It's been great seeing the Copper Age comics of my youth finally get the recognition they deserve by a new generation, as well as witnessing the heroes of comic lore dominate the big screen in a way none of us collecting in the 80s and 90s could have ever imagined. © Valve Corporation. In this show, he often uses his powers to tak… Karlo returns twice more in the Silver Age of Comics to battle Batman, in Batman #208 and Detective Comics #496. He has been voiced by Ron Perlman, Steve Harris, and Alan Tudyk among others. Later he duplicated the protoplasm by scientific means, but it would only give him his powers for five hours before needing to be renewed. Clayface appearance! Jun 7, 2012 - Clayface Real Name: Basil Karlo First Appearance: Detective Comics #40 Powers/Abilities: Body made out of ‘mud’ allows for shapeshifting and melting; can look like any person and create melee weapons. However, Batman plants false evidence to suggest that he anticipated Karlo's attempt to take his DNA and tricked him into taking a fake sample. [67], The sixth version of Clayface, also known as the Claything, also debuted in Batman #550. All trademarks are property of their respective owners in the US and other countries. A treasure hunter, Hagen finds a mysterious radioactive pool of protoplasm in a cave. Although this character was originally introduced during DC's Earth-One era of publication, their existence following the events of the 1985-86 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths remains intact. [53][2], When the Swamp Thing visits Arkham Asylum, he witnesses Payne in an "argument" with Helena. [29] Dr. October gives him a "placebo" bracelet with messages from his close friend Cassandra Cain (Orphan), which helps him focus on retaining his sanity. Clayface posed as wealthy civilians of Gotham City in order to learn more about his criminal activities. Instead, he attempts to break into the warehouse where the police are holding his stolen stash of Re-Nu. After another breakdown, he thinks Helena enjoys watching men "fighting over her" when he battles Batman yet again in front of the wax doll. [27] She asks him to stay in his monstrous form for as long as possible so she can chart the mental degradation he undergoes the longer he remains nonhuman. Clayface is a villain in the Batman universe. [83], The Earth-9 version of Clayface is featured in Tangent Comics' Tangent: Superman's Reign miniseries. Customize your avatar with the Clayface First Appearance and millions of other items. After she is freed from her prison by Batman, Poison Ivy battles and defeats Karlo, sinking him deep into the ground. In the late 1970s, Preston Payne became the third Clayface. Batman attempts to get Karlo to testify against the creator of Re-Nu, Roland Daggett, but he refuses. detective comics 298 key issue 1st clayface appearance / silver age dc comics. In the second issue of Final Crisis, he triggers an explosion at the Daily Planet under Libra's orders when Lex Luthor orders Libra to do something that will draw Superman to them. Clayface was last seen in his cell at Arkham, making clay pottery, ironically enough. He was in the original version of The Society (seen in AMAZING WORLD OF DC COMICS # 11) but was excised when the story was rewritten. He retained the title for the next several decades of comic book history.[4]. [78], Glory Griffin was a production assistant on the set of Second Skin Basil Karlo's final film. Clayface appeared in several episodes of Filmation's The New Adventures of Batman in the late 1970s. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Detective Comics #298 - 1961 DC - CGC 6.0 1st Appearance of Silver Age Clayface at the best … He even arranges for a small piece of the remains of Matt Hagen to be gathered to make him a post-mortem member of the "Mud Pack", as the group called itself. The result is one of the most iconic episodes of this outstanding show’s first season. Jan 20, 2018 - Detective Comics 040 (1940) Clayface (Basil Karlo) (First appearance) Freeze about who has a right to kill the Caped Crusader. Current Bid: $62.00 Bids: 29. Clayface appears in Scooby-Doo! [68], The seventh version of Clayface, Todd Russell, debuted in Catwoman (vol. [22], In the 2016 Batman story arc "Night of the Monster Men", the villainous Professor Hugo Strange uses a serum to transform living and dead human beings into horrific monsters. He made his first appearance in the second to last episode of season 2, titled "A Legion of Horribles", and was portrayed by Brian McManamon. Labs in Gotham before being freed by Catwoman. She formed the Mud Pack with the original and third Clayfaces. Clayface is defeated by the Outsiders. This leads to a team-up between Clayface and Brainiac. © Valve Corporation. In 2009, Clayface was ranked as IGN's 73rd-greatest comic book villain of all time.[1]. [28] Batman has Clayface wear a high-technology forearm device (later replaced with a smaller wristband with a longer-lasting power source)[29] that enables him to regain human form without using his powers—reducing the psychotic effect being Clayface has on Karlo. Hagen returns as Clayface in Batman #159, engaging in an insane feud with the Joker, each proving that they can easily adapt to the 'oafish' methods of each other, but both villains are beaten by the team of Batman, Robin, Batwoman, and Batgirl. [36][c], In a flashback, Clayface is among the villains that protected Ingrid Karlsson during a riot. After Clayface-Prime (Karlo) is defeated, Preston Payne and Sondra Fuller escape and get married while on the run, and they have a child named Cassius "Clay" Payne, a play on boxer Muhammad Ali's birth name. [61], The DC Rebirth version of Sondra Fuller appeared in the Watchmen sequel Doomsday Clock, where she claims that Kobra was not the person who gave her the powers of shapeshifting after all. The Clayface forever remembered for an excellent run of acclaimed episodes in Batman: The Animated Series, it is unfortunate that Matt Hagen's comic book cousin shares no such accolades. When Karlo attacked the production she tried to stop him from hurting the cast and crew by reminding him of who he was. Initially an actor in horror films, Basil Karlo went mad when he learned a classic film of his was to be remade with a different actor in the lead role. In this video we take a look at the first appearance of Batman's most versatile enemy, the man with a thouasand faces - Clayface! Clayface I is defeated by Batman and Looker and Clayface III and IV escape.[64]. In the third miniseries, he was blended with the character of Rocksteady, forming a Clayface who was a rhinoceros in his natural form. 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. He escapes Black Mask, but is captured and imprisoned by the Outsiders. 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 kn… In a desperate bid to salvage his career, he began abusing an industrial make-up chemical known as "Re-Nu" which, when combined with clay and putty, warps flesh into new shapes and forms; a secret he discovered from his father Vincent Karlo, a former special effects artist. $62.00. [30] The device is not a cure, as the Clayface DNA consumes Basil Karlo's human DNA whenever he is locked into human form. Detective Comics #478, First Appearance of Clayface III (Preston Payne), Marshall Rogers Cover Art, Len Wein Story, Clayface is Back, Bronze Age, Key Comic, Movie Coming Soon: The Batman (2020) Use the link below if you would like 10% off your order Cassius finds it very painful and distressing to have pieces of himself taken, and will go to crazed lengths to recover them. After first appearing with a group of villains in a battle with the Justice League in Action Comics # 443, Clayface II became a member of the Secret Society of Super-Villains. He even guesses that Wayne is Batman's true identity. Now primarily known as a shape-changing monster capable of overcoming his foes at a moments notice, the first Clayface was nothing like that. In issue #23, False Face gets his hands on a shapeshifting formula that transforms him into Clayface. It appears that the Ultimate Clayface is destroyed in this battle,[13] but he resurfaces as a member of the Secret Society of Super Villains. Batman seals off the cave, but the crafty Hagen had managed to stash some of the protoplasm away. Batman attempts to evacuate the set, but Clayface flings him off into the distance and begins massacring everyone in sight. Detective Comics #298 (1961) FIRST SILVER AGE APPEARANCE OF CLAYFACE! Clayface is an alias used by several fictional supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. [38], The second version of Clayface, Matt Hagen, first appeared in Detective Comics #298. 1) #21. Believing that he has killed her, Payne goes on a rampage until subdued in a nearby swamp by the asylum guards. Matt Hagen had lost the memory of Batman's secret identity as he is handed over to the Gotham City Police Department. That same night, he gets into an argument with Helena and unintentionally knocks her head off. There are very few background details given about the seventh Clayface's past. in an upcoming episode of @Gotham with the gracious & talented @ben_mckenzie", "Harley Quinn animated series supporting character breakdowns revealed", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Clayface&oldid=1018958620, DC Comics characters with superhuman strength, DC Comics characters with accelerated healing, DC Comics characters who are shapeshifters, Fictional characters who can duplicate themselves, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Enhanced strength, endurance, and durability, In his earliest appearances, Basil Karlo had no powers, but wore a clay mask based on one of his movie roles. Hagen appears again, in Detective Comics #304, June 1962, posing as "John Royce", a member of an exclusive club to commit robberies due to idle gossip gleaned from conversations with other members. 1 History 1.1 Early Career and Transformation 1.2 Decay and Regeneration 1.3 Secret Society 2 Abilities and equipment 3 Background information 4 Appearances 4.1 Batman: The Animated Series 4.2 The New Batman Adventures 4.3 Justice League 5 References At one time, Matt Hagen was a … Clayface (real name Matthew Hagen) is a shape-changing supervillain with a monstrous mud-like appearance. Claything is created when a skin sample from Cassius Payne comes to life and merges with a D.E.O. Her proclamation further adds to the global scandal known as "the Superman Hypothesis", which suggests that the United States has been secretly creating superheroes and supervillains for an unknown/unstated purpose. Karlo escapes his underground prison when Gotham City is struck by a great cataclysm. 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. The Matt Hagen incarnation of Clayface appears in the, A variation of Cassius Payne / Clayface appears in the, The Basil Karlo incarnation of Clayface appears in, The Matt Hagen incarnation of Clayface appeared in series set in the, A portrait of the Preston Payne incarnation of Clayface appears in the, The Matt Hagen incarnation of Clayface appears in, In the audio play "Prize", which is set between, The Basil Karlo incarnation of Clayface appears in the. She also acts as his counselor when he despairs of a cure. During this era, the original Clayface used the DNA of Payne and Fuller to become the Ultimate Clayface (as he now called himself). After the League interrogates him, he is taken to some FBI vehicles, but the measures to contain him prove to be useless; Cassius breaks loose, escaping into the desert. [3], In the late 1950s, Batman began facing a series of science fiction-inspired foes, including Matt Hagen, a treasure hunter given vast shapeshifting powers and resiliency by exposure to a pool of radioactive protoplasm, who became the second Clayface. He can also be seen as a member of Libra's Secret Society of Super Villains. It marks the transformation of a disfigured actor into the villain known as Clayface. The tragic Clayface is a virtually indestructible shape-shifting monster who's both threatened Gotham City and served as an ally to Batman.In Gotham City, people are never quite what they seem—sometimes literally. He can also take on any appearance he want. During his attack on Old Wayne Tower, Karlo is accidentally doused with hundreds of gallons psychoactive mud, worsening his insanity. Take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat. Immersing himself in it by accident, he is transformed into a malleable clay-like form which could be shaped into almost anything he desires. Knowing that he is going to die, Williams offers Batman assistance against Hush in exchange for protecting his family. Customize your avatar with the Clayface First Appearance and millions of other items. 1 Appearance 2 Personality 3 History 3.1 Possible Future 4 Relationships 4.1 Bruce Wayne/Batman 4.2 Ellen Yin 5 Abilities and Traits 6 Appearances 6.1 The Batman 6.2 The Batman Strikes! The Matt Hagen version of Clayface appears in the Nintendo D.S. Once again, the Dynamic Duo foil his plans. Karlo also appeared during one of Joker's fantasies and briefly during one of Batman's simulations for Robin. It is also revealed that he was abused by his parents. Sondra Fuller of Strike Force Kobra used the terrorist group's technology to become the fourth Clayface, also known as Lady Clay. Clayface's first appearance outside the comics was in several episodes of Filmation's The New Adventures of Batmanin the late 1970s. Matt Hagen had temporary shapeshifting, voiceshifting, and a body constituted of living mud which he can divide or change shape at will. Most incarnations of the character possess clay-like bodies and shapeshifting abilities, and all of them have been depicted as adversaries of the superhero Batman. [32] Dr. October expresses a desire to test her cure on a less serious case, and Karlo tells her of Glory Griffin. For reasons unstated, Dr. October conspired with him to fake his death. 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. Payne finally breaks free of Fuller's control and is about to kill her when she admits how sorry she is for using him. Batman discovered his weakness and defeated him. A stunted, emaciated Payne appears in the graphic novel Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth by Grant Morrison and Dave McKean. Batman and Robin later confronted Clayface at his hideout where they used a combination of a freeze gun and the protoplasmic substance to defeat Clayface and return him to prison. Detective Comics # 298 CGC 1.8 Cream to Off-White (DC, 1961). He obtains a sample of Matt Hagen's blood, and isolates an enzyme which he introduces into his own bloodstream. He keeps a close watch on the inmates at Arkham Asylum. During Clayface's robbery, Batman used Kryptonite on Clayface's Superman form, only for Clayface to get away by shapeshifting into a rocket. After getting a clue from Riddler, Batman and Mystery Inc. found a strange clay footprint in a crypt at Arkham Cemetery. Preston Payne originally had shapeshifting powers, yet ended up gaining the ability to dissolve people with his touch. He was rescued by Fuller, who was still using Looker's appearance and powers, and used them to make Preston obey the commands of Basil Karlo, the first Clayface. When Thomas Elliot attempted to give himself the shapeshifting abilities of the Clayfaces, he determined that Cassius is the only 'pure' Clayface in existence, as all others retain fragments of their former human DNA where Cassius is the only Clayface that was never anything but his current state. [2][39], Matt Hagen later escaped from prison and decided to investigate the protoplasmic substance that turned him into Clayface so that he can find a way to prolong his powers. Sondra Fuller has shapeshifting powers and power duplication. Clayface's first animated appearance wasFilmation'sThe New Adventures of Batman, voiced byLou Scheimerand later byLennie Weinrib. Real Name. To draw Commissioner Gordon, one of the ground leaders of the resistance, out, Clayface assumes the shape of his deceased wife and begins wandering around Gotham for several nights. Harley Quinn (TV series) Clayface appears in DC Universe's adult animation series Harley Quinn. ... First Appearance: Detective Comics #40 - The Murders of Clayface. Realizing Karlo needs treatment more than imprisonment, Batman asks him to join his team. In Clayface's first episode, Clayface is shown to be able to survive in water without dissolving (unlike later animated incarnations) by turning into a dolphin, but as Matt Hagen he does not know how to swim.