Fans of the show Gotham have probably heard that Jonathan Crane and his father are set to appear on the show. Who is Jonathan Crane? Jonathan Crane is the villainous Scarecrow, who first appeared in World’s Finest Comics #3 (Fall 1941).

The Scarecrow only appeared twice in the “Golden” age of comics, he next appeared in the “Silver” age in Batman #189 (1967).

After the 1985-1986 miniseries Crisis on Infinite Earths, Scarecrow gets a revamped origin. In Batman Annual #19 (1995), its is revealed that young Jonathan Crane was constantly bullied all through childhood and into high school for being a bookworm and his resemblance to the fictional character Icabod Crane from the book “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”. Several of his tormentors are seriously injured when, on prom night, Crane first dons a scarecrow costume and brandishing a gun, threatens them. This is the first time Jonathan Crane really learns about the power of fear. Crane later goes on to get a job as a psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum, where he conducts fear experiments on the patients. He also gets a job as a psychology professor at Gotham University after he kills his former teacher and takes his position. Crane specialized in fear and is fired after firing a loaded gun in the classroom, injuring a student. Crane begins to kill the university faculty that terminated him until he is stopped by the Batman.

The Scarecrow, while often operating alone, has also teamed up with other villains. In the 1992 Knightfall storyline, Scarecrow teams up with the Joker to kidnap and ransom the mayor. Batman defeats the pair and saves the mayor right before his back breaking defeat at Bane’s hands.

Scarecrow barely survives his next caper, as he holds the city ransom until they name him the “god of fear”. Scarecrow is defeated by Anarky and the Jean Paul Valley Batman as Bruce Wayne was still recovering from his broken back. Jean Paul was a much more violent Batman.

Jonathan Crane and Scarecrow were portrayed in live action in the Christopher Nolan Dark Knight Trilogy of Batman movies, the only villain to appear in all three films, by actor Cillian Murphy.