Dude(s) in distress - Not every one is a winner - Batman 200

[icon_uk]

Sadly, not every example of a dude in distress is a great one... and even the Dynamic Duo have their... less memorable experiences.


And it starts so well, with this rather awesome cover.. they just look so darned chipper!



The Scarecrow has developed (I think this might have been for the first time) a fear-enhancing drug, which when taken, makes whoever takes it absolutely terrifying to anyone who sees him (or her). He has taken a dose himself and has been terrifying Batman and Robin repeatedly, to the point where they actually pass out with fear on seeing him. However, they have struggled to overcome this rather debilitating state of affairs and are now determined that they can overcome it. Tracking him down to his next major crime by a painfully convoluted series of clues he's planted on the other major criminals active at the time (It's an anniversary issue, the Penguin, Joker and Killer Moth all make one one page cameos).

At first the fight goes the good guys way, and the Scarecrow is impressed they've overcome their automatic terror at the sight of him, but he has a plan...



Okay, not their most heroic take-down, but it's about to get worse...



And that's where it loses me... Batman's phobia about guns makes a certain degree of sense, but Dick is suddenly phobic about STRING?? Really?




Strings? Handguns? Hoping they might starve to death? Who in the Scarecrow's quality control team ever remotely thought that this was a decent deathtrap? Honestly, it's embarassing...

 

Comments

[star_of_airdrie]

Holy filophobia, Batman!!!

[nefrekeptah]

I don't think it's that they have phobias, it's more like the guns and the string respectively reminded them of why they fight crime, giving them the strength of will to get out of the trap.

Although that's also a bit of stretch.

[krait]

I'm just going to assume that the villain poured his magical Fear Factor Juice all over everything in the room.

[icon_uk]

You are more generous than I've ever been about that scene!

[fredneil.livejournal.com]

"Who in the Scarecrow's quality control team ever remotely thought that this was a decent deathtrap?"

Whoever it was must have read the same old Justice Society story that I did, where they're all tied up and it's a giant knife-throwing machine. They got out of it by all moving to the side at the same time.

[crinos]

Wow, this reeks of "Batman and Robin came in before they had the real death trap ready and Scarecrow was as libbing."

[icon_uk]

"Ah-ha! I have you ummm... now... gosh is THAT the time...Batman and Robin. You are my helpless prisoners... err already... gosh what-to-do... what-to-do... Quick men... ummmm... PREPARE THE STRINGS OF DOOM and the NONDESCRIPT HANDGUNS OF VENGEANCE"

"Surw boss, umm wait a minurte... the what?"

"Why, the STRINGS OF DOOM and the NONDESCRIPT HANDGUNS OF VENGEANCE!!"

"But what about that great big 100% Guaranteed Inescapable Batmangler and Automated Robin-Plucker you spent all that money on?"

"They're not ready! We've barely got the Batmangler put together and haven't even had time for a run through to make sure it works, and the Automated Robin-Plucker is still in it's damn box. Work with me here and there's an extra $50 in your paypacket this week"

"Oh, okay, sure.. The strings of doom and nondescript handlebars of vogons it is!"

"NONDESCRIPT HANDGUNS OF VENGEANCE! you fool!"

[pallas_athena]

hee hee hee. You win everything instantly!

[q99]

That was just sad. The deathtrap, sure, but the take down even more-so!

They just freak out at 6 scarecrows?

[joasakura]

"we will never speak of this again, chum."

[saralakali]

Why didn't they just move their hands forward, creating slack in the strings? And before you say "hair trigger", guns don't work that way.