Clayface

Clayface is an alias used by several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Most incarnations of the character possess clay-like bodies and shapeshifting abilities, and all of them are adversaries of the superhero Batman. In 2009, Clayface was ranked as IGN's 73rd-greatest comic book villain of all time.
A prominent enemy of Batman, Clayface has appeared in various forms of non-comics media, and has been voiced by Ron Perlman in the DC Animated Universe (DCAU) and Alan Tudyk in both Harley Quinn and the DC Universe (DCU) animated series Creature Commandos, among others, with live-action versions of the character appearing on the television series Gotham, portrayed by Brian McManamon, and Pennyworth, portrayed by Lorraine Burroughs. The character will headline a self-titled film (2026) written by Mike Flanagan, also set in the DCU.
Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, the original Clayface, Basil Karlo, appeared in Detective Comics #40 (June 1940) as a B-list actor who began a life of crime using the identity of a villain that he had portrayed in a horror film. Kane stated that the character was partially inspired by the 1925 Lon Chaney version of The Phantom of the Opera and that his name was derived from Boris Karloff and Basil Rathbone. The character only appeared twice in the Golden Age, but was the inspiration for the shape-shifting Silver Age version.
In the late 1950s, Batman began facing a series of science fiction-inspired foes, including Matthew Hagen, a treasure hunter given vast shapeshifting powers and resiliency by exposure to a pool of radioactive protoplasm, who became the second 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 for his condition, but instead became a clay-like creature that needed to pass his new condition on to others to survive.
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 Mud Pack with the original and third Clayfaces. During this era, the original Clayface used the DNA of Payne and Fuller to become the Ultimate Clayface (as he now called himself).
Sometime after the Mud Pack event, Payne and Fuller had a son named Cassius "Clay" Payne, who, as the fifth Clayface, also had metahuman shapeshifting powers.
In a 1998 storyline, Dr. Peter Malley later uses a sample of Cassius Payne's skin to become Clay-Thing.
The Todd Russell version of Clayface was introduced in Catwoman (vol. 3) #4 (May 2002), and the Johnny Williams version of Clayface was introduced in Batman: Gotham Knights #60 (February 2005).
The first Clayface, Basil Karlo, first appeared in Detective Comics #40 (June 1940). He is a B-list actor who is driven insane when he hears 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. In response, he dons the costume of Clayface, a villain he once portrayed, and becomes a serial killer.
Earth-One's Basil Karlo has a similar history to his Golden Age counterpart. However, he is a less major villain and is later killed by John Carlinger during an attack on his yacht.
In post-Crisis continuity, Karlo gains shapeshifting abilities similar to his successors after injecting himself with Preston Payne and Sondra Fuller's blood. He is seemingly killed on two occasions after sinking into the earth, with the first giving him quartz-like crystals across his body.
In Infinite Crisis, Clayface joins Alexander Luthor Jr.'s Secret Society of Super Villains. In later appearances, he joins the Injustice League and temporarily assumes Donna Troy's form after absorbing her powers.
In The New 52 continuity reboot, Basil Karlo gains his powers from a chemical formula that renders his body malleable. However, his DNA becomes unstable, rendering him unable to return to his original form.
In the DC Rebirth relaunch, Basil Karlo's origin is similar to the DC Animated Universe's incarnation of Matt Hagen / Clayface. He is an actor who is disfigured in a car accident, uses the chemical Re-Nu to restore his face, and transforms into a clay-like metahuman after overdosing on it.
Victoria October works to return Karlo to normal, during which Batman has him wear a special wristband that locks him in his human form.
Karlo later fakes his death, allowing him and October to leave Gotham City.
The second version of Clayface, Matthew "Matt" Hagen, first appeared in Detective Comics #298. He is a treasure hunter who gains shapeshifting abilities from a radioactive pool of protoplasm.
In Crisis on Infinite Earths, Hagen is killed by the Anti-Monitor's Shadow Demons.
In Infinite Crisis, Hagen resurfaces and joins Alexander Luthor Jr.'s Secret Society of Super Villains.
In Infinite Frontier, Hagen appears as an escaped inmate of Arkham Asylum.
The third version of Clayface, Preston Payne, first appeared at the end of Detective Comics #477 before making his first full appearance in Detective Comics #478–479. He is a S.T.A.R. Labs employee who suffers from hyperpituitarism and transforms into Clayface after using Matt Hagen's blood to cure his condition. However, his body is unstable, forcing him to periodically kill others to survive.
In the Mud Pack storyline, Payne falls in love with Sondra Fuller, the fourth Clayface. They later have a son, Cassius.
A stunted, emaciated Payne appears in the graphic novel Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth by Grant Morrison and Dave McKean.
In Justice League: Cry for Justice, Payne is killed by Prometheus. He later resurfaces in Infinite Frontier.
The fourth version of Clayface, Sondra Fuller (also known as Lady Clay), first appeared in Outsiders #21. She is a member of Strike Force Kobra who gains powers from her employer Kobra's technology. She later falls in love with Preston Payne, and they have a son named Cassius.
In Doomsday Clock, Sondra claims that she and other metahumans were created by the government.
After the Mud Pack incident, Payne and Fuller escape and fall in love while on the run. They eventually have a child together named Cassius "Clay" Payne, who becomes the fifth version of Clayface and debuted in Batman #550. Following his birth, Cassius is separated from his parents and held in a government laboratory.
Cassius possesses the unique ability to separate parts of his body, which can bond with others and give them his abilities.
In Infinite Crisis, Cassius joins Alexander Luthor Jr.'s Secret Society of Super Villains.
The sixth version of Clayface, known as the Clay-Thing, also debuted in Batman #550. Clay-Thing is created when a skin sample from Cassius Payne comes to life and merges with D.E.O. scientist Peter Malley. He has the ability to melt objects simply by looking at them. Clay-Thing is destroyed when Cameron Chase turns his own powers against him, and his remains are stored at the D.E.O. Headquarters.
The seventh version of Clayface debuted in Catwoman (vol. 3) #1 (January 2002), but is not actually shown until Catwoman (vol. 3) #3 (March 2002). This character does not remember his true identity, but it is said that he resembles actor Todd Russell. Struggling with his memory loss, he used aliases such as Brian, Greg, and Todd. 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 contain his severed head inside of a freezer. There are very few background details given about this character'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. 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 eighth version of Clayface, Johnny Williams, debuted in Batman: Gotham Knights #60 (February 2005). Williams is a former firefighter who is transformed into a clay-based creature after 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.
Before he can do so, 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, promising a cure if he does their bidding. This includes pretending to be Tommy Elliot (Hush's true identity) and Jason Todd to hurt Bruce Wayne.
Elliot also takes some samples from Williams to try and determine how he can duplicate the shapeshifting aspects of Clayface without losing his original form, also using these samples to infect Batman's ally Alfred Pennyworth with a virus that allows Hush to exert some degree of control over Alfred, forcing him to commit murder. Eventually, Williams realizes he is being manipulated and Hush will never help him after Hush tries to steal a sample of Cassius.
Knowing that he is going to die, Williams offers Batman assistance against Hush in exchange for protecting his family. He redeems himself by providing Batman with a sample of himself so that Batman can find a cure for the virus infecting Alfred.
Each of the Clayfaces have different powers, but they all share the ability to shapeshift.
John Carlinger was a renowned actor and director who held a film exhibition aboard the yacht Varania III. Basil Karlo, the original Clayface, assaulted Carlinger with murderous intent because Carlinger neglected to "invite" him to the event, but Carlinger killed Karlo instead. Feeling threatened by a few actors attending the exhibition who were rumored to be demanding an audit of his production company's finances, Carlinger used Karlo's alter ego to mask his true identity and intentions when he gunned these actors down in cold blood. Batman deduced "Clayface's" true identity by the water-solubility of his makeup, revealing it to be a type of makeup used by modern actors instead of the greasepaint Karlo was more likely to use. Batman punched Carlinger's lights out and exposed his murder scheme, putting the corrupt movie producer's brief stint as Clayface to an abrupt end.
The ninth version of Clayface, the Clayface of Japan, debuted in Batman Incorporated #6 (June 2011) as part of "The New 52". Batman tasks Batman Japan (Jiro Osamu) to fight the Clayface of Japan about 2+1⁄2 months into his Batman Incorporated venture. Not much is known about this Clayface, except that he resembles all of the previous Clayfaces and seems to have their same set of powers. Presumably, this Clayface, as a rival to Osamu, is a native of Japan. Batman states that this Clayface is a newcomer, a samurai, and operates in or around Hokkaido.
In "The New 52", a villain named Jeffrey Bode makes several short-lived clones of Clayface.
The being known as Clownface began as a stray piece of Clayface's body that became unattached and gained enough sentience to morph itself into a mute old man. This man was found and taken to Arkham Manor because of his unresponsiveness. Later, the Joker infected this portion of Clayface with Joker venom, morphing it into a separate entity dubbed Clownface.
The Matt Hagen incarnation of Clayface, with elements of Basil Karlo, appears in series set in the DC Animated Universe (DCAU), voiced by Ron Perlman.
The Basil Karlo incarnation of Clayface appears in the Lego Batman series of video games.