The Multiple Faces of Batman Villain ‘Clayface’ and His Body Horror Origins

Superhero comics borrowing from the horror genre isn’t necessarily a recent concept; there was just a period of time when the Comics Code Authority made it difficult to incorporate spooky ideas into what were supposed to be kid-friendly stories. Thankfully, the modern comic book industry is a lot more forgiving of blood and guts, and we’ve been blessed with publications that are allowed, and often even encouraged, to dig deep into the horrific elements that lie at the core of certain characters and settings.

This refusal to shy away from the shadows is precisely why I’m so excited for DC’s upcoming standalone horror film Clayface, as not only is the project helmed by Eden Lake and Speak No Evil director James Watkins (and co-written by horror master Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini), but it’s also a return to the character’s long-neglected genre inspirations.

That being said, while Clayface is one of Batman’s most enduring villains, he isn’t exactly up there with figures like The Joker when it comes to mainstream popularity. That’s why I’d like to invite my fellow horror fans who maybe aren’t as well-versed in DC lore to accompany me as we explore the character’s body horror-inspired history in an effort to explain why he’s such a perfect choice for a solo horror movie.

Of course, comic books can get messy when it comes to legacy character titles and continuity, and that’s why we’ve actually had at least eight different versions of Clayface within the main DC universe over the years – and that’s not even counting the several Elseworlds (non-canon books that take place in alternate realities) variants and previous adaptations of the character in other media.

Despite this, the original version of the character remains one of the most influential despite debuting all the way back in 1940 and not even having his iconic shapeshifting powers. Brainchild of Batman creators Bill Finger and Bob Kane, the disgraced actor Basil Karlo went mad after discovering that one of his seminal films was being remade without him. This perceived slight against his reputation led Basil to disguise himself as the movie’s monstrous villain in order to terrorize Gotham as a real-world serial killer.

While this initial take on the character was more of a disgruntled showman than a body horror monstrosity, he was already inspired by classic horror tropes. Kane cites Lon Chaney’s portrayal of Erik in 1925’s Phantom of the Opera as a major influence, and one could even argue that the “Clayface” persona is a reference to the lost 1915 silent horror film The Golem. The villain’s real name is also a nod to fan-favorite actors Boris Karloff (the original Frankenstein) and Basil Rathbone (the definitive Sherlock Holmes). Decades later, Bruce Timm would actually pay homage to this version of the character in the Caped Crusader animated series, with that incarnation of the serial-killing Karlo being modeled after horror legend Vincent Price.

It was only during the nuclear-powered 1950s that we’d see a proper metahuman rendition of Clayface, with the ambitious treasure hunter Matt Hagen being able to temporarily mutate into a shapeshifting creature after coming into contact with “radioactive protoplasm” inside a cave. Hagen would become the main Clayface until the mid-80s reboot, and he’d also inspire multiple spin-off characters attempting to make use of his extraordinary abilities.

The first instance of true body horror in one of these stories occurs in 1978 when Preston Payne, a disfigured scientist suffering from a fictional variation of Acromegaly, attempts to dilute a cure for his disease via a blood sample extracted from an imprisoned Hagen. This results in Payne transforming into a clay-like creature that must spread his melting affliction like a virus in order to live. This incarnation of Clayface would actually find himself a monstrous mate in the form of “Lady Clay” Sondra Fuller, with their offspring, Cassius, also developing shapeshifting powers.

This idea of a “Mud Pack” of criminals simultaneously making use of the Clayface moniker is entertaining enough (and there are even more Clayface spin-offs that I’ll leave out of the article for brevity’s sake), but I’d argue that the villain would only become a truly terrifying character after his reimagining in Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski’s adaptational masterpiece, Batman: The Animated Series.

Debuting in 1992, the show introduced us to what would become the most memorable iteration of the character, with this version of Clayface first showing up in the two-parter “Feat of Clay.” In this unexpectedly tragic storyline, we’re introduced to “The Man with a Million Faces,” Matt Hagen. A successful actor who becomes horribly disfigured in a car accident, Hagen begins working for a mobster after being offered an experimental drug that allows him to temporarily shapeshift back to his pre-accident form. Unfortunately, a desperate attempt at double-crossing his supplier results in Hagen being forcefully exposed to a large dose of the miraculous substance. What emerges in the aftermath is a monstrous shapeshifter only capable of sustaining human form for a few hours.

Warner Bros. Animation outsourced production of the series to a plethora of East Asian studios, so “Feat of Clay” benefited from anime-inspired animation that wasn’t afraid to explore disturbing body horror imagery in the vein of Akira. The horrific visuals combined with the genuinely poignant script (where Batman defeats Hagen by showing him a montage of his previous film roles and reminding him of his lost humanity) make it easy to understand why this specific story appears to be the main inspiration behind Watkins’ upcoming film.

Though “Feat of Clay” ends with Clayface’s apparent demise, he’d reappear in later episodes that further explored the psychological consequences of his bizarre powers (with “Growing Pains” being an especially heartbreaking example). Much like what happened to Mr. Freeze in “Heart of Ice,” the success of this adaptation led to the character being reimagined in the comics as well, with almost every future rendition of Clayface borrowing from his 1992 appearance.

However, while these other adaptations can be interesting, they rarely reach the emotional heights of Marv Wolfman and Michael Reaves’ scripts for the animated series (though I thoroughly enjoy how 2004’s The Batman show handled the character’s relationship with Bruce Wayne). Clayface’s over-the-top powers and overall design also mean that he’s often overlooked in live-action productions due to the sheer budget required to bring him to life convincingly. Some have tried in the past, such as Kirk Baltz’s portrayal of Cassius Payne in the short-lived Birds of Prey TV show, but these depictions are a little too human for my taste. The body horror aspect also makes it difficult to market the character towards kids, which is why I’m relieved that the new movie is going in a hard-R direction.

Curiously, we’ve actually already seen the DCU’s new Clayface in animated form last year, thanks to James Gunn’s Creature Commandos, with the writer confirming that the monster who gets electrocuted by Eric Frankenstein is in fact Matt Hagen and not just another muddy spin-off!

Regardless of continuity, the world surrounding Batman has always been especially well-suited for darker storylines that borrow from the horror genre. From the over-the-top monsters of the Absolute Batman series to the grounded terrorists of Matt Reeves’ The Batman, Gotham and its odd citizens are a treasure trove of spooky possibilities that I hope DC will continue to explore in new and exciting ways.

And if the latest Clayface teaser and its callbacks to genre classics like Eyes Without a Face and Nosferatu are any indication, I think horror fans are in for a terrifying treat.