(Karlo, Hagen, & Fuller) :
72-532: (Payne) : (Cassius) : (Malley) : 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
144-488: A B-list actor who began a life of crime using the identity of a villain that he had portrayed in a horror film . 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
216-535: A syndicated newspaper comic strip character with which Kane was familiar as well. Finger, who said he also devised the character's civilian name, Bruce Wayne , wrote the first Batman story, while Kane provided art. Kane, who had already submitted the proposal for Batman at DC and held a contract, is the only person given an official company credit for Batman's creation. Comics historian Ron Goulart , in Comic Book Encyclopedia , refers to Batman as
288-798: A 1998 storyline, Dr. Peter Malley later used a sample of Cassius Payne's skin to become Clay-Thing when he was introduced in Batman #550 (January 1998). In 2002, the "Todd Russell" version of Clayface was introduced in Catwoman vol. 3, #4 (May 2002), and in 2005, the Johnny Williams version of Clayface was introduced in Batman: Gotham Knights #60 (February 2005). The original version of Clayface, Basil Karlo , first appeared in Detective Comics #40 (June 1940). He
360-663: A breakout hit. Within a year, Kane hired art assistants Jerry Robinson (initially as an inker ) and George Roussos (backgrounds artist and letterer ). Though Robinson and Roussos worked out of Kane's art studio in The New York Times building , Kane himself did all his drawing at home. Shortly afterward, when DC wanted more Batman stories than Kane's studio could deliver, the company assigned Dick Sprang and other in-house pencilers as " ghost artists ", drawing uncredited under Kane's supervision. Future Justice League writer Gardner Fox wrote some early scripts, including
432-505: 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
504-781: A daughter, Deborah. Kane married his second wife, actress Elizabeth Sanders Kane, in 1987. Kane died November 3, 1998, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, at age 83. He is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles, California. Kane was a recipient of the Inkpot Award in 1977, was inducted into the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1996. He
576-716: A device in his body. He escapes Black Mask, but is captured and imprisoned by the Outsiders. In 2011, " The New 52 " rebooted the DC universe. His origin is given in the Batman: The Dark Knight storyline “Clay”. As a child, Basil Karlo came from a poor family. Still, they were able to afford the necessities. Karlo, desperate to become noticed, decided to join his school’s acting program, but was repeatedly turned down. As Karlo grew up, he joined more and more acting programs, and kept getting denied. One day, Karlo heard from
648-412: A fake sample. Batman eventually stops Karlo by trapping him in a security system that can only be deactivated with Karlo's original DNA, reasoning that he has changed too much for his original DNA to be present in his system. In 2016, DC Comics implemented another relaunch of its books called " DC Rebirth ", which restored its continuity to a form much as it was prior to "The New 52". Basil is re-imaged as
720-473: A fellow actor Penguin had access to a chemical formula that would make anyone a great actor. Karlo sought out Penguin, and, finding him, used the formula excitedly. Penguin handed over the formula as he had no use for it. Karlo learned he could become malleable. Soon, he was a successful actor, appearing in horror and romance films frequently. But, soon, Penguin was losing money due to a gang war, and called upon Karlo to give it to him. Turning to crime, Karlo became
792-742: 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
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#1732775285182864-529: A handsome young actor who was disfigured in a car accident. In a desperate bid to salvage his career, he began abusing an industrial make-up chemical known as "Re-Nu" which, when combined with clay and putty, warps flesh into new shapes and forms; a secret he discovered from his father Vincent Karlo, a former special effects artist. However, the chemical is long out of production, and Karlo resorts to theft when he can no longer purchase it legally. Batman apprehends him during one such robbery, which reveals his secret to
936-582: A high-technology forearm device (later replaced with a smaller wristband with a longer-lasting power source) that enables him to regain human form without using his powers—reducing the psychotic effect being Clayface has on Karlo. The device is not a cure, as the Clayface DNA consumes Basil Karlo's human DNA whenever he is locked into human form. Dr. October gives him a " placebo " bracelet with messages from his close friend Cassandra Cain (Orphan), which helps him focus on retaining his sanity. After pushing past
1008-499: A killer, and slowly lost his sanity. When he decided to become an actor again, he lashed out at a cast member and was fired. He then realized he had swapped DNA too much to hold his general form together, and became a massive clay creature, able to imitate any and all features except his own. As a part of the " Death of the Family " storyline, Poison Ivy breaks Basil Karlo out of Arkham, claiming she wants to marry him. This turns out to be
1080-418: A little tiresome always having him thinking. I found that as I went along Batman needed a Watson to talk to. That's how Robin came to be. Bob called me over and said he was going to put a boy in the strip to identify with Batman. I thought it was a great idea. Kane, who had previously created a sidekick for Peter Pupp, proposed adding a boy named Mercury who would have worn a "super-costume". Robinson suggested
1152-467: A means of returning Clayface to human form permanently. She asks him to stay in his monstrous form for as long as possible so she can chart the mental degradation he undergoes the longer he remains nonhuman. She also acts as his counselor when he despairs of a cure. Dr. October calls the Clayface persona a "fear response" that occurs Karlo's mind abandons empathy and embraces anger. Batman has Clayface wear
1224-564: A message for Cassandra Cain and then allows Dr. October to take him out of Gotham City. In a flashback, Clayface is among the villains who protect Ingrid Karlsson during a riot. Before Ingrid was killed by an inmate using a rogue batarang despite the villains getting her away from the riot, she gave birth to Astrid Arkham, who would later become the Arkham Knight . In Infinite Frontier , Basil Karlo, bringing Killer Croc , Firefly , Cheshire , and Knockout as potential allies seeking
1296-541: A normal human, along with the name " Robin ", after Robin Hood books he had read during boyhood, and noting in a 2005 interview he had been inspired by one book's N. C. Wyeth illustrations. The impetus came from Bill's wanting to extend the parameters of the story potential and of the drama. He saw that adding a sidekick would enhance the drama. Also, it enlarged the readership identification. The younger kids could then identify with Robin, which they couldn't with Batman, and
1368-421: A party, and Kane later offered him a job ghost writing the strips Rusty and Clip Carson . He recalled that Kane ...had an idea for a character called 'Batman', and he'd like me to see the drawings. I went over to Kane's, and he had drawn a character who looked very much like Superman with kind of ... reddish tights, I believe, with boots ... no gloves, no gauntlets ... with a small domino mask , swinging on
1440-479: 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
1512-500: A rope. He had two stiff wings that were sticking out, looking like bat wings. And under it was a big sign ... BATMAN. Finger said he offered such suggestions as giving the character a cowl and scalloped cape instead of wings; adding gloves; leaving the mask's eyeholes blank to connote mystery; and removing the bright red sections of the original costume, suggesting instead a gray-and-black color scheme. Finger additionally said his suggestions were influenced by Lee Falk 's The Phantom ,
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#17327752851821584-427: A ruse, however; Ivy is using him as part of a larger scheme. Upon realizing this, he seeks revenge. Karlo later returns with a new plan: to use his DNA -duplication abilities to impersonate Bruce Wayne and take control of Wayne Enterprises . He even guesses that Wayne is Batman's true identity. However, Batman plants false evidence to suggest that he anticipated Karlo's attempt to take his DNA and tricked him into taking
1656-687: A second chance. Then Karlo assures Selina that her Alleytown stronghold will inevitably come to a head with the Magistrate, which can be better served with formidable allies by her side. Clayface and Killer Croc attack Valley, giving Selina a chance to escape into the water, as the Magistrate Croc Tell Basil to retreat and before that Valley destroys Clayface with a grenade. The second version of Clayface, Matthew "Matt" Hagen , first appeared in Detective Comics #298. He
1728-682: A superhero. In instances where the supervillain does not have superhuman, mystical, or alien powers, the supervillain may possess a genius intellect or a skill set that allows them to draft complex schemes or commit crimes in a way normal humans cannot. Other traits may include megalomania and possession of considerable resources to further their aims. Many supervillains share some typical characteristics of real-world dictators , gangsters , mad scientists , trophy hunters , corrupt businesspeople , serial killers , and terrorists , often having an aspiration of world domination . The Joker , Lex Luthor , Doctor Doom , Magneto , Brainiac , Deathstroke ,
1800-475: 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. Donning the costume of Clayface, a villain he once played in a different movie, he begins killing the actors playing characters he killed in the order and way they die in the film, along with someone who knew his identity. Last, he plans to murder
1872-489: 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
1944-498: 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
2016-511: 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
2088-419: Is being manipulated and Hush will never help him after Hush tries to steal a sample of Cassius. Supervillain A supervillain or supercriminal is a variant of the villainous stock character . It is sometimes found in comic books and may possess superhuman abilities. A supervillain is the antithesis of a superhero . Supervillains are often used as foils to present a daunting challenge to
2160-541: Is disputed. Kane's position is that Bill Finger and I created the Joker. Bill was the writer. Jerry Robinson came to me with a playing card of the Joker. That's the way I sum it up. [The Joker] looks like Conrad Veidt —you know, the actor in The Man Who Laughs , [the 1928 movie based on the novel] by Victor Hugo . ... Bill Finger had a book with a photograph of Conrad Veidt and showed it to me and said, 'Here's
2232-421: 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
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2304-472: Is struck by a great cataclysm . He captures Batman and is about to kill him, but he gets into a feud with Mr. Freeze about who has a right to kill Batman. Using that distraction, Batman soundly defeats both of them. In Batman: No Man's Land , Karlo holds Poison Ivy prisoner in Robinson Park. After she is freed from her prison by Batman, Poison Ivy battles and defeats Karlo, sinking him deep into
2376-584: The Inspector Gadget animated series, Dr. Evil and Mr. Bigglesworth from the Austin Powers film series , or Dr. Blowhole from the animated TV series The Penguins of Madagascar . The overarching villain of Star Wars , Emperor Palpatine , leads the tyrannical Galactic Empire , and was inspired by real-world tyrannical leaders. Bob Kane Robert Kane ( né Kahn / k ɑː n / ; October 24, 1915 – November 3, 1998)
2448-622: 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
2520-591: 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 . Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane , the original Clayface, Basil Karlo, appeared in Detective Comics #40 (June 1940) as
2592-582: The Green Goblin , Loki , the Reverse-Flash , Black Manta , Ultron , Thanos , and Darkseid are some notable male comic book supervillains that have been adapted in film and television. Some notable female supervillains are Catwoman , Harley Quinn , Poison Ivy , Mystique , Hela , Viper , and the Cheetah . Just like superheroes, supervillains are sometimes members of groups, such as
2664-827: The Injustice League , the Sinister Six , the Legion of Doom , the Brotherhood of Mutants , the Suicide Squad , and the Masters of Evil . In the documentary A Study in Sherlock , writers Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss said they regarded Professor James Moriarty as a supervillain because he possesses genius-level intelligence and powers of observation and deduction, setting him above ordinary people to
2736-553: The Max Fleischer Studio as a trainee animator in the year of 1934. He entered the comics field two years later, in 1936, freelancing original material to editor Jerry Iger 's comic book Wow, What a Magazine! , including his first pencil and ink work on the serial Hiram Hick . The following year, Kane began to work at Iger's subsequent studio, Eisner & Iger , which was one of the first comic book "packagers" that produced comics on demand for publishers entering
2808-711: The "Mud Pack" is defeated, Karlo injects himself with blood samples from Preston Payne and Sondra Fuller, gaining the abilities to shapeshift and melt with a touch; he becomes the self-declared "Ultimate" Clayface. He is defeated by the combined efforts of Batman and Looker of the Outsiders by overloading his abilities, making him melt into the ground. He literally sinks into the Earth's crust when he loses control of his powers; he survives, however, and now his body sports crystals similar to quartz that endow him with greater power. Karlo escapes his underground prison when Gotham City
2880-453: The "creation of artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger". According to Kane, "Bill Finger was a contributing force on Batman right from the beginning. He wrote most of the great stories and was influential in setting the style and genre other writers would emulate ... I made Batman a superhero-vigilante when I first created him. Bill turned him into a scientific detective. The character debuted in Detective Comics #27 (May 1939) and proved
2952-452: The 1960s, he parlayed his Batman status into minor celebrity. He enjoyed a post-comics career in television animation , creating the characters Courageous Cat and Cool McCool , and as a painter showed his work in art galleries , although some of these paintings were produced by ghost artists. DC Comics named Kane in 1985 as one of the honorees in the company's 50th anniversary publication Fifty Who Made DC Great . In 1989, Kane published
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3024-532: The Bat-Man ." Kane said his influences for the character included actor Douglas Fairbanks 's film portrayal of the swashbuckler Zorro ; Leonardo da Vinci 's diagram of the ornithopter , a flying machine with huge bat-like wings; and the 1930 film The Bat Whispers , based on Mary Rinehart 's mystery novel The Circular Staircase (1908). Bill Finger joined Bob Kane's nascent studio in 1938. An aspiring writer and part-time shoe salesperson, he had met Kane at
3096-622: The Joker'. Jerry Robinson had absolutely nothing to do with it. But he'll always say he created it till he dies. He brought in a playing card , which we used for a couple of issues for him [the Joker] to use as his playing card. Robinson, whose original Joker playing card was on public display in the exhibition "Masters of American Comics" at the Jewish Museum in New York City, New York, from September 16, 2006 to January 28, 2007, and
3168-505: The Monster Men", the villainous Professor Hugo Strange uses a serum to transform living and dead human beings into horrific monsters. Batman initially suspects Karlo, who has broken out of Arkham Asylum. Realizing Karlo needs treatment more than imprisonment, Batman asks him to join his team. Karlo agrees, and working with Batman, Nightwing , Batwoman , Orphan , and Spoiler helps to defeat Strange's monsters. At one point, Karlo used
3240-508: The Opera and that the name of the character came from a combination of Boris Karloff and Basil Rathbone . While Earth-One's version of Clayface has a similar history, he was only seen in a flashback as Alice Chilton reminiscences about Bruce Wayne's growth from when her son Joe Chill shot Thomas Wayne and Martha Wayne to his path to becoming Batman. Clayface was later killed by John Carlinger during his attack on Carlinger's yacht. In
3312-488: The Post- Crisis continuity, Karlo languishes in a prison hospital, when the current Clayface (Sondra Fuller) visits him out of curiosity. Karlo proposes an alliance between all living Clayfaces to kill Batman and did an attempt to resurrect Matt Hagen. He even arranges for a small piece of the remains of Matt Hagen to be gathered to make him a post-mortem member of the " Mud Pack ", as the group called itself. Even though
3384-804: The William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum in Atlanta , Georgia from October 24, 2004 to August 28, 2005, has countered that: Bill Finger knew of Conrad Veidt because Bill had been to a lot of the foreign films. Veidt ... had this clown makeup with the frozen smile on his face (classic). When Bill saw the first drawing of the Joker, he said, 'That reminds me of Conrad Veidt in The Man Who Laughs .' He said he would bring in some shots of that movie to show me. That's how that came about. I think in Bill's mind, he fleshed out
3456-501: The actor playing the Clayface killer. He is foiled by Batman and Robin . He reappears after the prison ambulance he is riding in plunges off a cliff. He once again dons the mask of Clayface and targets Bruce Wayne's fiancée, Julie Madison . Once again, the Dynamic Duo foil his plans. A movie buff, Batman co-creator Bob Kane states that the character was partially inspired by the 1925 Lon Chaney , Sr. version of The Phantom of
3528-451: The alias of "Matt Hagen". The government agency A.R.G.U.S. creates a quarantine zone encompassing the neighborhood where the creature died, nicknaming it "Monstertown". A consultant for A.R.G.U.S., Dr. Victoria October , takes charge of "Monstertown", the area of Gotham City affected by Strange's serum. Clayface patrols the sewers beneath Monstertown, retrieving for Dr. October monsters created by leaking serum. Dr. October offers to work on
3600-420: The autobiography Batman and Me , with an updated edition Batman and Me: The Saga Continues , in 1996. Kane worked as a consultant on the 1989 film Batman and its three sequels with directors Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher . Stan Lee interviewed Kane in the documentary series The Comic Book Greats . Kane married his first wife, Beverly, in the 1940s, and the two divorced in 1957. They had
3672-415: The comic books but, unknown to DC, had hired his own personal ghosts, including Lew Schwartz and Sheldon Moldoff from 1953 to 1967. Bill Finger recalled that Robin was an outgrowth of a conversation I had with Bob. As I said, Batman was a combination of [Douglas] Fairbanks and Sherlock Holmes. Holmes had his Watson. The thing that bothered me was that Batman didn't have anyone to talk to, and it got
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#17327752851823744-555: The concept of the character. Robinson added, however, "If you read the Batman historian [E. Nelson] Bridwell , he had one interview where he interviewed Bill Finger and he said no, the Joker was created by me—an acknowledgement. He can be credited and Bob himself, we all played a role in it. ... He wrote the script of that, so he really was co-creator, and Bob and I did the visuals, so Bob was also." According to comics historian Les Daniels , "nearly everyone seems to agree that Two-Face
3816-580: The cure close to being finished, Clayface is captured by Glory when the villain First Victim takes over Arkham Asylum and releases her. Glory removes Clayface's wrist controller, and he goes insane. As Clayface rampages through Gotham to confront Batman, Batwoman obtains a weapon which can destabilize Karlo's molecular structure, killing him. During his attack on Old Wayne Tower, Karlo is accidentally doused with hundreds of gallons psychoactive mud, worsening his insanity. Dr. October attempts to cure Karlo, but
3888-569: The differences between the two types of clay. Basil Karlo is among the members of the Injustice League and is among the villains seen in Salvation Run . In Final Crisis , Clayface joins Libra 's Secret Society of Super Villains. He triggers an explosion at the Daily Planet under Libra's orders when Lex Luthor orders Libra to do something that will draw Superman to them. Black Mask attempts to control Karlo by implanting
3960-432: The effect is only temporary, and Batwoman kills Karlo. Three days later, Dr. October cures Glory Griffin, saying she did so only for the sake of Basil Karlo. Clayface did not die, however. Seven issues later, in Detective Comics #981, readers discover that Basil Karlo is still alive and retains his Clayface powers (at least to some degree). For reasons unstated, Dr. October conspired with him to fake his death. Karlo leaves
4032-466: 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,
4104-420: 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
4176-637: 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 . He is used to metaphorically represent sexually transmitted infections . 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
4248-498: The ground. It appears that the Ultimate Clayface is destroyed in this battle. In Infinite Crisis , Clayface resurfaces as a member of Alexander Luthor Jr. 's Secret Society of Super Villains . Later, he seeks to increase his already formidable powers by absorbing Wonder Woman (a clay construct similar to him), giving him an amount of powers that border on invulnerability. While he is successful in absorbing some of
4320-551: The heroine's powers, causing her to regress to a teenage appearance resembling Donna Troy , he is ultimately returned to normal when Wonder Woman and Donna were able to trick Clayface into entering a train carriage with Wonder Woman while she was disguised as Donna, Donna subsequently using the Lasso of Truth to swing the carriage around and turn it into a mystical centrifuge , causing the clay Clayface had taken from Wonder Woman to split away from him and re-merge with Wonder Woman due to
4392-594: The humor features "Ginger Snap" in More Fun Comics , "Oscar the Gumshoe" for Detective Comics , and "Professor Doolittle" for Adventure Comics . For that last title he went on to do his first adventure strip, "Rusty and his Pals". In early 1939, DC's success with the seminal superhero Superman in Action Comics prompted editors to scramble for more such heroes. In response, Bob Kane conceived "
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#17327752851824464-477: The new medium during its late-1930s and 1940s Golden Age . Among his work there was the talking animal feature "Peter Pupp"—which belied its look with overtones of "mystery and menace" —published in the U.K. comic magazine Wags and reprinted in Fiction House 's Jumbo Comics . Kane also produced work through Eisner & Iger for two of the companies that would later merge to form DC Comics, including
4536-501: The older ones with Batman. It extended the appeal on a lot of levels. The new character, an orphaned circus performer named Dick Grayson , came to live with Bruce Wayne as his young ward in Detective Comics #38 (April 1940) and would inspire many similar sidekicks throughout the Golden Age of comic books. Batman's nemesis the Joker was introduced near that same time, in Batman #1 (Spring 1940). Credit for that character's creation
4608-527: The original incarnation of Clayface . According to Kane, he drew the Penguin after being inspired by the then advertising mascot of Kool cigarettes—a penguin with a top hat and cane. Finger, however, claimed that he created the villain as a caricature of the aristocratic type, because "stuffy English gentlemen" reminded him of emperor penguins . In 1966, Kane retired from DC Comics, choosing to focus on fine art . As Kane's comic-book work tapered off in
4680-834: The point where only he can pose a credible threat to Sherlock Holmes . Fu Manchu is an archetypal evil criminal genius and mad scientist created by English author Sax Rohmer in 1913. The Fu Manchu moustache became integral to stereotypical cinematic and television depictions of Chinese villains. Between 1965 and 1969 Christopher Lee played Fu Manchu five times in film, and in 1973 the character first appeared in Marvel Comics . The James Bond arch-villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld (whose scenes often show him sitting on an armchair stroking his cat, his face unseen) has influenced supervillain tropes in popular cinema, including parodies like Dr. Claw and M.A.D. Cat from
4752-478: The set of the film he was fired from. Batman attempts to evacuate the set, but Clayface flings him off into the distance and begins massacring everyone in sight. As an added bit of revenge, Clayface disfigures Glory, who is working on the film as a production assistant, before Batman apprehends him. This incident leads Glory to become Mudface of the Victim Syndicate. In the 2016 Batman story arc "Night of
4824-501: 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
4896-449: The twelve-hour mark, Clayface loses his sanity and attacks Dr. October. Orphan intervenes, saving her life by putting the real bracelet back on. Victoria cares deeply for Karlo, and later calls him a "great friend". Dr. October expresses a desire to test her cure on a less serious case, and Karlo tells her of Glory Griffin. Karlo also tells Glory about the potential cure, although she refuses to forgive him for what he did to her. Later, with
4968-486: The two-part story "The Monk" that introduced some of The Batman's first "Bat-" equipment. In 1943, Kane left the Batman comic books to focus on penciling the daily Batman newspaper comic strip . DC Comics artists ghosting the comic-book stories now included Jack Burnley and Win Mortimer , with Robinson moving up as penciler and Fred Ray contributing some covers. After the strip finished in 1946, Kane returned to
5040-424: The world. Karlo's career is ruined, and his girlfriend Glory Griffin dumps him. Batman attempts to get Karlo to testify against the creator of Re-Nu, Roland Daggett, but he refuses. Instead, he attempts to break into the warehouse where the police are holding his stolen stash of Re-Nu. He is exposed to a massive dose of the chemical in the process and is transformed into a clay-like metahuman. Driven mad, he rampages on
5112-514: Was Kane's brainchild exclusively". Catwoman , originally introduced by Kane with no costume as "the Cat", was partially inspired by his cousin, Ruth Steel. Kane, a frequent moviegoer, mentioned that Jean Harlow was a model for the design and added that "I always felt that women were feline". Kane created the Scarecrow and drew his first appearance, which was scripted by Finger. Kane also created
5184-744: Was an American comic book writer, animator and artist who co-created Batman (with Bill Finger ) and most early related characters for DC Comics . He was inducted into the comic book industry's Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1993 and into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1996. Robert Kahn was born in New York City , New York . His parents, Augusta and Herman Kahn, an engraver, were of Ashkenazi Jewish descent. A high school friend of fellow cartoonist and future Spirit creator Will Eisner , Robert Kahn graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School and then legally changed his name to Robert Kane. He studied art at Cooper Union before joining
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