Dr. Jonathan Crane, aka the Scarecrow, is one of the most fearsome foes in the rogues’ gallery of Batman. With his genius intellect, and his mastery of psychology and chemistry, he can send a shiver down the spine of even the Dark Knight. However, the so-called Master of Fear met his match in two of the most unlikely heroes imaginable.
The showdown played out in The Batman and Scooby-Doo Mysteries Season 3 #7. Written by Ivan Cohen, with art by Puste, the comic finds the Mysteries Inc. gang called in to assist Batman with a mystery. The trail of two burglaries leads to the Scarecrow, who is in the midst of a new evil scheme.
Between Batman and Velma, the sleuths determine that Scarecrow has developed a new refining process for his patented fear toxin. Rather than blanketing an area with a gas, he can now target crowds with micro doses. Most impressively, this new process allows him to instill specific fears in people.
The gang and Batman lay a trap for Scarecrow at the Gotham Bravery Awards. They guess that Dr. Crane won’t be able to resist targeting an award ceremony honoring courage. They are right, but even Batman cannot resist the effects of the new fear toxin. Thankfully, two of the event’s honorees were uniquely suited to fighting the Master of Fear.
Scarecrow can’t scare Scooby Doo and Shaggy
Scarecrow wasted the last of his new toxin trying to terrify Scooby and Shaggy. The two most cowardly members of the Mysteries Inc. gang were apparently unaffected by the toxin. In truth it did effect them, but they were able to work through their fear better than everyone else.
This was why they were presented with a bravery award, as Scooby and Shaggy “conquer their multiple fears every day.” Despite being the Master of Fear, there was nothing Scarecrow could do to make Scooby and Shaggy any more scared than they already were. Ironically, their fear gave them the edge they needed to save the day when Batman couldn’t.
The Batman and Scooby-Doo Mysteries Season 3 #7 is now available in comic shops everywhere.
