10 DC Animated Universe Fates Worse Than Death
9. Being Clayface - Batman: The Animated Series
The big difference between the Batman villains and the rest of the DC universe's rogues gallery, the reason why they stand out from the rest, is because they all have some aspect of their backstory that makes them more tragic figures than antagonists. And one villain in particular lives an existence that can best be described as nightmarish: Clayface.
Clayface in the DCAU was an actor named Matt Hagen who was in deep with the mob, and so had to become a gopher in order to keep the holders of his leash nice and happy. Fortunately he was a master of disguise, able to even frame Bruce Wayne for corruption thanks to a special cream that makes the face as malleable as clay.
But when Hagen outlived his usefulness, the mob decided to do away with him by dumping the toxic cream all over him, transforming him into the monstrous Clayface.
The effects of the transformation on his mental state vary from writer to writer in the comics, but in the animated universe, it's clearly had a severely negative impact on his mind, to the point where parts of his personality can break off into a separate consciousness and have no memory of being a clay creature.