in the 2016 batman story arc "night of the monster men", the villainous professor hugo strange uses a serum to transform living and death human beings into horrific monsters. four of them merge into a composite monster at the end of the story, but it is defeated by batman, nightwing, batwoman, orphan, spoiler, and clayface (basil karlo). the government agency a.r.g.u.s. creates a quarantine zone encompassing the neighborhood where the creature died, nicknaming it "monstertown".