Jonathan Crane was a spindly and meek psychology teacher whose obsession with fear, his paranoia of his colleagues, and his reclusive behavior would all contribute to him taking on the costumed identity of the Scarecrow, master of fear.

Dick Grayson is out with some of his school friends exercising in a jungle gym when his classmate Andy expresses his fear of heights. Dick, however, manages to talk the young man into conquering his fears. Spotting a submarine rising out of the water in Gotham Park, Dick makes an excuse to go and investigate. Spying on the beaching submarine, Dick happens to see the Scarecrow exit from the craft. Coincidentally Bruce Wayne and Alfred arrive shortly after the Scarecrow's departure into the bushes, having come to offer ice cream to Dick and his friends. Telling Bruce what he has seen, the Dynamic Dup changes into Batman and Robin and goes after the Scarecrow to see what he is planning.

They track down the Scarecrow to a secluded part of the park where he and his henchmen are digging up buried loot from one of the Scarecrow's previous heists. Batman and Robin spring into action, fighting the thugs and knocking the Scarecrow to the ground. While Batman and Robin are distracted by the thugs, the Scarecrow activates a transmitter to activate a device on his submarine. The machine throws a spray that causes Batman and Robin to suddenly become afraid of falling from a great height, prompting the two heroes to grasp for a tree in fear. Gloating over his victory over Batman and Robin, the Scarecrow leaves a clue to his subsequent activities and flees the scene with his loot. When the Dynamic Duo shakes off the ray's effects, they notice the Scarecrow's clues: pieces of straw spelling out the words Park, Ark, Mark. After briefly resuming their civilian guises to hand out ice cream, Batman and Robin return to the Batcave to try and puzzle out the Scarecrow's clues.

Running the clues through the Batcomputer and being assisted by Alfred, the Dynamic Duo learn that the Scarecrow plans on robbing the Floating Palace, a replica of Noah's Ark. Rushing out in the Batboat, Batman and Robin arrive on the Ark, where they find the Scarecrow waiting for them. Once more, using his unique sensor, the Scarecrow made the two heroes go blind and left them at the mercy of two wild cats that he left to finish them off. Fighting off the giant felines, Batman manages to frighten them off with a makeshift torch. Escaping the room and escaping from the Scarecrow's sensors, Batman and Robin's vision is restored, but they find out too late that the Scarecrow has escaped.

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