Scarecrow - an A-list Villain?

[cgh]

Bane at his worst is a guy that can give Batman a physical challenge, at his best is the guy that can plan against Batman and has other villains work under his command. The guy grew up in a prison and became a king in there. He became a figure to be feared in that prison. Bane wants to rule over others the same way he ruled over the criminals in that prison. Scarecrow would not survive the same thing that Bane went through. Scarecrow without his fear gas is not gonna become the most feared figure in a prison.

You can see why Nolan with his grounded take on Batman used Bane as the main villain while relegated Scarecrow to just being a side villain.

Yeah, thanks for the history lesson. I just think Bane is uninteresting. Wanting to "rule over others" is hardly a mark of supervillain uniqueness, though admittedly Nolan's Bane was cooler than comic book Bane.

Meanwhile the Scarecrow wants to scare the **** out of everybody because it's fun and interesting and he can make money that way.

[prepmaster]

Meanwhile the Scarecrow wants to scare the **** out of everybody because it's fun and interesting and he can make money that way.

Scarecrow is a villain that doesnt even own his own gimmick. He is never the most feared figure when you put him up with the likes of other villains. Seriously anyone who has power should know how to make others afraid of you. Fear of pain, fear of death, fear of loss. Why are you afraid of your boss? Because they can fire or demote you - fear of loss. In case of heroes, they are afraid of failing to save others more than pain & death. Scarecrow's means of instilling fear are reliant on his hallucinating fear gas. It makes his victims hallucinate their worst nightmares. Scarecrow is only good at making people afraid of jumpscares (horror visuals and screetching sounds). Even in terms of visuals, Clayface can excel that as well. Even Joker's venom can now make people hallucinate.

[Aahz]

Bane at his worst is a guy that can give Batman a physical challenge, at his best is the guy that can plan against Batman and has other villains work under his command. The guy grew up in a prison and became a king in there. He became a figure to be feared in that prison. Bane wants to rule over others the same way he ruled over the criminals in that prison. Scarecrow would not survive the same thing that Bane went through. Scarecrow without his fear gas is not gonna become the most feared figure in a prison.

The big problem with Bane is imo, that has neither a clear motivation nor any real connection to Gotham.

[exile001]

With Joker largely off the table, Scarecrow may have become Batman's most used enemy in the New 52 era. He is the big bad in so many arcs that I though the character was becoming over-exposed. Knight Terrors, Gothtopia, Forever Evil: Arkham War, Batman & Robin Eternal, Cycle of Violence (which I loved!) and he'd cameo elsewhere.

I'd definitely say he's definitely A list.

On Bane, I love the big guy but I think they should have pulled the trigger on him being Thomas Wayne's son. Yeah, you'd need some "always knew it deep down so was drawn to Bruce" bollocks, but at least it would be something. Better than having a prophetic nightmare with bats then some dude told him about Gotham.

[batnbreakfast]

With Joker largely off the table, Scarecrow may have become Batman's most used enemy in the New 52 era. He is the big bad in so many arcs that I though the character was becoming over-exposed. Knight Terrors, Gothtopia, Forever Evil: Arkham War, Batman & Robin Eternal, Cycle of Violence (which I loved!) and he'd cameo elsewhere.

I'd definitely say he's definitely A list.

On Bane, I love the big guy but I think they should have pulled the trigger on him being Thomas Wayne's son. Yeah, you'd need some "always knew it deep down so was drawn to Bruce" bollocks, but at least it would be something. Better than having a prophetic nightmare with bats then some dude told him about Gotham.

Kings of Fear is pretty good. Don't care for Tynion's redesign but like the Arkham connection in Batman Begins and Crane being a mentor in Heart of Hush.

Bane really only works one time. After that he's like Wrath or Reaper or any evil version of Bruce. Rucka and Gail Simone handled him well, though.

[adrikito]

I think that one B-List villain

When I think in Batman villains I see names like Joker, Bane, Black Mask, Penguin...

[MajorHoy]

Still feel Tynion may have gone a bit overboard here, but then again, I haven't been reading his run in Batman . . .

[Alan2099]

I don't mind the claws, but I really never liked the gas mask look for Scarecrow.

[TheRay]

I think Scarecrow and Penguin are on the same list.

[RobinGA]

To me Scarecrow, written correctly, is an A-list villain.
I think we are in head canon territory in terms of how everyone sees him.
For me it would be: Joker, Penguin, Scarecrow, Bane, then all that follow.

I'm sure people would disagree strongly, have their own list.
What makes Scarecrow dangerous is the use of fear as a weapon.
The problem is that can't always be written well.

[TheRay]

I think any rogue who got a piece of Gotham when they all took over is A-List.

[MajorHoy]

from Detective Comics Annual #2 (1989):

[Alan2099]

He was A-list enough to be in a Scooby Doo movie with Elvira and WITHOUT Batman.



And I have to say that Howling Mad Murdock makes a great Scarecrow.

[Vakanai]

He was A-list enough to be in a Scooby Doo movie with Elvira and WITHOUT Batman.



And I have to say that Howling Mad Murdock makes a great Scarecrow.

It was actually a good villain lift/borrow, and it's one of the better recent Scooby movies too! (I'm a Scooby fan, I watch all the films - the Courage crossover was weird but fun.)

[Frontier]

It was actually a good villain lift/borrow, and it's one of the better recent Scooby movies too! (I'm a Scooby fan, I watch all the films - the Courage crossover was weird but fun.)