Batwoman Introduces the Arrowverse's Version of Clayface
It's been a month since Batwoman's third season came to a close, and fans have definitely been curious about the long-term future of the series. In the meantime, The CW series' characters and concepts recently got a different kind of spotlight in Earth-Prime: Batwoman #1, the first in a string of comic book one-shots spotlighting different DC shows on the network. The issue was chock-full of reveals and surprises — as well as the introduction of an iconic Batman villain. Spoilers for Earth-Prime: Batwoman #1, from Natalie Abrams, Kelly Larson, Camrus Johnson, Clayton Henry, Michael Calero, Marcelo Maiolo, Matt Herms, and Tom Napolitano below! Only look if you want to know!
The issue's first (and main) story takes place midway through the events of Season 3, as Ryan Wilder / Batwoman (Javicia Leslie) is attempting to wrangle the remaining Batman villain trophies, all amid the backdrop of Mary Hamilton's (Nicole Kang) turn as Poison Mary and Marquis Jet (Nick Creegan) taking over Ryan's life as the new Joker. All the while, Ryan has to deal with the latest trophy — Clayface's mud, which has gotten loose in Gotham City and bonded with a young boy named Tanner. Ryan tries and fails to defeat Tanner, as he is only bested by the arrival of rain, which dissolves him into a liquid form.
Throughout the issue, Ryan, Luke Fox (Camrus Johnson), and Lena Luthor (Katie McGrath), the latter of whom is visiting from National City, try to figure out a way to defeat Tanner's version of Clayface. After realizing that Tanner is targeting his school bullies, Ryan finds and stops him, utilizing the technology from Mr. Freeze's cold gun to freeze him solid. The issue's final sequence sees Tanner taken to Arkham Asylum and kept in a freezing cold vault, where he is visited by a mysterious figure who seems to be recruiting him for some sort of larger anti-superhero effort, and provides him a portal to teleport out of prison.
Clayface had first been confirmed to exist in the Arrowverse all the way back in the "Elseworlds" crossover event, when a name on a door at Arkham Asylum featured the name "B. Karlo", a reference to the original version of the character, Basil Karlo. The supervillain was then further teased in the end of Season 2, with the vault of Bat trophies including Clayface's mud. While this version of the character didn't initially debut onscreen (and might not, depending on whether or not Batwoman gets renewed for a fourth season), the otherworldly nature of Clayface's powers get to thrive in comics.
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