Clayface

Just before the Clayface movie comes out, I thought I would offer a history of the character. But it’s not quite that simple, as there have been several Clayfaces. From what I’ve seen in the trailers so far, this movie features a combination of the first and second versions, but I guess we’ll see. As always, how much, if any, of the comic book stories become movie canon is anyone’s guess, especially with a character with this complicated of a history.

The original Clayface goes all the way back to the Golden Age (Earth 2 before the Crisis on Infinite Earths rewrote everything). Basil Karlo was an actor who went insane when he learned a movie he had starred in would be remade with someone else in the lead role. Honestly, as villain origins go, this is kind of believable, based on at least some of the actors I’ve known. Originally, Karlo had no powers, but later on took on some of the superhuman abilities of other Clayfaces after the tried and true “I’m going to experiment on myself” school of villainy. Like most long-running villains, Karlo has been reported dead and then come back several times, and has had his history rewritten more than once. Originally, Karlo had no powers and was a talented actor (although perhaps not as good as he thought he was). Later, he gained a variety of shapeshifting abilities.

Clayface the second was Matt Hagen, an adventurer and treasure hunter who accidently slipped into a strange glowing pool he found in a cave. He gained the ability to change into pretty much whatever he could imagine, usually replicating other people. After a career as one of Batman’s many foes, Hagen was killed by the Shadow Demons during the Crisis on Infinite Earths. However, as I’ve said before, no one dies forever in comics, and he came back during another major event, Infinite Crisis. Hagen was a skilled adventurer and could take on almost any form after gaining his powers, additionally able to mimic voices. His major weakness was needing to renew his powers in the mysterious pool roughly every 48 hours. For a time, a version of Hagen worked alongside the Bat-Family in an effort to atone for his past actions.

The third Clayface was a man named Preston Payne, who was a scientist at STAR Labs (which is frequently the setup to a supervillain origin story). He had a form of hyperpitutarism, and, of course, was looking for a cure. He managed to get some samples of what passed for Matt Hagen’s blood, and naturally began experimenting on himself in mad scientist fashion. He gained limited shapeshifting powers, but they were short lived and his body began melting. Payne also developed the ability to melt others with a touch, which was a power he could not control. Payne developed an exoskeleton to stabilize his condition, which also granted him greater than human strength. His developing powers next shifted and he had to spread the melting effect of his touch in order to survive. The villain Prometheus managed to stabilize Payne’s condition, but later killed him when the two inevitably fell out. Equally inevitably, Payne returned with much more stable shapeshifting abilities some years later. Payne was a skilled scientist, but after he developed his exoskeleton, he seemed to abandon that discipline, relying on his powers in combat.

Next in line is the fourth Clayface, also sometimes going by Lady Clay. Sondra Fuller was a member of Strike Force Kobra, and gained her powers from that terrorist organization’s advanced technologies. She could not only shift her form, but could mimic superhuman abilities, making her one of the more dangerous of the villains to use the name. Later, she fell in love with her predecessor, Preston Payne. The two even married. During the Doomsday Clock event, she claimed to have a different origin, but how much was true from that vast conspiracy and network of lies is unclear. Despite her incredibly powerful abilities, she is one of the lesser known villains to use the name. In addition to her powers, Fuller received assorted training from Kobra.

Clayface V has possibly the strangest origin of the lot. Cassius Clay Payne (a bad pun on Muhammed Ali’s birthname) is the child of Peyton Payne and Sondra Fuller. Growing to adulthood quickly, Clay has the combined abilities of both parents: shapeshifting, power duplication, and melting people by touch. If Clay loses a piece of himself, it can become an independent being, or give someone else it bonds with Clay’s powers. Aside from his powers, Clay has no notable skills or abilities.

But wait, there’s more.

Peter Malley became Clayface VI, also known as Clay-Thing. For once not a problem from STAR Labs, he was a scientist with the Department of Extranormal Operations, a US government agency that deals with superhumans. He was contaminated by a sample from Cassius Clay Payne’s body, and terrifyingly gained the ability to use Payne’s melting touch via eye contact. His career was short lived when DEO agent Cameron Chase defeated him and apparently killed him. Thus far, he hasn’t come back to life, and his remains are stored for future study at the DEO. Which seems like a return, someone else’s origin, or both, waiting to happen.

Clayface VII is probably the most obscure of the Clayfaces, maybe giving Malley a run for his money. Very little is known about his background and history. He uses the name Todd Russell, but apparently that is because he resembles an actor of that name. He has also called himself Brian, Greg, and Todd at the very least. During his time in the US Army, he was badly injured and experimented on, gaining shapeshifting abilities. Whether or not he has any tie to any of the earlier Clayfaces is unclear. The process that gave him his powers also apparently damaged his memories badly. He was held captive for further study at STAR Labs. Eventually he was freed by Catwoman and pretty much dropped out of sight. While he presumably received assorted types of training in the Army, he never demonstrated any such skills or knowledge.

The eighth and so far final Clayface had a more tragic origin. A firefighter named Johnny Williams, he gained his powers and lost his normal life when he was caught in an explosion at a chemical plant. Chemical plants in Gotham seem to be an origin waiting to happen. His new powers emerge when he accidentally kills someone by touching them. Overwhelmed with guilt, Williams is about to kill himself when he is found by Hush and the Riddler, who begin to manipulate him, holding out hope for a cure. Williams, not villain material, realizes he’s being used for his shapeshifting powers and turns against the villains. As he was dying, he allied with Batman to try and undo the harm he had caused under the influence of the two supervillains. Williams may be the only non-villainous Clayface, depending on how one views some of Todd Russell’s actions.

Confused? This happens when too many writers get an idea for a “new” character that’s more or less a new version of an old one. It will be interesting to see what, if any, elements of the assorted Clayfaces get used in the movie. Using a character with such a complicated history is an interesting choice for a movie that’s an early entry in the newest version of the DC Universe.