You want more Clayface body horror? Check out Mudslide!

By Alex Wiggan

If you recently watched the comic book body horror, Clayface, you enjoyed the film but want even more body horror, then there is one place you need to go – over to ‘90s hit TV show, Batman: The Animated Series. Here you’ll want to check out the episode, Mudslide.

Mudslide marks the second appearance of Clayface, following the character’s debut in the two-part story, Feat of Clay. In Mudslide, Matt Hagen, aka Clayface, has resurfaced following his apparent death during his previous encounter with Batman, but while Hagen might be back on the scene, he’s not quite what he was.

Hagen’s body is now breaking down. Not only is he leaving traces of himself behind, but all the shapeshifting and holding himself together is wearing him out.

With the help of Dr. Stella Bates, a devoted fan, Hagen undergoes specialist treatments to keep his body intact. But the treatments are expensive and don’t last long.

However, Dr. Bates has found a new solution via a mutagen compound known as MP-40. Introducing MP-40 into Hagen’s body should allow him to retain his composition and become human again (or at least human-like).

The only large source of MP-40 is at Wayne Biomedical. So, Clayface sets out to steal the supply in order to make himself whole again.

But of course, this puts him in the path of Batman, who manages to track down Clayface at Dr. Bates’ cliff top lab. A scuffle ensues, with Clayface almost suffocating Batman.

The Caped Crusader manages to free himself from Clayface’s grasp and the fight moves outside into the rain. The rain causes a further breakdown of Hagen’s body and after he falls into the surrounding sea, his body dissolves in the water suggesting he has died for the second time.

Now, while the Clayface two-parter, Feat of Clay was very much about setting up Hagen’s transformation, as well as showcasing his abilities, Mudslide focuses largely on what happens next. Hagen’s body begins to deteriorate, his structural integrity starts to wane, and he’s at the risk of coming apart permanently.

All of this leads to an interesting development of the character, but also plenty of scenes of body horror. Mudslide is less concerned with showing Hagen highlighting his skills, and is way more interested in seeing him melt in rather unpleasant ways.

One particularly unsettling scene takes place after Clayface has stolen a batch of MP-40 and is making his escape on a train. Disguised as a female scientist, he begins to lose his structure, turning into a lump of clay in front of other passengers.

Clayface soon pulls himself back together, but remnants of his body are stuck to the inside of the carriage. There’s clay on the window, and clay on the floor – or rather, parts of Hagen on the window and on the floor.

It’s creepy, it’s unnerving, and it’s visually impactful. Here is Hagen, a once powerful foe, now beginning to resemble ice cream on a warm summer’s day.

But this isn’t the only extent of the body horror on display in Mudslide. One of the episode’s greatest scenes takes place during the final act, when Clayface and Batman fight it out.

Fed up of Batman’s interference, Clayface pulls the Caped Crusader towards him, dragging him into his body. Covering Batman completely, Clayface cuts off Batman’s air supply.

Batman struggles to free himself, and attempts to physically escape Clayface’s body. But Clayface refuses to let him leave, and pushes him back in.

For a moment it’s uncertain what will happen next, as Dr. Bate’s questions whether or not Batman is dead. Clayface responds. “Almost. I can feel his heart slowing. Slowing. Hahahah.”

But of course, Clayface’s confidence and arrogance gets in the way, and Batman manages to escape. This in turn leads to their final fight, which takes place outside the lab, on a cliffside in the rain.

With his body absorbing the rain water, Hagen struggles to keep himself together. And as the two fall over the side of the cliff, Batman is unable to hold onto Hagen, as his body literally slips through Batman’s fingers.

Mudslide ends with Hagen’s apparent death. His melting body enters the sea, where it breaks up amongst the saltwater, finally dissolving into nothing.

Fans of Batman: The Animated Series will know this wasn’t actually the end of Clayface, as Hagen returned in further episodes. But none were as effective at showing the horror of Clayface’s body problems as Mudslide.

The episode retained Hagen’s character traits from Feat of Clay, including his ego and arrogant personality, while at the same time upped the body horror to show the continued impact of his transformation. The scenes of Hagen melting are some of the best in the show, and ensured Clayface became one of the most memorable foes in the series’ history.