Scarecrow (Batman)

4733671-11737831 scarecrow — Scarecrow (DC Comics)

Jonathan Crane, the Scarecrow, was a psychology professor turned supervillain.

History[]

Early Life[]

Jonathan Crane was interested in the study of human fears and phobias ever since he was a child. Nicknamed the "Scarecrow" as a teenager, Crane was bullied and chastised for his scrawny appearance. The boys would call him "Ichabod Crane", for his resemblance to the fictional character. Crane loved the character, except when he came upon the part when Ichabod is disgraced by his nemesis. He was outraged by the fear that overwhelmed Ichabod and swore to never expose his fears to a bully.

Academic Career[]

Crane became a Professor of Psychology at Gotham University until his experiments in fear became too dangerous. He lost his job due to his obsession with inspiring terror in his patients and students. Crane turned to a life of crime and used various drugs, chemicals, devices, and his expertise in psychology to terrify whoever crossed his path. He took the name "The Scarecrow" which the bullies gave him as a boy, and would use it to become one of the most feared criminals in Gotham City.

Criminal Career[]

After assuming the identity of Scarecrow, Crane decided to get revenge against Gotham University and started a series of attacks on the university. This crime spree attracted Batman's attention and Scarecrow's plans were foiled by Batman.

Upon escaping from Arkham Asylum, Scarecrow started his second scheme, which consisted on infecting professional athletes with his fear toxin and then bet against their teams for the money to fund his experiments. As a byproduct of these activities, Robin was affected by the chemicals as well and Batman started investigating the case, ending with Scarecrow's capture.

Shortly after this, Scarecrow escaped from Arkham Asylum and started a scheme for poisoning Gotham City on a massive scale, using the sewer system of the city. Batman started investigating the case, but was accidentally infected with fear gas and started having delusions. Batman was locked in Arkham and Scarecrow had free reign to work on his scheme. Fortunately, Batman managed to escape and stopped Scarecrow, who was in turn infected with his own gas before he was locked in Arkham again.

He was one of the supervillians who humiliated Joker in the rec room after he was bought back fallowing Joker's Wild.

He was on the jury in Joker's mock trial against Batman and Janet Van Dorn. After the duo escaped, he attempted to attack them but was easily overpowered by Batman.

Some time after Trial Scarecrow escaped again to pull one more caper before he was caught by Batman and Robin once again. On return to Arkham he was ranting at them but stopped briefly to say hi to Harley who just got paroled.

He was also one of the numerous villains who suffered under Lock-Up's brief security regime at Arkham; indeed, he actually broke out just to get away from him. Later, when Lock-Up was apprehended, the Scarecrow vowed to teach him new lessons in the true meaning of fear.

Abilities[]

The Scarecrow's psychiatric genius and chemistry background are used to the fullest against his opponents. He typically employs some form of fear inducing compound (most frequently gas) in his plots.
He is also shown to utilize a large amount of farming tools, normally a scythe in combat on occasions, such as his fight with Batman in his mock trial where he accidentally decapitated Scarface.

Trivia[]

Scarecrow would end up joining forces with Lord Vortech and working alongside the likes of Jack o'Lantern and Oogie Boogie, known as the Scary Trio, and attempt to erase Pooh's Adventures from history forever. However, the three had a plan of their own: to cast different worlds in the multi-verse into an eternal Halloween, only with more tricks instead of treats, by harnessing enough fear energy to create rifts into the different worlds inhabited by ghouls and ghosts and monsters and all manner of things that go bump in the night, which would allow the inhabitants to enter the different worlds marked by the Scary Trio by a Yellow Lantern beacon and cast a spell to cause an eternal Halloween.
Scarecrow will become an enemy of Tino Tonitini, Ash Ketchum, Littlefoot, Scooby-Doo, and their friends' in Tino's Adventures of Batman The Animated Series and Tino Tonitini and The New Batman Adventures.
Scarecrow will become a member of The Crime Empire in the near future.