Batman: Shadow of the Bat #18 is an issue of the series Batman: Shadow of the Bat (Volume 1) with a cover date of October, 1993.
Synopsis for "The God of Fear: Conclusion"
A member of Scarecrow's gang wanders into a GCPD precinct office claiming that he is the real Scarecrow and has come to turn himself in. Suddenly, he empties several canisters of fear gas, and the officers inside all become prey to their worst fears. In the confusion, the Scarecrow impostor is shot.
Meanwhile, Batman tracks down the equipment with which Scarecrow is projecting a giant hologram of his face across the Gotham City skyline. Unfortunately, it appears that this location is only one of several projector sites, and he has more work to do. Jean-Paul struggles with his desire to lay blame on Bane and get vengeance on him, but eventually he realizes that he must protect the city by eliminating the Scarecrow's threat.
After watching a news report calling him a crazed maniac, Scarecrow becomes aggravated that the people refuse to worship him as god of fear. He complains aloud to his thrall Phil Herold, a boy whose father he killed years ago. Phil's internal anger builds despite the fact that he can't even move of his own volition, thanks to the Scarecrow's fear conditioning.
Batman hears a list of students from Gotham University who the Scarecrow kidnapped, and recognizes Phil Herold's last name, and his father's book collection. Meanwhile, Anarky watches Scarecrow from afar, planning to take him out - though, he believes that Batman is the real cause of the Scarecrow's existence (and the existence of all other costumed villains in Gotham).
At Gotham City Police Headquarters, Commissioner Gordon struggles to handle all of the chaos in the city with his police force spread thin. He receives a call from the Scarecrow warning that if Gordon can't persuade the city to accept him as God he will release fear gas from a central location, and put the entire city into chaos. Batman overhears Gordon's warning over his police radio, and wonders how the plan would work, given that the gas would disperse if it were not released into an enclosed space.
Anarky watches from afar, waiting for the Batman to appear as Scarecrow reveals to Phil Herold that he actually intends to release his toxin into Gotham's water supply, and not into the open air. Moments later, Batman appears, but Scarecrow spots him, and Anarky fires a flare at him to prevent his escape. Batman engages in physical combat with Scarecrow, who ironically uses the Crane style of fighting.
Batman manages to defend against Crane's attacks, and prepares to savagely beat him, but he is suddenly enveloped along with Scarecrow in a net cast by Anarky. He promises to return Scarecrow to Arkham Asylum, but has determined that he must kill Batman, explaining how he believes that Batman attracts the insane criminal element to Gotham. However, Scarecrow's mind control over Phil Herold is still intact, and Phil knocks Anarky to the ground while Scarecrow injects both Anarky and Batman with fear toxin and crawls out of the net.
Batman and Anarky are overcome by their fears. Anarky fears a world controlled entirely by bureaucrats and elites, while Batman fears that underneath the mask, he is really nothing at all. Strangely, Jean-Paul's fear is replaced by a new program, put in place by the Sacred Order of St. Dumas. Finding that his toxin hasn't worked on Batman, Scarecrow attempts to rely on Batman's famed code of honour by having Phil leap off the roof.
Rather than save Phil, Batman begins beating Scarecrow into unconsciousness. When he is satisfied, he looks to see that Anarky has caught a rope around Phil's leg, and is struggling to hold him up. After Batman helps him pull Phil to safety, he questions why Batman would allow an innocent to die. Batman claims the greater good demanded Phil's death, and then grabs Anarky stating that if he ever gets in his way again, he will kill him.
Appearing in "The God of Fear: Conclusion"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Anarky
- Phil Herold (Final appearance)
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Gotham City Police Department
- James Gordon
- Stan Kitch
- Harvey Bullock (Behind the scenes)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- This issue ties in with the ongoing crossover of the "Knightfall" Saga.
- While this is not a numbered chapter in the "Knightfall Saga", it is the third of three parts in a story taking place sometime after Detective Comics #665 and before Batman #499, given that they take place after Jean-Paul Valley becomes Batman, but before he designs his new power gloves. It is reprinted in the trade paperbacks Batman: Knightfall Part Two - Who Rules the Night, the 2012 Batman: Knightfall Volume One, the 2018 Batman: Knightfall Vol. 2 and Batman: Shadow of the Bat Vol. 2.
See Also
Recommended Reading
- Batman Recommended Reading
- Batman (Volume 1)
- Batman (Volume 2)
- Batman (Volume 3)
- Batman and Robin (Volume 1)
- Batman and Robin (Volume 2)
- Batman and Robin (Volume 3)
- Batman Confidential (Volume 1)
- Batman: Gotham Knights (Volume 1)
- Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight (Volume 1)
- Batman: Shadow of the Bat (Volume 1)
- Batman: Streets of Gotham (Volume 1)
- Batman Incorporated (Volume 1)
- Batman Incorporated (Volume 2)
- Batman/Superman (Volume 1)
- Batman/Superman (Volume 2)
- Batman/Superman: World's Finest (Volume 1)
- Batman: The Dark Knight (Volume 1)
- Batman: The Dark Knight (Volume 2)
- The Brave and the Bold (Volume 1)
- Detective Comics (Volume 1)
- Detective Comics (Volume 2)
- Superman/Batman (Volume 1)
- World's Finest (Volume 1)
