Clock King

Clock King
General Information
Real name:	William Tockman
First Appearance:	World's Finest Comics #111 (August, 1960)
Created by:	France Herron (writer) Lee Elias (artist)
Affiliations:	Injustice League Justice League Time Foes Suicide Squad
Abilities:	Absolute time sense Uses clock-related gadgetry Accomplished swordsman
Portrayed by:	Alan Rachins Walter Slezak

Clock King is a title used by two fictional supervillains. The first Clock King debuted in World's Finest Comics #111 (August 1960), and was created by France Herron and Lee Elias.

Publication history

The first Clock King was originally an enemy of Green Arrow, but has become more identified by his appearances in Justice League International and Suicide Squad, and subsequent adaptations in Batman: The Animated Series. He has no super-powers or abilities other than a rigid sense of order and timing. Clock King is a master planner and sometimes uses clock-themed gadgetry. He wears a clock mask, a cape, and a blue suit with clock drawings on it.

History

William Tockman

Born William Tockman, Clock King spends his early years taking care of his invalid sister. One day he finds out from a doctor's visit that he himself only has six months to live. Despairing for his sister's future, he watches the timing of a local bank's vault in order to rob it, hoping the money would provide for his sister after he was gone. His caper would have gone successfully, had he not tripped a silent alarm and been caught by the Green Arrow.

While he is incarcerated, his sister dies alone. In further hideous irony, Tockman discovers that he really isn't terminally ill; his doctor had accidentally switched his papers with those of another patient. Infuriated, he escapes, later futilely attempting revenge on the Green Arrow.

The Clock King goes on to join Major Disaster's Injustice League, which becomes Justice League Antarctica. This JLA includes G'Nort, who ends up saving the lives of the entire team. Like his compatriots, Clock King becomes an ardent supporter of Maxwell Lord, partly due to the fact he is the only one willing to hire them. His group even guards Lord when he is incapacitated by a bullet wound.

Later, Clock King leads his own, separate team of villains in a mission. They consist of Radiant, Sharpe, Acidia and Crackle. They are not as well-organized as even the Injustice League. For example, Crackle still lives with his mother and they have to take the bus to their fight. It takes place at a Metropolis toy store. They end up fighting one of the many incarnations of the Teen Titans, the heroes Booster Gold and Firehawk and DEO agent Cameron Chase. An unclear super-effect from Chase ultimately neutralizes Clock's team and they are all imprisoned. Clock himself escapes on another bus.

Death

Later, Clock's friends are transformed into the new Suicide Squad. They are sent to a remote research facility where a genetic monstrosity is holding its creator hostage. Its main defenses are spawned "children" that could explode. During the mission, most of the team are seemingly killed, including Clock King, who is shot repeatedly in a retreat attempt. He is seen still alive after his brutal wounds but, in the end, Major Disaster believes he is the only one who survives. It turns out Cluemaster, shot in a similar manner as Clock King, survives, albeit with drastic scarring. (Suicide Squad (second series) #1).

Clock King is not seen for a period of time after Infinite Crisis. In an issue of 52, one character decides to kill all the time-travelers, and mentions someone "ending up like Time Commander and Clock Queen".

Teen Titans Clock King

A new Clock King appears in Teen Titans #56 as the head of a team of legacy villains named the Terror Titans. In an interview with Teen Titans writer Sean McKeever, he described this Clock King as "...Very smart. He sees things differently than others." His costume is similar to the suit worn by the Clock King seen in Batman: The Animated Series, although with clock faces on the tie and lapel as well as the lenses of his glasses. Underneath the glasses, his eyes are completely black. After his group defeats and captures Kid Devil, Clock King conditions the hero to be sold as a fighter to a group called "The Dark Side Club". Clock King then brings the Titans to his base of operations, a dimension outside of time. After besting Robin, Clock King is stymied by Ravager, who possesses similar precognitive abilities. He offers Ravager a chance to join him, but she refuses. Clock King then removes the Titans from his base and decides to move on to new plans. Ravager ultimately reconsiders his earlier offer.

Powers and Abilities

Original

• The original Clock King has no metahuman powers or abilities, although he is athletic and extraordinarily smart. He extensively uses clock and time related gimmicks to devastating effect. His primary weapon is a sword forged in the shape of a clock's hand that doubles as a walking stick, and his skill in swordsmanship is such that even Batman himself could not defeat him single combat, as shown in "The Clock King" Episode of Batman: The Animated Series.
• His animated incarnation (see below) makes more use of his time skills. For example, he knows exactly how much time it takes Batman to throw a punch, thus allowing him to dodge it every time. Later, he uses his skills as an efficiency expert to coordinate a successful raid on the Justice League Watchtower.

Current

• The new Clock King has the always-active ability to see what is about to happen four seconds or so into the future, allowing him to anticipate an opponent's every move. He is also a technological genius, creating devices such as teleporters, communications jamming equipment, and even an anti-gravity platform, all of them modelled after timepieces.

In other media

Television

Batman (1960s show)

Main article: Clock King (Walter Slezak)

DC Animated Universe

Main article: Clock King (DC Animated Universe)

Batman: The Brave and the Bold

Clock King in Batman: Brave and Bold.

Main article: Clock King (The Brave and the Bold)

The original Clock King (William Tockman) appears in the animated series Batman: The Brave and the Bold. He appears in the debut episode, is voiced by Dee Bradley Baker with a German accent. The Clock King is defeated by Batman and Green Arrow. Like his original version in the comics, he possesses many clock-themed weapons and gadgets, and wears a modified version of his original costume with a crown and a feathered cape, most likely to better suit the name Clock King.

Arrow

See: Clock King (Robert Knepper)

Film

The Lego Batman Movie

The William Tockman version of Clock King makes a brief cameo in the film, when Joker mentions him and several other Batman villains.

Video Games

Batman: Arkham Knight

Clock King was given a brief reference in the Red Hood Story DLC for the game in enemy chatter, where it is implied that the titular anti-hero had killed the criminal mastermind before the events of the game.

Lego DC Super-Villains

Clock King is featured as a playable character in Lego DC Super-Villains, voiced by Dee Bradley Baker.