History Recap / BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE3NothingToFear

* BerserkButton: Being called a "lunatic" was probably what pushed Crane further.

* OffModel: This was the test episode for Creator/KokoEnterprises[=/=]Dong Yang. The Scarecrow's overall look was changed by the animators. Originally he had [[http://worldsfinestonline.com/WF/batman/btas/backstage/animato/ a more crooked and twisted posture.]] Later episodes featuring him ended up following this design change.

* JerkassHasAPoint: When Dr. Long nastily criticizes Bruce for being a RichIdiotWithNoDayJob, Bruce is clearly wounded and thinks Dr. Long might be right, despite his nocturnal efforts as Batman. This is exacerbated by Scarecrow's fear toxin. Aside from this, Dr. Long, is definitely right about one thing, that the faculty member that would become the Scarecrow, Professor Jonathan Crane, had gone too far with his fear-induced experiments that endangered his patients, and Dr. Long was correct to fire him for being a "lunatic."

* OffModel: This was the test episode for Creator/KokoEnterprises[=/=]Dong Yang. The Scarecrow's overall look was changed by the animators. Originally he had [[http://worldsfinestonline.com/WF/batman/btas/backstage/animato/ a more crooked and twisted posture.]] Later episodes featuring him ended up following this design.

->'''Batman:''' No... no... [[YoureNotMyFather you are not my father]]! I am not a disgrace! [[IAmTheNoun I am vengeance. I am the night.]] [[PunctuatedForEmphasis I... am...]] '''[[Franchise/{{Batman}} BATMAN]]!'''

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* GreenGators: Scarecrow lures Bruce into an enclosure full of green crocodiles.

* MythologyGag: The Scarecrow's fear gas comes out of the air vents in the same manner as Joker's sleep gas in Tim Burton's ''Film/Batman1989''.

** At one point the Batmobile computer shows a list of nearby chemical companies. Among the companies shown are S.T.A.R. Labs, which would later be featured in ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'', and Axis Chemicals, which is the company that turned Jack Napier into the Joker in ''Film/Batman1989''.

* DeanBitterman: Dr. Long. At least from Scarecrow's POV, for putting an end to his inhumane experiments.

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Scarecrow gets a dose of his own fear toxin, and cowers in helpless horror as Batman (whom he sees as a Man-Bat-like monster) looms over him.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Scarecrow's costume looks considerably different in his first appearance than it does later in the series, especially the later revamp from ''The New Batman Adventures''.
** Also, he was an EvilBrit (for no clear reason) before changing to an American accent in his next apperance.

** The security guard in the beginning is reading a comic book called ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures''.

** [[Franchise/TheFlash Star Labs]] is also cited in a list of potential sources of the Scarecrow's fear gas.

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Bullock and Summer both calls Batman out for failing to stop the Scarecrow. While the former thinks he and the Scarecrow are in cahoots, the latter doesn't help Bruce's psyche.

* PsychicAssistedSuicide: Inadvertently induced by Scarecrow in his henchman Nigel when he hits him with a fear toxin dart meant for Batman. He develops hyper-claustrophobia and [[DisneyVillainDeath jumps out through the zeppelin's broken bridge windows]] to escape the walls closing in on him.
* SavedByThePlatformBelow: The Scarecrow accidentally hits one of his henchmen with his fear toxin. The toxin's hallucinatory effects scare the henchman so much that he runs and jumps out of the Scarecrow's blimp. Fortunately, he is shown landing in a tree seconds later.

The episode opens with yet another sweep of the city; this time with a helicopter flying around. At Gotham University, a charity book signing is taking place, with guests talking about a series of crimes against the school. Reporter Summer Gleeson tries to get an interview with a professor, Dr. Long, who doesn't have much to say about them. Bruce Wayne then meets Summer and Long outside an elevator. Long visibly holds contempt for Bruce, as he says that he attended school with Thomas Wayne, Bruce's father. When Bruce comments that his father would be proud because Wayne Industries had been successful lately, but Dr. Long scoffs it off, [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech saying that Bruce has disgraced his father's name by being an]] [[RichIdiotWithNoDayJob idiot playboy]]. Summer assures Bruce that Long is just upset at the series of vandalisms and robberies, but Bruce is visibly distressed at what Long said. Bruce then spots a suspicious-looking helicopter and goes to investigate.

The scene then moves to a supervillain in a scarecrow costume and his two henchmen breaking into the university's bank. A guard tries to stop them, but the villain sprays a strange gas at him, explaining that the gas causes the breather to experience their greatest fear. The three break into the university's money vault, with the boss telling his henchman to burn what he can't carry, saying that he wants revenge on the university. Batman then arrives on the scene; the villain throws pellets of his fear gas, but Batman, prepared as ever, emerges wearing a gas mask. The villain then reveals his name: The Scarecrow, just before one of his henchmen surprises Batman. Scarecrow then shoots a poison dart as Batman tangles with the henchman, and the dart immediately dazes him. Scarecrow lights the gas he poured around the vault earlier, and while Batman tries to hold Scarecrow down, he escapes, but not before Batman tears off a part of his mask. The poison dart causes Batman to hallucinate a vision of his father among the flames.

As the fire sprinklers put out the fires, the hallucination fades away. Batman stumbles out of the vault while some police arrive. The guard from earlier then explains the situation to Detective Harvey Bullock, who accuses Batman of letting him get away. Bullock sees the piece of evidence that Batman tore off Scarecrow's mask and tries to take it forcefully from him, but Commissioner Gordon arrives, and Batman, while Bullock is distracted, [[StealthHiBye makes a getaway]].

Cut to a chemical plant where Scarecrow and his henchmen make their base. The henchmen wonder why Scarecrow wanted to take revenge on the university, and Scarecrow explains that he once taught there as the Professor of Psychology. Ever since he was young, he always had an obsession with fear, trying to scare people as much as he could. After he became professor, he conducted experiments on fear, but Dr. Long disapproved of their brutality and kicked him out. Scarecrow then swore revenge on the university for this reason.

Batman is back at his mansion trying to analyze the piece of the mask he took. He is still shaken by the effects of the toxin. Bruce wonders to himself why Scarecrow would want to ruin the university. Bruce explains the effect of the fear toxin on his mind to Alfred, saying that his father keeps saying that he's a disgrace. Alfred assures Bruce that his father would be proud.

Scarecrow and his henchmen are next seen attacking a Gotham University benefit ball. Scarecrow's gas is sprayed all around the guests while he incapacitates Dr. Long to take his suitcase, as well as kidnapping him to torture him later. Batman then arrives to try to stop Scarecrow, but is instead attacked by the guests, who hallucinate him to be a giant bat. Batman escapes just in time to see a blimp pumping fear gas, and Batman grabs on. Scarecrow orders a henchman to stop him, but their fight unfortunately damages the blimp, causing it to fly out of control. The blimp crashes, causing both combatants to fall. Batman's GrapplingHookGun saves him, but he suddenly has another hallucination of his father, who transforms into a giant skeleton, calling him a disgrace. Batman fights against the hallucination, boasting to it:

With the hallucination gone, Batman gains enough clarity of mind to go after Scarecrow. When it seems Scarecrow is cornered, he escapes the blimp using an eject glider. Batman rescues Dr. Long from the blimp, which then crashes and explodes.

Batman then calls the Batmobile and receives word that his computer has finished analyzing the piece of the mask that he tore from the Scarecrow. After a few more analyses, the computer comes to the conclusion that Scarecrow is Jonathan Crane, a former Professor of Psychology at Gotham University who specialized in fear. Batman then heads off to apprehend Scarecrow at the Crane Chemicals facility. Batman, offscreen, turns Scarecrow's own fear gas on him. Through Scarecrow's hallucinations, it's revealed that his greatest fear is bats. Batman then turns Scarecrow into the GCPD.

The final scene of the episode is Bruce at his parents' grave, paying his respects to their memory.

* FloatingAdviceReminder: Played with when Batman has been dosed with Scarecrow's gas and is tormented by a floaty-head telling him he has failed the family name. This leads directly into the well-known [[PunctuatedForEmphasis "I. Am. BATMAN!"]] [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome scene]], and is followed by Bruce beating up Scarecrow's mooks and rescuing a hostage. He even gets a ThemeMusicPowerUp!

* MythologyGag: The Scarecrow's fear gas comes out of the air vents in the same manner as Joker's sleep gas in Tim Burton's ''Film/{{Batman}}'' film.

* WellDoneSonGuy: The episode establishes that after a former colleague of his father seees Bruce as nothing more than a playboy, Batman's greatest fear is that he's a disgrace to his family. Alfred assures him that his father would indeed be proud of what he's done.

* ShoutOut: The security guard in the beginning is reading a comic book called ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures''.

** Also he was an EvilBrit (for no clear reason) before changing to an American accent in his next apperance.

* WellDoneSonGuy: The episode establishes that, after a former colleague of his father seeing Bruce as nothing more than a playboy, Batman's greatest fear is that he's a disgrace to his family. Alfred assures him that his father would indeed be proud of what he's done.