The Penguin: Eve's last name connects to a Batman villain

Catching Easter Eggs in superhero shows and movies is one of the best things about being a comic book fan. You see things that the average viewer wouldn’t. However, sometimes a show is so good that you miss things. This is the case for this writer with The Penguin.

The Penguin on HBO Max has been so good that I missed Eve's last name, Karlo. If you’re wondering why that’s a big deal, it directly ties into one of Batman’s more dangerous villains, Basil Karlo who eventually became Clayface. Who is Clayface? Let's take a look.

The story of Clayface

In Detective Comics No. 40, Bruce Wayne is visiting a movie set. While there, he notices that something is up. Days later, Bruce returns to the set and one of the stars (Lorna Dane) is mysteriously killed. Bruce returns as Batman with his sidekick, Robin. Batman leaves to see if her ex (Fred Walker) is involved. Batman arrives at Fred’s house to see that Fred was murdered too. The last thing Fred said was, “Clayface…”

"He recognized me in my Clayface disguise when I got Lorna. He wanted to blackmail me so I killed him." -Basil Karlo

Eventually, Batman and Robin find the killer who used makeup to disguise his face. It ends up being (you guessed) Basil Karlo. Basil hated that someone else was starring in one of his old projects and wanted the production halted. Walker recognized Basil when he killed Lorna, so Karlo killed Fred to cover his tracks.

Writer's note: Read Detective Comics No. 40 created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane for the entire story.

The next Clayface (Matthew Hagen) debuted in Detective Comics No. 298. Unlike Basil, he was like the Clayface we know who can changed his body into various things. He’s also the version seen in Batman: The Animated Series.

How does this connect to The Penguin

Does this mean that Eve Karlo is destined to become Clayface? It doesn’t. There are a bunch of options. Among them is the possibility that they’re blood-related. It’s an easy explanation and would still connect to Basil Karlo. Down the line, Eve could call in a favor to her Hollywood brother, uncle, or father. Maybe Basil needs help from Oz to get out of trouble or have applications pushed so his project can be filmed in Gotham.

"You’re playing a dangerous game with this, Oz. You think I want Sofia Falcone knocking on my door?" -Eve Karlo

It would be cool if Eve becomes Clayface. Carmen Ejogo (who plays Eve) is a proven actress who could portray a different kind of Clayface. Being an actor is a big part of the character, but who’s to say Eve didn’t attempt to act, failed, and ended up at her current job? Furthermore, other versions of Clayface have popped up over the years. Basil Karlo happens to have been Clayface since DC Comics New 52.

We’ll have to wait and see if Eve Karlo’s character leads to a different role or if this was just a name to make comic book fans think. Either way, Caped Crusades will be here to report it.

Do you want to see Eve as Clayface? Would you prefer Matthew Hagen? We want to hear from you. You can email us at entertainment@fansided.com.