| Clock King | |
|---|---|
| |
| Name: | Temple Fugate |
| Alias(es): | "Harold" |
| Portrayed by: | Alan Rachins |
| First appearance: | The Clock King |
| Last appearance: | Time Out of Joint |
| Appears in: | 2 Episodes |
| Clock King Gallery | |
- "Lets just say, I'm a civic minded citizen with a lot of time on his hands."
- ―The Clock King[src]
The Clock King is a villain in Batman: The Animated Series, recreated for the show as Temple Fugate. His name is a reference on the Latin phrase tempus fugit, literally meaning ,"time flies".
History
Early Career
Temple Fugate is the head of a time and motion study consulting company who is being sued for all its funds-he is more tense than usual because he has one appeal left-if he loses he;s bankrupt. Fugate is an odd, lonely man obsessed with time and punctuality; His every waking moment is pre-planned, on a "to do" list broken down into a precise schedule. When urged by then lawyer Hamilton Hill to take a coffee break at 3:15, later than usual, Fugate initially refuses, as he does not want to ruin his schedule. After reflection on Hill's words, Fugate takes the coffee break later. During the break, just when Fugate starts to relax, everything that could go wrong does, as Fugate loses documents and is late for his court appointment. As punishment for being late, the judge throws the case out, Fugate unjustly loses the case with no trial, and goes bankrupt. Fugate swears revenge on Hamilton Hill and later finds out that Hill's firm was the plaintiff for the court date Fugate was late for (though Hill apparently had nothing to do with that case). However, Fugate later claims that Hill's actual crime was making him LATE.
The Clock King
Seven years later, Fugate becomes the Clock King, using his keen knowledge of the element of time, he turns to a life of crime and revenge. Swearing revenge because he believed Hill had done it on purpose, Fugate returned seven years later, now going by the name "Clock King", causing havoc and running afoul of Batman. However, Fugate had prepared himself well for this by studying news footage of Batman and learning his every move, making him a worthy adversary of Batman. After nearly succeeding in trapping and killing Batman, Clock King kidnaps Mayor Hill and ties him to the hands of a giant clock on the 7th anniversary of his bankruptcy so the Mayor would have an appoiment with the Grim Reaper at 3:15. His first attempt to kill Mayor Hill ends in a climatic battle with Batman inside the wheels of a clock tower, which Fugate accidentally jams with his clock-hand-like sword. The machinery collapses, and Fugate disappears in the fray laughing insanely claiming there is always a way out. He is presumed dead, but Batman has his doubts, and is convinced that Fugate is still alive and it is only a matter of time before he strikes again.
Fugate eventually resurfaces unharmed, now armed with a device he uses to travel at near-light speed (stolen from a scientist named Dr. Wakati, for whom he works as a butler by the name "Harold"). This time, Fugate plants a bomb at Mayor Hill's dedication to the new court house, planning to blow it up and kill dozens of people. Batman and Robin, having learned Fugate's secret from Dr. Wakati, use a similar device to slow down the bomb's explosion while throwing it into the river. Fugate, his plans foiled, tries to escape, but Robin catches him and destroys the device, rendering him unable to flee. He subsequently then arrested and imprisoned in Stonegate Penitentiary.
Powers and Abilities
- The Clock King commonly dresses in a three-piece suit and bowler hat, with explosive pocket watches and glasses resembling clock faces, set to 3 O'clock.
- Though lacking any powers of his own, he proved a formidable opponent for Batman after having studied and learned his every move from news footage down to his precise timimg to throw a punch.
- Fugate also has an incredible sense of time, allowing him precise movement and timing.
- 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 so great that not even Batman could defeat him in combat
- Despite his prim appearance Clock King is extremely atheletic and is able to land on top of a moving train without losing his balance
Appearances
Trivia
- The Clock King was originally a comic book villain of the DC superhero The Green Arrow, where his real name was William Tockman.
- The Clock King's name, Temple Fugate, is a play on the Latin phrase "tempus fugit", meaning "time flies".