Detective Comics #731

Issue Details

Synopsis

NO MAN'S LAND PART 10: FEAR OF FAITH PART 4 - BE NOT AFRAID Father Chris is confronting the False Facers alone while the people in the refugee center, under the leadership of Scarecrow are taking the guns and are ready to fight. Although it seems that Chris has been shot, Penguin's gang shows up to shoot the False Facers and take Chris hostage. Huntress ushers the people back into the center, but Scarecrow is still trying to incite them. She realizes that she'll have to save Father Chris herself before the people get themselves killed.  As Batman watches the hostage situation, he notices that the Blue Boys have shown up, and worries that a gang war may erupt. While everyone watches, Huntress takes down part of the Penguin's gang, but is unable to completely get Father Chris to safety. As the people get ready for a fight in the center, gunshots actually come from behind the Penguin gang, as Leo, the False Facers' leader survived. Everyone takes cover again, as an unseen figure approaches Leo.   While everyone is under cover, an unknown man calls to the Penguin gang and asks to trade his gun for Father Chris. The gang shoot him, but unseen by them, Huntress has rescued Chris and brought him into the center. Leo reveals himself to Huntress and Father Chris, and outside as the Penguin gang check on the man they shot, he turns out to be Batman, who fights them. Although the Blue Boys are ready to help, Batman sends a smoke bomb at them in order to keep more people from being killed. He sends a message to Penguin with his men, telling him the area is off limits, permanently. Gordon and the Blue Boys pull back, knowing the area is safe.   Inside the center, Leo tells everyone that Scarecrow had told the gang that the weapons were there. As one, the refugees swarm on Scarecrow, prepared to rip him to pieces. If anything, he is overjoyed by the explosion of violence he has provoked, calling it "glorious" and thinking himself a martyr to his own theories of human behavior. Father Papaleo convinces Huntress to step in and she does, calling for order, reminding them all that the people they were afraid for are all safe, and that fear may provoke them to viciousness and hate, but it also reminds them how much they love the things they fear to lose; and that the only reason Scarecrow did what he did is because, at heart, he is the smallest and most afraid of them all. To Scarecrow's horror, the people forgive him and crowd around, offering him the comfort of their various faiths and assuring him that he does not need to be afraid anymore. Flustered, Scarecrow flees the center.   Later the Penguin's gang informs him what happened, and that Father Chris and the people dumped the weapons into the river.   Walking alone, Scarecrow is unmoored, unable to process that the people he sought to manipulate were able to overcome their fear, and thus rendered all his theories and beliefs wrong. Stumbling against a burning trash can, his costume is set on fire and he is forced to take it off. Now alone and without any weapons to defend himself (the most powerful being other people's fears), he lapses into a catatonic state.   Later, Batman brings Batgirl into his makeshift Batcave, showing his trust in her. She realizes it is not the true Batcave and he tells her that these days he has to be flexible, revealing that they are located in Arkham Asylum's basement.