Clayface (real name Matt Hagen) was a disfigured actor who was transformed into a powerful, angry shapeshifter by Roland Daggett's Renuyu chemical. He became an enemy of the Batman and the Justice League.
History
Matt Hagen was a versatile actor, whose face was terribly damaged in an accident. He continued acting, masking the wound with an experimental cosmetic cream called renuyu. The manufacturer of Renuyu, Roland Daggett, blackmailed him into working for him. The first step was to frame his business rival Bruce Wayne: disguised as Wayne, he attempted to murder Lucius Fox. The scheme failed when Batman intervened.
Daggett was not finished with him, though. His henchmen Germs and Raymond Bell were ordered to kill him, and forced a large container of renuyu down his throat. But rather than killing Hagen, it transformed him into a giant clay monster.[1]
Clayface loses control
After learning about the powers the renuyu gave him, "Clayface" decided to retaliate against Daggett. He tried to kill Germs at the hospital, but was stopped by Batman. Later, he went after Daggett himself when he was on a talk show, but Batman interfered again. Batman lured him to the tv room, showing the former actor a multitude of his previous roles on the monitors, in an attempt to end the fight peacefully. Instead, this makes his powers go out of control. In a confused fury, he ends up shocking himself when he smashes the controls, resulting in his apparent death. It was later revealed that this Clayface was just a decoy, and that the real Clayface was still out there.[2]
Clayface clashed with the Batman several more times, and eventually was recruited into Gorilla Grodd's Secret Society of Super-Villains. This proved to be a fatal choice; during the Society's final battle with the Justice League, the Flash planted a half-dozen rockets into Clayface's form, and Hawkgirl ignited them. Clayface was sent rocketing into the stratosphere before exploding into atoms. While none of his body was ever recovered, he has not been seen since.[3][4]
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Metamorphosis: Clayface could shape his appearance into other forms, including smaller subjects. Sometimes this would happen automatically, like a reflex. He could also divide himself in multiple creations.
Abilities
- Acting: Accomplishing his shape changing abilities, Hagen was also a trained actor, which aided his disguises.
Weaknesses
- Mental Disorder: As a side effect of the Renuyu.
- Power Instability: Several times over, Clayface could barely manage to keep his physical body together.
- Vulnerability to Electricity
- Vulnerability to Water
Other Characteristics
- Drug Addiction (Formerly): Hagen's addiction to Renuyu led him to become Clayface.
Notes
- This version of the character is exclusive to the continuity of the DC Animated Universe and is an adaptation of Matt Hagen/Clayface. The original character was created by Bill Finger and Sheldon Moldoff and first appeared in Detective Comics #298.
- Clayface was voiced by Ron Perlman.
Recommended Reading
- Batman: "Feat of Clay, Part I"
- Batman: "Feat of Clay, Part II"
- Batman: "Mudslide"
- New Batman Adventures: "Growing Pains"
- Justice League: "Secret Society, Part I"
- Justice League: "Secret Society, Part II"
Related
- 38 Appearances of Matthew Hagen (DCAU)
- 12 Images featuring Matthew Hagen (DCAU)
- 5 Quotations by or about Matthew Hagen (DCAU)
- Character Gallery: Matthew Hagen (DCAU)
External Links
Footnotes
  Secret Society of Super-Villains member |
 Batman Villain(s) |
 This character is or was primarily an enemy of the Justice League, in any of its various incarnations. This template will categorize articles that include it into the category "Justice League Villains." |
 Robin Villain(s) |