Clayface

64 (NW)

**Clayface**is an antagonist in *Batman: Shadow War, Batman: Red War*and *Batman: New War.*He is a superhuman criminal imbued with the abilities to change shape.

## Biography

### Birth of Clayface

Basil Karlo, before becoming the monster he would be a famous actor, however he became facially disfigured after a car accident. Finding work became difficult and he feared the worst for his career. Things took a change, however, when he was approached by the Penguin who had recently stolen the Renuyu cream, an untested drug that could reconfigure a person's face in exchange for a favor that Basil would have to pay at a later time. Though Basil agreed to use the cream, he didn't realize the true nature of the situation.
With his ability to shape-shift, Basil was able to achieve success in his acting career. As he got better in his acting, the cream he continually takes begins to evolve and rewrite the fabric of his body.
Outside of the acting, Basil was employed by the Penguin, keeping to their deal, and commit various crimes using his ability to impersonate people however Karlo loathed doing this. The Penguin ordered Karlo to assassinate Lucius Fox because Karlo's crimes and attacks were primarily against Wayne Enterprises however Karlo failed thanks to the intervention of Batman. In retaliation, the Penguin had Karlo's supply of the Renuyu cream cut. Addicted to the formula, it became harder to hold his human shape. Karlo's temper over losing it cost his career after he violently assaulted a director who berated him for ad-libbing on set.

Karlo broke into the Penguin's Iceburg Lounge in an attempt to steal the drug. However, two of Penguin's thugs surprised him and hyper-saturated the former actor in the formula by drowning him with a canister of Renuyu. However instead of killing him, the cream bonded to Karlo's cellular structure and turned his entire body into a clay-like substance. The transformation gave him several superpowers, including manipulating his body into any shape or form he desired. His true form, however, was that of a hulking humanoid mass of living clay. He woke up in Gotham Bay, where the Penguin's henchmen had dumped him, but escaped from the river despite it greatly weakening him.

Renaming himself after one of his roles "Clayface", he seeked revenge on the Penguin and encountered and battled Batman when Clayface's revenge is intervened by the police, who proceed to fire at Clayface though he attacks them. Clayface manages to escape through the sewers. Arriving at the Penguin's office, Clayface interrupted his meeting with Sal Maroni. Clayface tried to kill the crime boss after throwing Maroni out of the window, though he survived, and left his assistants Candy and Tracey Buxton bound and gagged with his clay, but the Penguin managed to use a fire extinguisher to fight off Clayface and survive long enough for Batman to intervene. Clayface questioned Batman on risking himself for the Penguin, to which Batman explains his moral code but assures the Penguin will face justice, and the Dark Knight makes an attempt to negotiate with Clayface with the promise of helping him one day. To Batman's surprise, however, Clayface does not want to be helped and has come to embrace that he has become nothing more than a mass of violence and rage who has become fully committed to a life of crime.
Following Clayface into another room, Batman uses multiple images of Karlo's early movies to make Clayface emotionally unstable and cause him to lose control of his abilities. In desperation Clayface tried to kill Batman, but destroyed a screen and electrocuted himself. However, his stasis was momentary, the police left with a shell, and the true Clayface escaped in the form of a woman.

### Hush

Clayface is enlisted by the Riddler to be part of his and Hush's plan to destroy Batman. Clayface mimicks the former second Robin, Jason Todd, and kidnaps the third Robin, Tim Drake. Batman discovers that "Jason" is actually Clayface while fighting him and rescues Tim and defeats Clayface.

## Abilities

* **Malleable Clay-Like Body:**Being chemically altered gave him the ability to regenerate his body mass, change his shape, size, density and shape-shift into any form he could think of.
	+ **​Size Alteration:**Clayface can change his need to fill any need. He's expanded large enough to engulf entire rooms or thin enough to slip into sewers.
	+ **Density Control:**Clayface can make his body as hard as rock in order to smash through vehicles or doors, but can also maintain a liquid form to suffocate opponents.
	+ **Superhuman Strength:**When Clayface's mass is increased so is his strength. The bigger he gets, the more dangerous he becomes.
	+ **Superhuman Durability:**When shifting the density of his body Clayface can withstand bullets and heavy impacts.
	+ **Superhuman Stamina:**
	+ **Superhuman Agility:**
	+ **Bio-Fission:**
	+ **Voice Shifting:**
	+ **Shape-Shifting:**
	+ **Natural Weaponry:**
* **Master Actor:**
* **Advanced Combatant:**
* **Master of Deception:**

## Quotes

* "Easy...the role of a lifetime!"
* "You need to get me out of this cell."
* "It's me. Cash. I'm needed out there. I can help you."
* "Get me out of here!"
* "You know how many freaks are in this place."
* "Hurry up and take a seat, Batman. The show's about to begin."
* "Next, I will become you, Batman!"
* "This was the performance of a lifetime!"
* "Get up, Bats! Hey, you ain't looking so good!"
* "Aren't you supposed to be up on your feet and trying to stop me?"
* "Oh, Bats! If only you knew what I have planned! You'd just die!"