Finger later reimagined the character in 1961’s Detective Comics #298, “The Problem of Clay-Face” by Finger, Sheldon Moldoff, and Charles Paris. Befitting the sci-fi tones of the Silver Age, this Clayface was treasure hunter Matt Hagen, who changed into a shape-shifting muck monster after encountering mysterious ooze on the backside of the ocean. The Hagen Clayface turned the first mannequin for many years, at the same time as completely different variations popped up.
In 1978, Len Wein and Marshall Rogers launched Preston Payne, a wealthy man who stole Hagen’s blood to reshape his bodily abnormalities and turn out to be Clayface III. Payne ultimately met Sondra Fuller aka Woman Clayface, they usually had a son named Cassius “Clay” Payne, the fourth Clayface. In Batman #550 (1998), Peter Malley, a scientist within the Division of Extranormal Operations, experiments on Cassius and turns into Clay Factor. Malley could or might not be the amnesiac shape-changer who ultimately settled on the looks of actor Todd Russell and was rescued by Catwoman in 2002. After which there’s firefighter Jonathan Williams, launched in 2003 as a tragic determine who turns into a Clayface after being doused with chemical substances. This Clayface fights with Batman for a bit, however ultimately helps the Darkish Knight remedy Alfred earlier than sacrificing himself.
Within the present continuity, with its reboots and retcons, Karlo is again as the primary and solely Clayface, albeit with points of the earlier Clayfaces built-in into him. Author James Tynion IV just lately reimagined Karlo as a tragic determine, one given an opportunity at redemption throughout The Rise and Fall of the Batmen arc from the Rebirth problems with Detective Comics.
Whereas it’s unclear which Clayface will star within the new film, the purpose is there’s loads of comedian ebook historical past to choose from as Flanagan et al craft the best model for the massive display.
The Man Contained in the Monster
“Have a look at them!” calls for Batman on the finish of the sensible Batman: The Animated Collection two-parter “Toes of Clay.” The Darkish Knight has chased the villain right into a room crammed with screens, every of which shows one of many personas adopted by Clayface. “You possibly can play these elements once more, Hagen,” Batman urges, figuring out the villain as Matt Hagen, though he acts extra like Basil Karlo. “Let me make it easier to discover a remedy.”
Clayface refuses, stumbling again and dropping management of his powers, shifting from one kind to a different. Every transformation blurs into the following, burying Clayface’s true identification below a pile of false selves.
