Jonathan Crane

**Jonathan Crane** is the criminal known as the Scarecrow and an enemy of the Batman.

## Biography

### Becoming a criminal

Jonathan Crane developed a special chemical composition, his Fear Toxin, which could also be utilized as a gas, which he would use in order to confront his victims with their greatest fears. He used this invention of his in order to terrorize Gotham City, while wearing a scarecrow-like mask and calling himself the "Scarecrow", until he was stopped by the Batman and put into Arkham Asylum, in order to be treated. At some point before or during his career as a criminal, he murdered his own mother.

### The Long Halloween begins

On December 24th during the year in which everyone close to Carmine Falcone was targeted, Batman and police captain James Gordon visited the Calendar Man in order to question him about a recent series of holiday themed killings. On their way to his cell, they walked right past the cells of Crane and other enemies the Batman had faced up until now, including The Penguin and the Mad Hatter.

### Hired by the Falcones

Months later, on mothersday of the next year, Crane and the Hatter were broken out of Arkham by Sofia Falcone, Falcone’s daughter. While Tetch escaped almost immediately, Crane stole a horse from the Asylum and waited for Batman to arrive. He soon got what he wanted and Batman attacked him,while protecting himself with a gas mask from his fear gas. He questioned Crane and wanted to know who had helped him escape. While he was being interrogated, Scarecrow managed to stab the Batman with a needle containing his fear toxin. As soon as its effects started to appear, he was unable to hold Crane any longer, who then proceeded to get on his horse and left, mockingly saying that his own mother had helped him and that he had strangled her years ago, and leaving Batman behind while he faced his worst nightmares. Later, he would meet with Falcone in his tower, who instructed him to rob a few banks together with the Hatter, in order for the Falcones to improove their financial situation. They did so, but were ambushed by Batman, who in turn was knocked unconscious by the rhyming Mad Hatter, who struck his head with a vase from behind, just as he was about to finish off Crane. They then took Batman prisoner and stuffed him inside a bag, while bringing him with them as they headed to the Falcone family grave in order to give Carmine the money they had stolen. On their way though, Batman had woken up and as they searched for him, knocked the Hatter out while he used Scarecrow's own fear gas on him, putting him into an almost catatonic state, unable to fight the vigilante. They were both taken to Arkham again, though they wouldn’t be staying long.

### Attack on Falcone

October 31st, the former district attorney, turned supervillain Harvey Dent, alias Two-Face, and his accomplice Solomon Grundy broke them out again, together with every major Arkham inmate, except the Calendar Man. Crane, Tetch and Poison Ivy were instructed to cause chaos and mayhem in the city and distract the police, so that Two-Face and the others could attack Falcone in his own tower, as revenge for ruining Dent’s life. As the crime lord escaped into his office, Crane, Ivy and the Mad Hatter came in through the window, with Ivy's plants holding them, and restrained Falcone. While Dent was talking to Falcone, explaining to him why he would do what hewas planning to do, Crane was patiently waiting with the others, until Batman attacked them again, this time together with his ally Catwoman and a major fight between all of them started. Scarecrow tried to restrain Catwoman during the fight, but Batman knocked him out and used his own glove to neutralize Grundy, by letting him bite into it, which released Crane’s dear toxin into the Zombie's mouth, causing him to fall asleep immediately. After the fight had ended, they were all taken back to Arkham Asylum again.

## Abilities

* **Intimidation**
* **Expert Chemist**

## Equipment

* **Fear Toxin**
* **Mask**

## Gallery

Jonathan Crane in his Scarecrow costume.Scarecrow’s appearance under the Fear Toxin.Scarecrow together with the Mad Hatter.Crane in his cell at Arkham.
## Trivia

* **Jonathan Crane** was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane and first appeared in DC comics in World's Finest issue #3 in September 1941.