Ethan Bennett
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| Ethan Bennett | |
 Ethan Bennett as he appeared on The Batman |
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| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | as Ethan Bennett: The Bat in the Belfry (ep. 1.01) (aired September 11, 2004) as Clayface: The Clayface of Tragedy (ep. 1.13) (aired May 7, 2005) |
| In story information | |
| Full name | Ethan Bennett |
| Team affiliations | Gotham City Police Department |
| Notable aliases | Clayface |
| Abilities | Currently: De-powered Formerly: Shapeshifting |
Ethan Bennett is a fictional character created specifically for the animated television series The Batman. He is voiced by Steve Harris, and made his debut in the episode "The Bat in the Belfry." His appearance is a mirror of the DCU character Crispus Allen.
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[edit] Chracter History
[edit] Early life in Gotham PD
In The Batman, Ethan is one of the most respected members of the Gotham City Police Department, and Bruce Wayne's best friend. Whereas his partner, Detective Ellen Yin, sees things in black and white, Ethan sees the grey in most everything, and is more willing to allow the Batman to co-exist with the Gotham P.D. In fact, he often finds himself wondering if this caped vigilante he is pursuing is actually helping the city. During most of Season 1, Ethan defends the Batman and his actions, while Yin often disagrees.
In the episode "The Rubberface of Comedy," Ethan's superior, Chief Rojas, ordered the entire police force to take down every masked and costumed "freak" in Gotham City. Ethan protested, defending the Batman as an asset to the city and crediting him with helping to capture the Joker. In response, an infuriated Rojas suspends him.
[edit] Becoming Clayface
Prior to his dismissal from the force, Ethan was captured and tortured by the Joker, and nearly driven insane. Yin and the Batman rescued him, but not before he was exposed to the Joker's "Joker Putty" formula; inhaling it, Ethan began immediately coughing, and the formula took effect.
When "Joker Putty" touches a surface, it turns it to just that: a moldable putty. When Ethan inhaled it, the concoction infested his system, turning his entire body into a malleable substance, and transforming him into Clayface, a deadly shapeshifting monster who used his powers to get revenge on Joker which makes him more of an anti-hero than a villain.
Still feeling angry towards Chief Rojas for firing him, Clayface kidnapped Rojas and attempted to kill him, but was foiled by the Batman and Yin, and escaped capture by slithering down a drain pipe. During a talk between Bruce Wayne and Yin in a diner, Clayface appeared for a few seconds, and the two ran after him. However, he had disappeared before they could catch him.
Clayface returned in the episode "Meltdown", where he went to Arkham Asylum to kill the Joker, but the Batman stopped him. Clayface later went on trial for his crimes, with Hugo Strange giving him a clean bill of mental health. He was put on probation: if he uses his powers again, he will be put back in Arkham. Clayface became Ethan Bennett again, and got a job from his friend, Bruce Wayne.
At first, Ethan wanted to go on with his normal life, but his crime spree as Clayface had effectively ruined his reputation. When the Joker broke out of Arkham to wreak chaos, Ethan became determined to save others from his fate, and became Clayface again in an attempt to stop the Joker. At first, he and the Batman worked together to bring the crazed supervillain down, but after the Batman confronts him for his violation of court order, Ethan felt betrayed. He became Clayface permanently, and was put back in Arkham.
In the episode "Grundy's Night," Clayface shape-shifted into the undead creature, Solomon Grundy, to loot Gotham City on Halloween, to take advantage of a supposed curse involving Grundy. He decided the families of those supposed cursed, but was encased in wax after a fight with the Batman and put back in Arkham Asylum.
[edit] Cured
In the episode "Clayfaces," Ethan fought a new Clayface. In the episode, he promised to give up his life of crime to use his powers for good. Together, Ethan and the Batman confronted Basil Karlo, the new Clayface. At the end of the episode, Ethan was cured from his condition when the Batman fired an antidote into the two, and he was taken away to Arkham Asylum. While there, Ethan was visited by Bruce Wayne, hoping that they could play basketball again after he is released.
It is hinted in "Artifacts" that he was permanently cured, and became the new Chief of Gotham PD in the year 2027.
[edit] Appearances
As Ethan Bennett:
- The Bat in the Belfry
- Traction
- Call of the Copplepot
- The Man Who Would Be Bat
- The Big Chill
- The Cat and the Bat (cameo)
- Topsy Turvey
- The Rubberface of Comedy
- The Clayface of Tragedy
- Meltdown
- Clayfaces
As Clayface:
[edit] In other media
The character was incorporated (to a limited extent) into The Batman Strikes! comic book series after his appearance in the animated series.
In the comic book The Batman Strikes!, Clayface pulled a stunt similar to turning into Solomon Grundy and turned into Catwoman to frame her for his robberies. In "Hit and Run", he turns into Joker and steals the Batmobile to get Batman to find Joker's hideout so he can take his revenge. In "Escape," he was manipulated by Hugo Strange to steal a chip that would help him get rid of the "voices" in his head. However, Strange used it to control him, and turned him into a giant designed to wreak havoc on the city. He was eventually freed by the Batman, and the two worked together to stop Strange.
[edit] External links
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