For I am The Scarecrow, the master of, well, you know what I'm the master of. 
New Year's Evil: Scarecrow #1 is an issue of the series New Year's Evil (Volume 1) with a cover date of February, 1998.
Synopsis for "Scarecrow: Mistress of Fear"
Two months ago, Scarecrow attacked the Gotham suburb of Greenvale. Batman only found him after the attack, and Scarecrow taunted him, claiming no one would dare testify against him. When Becky Albright, a Gotham University law student, agrees to testify, however, Scarecrow is returned to Arkham Asylum where the other inmates taunt him for failing to scare a girl.
Scarecrow escapes after two weeks by preying upon the fears of a prison guard, and he and his two henchmen attack Becky in her home. They kill her dog and threaten her to recant her testimony, but she refuses. One henchman chokes her unconscious, and he suggests killing her, but Scarecrow refuses until he can prove the other villains wrong by making her fear him.
Scarecrow follows Becky and attacks her again while she is taking the subway. He abducts her and tortures her with fear gas to discover her deepest fear. She has a flashback to being bullied as a child for her disability, and Scarecrow remembers his own past as a victim of bullying. Batman saves Becky and brings her to the hospital, where Scarecrow watches her in the guise of a janitor.
Scarecrow abducts Becky again and presents her with a costume based on his own, offering to make her his "Mistress of Fear" and giving her the opportunity to get revenge on her tormentors. Becky refuses. Scarecrow insists she has the psychological profile to become a supervillain, and when she refuses again, he threatens to kill her. Becky says he'll have to kill her.
Batman arrives and tackles Scarecrow to the ground. Scarecrow insists he was about to kill Becky, but Batman says he had more than enough time to kill her if he wanted. Scarecrow is returned to Arkham, where the other inmates mock him. Scarecrow swears revenge on Becky, Batman, and the inmates.
Appearing in "Scarecrow: Mistress of Fear"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Crane's Henchmen
Locations:
- Gotham University
- Arkham Asylum
- Greenvale
Items:
Vehicles:
- Gotham Train
Notes
- This issue is reprinted in Batman: Scarecrow Tales.
See Also
Recommended Reading
"Mistress of Fear" is reprinted in Batman: Scarecrow Tales.