EPISODE NUMBER: 13, Production Code 113

PLOT SUMMARY:

Ethan is at his apartment mutating into a featureless gray-clase figure and staggers out of the building, only to terrify the locals. The police arrive but they don't recognize him and he inadvertently attacks one of them and they call for reinforcements. Bruce is concerned about Ethan and his run-in with the Joker when he gets the alert. The police have surrounded Ethan and use firehoses on him, causing him to flow down into the sewers before Batman can intervene. Batman goes down into the sewers while Chief Rojas calls a press conference and announces his zero-tolerance policy on all criminals, including Batman. Ethan has resurfaced nearby and hears Rojas' speech.

As "Clayface," Ethan confronts Rojas as Batman arrives and saves him - Ethan stretches out and across to the nearby buildings and Batman follows but the two fight to a standstill. Detective Yin arrives but doesn't recognize Ethan, and both Batman and Clayface escape. Batman analyzes a sample and determines Clayface is a mutated human, but the sample escapes. Ethan returns to his apartment and uses a picture of himself to restructure his features back to "normal." Yin arrives and Ethan passes as normal for her, but she notices he has clay on him and Ethan can't hold his shape. Bruce and Alfred are searching the Batcave for the sample, which attaches itself to Alfred's face. Bruce freezes it and connects it to the Joker's putty and from there to Ethan who was exposed to the substance.

Rojas is under guard at a safehouse when Yin arrives - she expresses her concerns about Ethan and gets in, but it turns out Ethan has shapechanged into Yin and captures Rojas. The real Yin calls Bruce because she's figured out Ethan's secret as well but she keeps her suspicions to herself. Yin goes to the safehouse and figures out Ethan was there as her earlier, and discovers Rojas is gone. The policemen outside spot another heavyset cop who's Ethan with Rojas inside of him. Ethan knocks out the policemen and escapes with Rojas as Yin pursues. Batman gets the radio alert and figures out he's heading for the East Gotham Gym, as does Yin.

Batman arrives and Ethan invites him to watch as he disposes of Rojas. When Batman refuses and Yin arrives, Ethan displays the full range of his powers but Batman and Yin try to persuade him he still has a choice. Ethan is clearly insane from the Joker's treatments and tries to kill Rojas, but Batman manages to freeze him and force him to flee.In the locker room, Ethan confronts Batman who tries to use water on him from the showers, but there's not enough pressure to dilute him. Yin makes an appeal to him and he flees through the drain pipe rather then hurt her or anyone else. Yin remembers her vow to remove an unconscious Batman's mask the last time they met, but when he wakes up his mask is intact and she tells him she doesn't know what to believe anymore. But she knows one thing - the city needs Batman. He gives her a communication device to get hold of her before disappearing. Later Bruce and Yin get together and vow to help Ethan ... together. She gets a brief glimpse of Ethan outside ... before he disappears into the crowds.

WRITTEN BY: Greg Weisman

DIRECTED BY: Seung Eun-Kim

CAST:
Rino Romano (Bruce Wayne / Batman)
Alastair Duncan (Alfred Pennyworth)
Ming-Na (Detective Ellen Yin)
Steve Harris (Detective Ethan Bennett)
Kevin Michael Richardson (the Joker)
Jesse Corti (Chief Angel Rojas)

QUOTES:
Bruce: When Ethan talked about having coffee together, I never dreamed it would be without him.

Clayface: Joker didn't just melt my skin. He melted my mind, too. I'm a freak inside and out.

INTERESTING NOTES:
- Ethan's transition to Clayface echoes B: TAS character Harvey Dent/Two Face. Both were friends of Bruce Wayne who later became part of the Rogue's Gallery of Villains.
- Unlike the Batman: TAS Clayface, this is a different character, Ethan Bennett, with a different villain origin.

SCREEN GRABS: