ISFP – the Composer, the Seeker, the Virtuoso
(aka: Matt Hagen)
I really dug Clayface as a kid simply because of the fantastic possibilities that being a shape-shifter offered (this was also around the time of Terminator 2 and Deep Space Nine, which both offered similar gooey shape-changers). He’s probably the villain I’d have the most fun being because of those powers, and certainly the one I imagined myself as the most often, but unfortunately, he’s a really sad guy. Maybe one of Batman’s most tragic tales—a man who loses himself and literally goes to pieces.
I have to credit the writer at The Animated Batman for his insight into the psychology of Clayface that informed my thoughts as I wrote this profile.
Dominant Function: (Fi) Introverted Feeling, “The Deep Well”
Anything bad you’ve ever wanted to say about us Fi-doms you can say about Matt Hagen—self-absorbed, vain, selfish, and run by the whim of his damaged emotions.
From the start, he’s lost in own grief and anger over being disfigured in a car accident. Even after he latches on to a miracle cure in order to continue his acting career, he continues to fume bitterly over what he’s lost, unable to get over it. He just wants to be left alone to stew in his own emotional cesspool.
He denies any attempt to comfort or help him, abusing those who care about him while feeding on their patience and generosity—from his buddy Teddy, to his girlfriend Stella, even Batman.
He once had an identity as a handsome movie star, but after he loses that, Clayface doesn’t know who he is. “I’m not an actor anymore! I’m not even a man,” he says. He rages at Stella for watching his old movies because he doesn’t want to reminded of who he used to be.
Just like a dominant Thinking function doesn’t mean a person is necessarily logical or rational, having a Feeling function at the top of his stack doesn’t mean that Clayface has a healthy grasp on his emotions or identity. It only means he makes his decisions from that function, and if it’s off-balance or has no strong core to start from, it just produces chaos. It’s entirely possible that Matt Hagen didn’t have much of a personality to begin with, and when he lost the façade of the attractive actor, he realized there was nothing underneath.
Auxiliary Function: (Se) Extraverted Sensing, “The Kitchens”
Matt Hagen the movie star showed great skill in changing his appearance for every role, trying on different physical identities—as long as they were handsome. As Clayface, he discovers that he can change his entire form at will. It happens “automatically, like a reflex.” He adapts quickly to the needs of his situation, forming new personas and weapons, and taking advantage of his malleable form to escape by jumping off buildings and sloshing away.
Matt’s impulsive side shows up when he too-quickly accepts Dagget’s offer to try the experimental face cream after his accident. He wants a quick fix, and a return of his famous physical attractiveness. Once the cream has him hooked, causing physical pain if he goes without it, he can’t stop using it for fear that the public will see his damaged face.
In his fight with Batman at the television studio, Clayface goes out big, faking his own very dramatic, very gruesome death.
Tertiary Function: (Ni) Introverted Intuition, “The Labyrinth”
Clayface made a snap decision that forever altered the course of his life—taking an experimental treatment without considering the possible consequences. He couldn’t process a future for himself post-accident, and just wanted to return to the simple pleasures of a pretty face and movie stardom. He does show some forward-thinking deviousness when he fakes his own death, though, and also later upon his return, when he strikes out on a one-man crime wave to finance his treatment.
Inferior Function: (Te) Extraverted Thinking, “The Workshop”
Clayface’s failing physiological integrity is a perfect metaphor for a Te-inferior who can’t keep it together. His plans are selfish and short-sighted, but he presses on stubbornly, doubling down on his anger and rage to get it done. He verbally abuses Teddy and Stella to keep them in line, and throws his considerable new mass around to get his way, exulting in the power he has over people to frighten them with his monstrous form. When he decides to finally end his score with Batman, he blindly pushes the fight out to a cliff, ignoring the rain that soaks into his cellular structure.
Ultimately, he takes his fight too far, and Clayface falls apart.
Heroes & Villains of MBTI 