Scarecrow

**Scarecrow** is a brilliant scientist turned criminal who fights Batman in Gotham City, specializing in techniques and chemicals that manipulate fear. **Jonathan Crane** was originally the son of Gerald Crane who himself was once a well-respected scientist, although he lost credibility when he obsessively took his fathers experiments went too far and descended into madness, Johnathan paid the price and was injected with a large amount of an experimental serum that instills fear in those who use it. As a result of the experiment and years of intense fear, Johnathan went insane and dedicated himself to spreading that fear as the Scarecrow. When he is captured by the Batman, he is sentenced to Arkham Asylum and has been recruited as a member of the Injustice Society.

## Biography

### Gerald's Experiments

He lived with both parents in a house outside of Gotham. His mother died in a fire when he was eight years old. **Jonathan Crane** helped his father murder people by killing them with their worst fears, although he does have some reservations and second thoughts over his father's actions. When Gerald is in the process of drowning a bound and gagged Scottie Mullen at a swimming pool (due to drowning being her worst fear) Gerald orders his son to return to the van and feed the parking meter. But Gerald's plan to kill Scottie fails as detectives Jim Gordon and Harvey Bullock arrive on the scene and save her, although Gerald manages to escape in the van with Jonathan.

### Victim of Fear

Using the adrenal glands taken from his victims, Gerald created a serum which he hopes will remove all fear. He uses it on himself in order to face up to the death of his wife, having felt failure over allowing her to die due to his fear. When the process works Gerald plans to use it on Jonathan to eliminate his fear. The terrified young man flees their home and showing reluctance at his father's beliefs says he isn't afraid. Gerald manages to convince Jonathan to return home, and injects him with the serum. Later that evening Gordon and Bullock track them down. Out in a field, Jonathan (who is overdosed on the serum) looks up at a Scarecrow and with bad side effects starts screaming in terror.

At the scene Gerald ends up being killed when (due to not having fear) he opens fire on the two detectives, which leads to him being shot dead. Jonathan is taken to hospital, where the doctor reveals to Gordon he is having very odd brain activity. When Gordon asks whether or not he will make a full recovery, the doctor says he cant be certain if it ever will, and that until that time he will be forced to witness his worst fear every moment of his life. Gordon watches a terrified Jonathan, who strapped to a bed is under a great deal of stress as he hallucinates a monstrous scarecrow sneaking around his bed, and eventually 'attacking' him.

### Embracing the Fear

As a result of this event, he was at the mercy of his own fears for the rest of his childhood and for another few years or even decades. Eventually, the effects of Gerald's experiments on Jonathan wore off, with Jonathan coming to peace with the fact that he was afraid and would forever be afraid of the scarecrow that had been haunting him. He soon developed an obsession with his goal and became a psychologist with a concentration in phobias. Not waiting long to put his degree to use, Crane began using patients as test subjects to develop a project similar to his fathers that he would later call "Fear Toxin". The gas, when inhaled, would cause his victims to hallucinate about their worst fears. In this new crusade, Jonathan would become the very thing that he was afraid of, he became **Scarecrow**.

## Abilities

**Chemistry**: Jonathan Crane is a proficient chemist and has used this skill to develop his infamous "fear toxin".

**Intimidation**: Using a variety of toxins that cause his victims to hallucinate that their phobias have come to life, the Scarecrow instills fear in all who see him.

**Martial Arts**

* ***Violent Dancing***: When forced to fight, Crane uses his own martial arts style he calls "violent dancing", which is based in part on the crane style of kung fu, and makes full use of his long arms and legs.

**Psychology**: Jonathan Crane is an expert in the field of psychology, specifically the study of anxiety disorders. He is a walking textbook on the study of fear, and can recite the name and description of nearly every known phobia. He often demonstrates his intellectual prowess by analyzing his fellow patients at Arkham Asylum.