Shadow of the Batman #5
In "The Coming of... Clayface III!", Preston Payne's desperate attempt to cure his disfiguring condition backfires spectacularly, unleashing a terrifying transformation that turns his flesh into a malleable, liquid state. As he begins dissolving others into protoplasm to sustain himself, Batman finds himself drawn into a deadly game where every move could make him the next victim. Written by Len Wein and brought to life with haunting art by Marshall Rogers—both interior and cover—this 1986 issue delivers a chilling evolution of the Clayface mythos, with Rogers' distinctive style amplifying the dread of Payne’s grotesque metamorphosis.
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Preston Payne uses blood from Matt Hagen, the second Clayface, to try to change the effects of hyperpituitarism on his appearance. But the "cure" causes Payne's flesh to melt like wax and forces him to periodically dissolve others into protoplasm. When Batman interferes with Payne's theft of the components necessary to reverse his condition, he may become Clayface's next victim.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).