THE DC Universe just brought its first major Batman villain to the franchise – and it could have killed them off just as quickly. Creature Commands kicked off the DCU for audiences, with the show serving as the opening to DCU Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters, and a prelude of sorts to the 2025 Superman film and its July release date. That being said, Creature Commands has done an admirable job of bringing many key figures from different corners of DC lore into the franchise since its first possibility.
In just the space of five episodes, the Creature Commands the cast was expanded to include Circe – a notable Wonder Woman villain – and technically a good portion of the DCU's roster of heroes, albeit by showing them dead in a theoretical dystopian future that Circe warns the show's heroes about. Creature Commands Episode 5 also brings a prominent Batman villain to the forefront of the DCU, providing the franchise with its first major member of the Dark Knight's rogues gallery.
Creature Commandos introduces Clayface from the DCU
Creature Commands Episode 5 Introduces DC Universe's Version of Clayface to the Worldrevealing that the villain is posing as Isla MacPherson – the woman who saw Circe's supposed vision of the future alongside Amanda Waller – who is in fact already dead, with Clayface presumably taking her place during the scenes with Isla in the previous episode.
This is especially interesting given that Clayface is the first known Batman villain in the DCU – since while Doctor Phosphorus is also an antagonist to Batman in the comics, for example, he isn't on Batman's main roster of villains in the same way. that Clayface is, and in fact may not even be, known to many viewers as a comedic nemesis of the Dark Knight. With a lot of anticipation building for Batman's solo film The brave and daringthis is an interesting foundation for the franchise to implement – although Clayface's face at the end of this episode certainly complicates things in that regard.
Creature Commandos Episode 5 appears to kill off Clayface
Creature Commands Episode 5 shows Rick Flag Sr. and Eric Frankenstein entering the house where it turns out Isla's dead body and Clayface are searching for answers to what's going on. Naturally, this quickly results in a fight between Clayface and the duo, showing off his powers and leaving the series to showcase yet another dramatic fight scene.
Although Clayface lands some considerable blows – and for a period of time it appears he can take down both opponents, he is finally defeated by Frankenstein who attacks himself and Clayface with an electrical cord. This explodes the villain, leaving him in pieces on the floor..
As such, the episode certainly seems to suggest that he killed Clayface shortly after the Batman villain's introduction – particularly since the serious damage that Clayface caused to Rick Flag Sr. is arguably more justified on a narrative level if Clayface himself died in the fight, as this adds even more drama to the battle. That said, given the specific villain under discussion, things may not be as simple as they seem.
Why Clayface's Creature Commands Death May Not Be Permanent
Most of the other characters basically being turned into dead mulch would mean that viewers could be pretty confident that they've just witnessed a permanent death in whatever story they're watching. For Clayface, however, things are a little less harsh, as his usual body composition means that things that would definitely have killed other people serve as an inconvenience to him.
In fact, there is precedent for Clayface returning from apparent destruction in the comics, as well as stories that have explored the idea that Clayface's form can be split into several different bodies – something best evidenced by Katherine Karlo, a sort of daughter of Clayface who was created by him and therefore shares his powers. With this whole scenario in mind, It is possible that this version of Clayface was not the only Clayface “body” operating at that time, or failing that, Clayface's specific physiology means that this seemingly fatal end result is only a temporary setback..
Given the potential of Batman facing Clayface present for the DC Universe, any of these possibilities would be worthwhile, as they would allow for future Clayface stories in the franchise rather than ending the character's arc almost immediately after it began. Hopefully future installments from either Creature Commands or other DC Universe projects shed more light on Clayface's fate, whatever the case.
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