Real Name: Preston Payne
Occupation: Criminal
Marital Status: Single
Base of Operations: Gotham City
Height: 6ft. 4in.
Weight: 264 lbs
Eyes: Red
Hair: None
First Appearance: Detective Comics #478 (July-August 1978)
Created By: Len Wein, Marshall Rogers

The third Clayface, Preston Payne, suffered from hyperpituitarism. Payne worked at S.T.A.R. Labs searching for a cure. He obtained a sample of the then-living Matt Hagen's blood, and isolated an enzyme which he introduced into his own bloodstream. Although he was briefly able to shape his own appearance, this effect was short-lived: while on a date, his flesh began to melt, and when he touched his horrified girlfriend, she completely melted. Payne built an exoskeleton anti-melting suit to prevent himself from touching anyone, but he learned that he needed to spread his melting contagion onto others to survive (he feels pain if he doesn't melt anyone). During this time his mental health started to slip as he fell in love with a wax mannequin he named "Helena", thinking she was the only woman immune to his touch. After another breakdown, he thought Helena enjoyed watching men "fighting over her" when he battled Batman yet again in front of the wax doll. Although he didn't give her up, he kept her in Arkham Asylum, saying "we're both too polite to admit divorce, but she can't live forever". He then met Sondra Fuller. While with the Mud Pack, he brought the remains of Matt Hagen. He then fell in love with Sondra, producing a child named Cassius Payne, the fifth Clayface.

Recently, Preston acquired medicine to control his pain and now feels the "hunger" only in his mind. It was also revealed that he was abused by his parents.