Ethan Bennett

Ethan Bennett is a male animated television character who features in The Batman.

Biography

Ethan is one of the most respected members of the Gotham City Police Department, and Bruce Wayne's best friend. Whereas his partner, Detective Ellen Yin, sees things in black and white, Ethan sees the grey in most everything, and is more willing to allow the Batman to co-exist with the Gotham P.D. In fact, he often finds himself wondering if this caped vigilante he is pursuing is actually helping the city. During most of Season 1, Ethan defends Batman and his actions, while Yin often disagrees.

Detective Ethan Bennett served as a lead investigator for the Gotham City Police Department, operating under a strict mandate to apprehend the vigilante known as the Batman. During a high-stakes pursuit of a notorious criminal through the city streets, he coordinated with his partner, Ellen Yin, to establish a perimeter, though he privately expressed a level of professional respect for the masked detective's efficiency that his partner did not share. When a series of bold, high-tech thefts targeted Gotham's elite, Bennett led the forensic sweep of the crime scenes, identifying a pattern that pointed toward a flamboyant new criminal element. He attended a formal event at a local mansion where he interacted with Bruce Wayne, maintaining his professional cover while keeping a watchful eye on the crowd for potential threats. As the situation escalated and a hostage crisis unfolded at the hands of a theatrical, green-haired madman, Bennett disregarded orders to wait for backup and moved into the fray to protect innocent civilians. He found himself forced into an uneasy, unspoken alliance with the Batman during the ensuing chaos, providing tactical cover fire and distraction while the vigilante engaged the primary threat. Despite his success in helping to de-escalate the violence and secure the hostages, Bennett remained torn between his duty to uphold the law against unsanctioned vigilantes and his growing realization that the city’s traditional police force was ill-equipped to handle the rising tide of costumed insanity. (Episode: The Bat in the Belfry) Detective Ethan Bennett investigated a string of high-profile robberies where the crime scenes were left encased in thick layers of ice. He worked alongside his partner to track the movements of a new cryogenic-themed criminal, eventually arriving at the Gotham reservoir after the perpetrator threatened the city's water supply. During the confrontation, Bennett found himself caught in the middle of a three-way struggle between the police force, the Batman, and the thief known as Mr. Freeze. He attempted to execute a standard arrest, but his traditional police tactics proved ineffective against the villain's advanced cold-based weaponry, which nearly resulted in him being flash-frozen alongside his partner. Throughout the crisis, he grew increasingly frustrated with the department's inability to manage such a powerful threat, noting the disparity between his own equipment and the futuristic technology being used by both the criminal and the vigilante. When the Batman successfully incapacitated the villain by shattering his cryogenic helmet, Bennett moved in to secure the area and oversee the transport of the frozen culprit to a specialized holding cell. Despite the successful capture, he remained conflicted, acknowledging to his partner that the Batman's intervention had saved their lives while still being forced to participate in the ongoing pursuit of the vigilante as an outlaw. (Episode: Traction)

Ethan's superior, Chief Angel Rojas, orders the entire police force to take down every masked and costumed "freak" in Gotham City. Ethan protests, defending Batman as an asset to the city and crediting him with helping to capture the Joker. In response, an infuriated Rojas suspends him. (Episode: The Rubberface of Comedy)

Shortly afterwards, his skin began to take the form of clay as a result of exposure of Joker Putty. With his skin being rubbery, Bennett began to panic and tried to use his telephone to call help but his fingers were unable to manifest properly. In this state he began to move outside his apartment where the public became terrified of him. This led to the police coming to the scene and Ethan attempted to speak to them but his speech was slurred as his body was not under his control. As a result, the officers were threatened by Ethan Bennett as they did not know of his true identity and started to attack him. The incident led to the public referring to him as a Clayfaced creature and saw the Fire Department arriving at the scene. This resulted in the police attacking Bennett and the Fire Department spraying water on him that led to the pleading Ethan dissolving into clay that spilt into the sewer. He would later manage to regain some control over his body and formed an eye in the sewer where he witnessed the police chief declaring a campaign against "freaks". As a result, an angry Ethan as Clayface confronted his former superior Chief Rojas in his office and attacked him. Whilst fighting him, the Batman arrived in the scene and kicked Clayface back where Ethan attempted to plead to the Dark Knight for help. However, as his words came out slurred in his new form, Batman was unable to understand him and Bennett was forced to flee from the police station by escaping onto the neighboring roofs. (Episode: The Clayface of Tragedy)

Clayface returns where he goes to Arkham Asylum to kill the Joker, but Batman stops him. Clayface later goes on trial for his crimes, with Hugo Strange giving him a clean bill of mental health. He is put on probation: if he uses his powers again, he will be put back in Arkham. Clayface becomes Ethan Bennett again, and gets a job from his friend, Bruce Wayne. (Episode: Meltdown)

When the Joker breaks out of Arkham to wreak chaos, Ethan becomes determined to save others from his fate, and becomes Clayface again in an attempt to stop the Clown Prince of Crime. At first, he and Batman work together to bring the crazed supervillain down, but after Batman confronts him for his violation of court orders, Ethan feels betrayed. He becomes Clayface permanently (or so as the people of Gotham thought), and is put back in Arkham.

Clayface shape-shifts into the undead creature, Solomon Grundy, to loot Gotham City on Halloween, to take advantage of a supposed curse involving Grundy. He is encased in wax after a fight with Batman and put back in Arkham Asylum. (Episode: Grundy's Night)

Ethan later promises to give up his life of crime to use his powers for good. Together, Ethan and Batman confront Basil Karlo, the new Clayface. At the end of the episode, Ethan is cured from his condition when Batman fires an antidote into the two, and he is peacefully taken away to Arkham. (Episode: Clayfaces)

In the episode "Artifacts", a computer screen set in the future indicated that Ethan would later be released for his good behavior, reinstated back into the Gotham PD and becomes the new Chief in the year 2027.

Overview

Powers and abilities

He was able to project his form as a stream of clay and propel himself at great distances thus allowing him to jump across rooftops. His shapeshifting nature meant he could harden his skin for protection and shape his limbs into weapons. (Episode: The Clayface of Tragedy)

Appearances

• The Batman: "The Clayface of Tragedy" (2005)

External Link

• Wikipedia Entry

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