Batwoman v2:
• Arkham Manor v1:
• Detective Comics v1:
• Detective Comics Annual 2018:

External Links

• DC Database Entry
• Wikipedia Entry

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