Clayfaces

"**Clayfaces**" is the third episode of the fourth season of *The Batman* and the forty-second episode overall.

## Synopsis

After Ethan Bennett foils one of Joker's plans, he plans to prove himself to Batman by turning a new leaf. Meanwhile, has-been actor Basil Karlo steals the mutagen responsible for mutating Bennett and becomes the new Clayface. Batman is unsure if he can trust Ethan enough to let him help stop Karlo.

## Plot

In a dog food factory (Waggie-Time Dog Food), Joker is ranting about his plan to put Joker Venom in all of the containers so that hundreds all around the city will all be branded with a large Joker grin. As the mad man is about to start dumping the poison into the dog food, his henchmen Punch and Judy say how the plan is pathetic. Joker reminds them that they must never insult him and then asks when they started talking. The henchmen begin to melt to expose themselves as Clayface. Joker looks terrified as Ethan Bennett approaches the man who scarred him for life. Clayface approaches Joker, cursing the mad man for turning him into this. The clown makes his escape by throwing cards at Clayface, causing the assassin to flinch. Joker begins to run, but Clayface catches up and grabs the clown.

Suddenly, Batman and Robin arrive and demand Clayface to not kill Joker. Bennett immediately listens to Batman and drops Joker, encased in clay, on the floor. Clayface transforms back into his human self and tells the dynamic duo that he is turning himself in. Batman is skeptical, but Bennett proves that he is done being a villain by calling the police himself. As the police arrive, one of the policemen compliments Batman for catching both Joker and Clayface at once. Batman doesn't take any credit and gives it all to Ethan. The officer is unimpressed with his surrender, and the rest of the officers close in. At the official Waggy-Time Dog Food spokesman auditions at Gotham Advertising, the next actor comes in. He introduces himself as Basil Karlo. Karlo is confident that he will get the part. After a terrible performance, Karlo is rejected. The actor, frustrated, yells at the judges and says that one day, everyone will know who Basil Karlo is. The actor stomps out of the room, rejected.

Later at Wayne Manor, Wayne is explaining to the Dick about how he and Bennett were best friends as children. But he isn't sure if he can trust Ethan. Wayne later arrives at Arkham Asylum to visit his old pal. Wayne tells Bennett that they are very close to finding a cure for him. Ethan isn't so sure he wants to take an antidote. He considers, when he is let out of Arkham, rejoining the police force as Clayface. Wayne reminds Ethan of what happened last time and says Clayface must be taken out for good. At a local diner, Basil Karlo is sulky and watching the news on a public television. The news states that Wayne Industries is very close to finding a cure for Clayface. Karlo states that curing Bennett's powers would be a waste. Karlo then gets a sinister idea.

Karlo busts into the Wayne Industries labs poorly dressed as a scientist called Dr. Norvoff. The actor gets very close to a Clayface specimen when a real scientist stops him. Karlo, not knowing what to say, pushes the scientist down and grabs a vile of Clayface's goop. An alarm sounds and Karlo is pursued by scientists and security guards alike lying that he needs to test it. Eventually Karlo is cornered. The actor, seeing no other option, drinks the specimen. Karlo immediately begins to have stomach pains, and the security guards approach him. The actor backs up into the bars, accidentally turns into a strange liquid form, and escapes through the bars. The race for Karlo continues. Outside Wayne Industries, the guards arrive to find an elderly woman screaming that Karlo stole her purse. One of the guards calm her down, and then the men continue after Karlo. As soon as the guards are out of sight, the old woman chuckles and transforms into Basil Karlo himself. The actor now has the powers of Clayface.

In the Batcave,Bruce and Dick find out that Karlo has stolen the Clayface mutagen. After learning his history, they agree he is a horrible actor. Back at the Waggy-Time Dog Food spokesperson auditions, Basil Karlo returns, changing his appearance as he approaches the judges. When they reject him,Karlo starts to change looks. The judges are horrified as Karlo transforms into a werewolf-like creature. Karlo begins to attack the people who insulted his *"look"*. In the same diner as before, Karlo is horrified as he watches the news. It discusses how the "new Clayface" put three people in a hospital. Using the security footage from Wayne Industries, the news stations assume that it is Karlo. The actor is worried that his life is completely different now. Karlo then comes to the realization that, after becoming Clayface, he is now a *star*. Every news station has him as the late-night news. When the people in the diner finally begin to recognize Karlo as the new villain, they all panic and run out. Karlo is excited over his new fame.

Inside Gotham Bank, Karlo is putting on a performance for the security cameras while he steals from the bank vault. Batman and Robin arrive and begin to fight the new Clayface. Batman attemps freezing him but he dodges. Batman asks why Karlo is being a criminal and he replies it is the role he was meant to play. After trapping Robin in clay, the villain gets away. At Arkham Asylum, Bruce Wayne and Ethan Bennett are watching the news about the new Clayface. Bennett begs Wayne to try and get Bennett released. If he gets out, the original Clayface can stop the new one. Wayne gets up and leaves without an answer. Bennett eventually leaves on his own using his Clayface powers. In the Batcave, Batman reads how Ethan Bennett escaped from Arkham Asylum. Robin predicts that he is going after Karlo. Wayne agrees and then gets a call from Wayne Industries saying that the antidote is complete. Batman orders Robin to go in search for Clayface II, while Wayne will get the antidote. Karlo is seen stealing a miniature Statue of Justice, along with other stuff.

Later, Batman and Robin regroup at the Batsignal. After learning about Karlo's whereabouts, Batman and Robin prepare to leave. However, Robin reveals himself to be Karlo in disguise. Clayface bashes Batman into the ground and laughs victoriously. Karlo looks down at the beaten Batman to see that Batman himself is actually Ethan Bennett in disguise. Karlo insults Ethan by saying he isn't a cop no more. Ethan responds by saying he will not rest until Karlo is brought down. The two Clayfaces began to fight with the original losing. Suddenly, Batman and Robin arrive and throw freeze grenades at Karlo, freezing him in place. Bennett transforms back into his old form and begins to talk to the Batman. The Dark Knight reveals the antidote under his cape. Bennett notices the antidote and accidently knocks it out of the hero's hand. Robin swings down and grabs the antidote. Robin returns the antidote to Batman and Bennett apologizes for swatting it. Clayface I swears that he is a good guy now.

Suddenly, Clayface II breaks out of his ice casing and begins to attack the heroes again. Bennett asks if he can help Batman fight Karlo. At first, Batman declines but with encouragement from Robin, the Dark Knight decides that Bennett can actually help. Batman, Robin, and Clayface I begin to fight Basil Karlo. A short scuffle occurs until the bridge they are on collapses beneath them. Bennett, saving Robin, gets a brilliant idea and tells Batman to prepare the antidote. Clayface I collides with Clayface II and the two fight each other for dominance inside each others' bodies. Batman understands the plan and uses the antidote directly in the middle of both Clayfaces' bodies. Both of them are affected by the antidote. Later, back at Arkham Asylum, Bennett is back in his cell. Bennett is completely cured of his Clayface state. He apologizes to Bruce Wayne and tells his old friend that, one day they should shoot hoops and hopes he will earn his trust again. Somewhere else in Arkham, Joker (in a straitjacket) is playing chess with Basil Karlo. Joker states that, although Karlo looks cured, the madman knows there's still some Clayface in there somewhere. The clown throws one of the chess pieces under the chain link fence they are sitting next to,laughs, and jumps away. Karlo bends down, unable to reach it. Suddenly, his finger extends a few inches. Surprised, Clayface II withdraws his hand and watches the chess piece rise from inside his hand. Basil Karlo learns that he still has some of his Clayface powers and smiles wickedly knowing he can still commit crimes!

## Cast/Characters

* Rino Romano as Bruce Wayne/The Batman
* Evan Sabara as Dick Grayson/Robin
* Steve Harris as Ethan Bennett/Clayface I,Punch and Judy
* Wallace Langham as Basil Karlo/Clayface II
* Kevin Michael Richardson as The Joker
* Julianne Grossman as Lady and Reporter
* Jane Singer as Director and Waitress
* Punch and Judy (impersonated by Clayface)
* Ellen Yin (flashback;Clayface imitation)
* James Gordon (mentioned)

## Events

- Character debuts:

* Basil Karlo

- Ethan is cured and redeems himself.

- Karlo transforms into the second Clayface and replaces Ethan as the series' Clayface in subsequent appearances.

## Trivia

* This episode serves as the conclusion for Ethan's arc.
* Despite being seemingly cured at the end, Basil retains his powers,evident by the ending and his later appearances in season 5 and *The Batman Strikes!.*
* The opening of this episode is similar to *Meltdown* with Clayface attacking Joker by sneaking up on him and Batman trying to tell Ethan to let Joker go.
* Bruce mentions almost telling Ethan his secret identity which happened in *The Rubberface of Comedy*.
* A flashback from *The Clayface of Tragedy* is seen.
* In the second diner scene there are two men sitting at the counter that are drawn as Christopher Reeve (Superman) and Pepper Martin (Rocky), the man who assaulted Superman while he was powerless in the 2nd original Superman film.
* In the diner scene, as well as the two men from Superman 2, a woman looking like Lois Lane and a man who looks like the man who lifts his plate at the end of the scene are also there.
* Basil Karlo's speech in "Revenge of the Atomic Clone" echoes one by Bela Lugosi in *Bride of the Monster*: Dr. Eric Vornoff: "My dear Professor Strowsky, twenty years ago, I was banned from my home land, parted from my wife and son, never to see them again. Why? Because I suggested to use the atom elements, for producing super beings, beings of unthinkable strength and size. I was classed as a madman, a charlatan, outlawed in a world of science which previously honored me as a genius. Now here in this forsaken jungle hell I have proven that I am all right. No, Professor Strowski, it is no laughing matter."
* Steve Harris provided the voices for Punch and Judy's Clayface impersonations.
* Bruce and Ethan converse about using Clayface for good,something that happened in *Meltdown*.
* Basil is stated to be 5'11",40 kg,and 40 years old.

## Errors

* After the cops arrive at the beginning,one of Ethan's pupils is grey.
* In *The Man Who Would Be Bat* and *Meltdown*, Ethan and Bruce say they knew each other since high school. However, in this episode Bruce says they knew each other since they were kids.
* It is unknown how the news channel has the clips of Ethan from *The Clayface of Tragedy*, since nobody was recording.
* After Batman saves Robin from Clayface II, the bat on his chest is missing.
* When Robin throws a Birdarang at Clayface II, it makes the sound of a Batarang and it turns into one.Pupil error.Emblem error.