Basil Karlo is a famous Hollywood actor who desperately wants the role of the killer in a new horror film "Second Skin" as he desires to showcase his tragic-acting side to the world to prove that he isn’t a hack, since he has had a string of bad movies lately. However, Karlo gets caught in a car crash before he gets the part and is horribly disfigured. Just when it looks like his career is over, Karlo remembers a product his father used called Renew-U cream (An experimental cream that when applied to skin makes it mailable) that he used on his props and makeup while working as a special effects man in Hollywood. Karlo manages to find his father's backup supply but soon runs out. Desperately wanting the role, Karlo sets out to get more Renew-U despite it not having been sold for years. Coming to Gotham, Karlo raids Daggett Cosmetics and gets more Renew-U for himself. One of the negative side-effects of the Renew-U cream is that it is extremely addictive, and if used excessively, it can cause the skin to become permanently putty-like. Inevitably this happens, and Karlo becomes hopelessly addicted, eventually obtaining the ability to morph his face to look however he wants it to. Soon, Karlo begins to lose his mind due to the Renew-U having negative effects on his brain, and starts to kill the cast of the movie when he finds out they plan to fire him due to his mental problems.
