History Main / SupernaturalFearInducer

[[quoteright:250:[[Franchise/{{Batman}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/scarecrow_0008.png]]]]

* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'' enemy Scarecrow uses fear gas to cause hallucinations, paranoia, and even full on panic-induced heart attacks in his victims. Sometimes this overlaps with IKnowWhatYouFear, while other times it's just straight up irrational terror. In fact, during the events of ''ComicBook/BlackestNight'', he was deputised into the [[Characters/GLSinestroCorps Sinestro Corps]], which proves him to be one of the scariest entities in his ''space sector!''[[note]] "One of" because the yellow ring detected residual traces of a green ring when it went for [[ComicBook/{{Batman}} the scariest]].[[/note]]

* Subverted in the ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' prose short story "The Origin of the Polarizer." An unnamed man who works at a radio parts store notices all the electronics ordered by Bruce Wayne and realizes that Wayne is Batman, so decides to become a supervillain to capitalize on this knowledge. In their first encounter the Polarizer claims he has a "fear ray," but all it does is fry the electronics in Batman & Robin's utility belt paraphernalia, rendering their assorted devices inoperable. "Well, it's more of a 'consternation ray,' but that just doesn't have as much of a ring to it."
* In the ''Comicbook/JudgeDredd'' universe, the Dark Judges include Judge Fear, who can compel anyone to stare at his unmasked face and see their greatest fear, usually inducing a lethal heart attack. It didn't work so well on [[{{Determinator}} Dredd himself]], though:

* Phobos of the ''ComicBook/SecretWarriors'' uses this as his main power — an unusual example in this list because he uses his powers for good. He is the literal [[PhysicalGod God of Fear]] from Greek myth, as his dad is actually ''ComicBook/{{Ares}}''.

* Phobia, a minor enemy of the ComicBook/TeenTitans and sometime member of the Brotherhood of Evil, has this power [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin as her codename indicates.]]
* In the ''"Thanos Vs Hulk"'' miniseries Annihilus manages to reverse engineer the Hulk's power to make himself one. This also gives him the ability to project fear strong enough to even make the Hulk turn and run.

*** In 1st and 2nd Edition, all dragons of adult age (51 years) and older radiate fear by flying overhead or charging. Depending on how many hit dice the victim has, it can cause them to flee in panic, be paralyzed with fear or just take a penalty to hit.

** When a dragonne roars the sound can inflict fear on anyone who hears it, which will sap 50% of their strength.

* In ''ComicBook/{{Sleeper}}'', Peter Grimm has the ability to trap someone in a mental loop reliving their greatest fear until they die.

[[quoteright:250:[[ComicBook/TheScarecrow https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/scarecrow_0008.png]]]]

* ''Fanfic/CodePrime'': [[spoiler:Megatron gains the Dark Geass of Absolute Terror capable of killing anyone, including Code Bearers, with pure terror through eye contact after infusing the liquified Geass energy that Shockwave derived from his experiments with Mao with a shard of Dark Energon he possessed on hand.]]

* ''Fanfic/CodePrime'' has Megatron gain the Dark Geass of Absolute Terror capable of killing anyone, including Code Bearers, with pure terror through eye contact after infusing the liquified Geass energy that Shockwave derived from his experiments with Mao with a shard of Dark Energon.

* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'' enemy Scarecrow uses fear gas to cause hallucinations, paranoia, and even full on panic-induced heart attacks in his victims. Sometimes this overlaps with IKnowWhatYouFear, while other times it's just straight up irrational terror. In fact, during the events of ''ComicBook/BlackestNight'', he was deputised into the [[Characters/GLSinestroCorps Sinestro Corps]], which proves him to be one of the scariest entities in his ''space sector!''[[note]] "One of" because the yellow ring detected residual traces of a green ring when it went for [[ComicBook/{{Batman}} the scariest]].[[/note]]

* ''ComicBook/{{Quasar}}'': Phobius, one of Maelstrom's minions, also has psychic fear powers.
* In the ''Comicbook/JudgeDredd'' universe, the Dark Judges include Judge Fear, who can compel anyone to stare at his unmasked face and see their greatest fear, usually inducing a lethal heart attack. It didn't work so well on [[{{Determinator}} Dredd himself]], though:
-->'''Judge Fear:''' Gaze into the face of fear!\\
'''Judge Dredd:''' Gaze into the fist of Dredd!
* Subverted in the ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' prose short story "The Origin of the Polarizer." An unnamed man who works at a radio parts store notices all the electronics ordered by Bruce Wayne and realizes that Wayne is Batman, so decides to become a supervillain to capitalize on this knowledge. In their first encounter the Polarizer claims he has a "fear ray," but all it does is fry the electronics in Batman & Robin's utility belt paraphernalia, rendering their assorted devices inoperable. "Well, it's more of a 'consternation ray,' but that just doesn't have as much of a ring to it."
* ''ComicBook/UltimateGalactusTrilogy'': One of the weapons of Gah Lak Tus, a psychic attack that can turn whole worlds mad with fear.

''Fanfic/CodePrime'' has Megatron gain the Dark Geass of Absolute Terror capable of killing anyone, including Code Bearers, with pure terror through eye contact after infusing the liquified Geass energy that Shockwave derived from his experiments with Mao with a shard of Dark Energon.

[[Fanfic/CodePrime]] has Megatron gain the Dark Geass of Absolute Terror capable of killing anyone, including Code Bearers, with pure terror through eye contact after infusing the liquified Geass energy that Shockwave derived from his experiments with Mao with a shard of Dark Energon.

Tolkien's worldbuilding, in fact, establishes that an aura of fear and terror is an innate trait to the undead, from ghosts to wraiths and anything else. The Ringwraiths are just particularly potent with it because they've got the power of the Nine Rings backing them up.

** There's another ability called "Unnerve", which prevents enemies from using their held Berry, and can be used by Pokemon like [[OlympusMons Mewtwo]], [[TyrannosaurusRex Tyranitar]], [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and]] [[RidiculouslyCuteCritter Joltik.]]

* Zophise, the BigBad of a story arc of ''Manga/ZatchBell'', is able to manipulate the demons of a thousand years ago into fighting for them by making them believe that, after being freed of their stone curse, that Zophise can ''return them to stone at will''. After spending 1000 years utterly immobile, that fear is enough to get them to do anything for him.

** Spells...

** Demons...

*** Babau, Bar-Igura, Baron and Marquis cambions, chasme, and rutterkin can cause fear by touch.

** Just seeing a lich causes any creature with less than 5 {{Character Level}}s or hit dice to flee in panic.

** Debbi are Al-Qadim monsters that are 2-foot tall hybrids of baboons and hyenas. Once per ten minutes they can cause fear in other creatures within 20 yards of them.

* In ''Literature/{{Touch}},'' fauns apparently have this power, related to the Mythology example below. Peter's parents {{Invoked}} his TraumaticSuperpowerAwakening by locking him in a room with one for three hours, and only let him out when he started begging [[{{Omniglot}} in Turkish]]. As a result, Peter grows up to dislike the "[[SlidingScaleOfParentShamingInFiction abuse your kids JUST enough to give them superpowers]]" school of parenting.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'':
** Dragons induce an aura of terror without any need for magic -- they're just that terrifying. Mechanically, if a dragon with greater hit dice than you does anything threatening, you have to roll your save.
** A geist's laugh is terrifying to those who hear it, reducing other to dropping their weapons and fleeing as quickly as they can.

** [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-1233 SCP-1233 ("Mammal Terraformer")]]. Any mammal within 7 meters of SCP-1233 feels fear and revulsion. In addition, any human that close feels a desire to flee the area.

* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'' enemy Scarecrow uses fear gas to cause hallucinations, paranoia, and even full on panic-induced heart attacks in his victims. Sometimes this overlaps with IKnowWhatYouFear, while other times it's just straight up irrational terror. In fact, during the events of ''ComicBook/BlackestNight'', he was deputised into the [[Characters/GLSinestroCorps Sinestro Corps]], which proves him to be one of the scariest entities in his ''space sector!''

* ''VideoGame/DawnOfWar'': The MoraleMechanic causes demoralized squads to take a lot more melee damage, reduces their damage and accuracy, and makes them move faster. Some enemies (usually the most fanaticized) don't even have a morale meter.

*** The Soulstorm expansion gave Khornate Bersekers the Icon of Khorne ability, which sacres enemies into running away.

** Dark Eldar: this might take a while. Terrorfex and Horrorfex grenades are squad and vehicle versions of a grenade that does morale damage; the Haemonculus can broadcast the sound of a tortured slave across the battlefield, causing enemies to fire slower; Slave Chambers can be upgraded to deal continuous morale damage and attack enemy units' souls for more morale damage; and then there's their Soul Powers: Rend Soul causes morale damage to enemy leaders, while Screams of the Damned instantly reduces the morale of ''every'' enemy on the map at once.

[[quoteright:250:[[ComicBook/{{Batman}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/scarecrow_0008.png]]]]

* The ''VideoGame/{{Persona}}'' series has the Fear status, which makes those afflicted by it so afraid that they either skip a turn or withdraw from battle. ''VideoGame/Persona3'' has Fear make characters more vulnerable to critical hits, while in ''VideoGame/Persona4'' they become vulnerable to the [[OneHitKO Ghastly Wail]] skill.