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Clock King is a fictional supervillain in the DC Comics universe. He was originally an enemy of Green Arrow, but has become more identified by his appearances in Batman: The Animated Series and Suicide Squad. He has no super-powers, but uses clock-themed gadgetry. He wears a clock mask, a cape, and a blue suit with clock drawings on it.

Character biography

Born William Tockman, Clock King took dutiful care of his invalid sister, when one day he found out from a doctor's visit that he himself only had six months to live. Despairing for his sister's future, he watched 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 was then caught by the Green Arrow.

While he was incarcerated, his sister died without him. In further hideous irony, Tockman discovered that he really wasn't ill and was not going to die in the next six months: his doctor had accidentally switched his papers with those of another patient. Infuriated, he escaped to futilely attempt revenge on the Green Arrow.

The Clock King later went on to join Major Disaster's Injustice League, which became Justice League Antarctica and was later assimilated into the Suicide Squad. The Clock King was seemingly killed on their Squad's first mission, alongside Big Sir and the Cluemaster.

Other media

The 1960s Batman TV series saw The Clock King portrayed by the late Walter Slezak in the Season-2 episode, "The Clock King's Crazy Crimes/The Clock King Gets Crowned" (#9711, aired on ABC October 12 & 13, 1966).

In Batman: The Animated Series, the Clock King is Temple Fugate, who first appeared in the episode "The Clock King" and was portrayed by Alan Rachins. Fugate was a stiff, anal-retentive efficiency expert, obsessed with punctuality, and appealing a $20 million judgment against his business. Hamilton Hill, a lawyer with the firm representing the other side, who took the same train to work as Fugate, suggested that Fugate deviate from his rigid schedule so as to appear more relaxed in court. Fugate took the advice, and had his coffee break at 3:15, instead of 3:00. However, as a result of this, and a string of accidents, Fugate missed his court appearance, lost his appeal, and was ruined.

Seven years later, he adopted a clock-based motif and embarked on a campaign of revenge against Hill, who had become mayor of Gotham City in the meantime. Fugate's revenge would have culminated in murdering Hill at 3:15, by crushing him between the hands of a giant clock, had Batman not interfered. Fugate was much less flamboyant than his comic-book incarnation or Batman's enemies in general. While he did base his crime around a general clock-theme, he did not use themed weapons and his "costume" was a simple business suit embellished only by a walking cane shaped like a clock hand and glasses with clock faces on the lenses. Nonetheless, his obsessive-compulsive attention to detail did allow him to be a formidable opponent using various time pieces and completely memorized schedules of various activities to his advantage. For instance, in his first confrontation with Batman, Fugate was able to suddenly backflip from the building top he was on to land on a passing train he knew would pass underneath at that exact moment to escape before the superhero could react in time to pursue him. He even was able to briefly spar competently against Batman, due to having memorized the timing of the crimefighter's moves from news footage of his previous fights. Unfortunately for Fugate, he accidentally jammed his clock cane between the gears of the clock tower and disappeared in the collapsing rubble of the clock tower, presumed killed.

Having miraculously survived, Fugate returned in the episode "Time Out of Joint" (which was the name of a sculpture built by the TV series character), having acquired a device that allowed him to move at ultra-fast speeds, seemingly freezing time for everyone except himself. He resumed his revenge against Mayor Hill, but was foiled by Batman and Robin, who had acquired similar devices with which to fight him. This time, Fugate was arrested and taken to Arkham Asylum.

In a 2004 Batman Adventures comic, Fugate rigged the election against Mayor Hill, and watched his "years of exile and humiliation" in Blüdhaven. Nightwing and Batman apprehended him.

Temple Fugate was later seen in the Justice League Unlimited episode "Task Force X," where he served as a planner and tactician in the "Suicide Squad" who guided the team with strict clockwork effiency. Rachins reprised the role.

Temple Fugate's name is a play on the Latin phrase 'tempus fugit,' meaning 'time flies.' Interestingly, Fugate has never (at least in his animated appearances) referred to himself as the Clock King, a name coined by Batman; the closest he ever came to calling himself that was in this exchange:

Batman: I'm here to clean your clock Fugate!

Fugate: I don't think so Batman. You see, when it comes to clocks, I am King.

Bibliography

External links

• The Unofficial Guide to the DC Universe's biography for the Clock King
• The DC Database's article on the Clock King's debut
• Stupid Villain Showcase Satirical analysis of Clock King by Seanbaby

• Batman villains
• Green Arrow villains
• DC Animated Universe characters
• Suicide Squad members
• Fictional Americans in DC Comics